Rico stumbled into the quiet of his home, the door clicking shut behind him. The silence pressed down on him harder than any prison walls ever could.
Anger burned in his chest, but it was tangled with something worse, love. Why did he still ache for Kieran after everything? Why had he been so blind? He pressed his fists against his head, as if he could beat the feelings out of himself.
"Kieran never cared," he whispered, voice shaking. "Not even once."
The words broke something inside him. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. The pain struck almost immediately, deep in his core. His body curled in on itself as the first waves of his heat cycle tore through him, hotter and sharper than before. Sweat drenched his skin, his breath coming in ragged sobs. The pain of his body and the betrayal in his chest tangled together until all he could do was cry into the floor.
He was alone. Utterly alone.
...
Meanwhile, in the sterile gray walls of the prison, Kieran sat rigid on the chair as the guards let a visitor inside.
The moment Dante entered, the air shifted. His aura rolled out like a storm, heavy and suffocating, pressing down on Kieran until every muscle screamed to kneel. His breath caught in his throat. For one terrifying second, his knees almost buckled.
But he forced himself to stand tall, teeth gritted, refusing to bend.
Dante chuckled low in his throat, amused. "Still resisting? Good. I'll enjoy breaking that." His voice was silk over steel, cruel in its calm. He leaned closer, eyes glittering. "From this moment, Kieran, you belong to me. I'll do whatever I want with you. And if you think of disobeying…"
He slid a phone from his pocket and tapped the screen. A video began to play, grainy security footage, but clear enough. Kieran's house. The front porch. The faint silhouette of movement inside.
"Rico," Dante said smoothly. "If you're stupid enough to test me, he'll pay the price. Do you understand?"
Cold fear stabbed through Kieran, deeper than anything he'd ever felt. His breath came shallow, his heart hammering in his chest. He had done this, his pride, his obsession, his need for revenge had put Rico in danger. Why hadn't he just listened to Rico? Why hadn't he let go?
His voice was hoarse when he finally forced out, "Yes."
"Good." Dante's smirk widened. He leaned back in the chair like a king, extending one polished shoe toward him. "Then kneel. Clean them."
The command felt like a whip. Humiliation burned through Kieran as his body trembled with resistance. His pride screamed, but the thought of Rico's face, alone, betrayed, vulnerable, crushed him harder than Dante's aura.
Slowly, painfully, Kieran lowered himself to his knees. His hands shook as he reached forward, wiping the shoe with the rough fabric of his prison shirt.
Dante's laughter echoed in the small room. "That's better. You'll learn, Kieran. One way or another, you'll learn."
....
Hayden lingered outside Kieran's house, the glow of his phone screen still on his face. Dante's orders were simple, stream Rico's house live, keep the feed going until Kieran understood who held the power. He had done his part. He was ready to leave.
But then, a sound broke the quiet atmosphere.
A crash. The sharp thud of something falling inside.
Hayden's instincts sharpened. He pushed the door open and stepped into the darkened house. The smell hit him first, sweet, thick, and unmistakable. Heat.
On the floor, Rico writhed, his body slick with sweat, his face twisted in pain and need. His breaths came in ragged whimpers, his nails clawing against the floorboards.
Hayden froze for a moment, staring. Every inch of him reacted at once. He was an alpha, and the sight of an omega breaking under the weight of their own cycle ripped through his self control.
"Damn," he muttered, low, his throat tightening.
He crouched, scooping Rico into his arms with ease. The omega was trembling, his skin burning hot against Hayden's. His scent was intoxicating, pulling every primal urge Hayden had ever kept buried straight to the surface.
He carried Rico upstairs, pushing into the nearest bedroom.
The moment he laid him down, Rico arched against him, sobbing and gasping, his voice broken but begging. "Please,please, I can't..."
Hayden's restraint snapped. He pressed down, claiming him, and the room filled with the sounds of flesh, cries, and desperate pleas.
Rico clawed at him, tears streaking his face, caught between pain and pleasure as his body begged for more no matter how much Hayden gave. Again and again, until exhaustion blurred the edges of everything, and still Rico begged, unable to be satisfied.
...
Far away, Kieran's world collapsed into a different kind of cage. He was dragged from the prison and handcuffed, his wrists were raw from the handcuffs, forced into the backseat of a sleek black car. By the time it stopped, the mask was pulled from his eyes, and he was staring at one of Dante's private properties.
Inside, Dante stood waiting, a cruel smile twisting his mouth.
"Welcome to your new home," Dante said smoothly. "From now on, you'll work for me. An errand boy. A dog. And when I'm satisfied, maybe,just maybe, I will let you crawl back to whatever is left of your life."
Kieran's jaw clenched. His pride screamed at him to resist, but the memory of the video, the shadow of Rico in his house, froze him.
"And if you ever rebel," Dante's eyes narrowed, sharp as blades, "Rico will pay the price. With interest."
Kieran's stomach dropped. Shame and fury battled in his chest, but for the first time in his life, he was powerless.
"Yes," he forced out, the word breaking on his tongue.
Dante's grin widened. "Good boy."