Page 17 of Devil May Lie

…Had he?

He couldn’t risk it. The Brumal and his place there was all he had. If he was abandoned by them, he’d have nothing. He’d be nothing.

“It’s only fair,” Madden said then, clearly sensing he was close to caving. “We can take the pills again if you like, and I promise I’ll be good to you. I won’t take you the same way you so carelessly took me. I won’t make you bleed.”

“Promise?” He couldn’t believe he was considering this but…There wasn’t another solution he could see. Everything either led to him hurting Madden or accepting his proposition. If those were his only two options, only one of them would protect him from Baikal’s disappointment. “Why?”

“I don’t need to hurt people to get off.” He shrugged.

“No, not that.” Berga didn’t care about being hurt. In fact, that would actually make things easier for him, since he was turned on by pain. “Why do you want to do it again, with me of all people?”

Madden quirked a brow. “Are you looking for me to whisper sweet nothings to you and get romantic?”

“Absolutely not. I’m just…trying to understand the meaning of this.”

“The meaning?” Madden picked up his approach, moseying over slowly as though they were discussing what to do over the weekend and not whether or not they were going to fuck. “Why does there have to be any meaning? Why can’t it just be because I liked the way it felt?”

“Did you?”

“Yes.”

“That’s because of the drug. If you take it, you’ll find the same pleasure with someone else, I guarantee it.”

“Just,” Madden lifted his hands and planted them against the glass case, caging Berga in, “let me have another taste, Butcher, where’s the harm in that, hmm? I’m interested in finding out what it feels like to bed you without the help of the drug.”

Berga frowned. “There aren’t any beds here.”

“That’s—” He laughed and hung his head, a few hairs brushing against the tip of Berga’s nose in the process.

He pressed as far back against the cabinet as he could, mostly to prevent himself from reaching out to touch it.

“It’s a figure of speech,” Madden said.

“You mentioned getting on my knees was one of the options,” Berga suddenly recalled, shoving the Royal back a step. “Since that was an option—” He made to lower to the ground, but Madden caught him by the arm and hauled him back up before he could get very far.

“It isn’t,” he stated. “Not anymore. I don’t want your mouth. I want…” his gaze trailed to Berga’s ass and he actually licked his lips.

“Are you a pervert?”

“You’re stalling.” Madden’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve allowed it up until this point because it’s honestly kind of cute, but I’m over it now. What’ll it be, Butcher? Am I bending you over the nearest flat surface, or are you going to get on your back and spread your thighs for me?”

“This is coercion,” he gave one final attempt at dissuading the Royal, even knowing it was a lost cause.

“Your offense was still greater than mine.”

Berga slumped against the glass in defeat. He was caught. There was no way out of this. “Fine.”

“What was that?” he angled his ear closer. “I couldn’t hear you.”

“I said fine.” He shoved him away again and then inspected the room, seeking out the best place to get this over with.

The door had frosted glass—he didn’t have to worry about anyone peeking in on them, and no one else had access, so they wouldn’t be walked in on either. There were two work tables, one with a Bunsen burner that he vetoed right away, mostly to avoid the temptation of lighting Madden on fire. That left either his desk or…

“There.” Berga undid his buckle and slipped his belt free as he walked toward the window seat. Like the door, it was currently frosted over, and there weren’t any objects around it or nearby that he could grab and use against Madden if things got too intense and he lost his sense of rationality.

He slipped out of his shoes and then his pants and boxers, tossing the clothing onto his desk chair to the left. His lab was kept simple enough, with the cabinets lining the longer walls, his desk tucked into the far-left corner, and a sink in the opposite. It wasn’t a very large space since it was meant for single-student use, and though he sometimes napped in the window seat, he’d never bothered to bring any blankets or pillows here.

There was no cushion either, and it wasn’t long enough for them to lay down, but it was two feet wide, so he could sit on it easily enough, and the wood wouldn’t stain but…

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