Page 7 of Obsession

She felt a sense of claustrophobia though, day in and day out without the sense of nature to calm her. Without hearing the birds sing in the morning, without the soft breeze blowing against her neck. Walking barefoot in the grass of her yard to ground herself was something she did every day, and for some time now all of that was gone from her life.

There was no knowing if it would actually work, but she had to try. When Ren found Callum alone in the study with a soft cover book covered with flowers and a serpent wrapped around a dagger, she tried to read the title. He must’ve seen her and turned the book cover down on the table next to his high wingback chair.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this evening sweets?” Callum always cooed when he spoke to her in such away that his soft voice seemed to caress her into a sense of calm she otherwise rarely felt.

“Please take me to get a breath of fresh air?” She begged Callum to go outside.

“I rather like the smell of you, down here. What do you want to go out for?” He said and rose from his chair, casually walking closer to her.

“I would like to feel the grass between my toes, to ground myself in the natural world, please?” She tried again while batting her eyelashes at him.

“How can I deny such a fair creature her only wish.” His chuckle was warm.

He placed his thumb and forefinger on her chin and directed her gaze at his.

“If you try to escape, it won't end well. This is the supernatural world, my sweet.” He warned her with a sense of seriousness that gave her a foreboding sense of dread.

“I won’t, I promise.”

“Though, I would so enjoy chasing and hunting a little bunny through the woods. When the predator captures the prey…it rarely survives.” Callum’s voice dropped an octave on the last word.

Ren stood with her jaw slack. The image of the helpless animal being torn to shreds by sharpened claws and teeth invaded her mind.

“I think that suits you fine…so soft, so helpless…Bunny.” Callum caressed her cheek, and traced his finger down to her neck. His hand moved toward the back of her neck and under her hairline, where he tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled just enough to pinch but not hurt.

He stared at her full lips that she unconsciously licked in anticipation. The moistened flesh glistened in the pale candlelight, plump and waiting to be ravaged.

She leaned in closer to him, and he toward her. They were only a hair’s breadth apart.

“Maybe you aren’t quite so helpless. I can smell your arousal Bunny.” Callum whispered against her lips.

He stuck out his tongue and licked just the tip of her nose then touched the softest of kisses there.

“In due time, all in due time.”

He grabbed her by the hand and walked from the room toward a hallway that she swore she hadn’t seen yet.

Ren had no memory of how they had gotten outside, only that she was standing in an opening in the forest. She could see the entrance to a building that could only be described as hauntingly ornate.

The home she had been held captive in.

She realized they were located in a remote, seemingly inaccessible location. No roads or pathways, only dense forest and underbrush.

No sign of civilization. No power lines. Not even a game trail to cut through the thick foliage.

There were peaks towering around her on three sides. When she walked to the only edge without trees she found a sheer cliff face dropping hundreds of feet to a bed of jagged rocks.

This left her despondent utterly dependent on her captors. Her initial resilience began to wear thin, giving way to a reluctant acceptance of her situation.

She had observed the brothers closely, noticing the complex dynamics between them. If escape was impossible, she would need to find other means of turning circumstances to her favor.Unsure of her exact plan of action. Pondering it all while barefoot and enjoying the sounds of nature was the greatest gift she had been given since she was taken by these men.

Bastian's merciless nature, Grayson's silence and cold stares, and Callum's empathy and warmth became more apparent. Her role within their household began to shift as well, and she could feel herself becoming more than just a prisoner. More than just apet, as Bastian always referred to her.

At first they would not tolerate her interruptions. Any time she spoke out of turn, they would bind her in such a way that she couldn’t move or speak. The invisible nature of the punishment was impossible to fight against. No ropes, no cloth, just her own body betraying her; bending to the will of the man who told her to stand still and say nothing. How they had the power over her was still a mystery to her.

The men never did elaborate on exactly what they were or how they had these abilities, though she suspected they were the nightmarish creatures from countless fables.

But over time she learned to use her feminine wiles as a distraction. Leaning in close, pressing her breasts together and popping the cleavage in their line of sight, feigning ignorance and interest as she picked apart their behaviors.

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