Day 5 Stolen Moments
1389 Words
Liora perched on the edge of the enormous bed, her bare feet brushing the cool floor. A soft, artificial dawn filtered through the frosted glass doors, bathing the room in a pale, golden glow that felt almost too serene. The satin sheet pooled loosely around her hips, its smooth fibers glinting where they caught the light.
Behind her, warmth pressed gently against her back. Thalen, solid, real, alive, his body mostly healed, lay just beneath the sheets, his heat seeping through the fabric.
A low crackle buzzed from the speakers overhead:
FIRST BONDING SUCCESSFUL
Liora’s breath caught. Her cheeks flamed hotter than the lights, and she dropped her face into her trembling hands. Mortified.
Thalen shifted, his arm sliding around her waist with easy strength, pulling her back into his warmth. His lips brushed the curve of her shoulder, soft as a caress. “Don’t go,” he whispered.
She froze, heart pounding. When she dared to look, he was staring at her with stormy, steady eyes. She lifted her chin, and their mouths met in a gentle, lingering kiss, tender, almost tentative, as though either of them might vanish at any moment. His hand roamed her side in slow, teasing circles, drawing her deeper into him.
“I’m starving,” she breathed, breaking away before she lost herself entirely.
Her fingers drifted down his abdomen, tracing the taut planes of muscle until he let out a soft gasp.
“Yeah…” he muttered, voice husky. “That.”
Then he moved fast, yanked her back into bed, and under him, and the blanket tangled around them in a futile attempt to shield them from the camera. His mouth caught hers again, this time fiercer, hungrier.
She swatted his shoulder, laughter bubbling up in spite of herself. “Seriously… we didn’t eat yesterday.”
“Prison life,” he murmured, brushing her nose with his lips. “My prison wife.”
She laughed again, the sound light and free, and for a heartbeat the world was just this bed, this man, this laughter. Then her gaze drifted up his arm, where he held the sheet over them, and froze.
His wrist. The metallic cuff lay dark and still against his skin. It was off.
“…Thalen.” Her voice was a whisper, flat with dread. Her hand crept up his forearm; he followed her eyes and went rigid beside her.
“That’s what they wanted all along,” she said, her voice scraping like flint against stone. She stared at the dead cuff on his wrist. Not the mind games, elaborate puzzles, or even genuine emotional bonds. Just this, their bodies, tangled and bare beneath the sheets. The producers had given her exactly one path to save them both, and she’d walked willingly right into it last night, to save Thalen.
She kicked herself upright and shoved him off. He groaned, reaching for her. “Where are you going?”
She yanked open the closet, fingers scrambling over hangers until she snatched a simple dress and pulled it on in one breathless motion. “We have to tell them.”
He caught her wrist, tugging until she half–turned back. “Can’t we do it later?”
She leaned down, pressed a quick kiss to his temple, then slipped free. “No.”
---
The kitchen was too bright, every surface gleaming under the stage light. They were all there, Cassian at the island with his customary mug of coffee, Kael and Rook flanking him, eyes cold and sharp.
They turned as she entered. Liora’s heart hammered in her chest. “They turn off,” she said too quickly, voice tight. “The cuffs, they turn off when, ” gesturing to the bedroom where Thalen was.
Kael exploded across the room like a cannon. “You could have SAVED us!” His voice was thunder. “Day one, every hit, every, ”
Liora flinched. “If I’d known, ”
“You didn’t need to know!” Kael snapped, flaring.
“She didn’t know,” Cassian cut in, calm and clipped.
“Oh, that makes it better?” Kael bellowed.
Rook snorted, folding his arms. “She wasn’t picking you anyway.”
Before anyone could stop him, Kael’s fist connected with Rook’s jaw. The c***k of bone echoed like a gunshot; Rook’s head whipped sideways.
“Think she’d pick a mutt?” Kael snarled.
Rook staggered, then recovered with a slow, savage grin. “At least I wouldn’t burn the bed down.”
DING.
A chime rang out, tinny and playful.
MORNING ENTERTAINMENT INITIATED.
GAME: KISS. MARRY. ZAP.
Liora’s stomach dropped to her knees.
ONE TO KISS.
ONE TO MARRY.
ONE TO BE ZAPPED.
Cassian leaned close, his breath warm at her ear. “Don’t hesitate. They’ll escalate.”
She drew a shuddering breath and faced them.
“Marry… Kael.” Her voice was soft, but the cry of triumph that followed was deafening.
“Kiss… Rook.” She leaned forward, her lips aiming for the side of his mouth, but he spun at the last second, and their mouths met squarely, shocked silence falling over the room.
She jerked back, laughing. “Sneaky.”
Cassian collapsed backward with a clatter. She sprang after him, arms sliding around his shoulders. “Are you okay?”
He gave her a crooked smile. “I’m fine.” Already, he was tugging her in close, turning the electric shock into something tender and fierce.
RESELECT.
“Kiss Cassian,” His lips claimed hers with deliberate slowness. For them. For the others.
She clenched her jaw, forced herself back. “Marry… Rook.”
Rook’s eyes glittered. He closed the gap between them in a heartbeat.
Kael hit the wall behind him with a harsh thud, groaning. Liora whirled, pressing her palms to his cheeks. “Are you okay?”
A slow grin curved Kael’s lips. “I am now.” He laced his fingers through hers, kissing each knuckle in turn. His gaze flicked to Cassian. Quiet challenge.
She smirked. “You’re very charming today.”
His grip tightened; he took a step closer, ready to prove it.
RESELECT.
“Kiss… Kael.”
She leaned in; his lips were gentle, surprisingly soft. His hand stroked her cheek as if memorizing her. She pulled away with a soft sigh.
“Marry… Cassian.”
Cassian’s grin was triumphant. “You heard that, dragon boy.”
Before she could speak, Rook’s knees gave way. She darted forward, catching him mid-fall. They hit the floor in a tangle of limbs.
“Are you okay?”
He managed a weak smile. “Nothing for the fallen?”
She softened, brushing hair from his forehead and placing a kiss on his lips. “Does that help?”
“More than you know.” His voice dropped. “A sick person makes these games…but they’re not all bad.”
He leaned in, close enough she could feel his pulse.
“Choose me next.”
They both lifted their heads at the voice asking to be picked up.
Thalen stood framed in the doorway, utterly at ease, watching them. His presence was a living question. Liora’s cheeks burned as every pair of eyes shifted to her.
“Marry… Cassian.”
“Zap… Thalen.”
Silence. The cuff stayed dead.
RESELECT.
Thalen stepped forward, grin widening. “Try again.”
Her pulse thundered.
“Marry… Rook.”
“Zap… Thalen.”
“Kiss… Cassian.”
RESELECT.
A low hum swept through the room, an electric shift in the bond that tightened everyone’s hearts. Smiles curved on their lips, slow and dangerous.
“Marry… Cassian.”
“Kiss… Rook.”
“Zap… Thalen.”
Thalen raised his arm, glancing down at the inert cuff. Nothing. He took a bite of a blueberry muffin, then jolted violently. Crumbs flew like sparks, and his body convulsed, once, twice, before going still.
He wiped crumbs from his chin and laughed, breathless but unhurt. “Wow. That one really got me.”
Liora gasped, then laughed with relief, realizing there was no pain being shared through the bond. Walking up to him, she smacks his hard chest. “You scared me.”
Cassian exhaled, smirking. “You’re an idiot.”
“Told you to pick me,” Thalen shot back, grinning around a ruined muffin.
GAME COMPLETE.
- Writer
