Aurora's Point Of View

"Nathaniel, you can be excused," Arlan rasped while exhaling cigarette smoke, his figure ominously dark by the door. He flicked the ash with his ring-covered pointer finger.

"I was just leaving," Nate said, clambering up clumsily and standing tall. He sent me one last intimidating brood before leaving. Nate closed the door.

Arlan and I were alone.

He crossed from the door to the room and his body came more into light as he sat down on his bed, resting his body weight on his knees. I could see he was holding a bag, and he set it by his feet. What was in there, some weapon to hurt me? More gags, more handcuffs?

"Why didn't my parents want me?" I whisper hopelessly to myself, not fully registering I said it out loud. None of this would've happened if they kept me, and my fate seemed so broken.

"It's not that they didn't want you," Arlan quickly murmured to me, and it's then that I realize I said it out loud and regret it. It's as if he's suddenly the 'comforting good guy' he was when I met him, he was such a phony. "There's nothing about you to not want. You're everything."

I swallow hard, still not looking at him.

"It's that they couldn't handle themselve. That's what it is. Nothing to do with you, all them. And you deserve better. You deserve everything."

He takes a leisurely, slow drag and leans his head back, exhaling. Wisps of smoke emerge, curling and twisting around each other in the air. I cough violently, looking away, and he remembers I told him I don't like smoking and quickly puts it out onto his tray. He swipes under his nose with a tattooed hand and leans forward again.

"Aurora... you and I are not so different," The smoke of his gaze scrutinizes me. "In fact, our similarities are quite stunning. My parents left me too."

My loathing is inexorable, taking shape in the form of a scowl.

"Is that why you do this?" I quietly seeth, tone shaking with fury.

A wry, curt laugh slips from under his breath, sheer arrogance in the sound of his own personal, fucked up amusement. A ring covered finger rubs along his bottom lip.

"Yeah," He leans back into his elbows. "I guess so," he says quietly, picking at his cuffed sleeve.

"I just don't get it," I still can't bring myself to look at him, feeling overwhelmed at his presence. I shook my head in disbelief as tears slowly welled into my eyes. They burned like acid, as I had cried so much today already. "You cared about me."

"Baby, I care about you so much!" He quietly but urgently pleads, getting up and coming to me but I quickly turn away and coil away from him and he stops short. "So much, baby. That's why you're here. Can't you see? I'm protecting you! I'm saving you."

"You're ruining me," I seeth spitefully.

"One day you'll see," he says surely.

"No, I won't!" I screech at him, thrashing around. I was going mentally crazy and needed to get out. "HELP!" I screamed, thrashing like a madman. "I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE HERE, HELP!" I yanked my handcuffed-hand repeatedly with all my might.

His hand slapped over my mouth, muffling me, his rings hitting my cheeks abrassively. I gasped, not realizing he had approached me so quickly. His hand was large, it easily covered me from ear to ear. I tried to bite his hand but kept teething on his large rings, failing. Eventually, exhaustion gave out and I slumped against his body in the chair. The tension set in for a little bit as he stared at me with large eyes.

"Are you fucking dumb? Everyone who lives here works for ME, they're not going to help you!" He beseeches in rage, eyes fiery. My chest heaves up and down as he continues to stare me down. I don't know what to say.

"What happened to you, Aurora? Huh?" He shook my face in his grip and I sobbed against his hand. "I thought you were a good girl, who avoided getting in trouble. Well now, based on your reactions, I don't believe that. I thought you had manners. You always struck me as a "Yes sir," kind of girl. Obedient. Is that still true?" The tension hung in the air as I did not want to respond. My courage and confidence was gone. I hesitated before nodding with my eyes closed.

"Yes sir," I said lowly, my lips feeling dry and dehydrated.

He tipped my chin up, then held it in his palm. His eyes were smoldering and unforgiving.

"Look at me and say it," He coldly demanded, in a way that left no room for arguing and had me flinching. I gulped and shivered at his sharp gaze and equally razor-sharp tone. His dark black ringlets curled in front of his face, his pronounced brows arched menacingly over his cobalt eyes.

"Yes....Sir."

He angled his face slightly. His large hand slowly uncovered my mouth and I breathed in greedily for air now that he wasn't muffling me. He gently caressed the curve of my cheek, the large, cold rings on his fingers making me shiver.

"Now that's much better, isn't it?" He murmured, searching my face before meeting my eyes, making me whimper softly. He continued the 'soothing' action, trying to coax me into calming down, trusting him. But look at those eyes. Cold, bitter eyes meeting my drained, tired, tear-filled ones. I didn't trust him.

He kneeled in front of me and took my face gently in both his ring-covered hands, the cool metal making me afraid he might get angry and hit me with them one day. That would really hurt. That would be terrifying. What if my teeth fell out? My limbs started shaking in anxiety and a whimper caught in my throat.

"Shh," He whispered, the rings still running up and down my face. "Shh, don't get worked up again." He continued the action and I forced myself to relax slightly.

"Aurora," He sighed softly against my forehead and spoke gently, eyes peering up at me, "I like you. A lot. I wanna be with you. I wanna...see you," He looked down at me, then back at my eyes. My face fell pale into fear as I got the innuendo and suddenly I sobbed and had the energy to squirm again, trying to get out of his grip.

"Ok, ok," He licked his lips and hardened his grip on my face, "I got a little ahead of myself. I don't need to see you yet, relax darling."

I stilled so he wouldn't get frustrated, but I still felt horrified.

"But I like you, do you like me?" He questioned, seemingly desperate.

Before I could answer, he interjected quickly.

"You will."

His hands ran up and down my arms, trying to calm me down.

"I had one of my maids run to the convenience store while I ate dinner to get you something." He went back to his bed and crouched down for the bag.

Fuck. What was this going to be?

I stayed perfectly still, hoping if I remained calm and behaved he wouldn't use this weapon on me. When he was in front of me, I braced myself and sucked in a breath silently. He fished his hand around the bag and my faced winced, my heart jackhammering. I was terrified. What did he have planned? Something more sick and twisted that I couldn't even imagine?

Out came a small stuffed lamb. My panicking subsided at once as my brows drew together. I didn't understand. He asked them to get me a stuffed animal? My chest fell slowly as I exhaled in relief.

"I know you have anxiety, and I thought this could be comforting. You can sleep with it tonight. Isn't he cute?" He shook the stuffie in my face and laughed quietly. I licked my lips and parted them, before deciding not to speak. Arlan placed it in his lap and fished around in the bag and pulled out a small pill bottle of Melatonin.

"Also, take two of these. You deserve sleep, and it's the only way you're going to get some."

"How do I know that's really melatonin?" I whispered. "I don't want to take any drugs from you."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to drug you, Aurora, I just want you to be able to sleep tonight. Besides, when I drug my victims, I inject them so they don't have time to react or be suspicious."

Victims!??!

He left it on the window sill next to me. "Take it, or don't. It's up to you."

"Where's my room? W-where will I be..staying?" I ask, trailing off on the last word.

He looked around. "You're looking at it."

"N-no...I mean...where will I sleep?"

"And I answered you."

"With you?"

"With me. "

I stared at him blankly.

"Unless of course you want to sleep on this chair handcuffed," He joked.

"Yes," I immediately respond quietly.

"Yeah, I was kidding Aurora. You're sleeping in my bed with me."

"No," I fought back urgently. "I'm sleeping here."

"Do you have a fucking handcuff fetish or something? Maybe you like being chained up more than you let on," He snapped and the brutal comment left me feeling dirty and gross.

"You're sick!" I spat before I could stop myself.

Arlan's eyebrow twitched as his eyes darkened and his hands curled to fists. I braced myself, would he hit me?

"I do all these things for you Aurora, all these things! Even this...stupid fucking lamb!" He threw it onto my lap and I flinched . "And you STILL don't cooperate with me!" He stood up now, towering over my quivering frame. "Fucking fine! I'm going to sleep. You can rot on that chair, for all I care."

Did he mean that? Would he stop caring about me and just...leave me here?

Arlan began unbuttoning his shirt and I felt my face go red and immediately shut my eyes. As if this nightmare couldn't get worse, he's going to change for bed in front of me?! I had never seen a man like that before...and I did not feel ready nor comfortable to see such a thing now. I noticed the soft, plush fur of the stuffie was a soothing feeling against my fingers and did ease my anxiety a bit. I hugged it to me and buried my face in the fur. Maybe this would be my only real friend here.

AN//: Holy cannoli , 300 reads in a week?!? This is FAR beyond what I ever expected and I am SO grateful!!! I sincerely hope everyone is doing well during these times and being gentle with their mind. I thank you all for reading my story and I hope it can take your mind off the stresses of the world.... I go back to college soon which is exciting!