Kai – Trapped, but Not Broken
The room was too quiet.
Kai sat on the edge of the soft bed, staring at the tall windows. They were shut tight. Locked. Magic shimmered faintly along the glass — a soft glow only he could see. A barrier.
He was trapped.
The place was big. Clean. Rich. Every surface polished, every corner warm. It wasn't a prison, not really. But it felt like one.
Because he hadn't chosen to be here.
Lucien had brought him. No chains. No cuffs. Just his voice, his presence, and a hand on Kai's back that made his whole body burn.
Kai had waited until nightfall.
Now, everything was still.
He slipped from the bed quietly. Barefoot. Careful. His heat had cooled down a little, just enough for him to think. He padded across the floor and pushed on the door.
It opened.
He blinked. Surprised. No guards. No traps.
Maybe he let his guard down.
Kai moved fast, sneaking through the halls. The house was endless — too many rooms, long dark hallways, shadows that seemed to follow him.
Then he found a door.
It was wooden. Simple. Maybe it led outside.
He pushed it open—
And stopped.
It was just a garden. Fenced. Sealed. The sky above it glowed faint blue, like stars behind glass.
A magical dome.
Of course, he thought bitterly. He's locking me in with spells now.
Frustrated, he leaned against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting in the grass.
His heart ached. Not from fear. From the bond.
It was pulling again. Soft this time. Gentle. Like warm fingers on his skin.
Then… the grass under him glowed faintly. Just a pulse. A flicker.
Kai stared.
He touched the earth again. It reacted.
His scent.
His bond.
His magic.
No way.
Something inside him had changed. The bond wasn't just heat anymore. It was power.
And it was connected to Lucien.
A part of him wanted to scream. Another part… wanted to understand.
Behind him, he felt it before he heard it — the quiet sound of boots on stone.
Lucien.
"You really thought you could get away?" His voice was calm. Not mocking. Almost... soft.
Kai didn't answer.
Lucien stepped closer, stopping behind him. "The bond's changing you. Can you feel it?"
Kai nodded once.
Lucien sat beside him on the grass. No pressure. No force.
Just silence.
Then: "You're not a prisoner, Kai," Lucien said. "You're mine. And I'm yours. That's how the bond works."
Kai looked at him. For once, he didn't snap back.
He didn't know if he was angry… or afraid… or just tired.
But when Lucien reached out, not to touch, just to rest his hand near Kai's, the magic flickered again — soft, gold, warm.
And Kai didn't pull away.
The Bond at Night
The stars above them shimmered, caught behind the magical dome like diamonds frozen in glass.
Lucien didn't say much. He just sat there, close, but not too close. Letting Kai breathe. Letting the silence settle between them.
Kai finally spoke, voice low. "Why me?"
Lucien looked at him, eyes softer than Kai expected. "I don't know. The bond chooses. We don't control it."
Kai scoffed. "That's not an answer."
"It's the truth," Lucien said. "But… I'm not angry about it."
Kai didn't reply. He watched the way Lucien's hand rested on the grass, strong and still. He thought about how that hand had held his wrist, how it had burned through him with just one touch.
His body remembered too well. But this wasn't that. Not now.
"This place is too quiet," Kai said, just to break the tension.
Lucien smiled, barely. "You'd rather be in the city, bleeding from a heat crash?"
Kai gave a tired smirk. "Fair point."
Silence returned. Softer this time.
Then the bond pulsed again — slow and steady, like a heartbeat. Magic bloomed from the grass around them, soft gold light curling through the blades.
Lucien noticed it too. "You feel that?"
Kai nodded. "Yeah. It's warm."
The magic swirled between them, glowing in the space where their hands almost touched. Not quite, but close.
Lucien's voice dropped. "The bond is more than heat. It's not just about sex. It's about connection. Sharing. Even our dreams."
Kai blinked. "What do you mean?"
Lucien looked up at the stars. "If you sleep tonight... you might not be alone."
Later That Night
Kai couldn't sleep.
He rolled onto his back, the sheets soft, his body still humming from the bond's pull. The magic hadn't faded — it still lingered in the air, gentle and warm.
His eyes finally drifted closed.
And then—
He was no longer in the room.
He stood in a quiet forest, moonlight falling through silver trees. The ground sparkled with light — not snow, not ash. Magic.
He turned.
Lucien was there.
But not like before. Here, in the dream, he was calm. Barefoot. No coat. Just a dark shirt, his hair loose around his shoulders. He looked younger. Softer. Real.
"You made it," Lucien said.
Kai stepped closer, heart pounding for reasons he didn't understand. "This is a dream, right?"
Lucien nodded. "Ours."
They stood in silence.
Then Lucien reached out — slow, asking permission.
Kai didn't move away.
Their fingers touched.
And the world lit up around them.
The trees glowed. The ground shimmered brighter. A soft wind blew between them, like the forest itself was sighing.
Kai stared at their hands.
"I don't understand this," he whispered.
"You don't have to," Lucien said gently. "You just have to feel it."
Kai looked up. Their faces were inches apart.
Lucien didn't kiss him.
Didn't grab or claim or push.
He just leaned in, close enough that their breath mingled.
And that was enough.
The dream stayed warm. Safe. Quiet.
Kai closed his eyes, resting his head against Lucien's chest. He felt arms wrap around him. Not possessive. Just holding.
And for the first time in a long time… Kai slept deeply.