Page 23 of Blinding Light

Clearing his throat, Moargan gloated when Xander startled and instinctively took a step back, hitting the door. “Hello again. You know, I can hear you from a distance. Thump. Thump.” He inhaled slowly, deeply, relishing in that rattling fear that sounded like music in his own chest.

At the sound of his voice, Xander looked up.

Moargan’s mouth fell.

Xander’s eyes burned a bright yellow in the darkness,lighting up the place like two torches. They flicked around nervously.

Could Xander see in the dark?

Only the Dariux could because they were made to be special, to be the unmistakable elite. So, what did that make Xander?

Moargan approached him slowly through the darkness.

“I…this is a misunderstanding,” Xander’s voice trembled through the inky air. “I don’t know why you are requesting my presence here tonight, but I can assure you, I’ll study very hard. You won’t even notice I’m here at the academy.” Xander kept on blabbering, igniting Moargan’s desire further. From the moment he’d seen him in the spaceship, looking all flustered and shy, lost yet resistant, he knew he’d make Xander his.

His body had recognized him as his. And though that sounded absurd, that was exactly what it felt like. Moargan always got what he wanted, presented to him on a silver platter. Though he wanted to play differently tonight, and he wanted to confirm that this was where he’d keep Xander from now on.

Just because he could.

“I’ll let you discover your new home at your own pace,” Moargan murmured. He heard Xander gasp as he took another step, eyes frantically searching around.

He couldn’t see in the dark.

“Please tell me what it is you want from me and I will give it to you. I don’t want any trouble.”

“A bit of trouble is fun,” Moargan teased as he crept closer. “Are you any fun, Xander Devers?” They were now chest to chest.

“No. I mean—I mean I won’t be any trouble. I mean, I’m no fun, no. I can be a shadow.”

“That sounds boring. I don’t like boring people. They are disposed of first. Wouldn’t you agree with me?”

Xander swallowed. “Y-yes?”

Moargen let out a chuckle and dipped his mouth, ghosting it over Xander’s ear. “Then you’d better run, littleaeon.”

Xander let out a strangled shout and their eyes found each other in the darkness. “You…you…” He swallowed back the rest of his phrase.

Then he ran.

Moargan watched as Xander stumbled through the pitch-dark corridor and staggered into the kitchen, flinching when a single light shot to life. He lunged for the glass doors at the back, which were locked.

Stepping behind him inside the kitchen, he inwardly purred at Xander’s wide eyes. “Already cornered, and we’ve barely started. I’ll go easy on you, though. I want you to feel comfortable.”

Xander blinked.

“Did they explain the rules?”

Xander nodded as he took a few more steps back to the dark corridor.

“What were they?”

“Run,” he choked.

“Hmm. Very good. And what else?”

“Don’t get caught.” Xander ran, leaving the kitchen, and made his way back toward the front door.

“You don’t learn fast, do you?” Moargan chuckled, continuing his slow pursuit. “There’s no way out for you, littleaeon. I want you to discover your new home.”

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