Bound to Four

Day 5 Stolen

Thalen’s arms remained wrapped around Liora long after their lips parted. Studio lights filtered through the high windows, catching the curve of her cheek as she tilted her head back and giggled. “You taste like a muffin,” she breathed, warmth blossoming in her chest.

He pressed his forehead to hers, voice husky. “You want me to taste like something else?”

"It's true then?"

Rook stepped forward, boots thudding on the marble floor, eyes fixed on the broken cuff shackling Thalen’s wrist, a silent testament to liberation. Close behind him, Cassian advanced with quiet resolve. Freedom shimmered in every line of his posture, beckoning like a hidden promise.

Kael paid no heed. He sprang at Liora, fingers curling around her arm as though to rip her from Thalen’s embrace. Her gasp echoed off the walls as he yanked her hard, hauling her into the center of their cramped circle. His grip turned iron cold.

“I’m next,” he snarled.

Without warning, he looped an arm around her waist and lifted, hoisting her from the ground as though she weighed nothing. The sudden motion stole her breath; panic flared silver-hot along the bond that tethered them. Liora’s face drained of color. “Kael…” she whispered, fear sharp in her voice.

He didn’t hesitate. Didn’t pause to feel the bond’s warning tremors.

Rook moved first. Two swift steps, and his fist crashed into Kael’s jaw with a c***k like breaking timber. “No, you don’t,” he growled.

Kael recoiled, dropping Liora as he stumbled back two strides. Cassian lunged, catching Liora’s waist, pulling her instantly out of danger. The two men collided in a furious tangle of fists and snapping snarls, raw instinct fueling each brutal blow. Their struggle shattered the calm; the metal floor beneath them split in a mechanical groan, seams widening, plates grinding apart. With a final snap, the fissure swallowed them whole.

ISOLATION PENALTY FOR FIGHTING

Silence fell in heavy, unnatural waves. Liora’s voice trembled. “They just…” She pressed against Cassian’s chest, trembling, anchoring herself to his steady heartbeat.

“They removed them,” Cassian murmured, too calm for the chaos that had just erupted.

Thalen leaned back against the wall, arms folded, detached amusement flickering in his eyes. “Efficient,” he said, voice soft as a cat’s purr.

A chime rang out, crystalline and insistent.

UNBONDED WILL BE KILLED AT MIDNIGHT ON DAY SEVEN

A clock materialized in midair, digits glowing like embers: 34:17:29 and counting down. Liora’s lips trembled. “That’s not fair!” she cried. “They just took two of them.”

Cassian cupped her face, guiding her trembling gaze to his. His fingertips traced her jawline with measured restraint.

“You can still choose one to survive. If you’ll have me,” he murmured, his mouth hovering a breath away from hers, sending currents across her skin.

Her chest tightened as she inhaled.

Cassian’s voice dropped to a whisper. “The clock’s ticking for me too.” The words settled between them like a weight. No accusation for the night she’d hesitated, only understanding. They’d masked their scheming with stolen kisses, keeping the camera eyes from seeing their true intentions. He hadn’t pushed her then; now he was asking.

Liora glanced at Thalen, who quirked one corner of his mouth. “Should I make this a trio?” he suggested, eyebrows lifting playfully.

“Enough,” Cassian snapped, jaw tightening.

Thalen’s smile widened, unrepentant. “I’ll wait for my turn, then.”

Liora’s attention drifted to the ceiling, where camera lenses rotated silently, tracking their every move. She laced her fingers through Cassian’s, a wordless request. His hand enveloped hers, grip tightening with reassurance. Bending forward, he brushed his lips across her knuckles. “Trust me,” he murmured, leading her away from where Thalen lounged.

“Take care of what’s mine,” Thalen called after them, his tone light despite the possessive words. He sank into the couch cushions, “She’s the only wife I’ve got.” His fingers were digging into the couch cushions, looking for a remote.

“Wonder what entertainment options we have.”

The door closed them off with a firm click. Seconds later, the television erupted with sound—their own private moments broadcast for all to see on “Newlywed Highlights.” Through the door, they heard Thalen cranking the volume higher.

“Damn, I’m photogenic!” he declared without a hint of embarrassment.

Liora froze, cheeks flaming. Cassian pulled her gently to a corner of the room, as the voices of their own past echoed through the speakers. She pressed against him, confidence evaporating now that it was just the two of them.

Her voice was a whisper. “You two were friends?”

Cassian approached her with the careful steps of someone handling fine crystal. “We knew each other before prison,” he said softly. “We got closer inside.” His hand brushed her arm, a tether against her fear.

She bit her lip and took a hesitant step back. He felt it through the bond, her uncertainty, and closed the distance in a heartbeat, drawing her into his embrace. His cheek rested against her neck; she stiffened under his warmth.

Then he laughed, a low, seductive sound that vibrated through her bones. “I’m not going to bite you.”

She whispered, voice trembling,

“But you’re a vampire.”

During their first night together, Cassian had focused instead on survival. He’d whispered secrets about the facility— how her touch could deactivate the pain sensors in his cuffs, which corners offered shadows deep enough to hide whispered conversations.

But the air between them had shifted now, electric with new possibility. Liora’s pulse quickened as she recalled the stories, vampires taking their lovers with both passion and teeth, pleasure and blood intertwined in ancient ritual.

His lips traced the curve of her jaw until he found her lips. “I only need blood when I’m dying,” he murmured. His fingers slid along her shoulder, down the strap of her dress, trailing sparks in their wake. “You don’t need this anymore.”

The promise in his words lingered between them as his mouth found the curve where her neck met her shoulder. When his fingers found her remaining strap, the silk surrendered, and her dress surrendered to gravity and pooled at her feet.

Then she halted his movements, shards of memory flashing in her eyes. “Do you remember me? From the yard?”

Cassian nodded, fragile and honest. He guided her hand in his, leading her to the bed. She sat, knees brushing, as he sat beside her and brushed his thumb across her lips.

“Yes,” he whispered. “I remember you.” He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers, cocooning them in a private world. “You were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.”

Her breath caught, heat flooding her cheeks. She looked away, the raw intimacy of his declaration crashing through her defenses. The bond ignited, walls tumbling, as the truth of his feelings coursed into her mind.

Her lips parted in a gasp, eyes widening with revelation. Then his smile met hers, and he kissed her. She responded with fierce joy, pulling him to her, claiming him with her body.

SECOND BONDING SUCCESSFUL

When they returned to the living room, Thalen had queued a rom-com, with the lights low and the couch welcoming. The air between the three of them pulsed with unspoken change.

Cassian lifted his wrist, the dark cuff now inert as well.

“Now what?” he asked, voice steady.

Thalen stretched out, remote in hand.

“I say we let Liora decide,” he declared, eyes alight.

“She can keep her two handsome grooms…or keep playing.” He paused, feeling her through the bond.

“Add to her collection.”

Liora’s voice quavered, but her eyes hardened with resolve, her fingers curling into determined fists at her sides.

“They need to be saved too,” she stated, the words hanging in the air like a challenge, her gaze darting between her two bonded men as if daring them to contradict her.

That night, the trio sprawled across the room, clothes strewn like confetti, cackling over half-forgotten card games. Cuffs dark, still. They chose this intimacy, even knowing unseen eyes watched. A board game lay unfinished, food crumbs glinting on the coffee table.

“I’m tired,” Thalen yawned, sprawling like a contented cat.

“Wait,” Liora whispered, fingers curling around Thalen’s. “Just a little longer.”

Cassian’s eyes darted to the walls. “You know how this works. The more you want it…” He sighed, pressing a quick kiss to her shoulder. “The less they give.”

Her shoulders slumped, but his lips curved into a wicked smile. “Your bed’s big enough for three,” he said, voice soft.

Thalen grinned, draping an arm across her shoulders. “I’m up for it.”

The clock ticked loudly. Closer. Closer.

Elsewhere, in ceaseless darkness, Kael slammed his fist against unyielding stone. The cavern shook; boulders dropped from above, crashing down on him. Lights flashed, pain lancing through him, then silence.

Next cell over, water gushed in from every c***k, rising in relentless sheets. Rook thrashed beneath the tide, fingernails scraping at metal until he surged to the surface, gulping air.

Above, the viewers watched in grim fascination, voting with cold calculation. Because tomorrow, time would run out.