[Trigger Warning: Mention of child abuse and grooming. Reader discretion is advised.]
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[Music: Broken By Isak Danielson]
I used to think she loved me. That I was favored and wanted, because it explained why she called me into her room when the house was quiet, why she smiled at me, and caressed me like I meant the world to her.
She made it seem natural when she touched my cheek tenderly, when her lips pressed against mine, and when her hand lingered. She spoke softly, praised me, and told me that I made her feel safe and loved.
Love.
That fucking word was a toxin that invaded my bloodstream and devoured my soul piece by piece. Because it justified everything, every action that made me question reality.
"Why does Stepmother love you differently?" Athena would ask me, trying to understand why I was always alone with her.
Athena would stand at the doorway, clenching her teddy when the door closed behind me.
"I don’t know." I would reply because I couldn’t explain it either.
I felt my father’s cane on my shoulders during the day as he taught me to become the man he wanted, to become worthy of the King’s name. Her cold hands visited me at night, teaching me to become the man who could please her.
She was a comfort in a household filled with grim and demanded perfection. She made it easier to keep breathing.
Until one day.
Athena and I were sent off to boarding school for the elites. Karma wanted a taste, so the mirror was tilted on us. This time, I was the one who stood in the hallway when the doors were closed behind my sister. The last thing I’d see was the broad smile on the Headmaster’s lips.
"Maybe he loves me differently, as Stepmother does with you," she said to me, amidst trying to keep her smile fixed. "Right, Ares?"
A boy would understand, but I stopped being a boy a long time ago.
Something in me cracked, and I could hear the pieces descending to the ground. It was the cage in my mind, the haze dispersing.
I saw her clearly for what she was, not as the woman who loved me. I don’t shake when I think of her, and I don’t flinch either. I felt colder. I felt hatred.
I took it out on Headmaster, screaming as I did, and when there was no more voice to offer, I stopped and stared at my bloody hands. I didn’t panic because there was nothing else to feel.
"He won’t hurt you again."
Power.
Control.
Order.
Those were my three Achilles heels, and as I grew older, they became my weapon, and for the first time, I saw rage morph in Agatha’s eyes when I set up my walls. Until it was no longer rage but desperation.
She couldn’t have the boy anymore, so she craved the man.
"Mr. King."
I flickered my gaze to Julian staring at me through the rearview mirror before moving it to the window and realized we had arrived at the penthouse.
"How long?" I asked.
"An hour ago, sir."
I leveled my eyes to the console I had gripped until the leather ripped. It was unusual for me to get lost in a memory like that. I wonder why they worked their way through; maybe it was the distress of seeing those eyes again. They always had a way of rattling me.
"Do you want me to drive you somewhere else, Mr. King?"
"No."
I opened the car door and stepped out, greetings from my staff passing like a blur, and it wasn’t until the elevator doors dinged that I realized I had made my way up.
Loki came to greet me, and I crouched to stroke the back of his ear where he likes it. He closed his eyes and purred.
"Keep your pussy warm, he says... What’s that devil expecting me to do? Microwave it?!"
I heard a loud curse followed by a clatter.
"What am I? A human steak?"
I rose to my full height, and Loki scurried out.
The moment I stepped into the living room, a cereal box came flying for my face before hitting the floor.
Catherine, sitting on the counter, had a shocked expression on her face. "I-I didn’t know you were there... honestly!"
I used my shoe to push the empty box out of the way and came closer. Catherine froze in place, feeling like she was in trouble.
I stepped between her legs, and she tilted her chin to hold my gaze.
"Ares?" she murmured softly because I was yet to say a word. "I-I didn’t mean to—"
My lips were already on hers before she could say anything else, but she pulled away, shivering.
"W-Why are you so cold?" she asked, worried, but I locked her lips again.
I tasted what she had for breakfast, sucking against her bottom flesh until I could feel them swell before I freed them.
"Are your bags packed?"
"N-No... not yet," She replied, trying to soothe her breathing.
"Finish up quickly." I walked upstairs.
My phone rang, and I took it out and picked up the call.
"It’s done."
"Good." I ended the call, dropping my phone on the table, taking off my coat and suit jacket.
"Ares?" Catherine’s voice came behind me. "Are you alright?"
I faced her, rolling the sleeves of my shirt up my arms as I leaned on the table. I finally realized that she had worn a collar to match her nightdress.
"Did your um... private business not go well?" she asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the words.
"You don’t have to force yourself to ask me."
"I’m not forcing myself... just trying to get used to... this."
"Come here."
She came to me in a heartbeat, and when she was in arm’s length, I tugged on the collar to bring her closer until I could feel the heat of her body.
"You listened," I said, curling my finger on the lace. "You’ll be rewarded."