The car drove through an automated security gate onto a massive, gleaming stone-paved driveway.
Ahead loomed a sprawling limestone estate, flanked by sharp Italian cypress trees that stood around a grand circular water fountain.
The car glided to a smooth halt directly in front of the main entrance.
The chauffeur stepped out, quickly rounding the car to hold the passenger door wide open.
Valerius stepped into the cool night air, easily carrying Armin in his arms.
He held the boy against his chest, careful not to jostle his fractured rib.
Armin stayed quiet, his wide eyes darting around the overwhelming estate.
He carried him through the massive entryway, stepping into an ultra-modern living room where high-gloss marble floors stretched ahead, mirroring the recessed lights above.
Against a backdrop of rich wood paneling, a luxury silver vintage sports car sat parked inside on a raised display platform like a piece of fine art.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls flanked the entire room.
Passing the vehicle display, he walked toward a grand, circular sunken conversation pit built right into the stone floor, furnished with plush, curved beige sofas wrapping entirely around a heavy wood table.
Towering over the pit was a marble wall with an amber fireplace.
Instead of sitting by the fire, he carried Armin through another door, entering a breathtaking, multi-story indoor garden atrium.
Beautiful trees stretched toward open upper balconies, their leaves rustling gently beneath a high skylight.
Lush tropical plants and low ferns flourished in manicured stone garden beds, illuminated by warm spotlights.
Wooden lounge chairs sat along the stone paths, turning the interior of the mansion into a serene, living sanctuary.
Valerius finally slowed his pace, looking down at the quiet boy in his arms.
He set him gently on his feet.
“Valerius, is this your house?” Armin looked stunned.
“This… this house is… wow,” he breathed, turning in a slow circle as he limped forward.
Valerius followed quietly behind him.
“I’m glad you like it—”
Armin turned sharply back to him.
“Who said I like it?
Ouch—” He clutched his side in sharp pain, a result of his rough, sudden movement.
Valerius surged to his side, gently sweeping him off his feet once more and placing him softly into one of the lounge chairs.
“Should I get you something to drink?”
“Wine.” Armin closed his eyes, dropping his head against the chair’s headrest as he breathed in the clean scent of nature surrounding them.
“Wine?” Valerius asked in disbelief.
“Since when do you drink wine?”
“Since you disappeared without a word,” Armin replied, opening his eyes to glare bitterly at him.
Valerius’s broad shoulders slumped in guilt.
“You really aren’t going to forgive me for that day, will you?”
“I will,” Armin tilted his head, crossing his arms protectively over his chest.
“Only if you let Mistress Delilah torture you, too.”
“Who the hell is that?” Valerius asked, looking confused.
Armin looked at him with spite.
Valerius held his gaze, and the space between them locked into a tense staring contest.
Slowly, Armin stood up, walking directly toward the tall man, still holding his gaze.
He unknotted the hospital robe he was wearing, letting the fabric slide down his body to pool at his feet.
Standing there in only his briefs, he turned his back to the man.
“A woman who can do this to someone with a wide smile on her face.”
Valerius staggered back, a sharp gasp catching in his throat at the state of Armin’s body.
The pale skin of Armin’s back, running down to his thighs, his legs, and his stomach, was brutally ruined.
Long, angry welts of black, red, and purple crossed over one another alongside fresh, jagged scars.
A thick white bandage was wrapped tightly around his fractured ribcage.
He turned back around to face him.
“That’s who Mistress Delilah is.
That’s the person you returned me to that day, and this is what she did to me.” Armin caught sight of the tears that welled up in Valerius’s eyes.
The Alpha quickly looked away, his hand flying to his head as he ran his fingers through his short hair, sniffling loudly.
He turned on his heel, walking back into the living room, up the grand staircase, and disappeared from view.
A few minutes later, Valerius returned, carrying a soft blue shirt.
“Cover up, beautiful one,” he whispered, his voice cracking.
He tried to gently guide the fabric onto Armin’s shoulders, but Armin slipped away from his touch.
“Why?
Does the sight of me disgust you?”
“No, never!” Valerius shook his head frantically, more tears gathering along his lashes.
Unsteadily, he took Armin’s hand, opening his palm and forcing the soft cloth into it.
“I…
I will get you your wine.” His voice croaked in a desperate, failing attempt to hide his tears.
“I don’t want your wine.
I want an explanation,” Armin insisted, throwing the shirt onto the ground between them.
Valerius froze, then turned back around.
He knelt down, picked the shirt off the floor and forcefully pulled it over Armin’s head and arms, dressing him.
But Armin reached out, grabbing Valerius’s face.
He clenched his fist tightly along the Alpha’s strong jawline, forcing him to stay.
“Look at me, Valerius.
I see how you act all high and mighty in front of Alicia.
Why are you running away from me now?”
There was no answer.
The air around them grew thick, heavy, and suffocatingly depressing.
“I’m sorry,” Valerius whispered, his eyes locked onto the floor, unable to meet Armin’s gaze.
Armin’s breath caught.
His chest flooded with a storm of emotions—pain, anger, deep hurt, and doubt all tangled into a knot that made his hands tremble against Valerius’s jaw.
He pushed the Alpha’s face away from him.
“No,” Armin said, his voice coming out much harder and colder than he expected.
“No.
You don’t get to just show up.
Not after what you put me through.”
Valerius’ mouth opened, closed, and opened again, but no words came out.
His hand came up to rub the back of his neck, his shoulders slumping completely as something in his chest twisted in guilt.
“I know,” he finally managed, his voice low and breaking.
“I know I don’t have any right to bring you here.
I know I fucked up.”
“You left,” Armin’s voice cracked, the betrayal bleeding through.
“You left without a word.
You held me, you kissed me, you called me your—” He stopped abruptly, his throat closing tight around the words.
“And then you just disappeared.”
Valerius’ eyes darkened.
“I was scared.”
“Scared?” Armin let out a laugh, but there was no humor in it.
“You?
Of who?
I was terrified, Valerius!
I thought I did something wrong.
I thought—” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Valerius took a careful step closer.
Armin’s body betrayed him; his feet remained rooted to the stone path, refusing to step back.
“Baby, you didn’t do a single thing wrong.
It was me.
All of it was me.”
Armin’s jaw tightened.
He crossed his arms over his chest again, defensively.
“Then explain it.
Make me understand.”
Valerius let out a long, breath.
He looked down at his own hands—those calloused, scarred Alpha hands that had held Armin that day and had been soaked in blood when he left.
He knew Armin was furious, but he wasn’t ready to lay the truth bare.
“I cooked that meal for you, baby boy,” Valerius whispered, stepping closer until his scent—that familiar aroma of crisp Sea Salt and Oakmoss and something comfortingly warmth made Armin’s knees weak.
“I wanted to stay by your side and watch you eat.
I really wanted to.
I swear it to you…” He reached out, his fingers trembling as he brushed a few stray hazel strands of hair behind Armin’s ear.
“But I couldn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because your life would be at risk if I stayed there with you,” Valerius whispered, “And it terrified me.
What I was risking.
And I just…
I panicked.”
Armin stood still, his arms locked tight across his chest, his heart pounding against his ribs.
“When we made love—”
Armin eyed him.
“When we had sex that day, I felt something I hadn’t felt in years.
Maybe ever.
I thought if I stayed away, the feeling would just go away,” Valerius continued, a bitter laugh escaping his lips.
“I thought I could bury it.
Pretend it never happened.
Go back to my normal life.” This story is hosted at g.com.
He shook his head slowly.
“But I couldn’t.
I couldn’t stop thinking about you, Minmin.
Every day, every fucking hour, every time I closed my eyes—it was you.
Your face.
Your voice.
The way you felt in my arms.”
Armin’s arms loosened, just a fraction, the grip on his chest softening.
“Then why didn’t you just set me free?
Why did you send me back to Madam Margaret?”
Valerius took another step, closer.
“Because I thought you were from the brothel.”
Armin’s breath stopped.
“I asked you about it that day, remember?” Valerius’s voice grew steady, his hazel eyes locking onto Armin’s eyes warmly.
“I went back to the brothel to find out about you.
About everything.
Why you worked there.
Where you currently were.” He paused, his gaze searching.
“She told me she had already found your brother.”
Armin’s arms dropped heavily to his sides, the defensive posture vanishing entirely.
The anger was still there, flickering deep within him, but it was being drowned by something else—something that felt like hope.
His brother was alive.
“Where is he?” Armin asked.
“She didn’t say, because I didn’t ask,” Valerius admitted, his tone hardening with a sudden flash of possessiveness.
“And honestly, I am mad at him.
His stupid carelessness jeopardized your once-peaceful life.”
Armin’s throat tightened, his eyes burning with unshed tears.
He didn’t trust himself to speak.
Valerius stepped forward, closing the last bit of space separating them.
He raised his hand slowly, deliberately giving Armin enough time to pull away if he wanted to.
When Armin didn’t move, Valerius cupped the side of his face, his thumb brushing tenderly over his cheek.
His palm was warm, and without thinking, Armin leaned into his touch.
“I love you,” Valerius said, his voice low and raw.
“I know it’s fast.
I know I don’t deserve your trust.
But I love you, Armin.
And I want to be with you.
If you’ll let me.”
The tears came then—hot and sudden, spilling down Armin’s cheeks.
He tried to speak, but his voice came out broken, a sob swallowed by the pressure in his chest.
He nodded, his forehead dropping to rest against Valerius’ shoulder.
“Yeah?” He managed, his voice muffled against Valerius’ jacket.
“Yeah, Baby.” Valerius’ arms wrapped around him, pulling him close, and Armin felt the solid weight of him, the warmth, the safety he’d been missing for so long.
He clung to Valerius’ jacket like a drowning man, his body shaking with sobs he couldn’t control.
“I’m sorry,” Valerius whispered into his hair.
“I’m so sorry.
I’m never going to leave you again.
I promise.”
Armin pulled back, just enough to look at him.
His face was wet, his nose running, but he didn’t care.
He reached up and grabbed Valerius by the collar, pulling him down into a kiss—desperate, hungry, tasting salt and the faint trace of whiskey.
Valerius kissed him back, his arms tightening, his mouth soft and demanding at the same time.
The kiss deepened, and Armin felt the days of loneliness and pains begin to dissolve, replaced by something hot and lustful and needy.
They broke apart, both breathing hard.
Valerius’ thumb traced the tear tracks on Armin’s cheek.
“Do you want me to find your brother?”
Armin looked at him with dark, hungry eyes.
“I want you to fuck me, daddy.”
This boy is getting bolder by the day!
Anyways let’s enjoy some fluff from the next chapters before the rollercoaster of madness begins again!
Happy reading darlings!!