CHAPTER FORTY-TWOPIERCE**The heavy rain had fallen all night, and the weather is as gloomy as my mood.Why the hell didn't he respond to any of my messages? I had waited all night long without getting any sleep, and now, as I stare at my phone, there is still no reply. I walk into my parents in the living room, Dad wears a solemn expression. I don't recall doing anything worthy of his attention, so why is he here?He is probably worried about the elections... or maybe not.My heart slams in my chest when I see something familiar in his hands.A collar."Pierce__"I find it difficult to breathe as I snatch the collar from his hand. "Where is Lou? Where is she!" "The doctors couldn't save her. We had to put her down__" Mom begins to speak, and a volcano of rage erupts within me."Shut up! You never liked her, did you fucking kill her?""She's been suffering for days, her body couldn't take the treatment anymore, we only did the best for her__" My muscles tense up at my father's
CHAPTER FORTY-THREEMALAKAI**Trigger Warning: This scene involves themes of homophobia, abuse, and brainwashing. Reader discretion is advised. This is pure fiction and does not depict the actions of any religious group. It's white everywhere. My head is hurting. My foggy brain can't even think of why I'm here. The only thing I feel is terror when I realize I am strapped to the bed. Is this a clinic?But... Why?The door opens, and my blurry vision adjusts to see the Reverend enter, accompanied by sister Agatha.The memories start to claw in, and my heart sears with panic.Let me out!My body begins to jerk against the straps that keep me in place. I remember everything now.'...The truth is, son, you're broken. You're sick. And we're going to fix you...'No!The only one who can fix me is him. Pierce.'Where are you, don't you love me anymore?' I want to tell him that I did not want to leave him. I want to keep my promise, but these chains are stopping me.How long have I been
CHAPTER FORTY-FOURMALAKAI**The shadows of yesterday hit me hard as I walk through the town where I used to live. Nothing has changed, including the houses and convenience stores around the corner. I suppose two years is not very long. I am the only one who can barely remember who I was before. A part of me is still lost among the broken pieces of this place.Some days, I wonder if I am dead and everyone simply forgot to bury me.I can't look anybody in the eyes, I'm unresponsive to the gossips and curious stares; all I can think is 'fuck all of them!'From this distance, I watch my little brother Ezra walk to the stage to receive his diploma, after my release six months ago, he's the only person I kept contact with.The audience bursts out in applause, and I can not help but feel a wave of nostalgia wash over me. I did not even get to graduate. I have nothing.Three TwoOne.Perfectly shot!Only when I focus on these images on my camera do I feel like I have something, but ther
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVEMALAKAI **"Wow." I hear my boss mumble as he stares at the photo I hand over to him. This particular one had taken me several weeks to work on. I love pictures because they can be viewed from different perspectives, and can be interpreted depending on the subject. The Venus fly trap, a carnivorous plant swallowing a struggling bug. Capturing the moment the insect suffocates and eventually dies and is absorbed by the plants has been fascinating. "Earth is indeed a scary place, poor insect" He adds.' Or maybe the plant just needs to feed? '"Your pictures are great, but why do you always like taking such gloomy photos? Cheer up; life isn't supposed to be so serious. We gotta have some fun sometimes, you know." His eyes leer at me as he suddenly places a secure hand around my shoulders.My body flares with panic and my brain instinctively starts to count.Ninety seconds, and it will be over. One...Two...Three...Four..."I think these pictures are going to be
CHAPTER FORTY-SIXMALAKAI **The familiar smell of disinfectants in the psych ward and these sterile white walls choke me with this feeling of despair. It's too similar. Everything here is a stark reminder of that forsaken place. My anxious gaze lingers on the nuns who work here. My heart starts to pound furiously at their familiar black flowing robe and veil. They start to approach my direction and my entire body freezes. "They are caregivers; they can't hurt you," I whisper to myself, but it doesn't stop the chill that trickles down my spine as they get closer... And closer. I can see the deathly hands slowly clawing out of these white walls; I'm hopeless against the force as they drag me to that dark place. I see myself immobile, frightened, helpless on that bed in the white room.'I'm going to cleanse you!' Sister Agatha's whisper rings in my head. I can feel her hands crawling across my skin, the wide smile that spreads on her face. 'You poor sweet boy, let me take care
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVENMALAKAI **When a nightmare is real, how do you even wake up from it?"You feel so real" He whispers in a deeper voice than I remember. I am the one hallucinating; I should be saying this. Our bodies are so close that I can feel his heat radiating through my cold, numb ones. His hand caresses my hair and pulls me back enough to touch my face. I shiver at the contact; looking into his dark eyes feels like falling into an endless abyss. His next words send a shiver through me, and it has nothing to do with the cold. "In here, I can see you..." He smiles, and my heart cracks; it almost does not feel like a bad dream anymore. Before I can think any further, his hand grabs the base of my neck, and raw intent flashes in his eyes as he leans in closer. I start to push his shoulders but he grasps my arms, pinning them to the sides, his glazed eyes are boiling with a fury that makes my bones melt. "This is my dream; I can do whatever I want to you; you can't escape
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT MALAKAI * * His face had resurfaced all the forbidden memories. A year and six months is what it took that correction facility to try and make me forget him. They still failed to cleanse me, to purge the sin and filth out of me. Pierce has been so deeply engraved in my mind that not even the tortures had been able to take him away. He's greater than any nightmares that they ever could give. In the past few months, I've tried to have sex with both genders alike, not the Reverend. Not the sister; it's Pierce who has conditioned me, branded himself in my soul. He's the reason I can't get touched by others; my mind is still his prisoner. I'm still trying to break free from his chains, why is fate playing this dangerous game with me all over again? Uriel told me that he'd been transferred to this hospital about two weeks ago for specialized care. I start to wonder if it's just a coincidence that I got a job in this same hospital, but it's Uriel who had reco
CHAPTER FORTY-NINEMALAKAI**I release my fingers from the handle of the door and turn around to meet his glare. He's already tensed about my possible relationship with Uriel.I want to provoke him even more, if he attacks me again, wouldn't his stay in this place be extended? Until I find another way to deal with him, I just have to make sure that he stays here. So, I ignore the warning bells that ring in my head and start to approach him, goading him with the small distance and us "Just focus on getting your treatment, since we are nothing to each other, my love life should be none of your concern.""Love? You love her?!" He spits out the word like a curse.He lurches at me with his free hand, and even though I'm already expecting it, I didn't think that he possesses this degree of strength, that causes me to trip and land face flat on his thighs. How the fuck is he so strong, aren't the medications meant to weaken him?When I try to lift my head, he reaches his hand and forc
EPILOGUE PIERCE** TWO YEARS LATER I broke him, my little bird. My prettiest boy, and my husband. Yes, we have been legally bound for almost two years now, and even though some time has passed, Kai is still broken by that incident. He is like a beautiful reflective glass that has been splintered into a million pieces, and I'm not going to try to fix him, because I know that each piece of him loves me dearly. Glass is beautiful when it is whole, but have you ever noticed the way it shines brighter when it is broken? That is exactly how Kai is to me, and I love to think that if that situation two years ago is played all over again, he's going to choose me again. And he knows it too which is why he's never going to forgive me for manipulating him into doing what he did. Even right now, as I watch him, everyone else around him feels inferior. He's like that bright star in the sky that no one else can reach, but somehow, he is mine, which makes me the luckiest bastard on the planet
CHAPTER EIGHTY ONEMALAKAI **Liam freezes, the knife still suspended in the air, as I make cold eye contact with him."Get away from him, don't make me do it__" My voice is oddly firm even though desperation is boiling and pumping through my veins.The gun feels heavy in my hands, "Get away from him, I won't repeat myself!" My hands start to tremble. I don't want to do this. I meet Pierce's gaze, the blood seeping from his hand catches my attention and this is probably the first time I've seen him hurt. And it does something to me, like every thread of reasoning in my brain snaps and all I'm left with is protective and murderous instinct. How dare Liam hurt what is mine?! The voices in my head are screaming to pull the trigger. I want to kill him!"You're not going to hurt me, you can't even hold a gun!"Liam sneers.Pierce starts to shove him off, and Liam raises the knife high; the next events happen in a blur, and the shot explodes, not just once, but twice.Time and everythi
CHAPTER EIGHTY MALAKAI **"Pierce?""Hmm?"'Just tell him, don't think about anything else, tell him everything!'It's only sensible to let him know, but my mouth feels frozen when I open it, and I can not find the words to tell him that we could possibly be in danger. That I've been giving money to Liam."What's wrong?" Here is an opening again to confess everything."If something is bothering you, you can always tell me, you know that, right?" Pierce says softly, gazing at me in the most adoring way that makes my heart clench. I have been lying to him a lot lately, and I don't like it one bit because keeping this secret means distancing myself from him and he keeps providing me with these opportunities, so why do I keep hesitating? The reason is simply that I still want to give Liam a chance; I feel that he is just lost. I've been at that point once. If I tell Pierce, there's no way Liam is going to be left alive. So, what am I going to do about the loanshark? I don't want to
CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINEMALAKAI**Wandering hands and probing lips wake me up, the covers are pulled back and firm fingers are grasping my knees apart"Pierce," I sigh when I feel his warm breath on my flesh just before he gives my nipple a long lick, warming me up to the tingles of pleasure. Lying to Pierce about where I was last night had been easier than I expected.I created a false story about meeting some random street beggar, and he had been convinced he didn't suspect anything.Normal Pierce would have interrogated me deeper, why is why I feel weird, and I'm starting to think that maybe he__No, it can't be that. If he knew that I secretly met Liam, he would have raised hell. Not treating me gently like this. "Pierce..." I moan when I feel the thick head of his cock stretching me wide; my body is trembling for his touch."Hmmm," His low hum vibrates and encloses my nipple, sending a wave of electric shock through my spine. I bury my fingers into his back when he starts to thr
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHTMALAKAI**As I watch, a delicate hummingbird flies into view, its feathers glowing like diamonds. I snap photo after photo, trying to freeze the moment. My camera lens views the curious butterfly as it lands on a nearby flower, its wings unfolding like tiny works of art.I lean in closer, capturing the intricate details of its delicate body. The theme of the assignment is animal versus nature, I just hope that the professor is going to like my work. I shift my camera to a new landscape and zoom only for all of my thoughts to freeze.It's him again.I look up from his image on my camera, and sure enough, he is still standing there, close enough for me to acknowledge his presence but too far for me to reach him. What does he want from me? He keeps following us everywhere. "What is it?"I jump at the sound of Pierce's voice, I try to smile but it falters from my sudden nervousness. "Can we return to the hotel? I'm a bit tired, and I need a drink,"We are in th
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN MALAKAI **SEVEN MONTHS LATER "I'm doomed, I already booked us dinner, but I still don't have his birthday gift!""Did you get him a ring or something like I told you?""Of course not!"I'm on face time with Ezra, and he snorts at my dumbfounded expression. His idea is horrible, but I can only blame myself for asking him for gift ideas in the first place; at times like this, I sort of wish that I had other friends to consult. Why is gifting Pierce something always so difficult? Or maybe I deserve the title of being the worst boyfriend because I still haven't figured out what Pierce is enthusiastic about. At this point, I may have to wrap my ass or my dick in a ribbon and give it to him. Wait__ can I do that? It's only reasonable because that's the one thing Pierce ever seems to always want."You even got two different cars on your birthday! If I were you, I'd marry him right away. Life's rough out here, you know"Actually, it's Pierce's dad who also gifted
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIXMALAKAI**I fall asleep at some point, and it's probably due to the IV fluids, but it isn't a deep sleep because my eyes flutter open when I hear a sound at the door."Is it already time to go?" I mutter groggily to Pierce, who is sitting on the bedside chair close to me. I feel better, but my body is still weak, my gaze shifts to the door to see the nurse who had attended to me earlier enter, but she isn't alone.The familiar figure that walks in behind her makes my heart race with surprise.Uriel?She sees me, and her eyes instantly widen with a thunderstruck look that reflects mine."Malakai, It's really you!" She rushes towards me; my weak condition seems to sober her up, or I fear that she will just jump on me. "Where have you been?!"I stare at the attending nurse, who is giving us a bewildered look. Pierce had coldly told her off when she tried to take our picture earlier. I guess she still secretly did it, but who could have imagined the coincidence?Uri
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVEMALAKAI **I stare at the deep scars around my flesh in dismay. Most of the skin is reddish and purplish, almost like a tattoo all over my cock; not only that, the burning sensations scream to me that I have been overused. Just staring at my dick brings pitiful tears to my eyes,"What's wrong?"I hear Pierce's deep voice from behind me, and I clench my teeth; how dare he even ask? The nerve!"My... my... It's ugly because of you!"I can barely look at the dark hickeys covering every inch of it without wincing. At times like this, I wonder if Pierce loves me or hates me. "Son't see what you're talking about. It looks fine to me," He says, and he tries to touch it, but I swat off his hand.Of course, he's going to say that!"You're just jealous that my dick looks prettier and you had to make it ugly and scary looking like yours!" I glare at Pierce, his loud laughter at my upset state makes me even more mad. I see the dark circles beneath his eyes and can't h
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOURMALAKAI **Can you love a person so much that you hate them for it?is such a thing even possible?Pierce is beyond horrible; words cannot even begin to describe it, but every fibre of my being is honest when I say that I love him. Even knowing that his insanity knows no bounds that he is a madman who has been allowed to roam freely. Nothing and no one is safe, but my damaged soul, my messed up mind, and my broken heart only know how to love him. "I love you..." because I'm terrified not to, without these feelings, I'll be an empty shell. I may breathe, but I won't have a purpose.I have no excuse. I'm fully aware that I have been dragged to the depths of hell by him, but he makes this hellish cage feel like heaven, and I'm so intoxicated. I feel like that insect sucking the sweet nectar of a carnivorous plant. Only destruction awaits it.Pierce has shown me yet again what he is capable of; he doesn't even hide his demons from me; he gives me a glimpse and