3. Zaiah
Chapter three
Zaiah
Lana’s winning streak continues as she laughs and pumps her fist into the air after another round of pool. I shake my head and smile when she wiggles her ass and does her usual celebration dance. “Light, I’ve missed you,” I say, propping a hip against the nearest wall. While I do have a specific goal for tonight, I’m still grateful for this time with my best friend. Had she not smuggled me into her dorm and let me sleep in her room these last few weeks, I have this horrible feeling Remy would’ve kept me from the party.
Unfortunately, I can’t live in Lana’s dorm room forever, and I’m hoping the information I have for the Black Harts will get me enough money to get me off-planet for a fresh start.
We’ve been at it for thirty minutes now, and my buzz is starting to fade. Although the night is still young, I’m determined to dance at least once tonight. Cor Night lasts from the moment we enter the school and sign the waivers until the first rays of the morning sunlight.
As if reading my mind, Lana wraps her arms around me. “How do you feel about dancing?”
I grin. “I could be convinced.” My eyes trail over to the corner of the room, but something tells me the spot is vacant.
Just then, several murmurs can be heard around the Game Room. Lana and I glance around right as Illya Carmine saunters over to the pool table where two guys are playing. My heart pounds. I take a step forward, wondering if there is any way to go over there and introduce myself.
The blond man, who was looking rather bored before the Black Hart showed up, suddenly stiffens. Illya smirks before making an obvious claim on his Praeda. A few people step in front of me, blocking my view. A hush falls across the room.
Lana taps me on the shoulder, causing me to look back. “Come on, I don’t think we should be here,” she whispers nervously right as the Black Hart lets out a loud shrill whistle.
Annoyance rolls through me. I have important, potentially dangerous information I need to give to the Black Harts, and when I finally spot one of them, the fucker gives the whole damn room a nonverbal cue to leave.
And like the fucking little drones we are, everyone shuffles out of the room, forced to obey Illya’s command. I roll my eyes. “Fucking Black Harts, they think they own the world,” I say, right as we exit the room, the last two to leave.
Movement catches my attention, and my eyes wander over to the dark alcove ahead of us. That same unsettling feeling washes over me; as if someone was lurking in the shadows. Watching.
A shiver runs down my spine, and my cock twitches.
It’s so foolish yet undeniably arousing to think someone might be there, just waiting. There’s something seriously wrong with me.
My gaze is instantly drawn to a flickering red light in the shadows. I gasp. A pin. I freeze mid-step, studying the dark alcove. It’s too dark to see if someone is actually there, and the glowing red light I thought I saw is no longer visible. Was it my imagination, or was someone covering it?
Regardless, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being watched. Followed. Lured into a trap.
Unaware of my inner turmoil, Lana walks right past the alcove. Nothing happens.
I chuckle at my ridiculous thoughts. Lana turns the corner and walks out of sight. Shaking my head, I try to settle my nerves.
No one is there, I tell myself. Maybe no one ever was. Still, my heart flutters as I slowly start to approach the shadows.
A disapproving tsk stops me in my tracks. My lips part.
My heart pounds as I study the darkness. “Hello?” I whisper, my voice trembling.
A hand jerks out of the darkness and strong fingers wrap around my throat. My scream is cut off right along with my breath, and suddenly I’m slammed against the wall, trapped between a muscular body and the cold stone.
The air whooshes out of me, leaving my lungs so fast, I’m momentarily dizzy from it. His large palm presses into the center of my back, holding me in place. I shove against him, trying to get free. Suddenly I’m flipped around and facing him. Before I can even think, my wrists are zip-tied together. He lifts them above my head and loops part of the plastic tie on a hook in the wall. It’s then I notice the gilded portrait propped on the floor next to his feet. Even though I have combat boots on, I still have to get up on the tips of my toes so the zip tie doesn’t dig further into my skin. Pain shoots through my wrists when I lose my footing. I bare my teeth and struggle against my binds.
“What the fuck?” I snarl, finally glancing up at my captor. I’m met with a masked stranger. A white cloth mask with black designs that resemble a skull. My breathing picks up and I struggle against my bonds when I see his crimson-red eyes. There’s no way.
“You’ve been teasing me all night, little doll,” the stranger says in a familiar voice. “Just like you did last year.”
My eyes widen. It really is him. The mysterious stranger that’s been stalking me. I didn’t imagine him.
His obsidian pin glows a dim, angry red on his lapel. A Black Hart. Only… it dawns on me then; the mask. His voice. It’s all familiar because I’ve seen his videos. The man in front of me isn’t a Black Hart at all. He’s an imposter. Someone posing as a Black Hart and using their fame to gain subscribers.
“Demon Hart?” I ask, using his stage name.
“Ah,” he purrs. “You’re a fan of mine. Lovely.”
Embarrassment heats my cheeks. Because, well, yeah. I was a fan. A huge fan. Demon’s camboy sessions got me off so many times when Remy couldn’t bother. Demon always did things solo, but my favorite videos were when he pulled out this tiny silicone sex doll, the one he likes to lube up and pound into. Fuck. I’m breathing harder now. How many times had I wished I was that doll, propped up and ready for him?
I jerk against his hold and try to jump so I can unhook my arms. It’s useless. I’m completely trapped and at his mercy. “What are you doing? Why am I tied up?”
“Oh, sweet doll. I tried so hard to hold back, but after all those taunts and pretty little words, I’m giving you exactly what you want,” he whispers in my ear, his hot breath causing me to shudder.
“And what is it do you think I want?” My mind races as I look around desperately for an escape.
“Weren’t you just telling me how you liked the thought of just lying there? You said you wanted to be dominated. Cuffed and helpless.” He pushes my blazer open and slides a possessive hand under my crop top.
My lips part. He really was listening from the shadows.
I shake my head, still in denial. This can’t be real.
“I mean sure,” he continues. “You aren’t lying down for me, but this is the next best thing, am I right?” Demon’s fingers grip my waist hard enough to bruise.
I’m about to tell him to fuck off when footsteps sound in the hall.
“Zaiah?” Lana calls out, searching for me.
I freeze.
Demon presses his muscular, lean body against me, and my senses are invaded by the scent of cinnamon and clove. He’s a solid mass of weight; an odd mixture of terrifying and tempting. He places a large hand over my mouth, using his thumb and index finger to plug my nose and cut off my air.
I thrash against him as I panic. He chuckles low. “Hush, Doll. If I let you breathe, do you promise to be quiet for me?” he whispers directly into my ear.
I nod frantically when speckles dot my vision like a beautiful yet terrifying constellation of stars. He lets go of my nose but keeps his hand on my lips. Lana’s steps get closer. A part of me knows I should probably call out for help, but it’s probably not a good idea to antagonize this masked stranger. There’s no guarantee he won’t hurt Lana, too.
Lana hesitates in front of the Game Room, but at the last minute, she turns away, probably not wanting to interrupt whatever the hell Illya is doing to his Praeda. As soon as her footsteps fade away, Demon drops his hand from my mouth.
“Fuck you,” I sneer, thrashing against my binds. “I’m not your doll.”
“Maybe not yet, but I can change that.” He steps back and away from my body.
It’s only then do I realize he was partially holding me up. The change of position has me slipping forward and straining my wrists against the zip ties. I yelp in pain.
Demon lifts his mask halfway, so it’s no longer covering his mouth.
The sight of his full plush lips has me momentarily paralyzed. There’s a small smile on his smooth face, giving him an almost youthful appearance. I don’t know why I expected him to be significantly older than me, but if I had to guess, I would have assumed he was somewhere around my age, just based on the lower half of his face.
Even though there’s enough light to see the red flare of his eyes at certain angles, I can’t quite make out the color of his hair, not unless he turns around. Rumor has it that Demon likes to pretend to be a Black Hart, constantly changing his hair color to blue and wearing contacts to match Devyn Shio. The man’s true appearance remains a mystery, hidden beneath his ever-changing masks.
“What do you say, Zaiah? Do you want to be my doll?”
I lurch myself forward and spit on his face. My saliva lands on the corner of his mouth before dripping to the floor. The smile falls from his lips.
“There’s no way I’ll ever want to be yours,” I reply.
Demon presses his body back against mine. He slides his hand down to the button of my pants before he pops it open. My breath comes out in harsh, desperate gasps.
“Hmm. Your body seems to disagree with your statement.” His fingers slip under the waistband of my pants, his fingertips tracing the hard head of my cock. “Oh, yeah. Your body definitely wants me.”
To my horror, my whole body jerks and leans forward. Precum leaks from my cock, and Demon groans when he feels the wetness on his fingers.
“No—I’m not hard for you,” I yell. “That’s not because of you.”
Demon stills. “Is that so? Tell me then, Doll. Who has your cock so damn hard and leaking?”
My face flames, and I can’t stop the image of Devyn from entering my mind. As if betraying my thoughts, my mind drops to his obsidian pin. How did he get his hands on one? Did he steal it? Is it a fake?
“I see.” He purses his lips in displeasure. “And which of my fellow Black Harts has captured your attention?”
“You’re pathetic,” I spit, ignoring his question. “You pretend to be a Black Hart on screen, but you’re nothing more than a poor imitation.”
Demon’s eyes seem to brighten, and a wide grin spreads across his face before he bursts into laughter. I kick and thrash, pushing against his body. I even kick him in the thigh, but no matter how much I struggle, he just seems amused.
“That’s right, my little doll is a fan of mine. How many of my videos have you watched?”
I snap my mouth shut.
Demon yanks my pants down violently until they are sitting mid-thigh. He rips my briefs down with them, and I watch in utter horror as my cock bobs in the air, fully hard and on display. He wraps his fingers around my thick girth and leans back in, inhaling that spot where my neck meets my shoulder. “Do you wish a certain Black Hart was stroking you instead?”
His plush lips tilt into a wicked smirk. I shut my eyes and shake my head.
“Do you wish Devyn Shio was here stroking your cock, baby?” Demon all but purrs. Damn, even the way he enunciates Devyn’s last name is such a fucking turn-on.
The more I struggle, the more he leans his weight against me, and the harder I get. Fuck. Why is my body reacting like this?
He chuckles, darkly. “I’m right, aren’t I? That’s it, baby. Keep your eyes closed and pretend it’s Devyn jerking you off. Can you feel his fingers wrapped around your cock?”
The beautiful Black Hart fills my mind, and I can’t control my whimpers or physical response.
He’s panting and growling now, hot puffs of air teasing my neck and ear. “Can you see it? Devyn’s losing control, Zaiah. You’re so fucking beautiful, helpless like this. He can’t help but touch you all over, like a demon possessed.”
His free hand trails all over my body, under my crop top to tease my nipples, before sliding against my stomach and trailing back up to my chest again.
My eyes squeeze shut even tighter, but I can’t stop the pathetic noises tumbling from my mouth now. Still, I force my hips not to move, no matter how much I want to thrust. I won’t give him the satisfaction of submitting.
“That’s it, Zaiah. You’re the perfect little doll. Devyn’s little fuck toy.”
“Fuck you,” I say weakly, angry that I’m so fucking turned on. I shouldn’t want this. I should be fighting it more, not silently begging for him to make me come.
Demon grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks. Hard. “Open your fucking eyes and look at me.”
When I ignore his request, Demon slams me back against the stone wall and presses his body against mine. His hard length pushes against me, and suddenly I’m scared. He unzips his pants and pulls out his cock. My eyes snap open. He’s big. Like really fucking big.
“Don’t rush me, Zaiah. It’s only a matter of time before I’m sliding inside of you, splitting you open, and claiming you as mine. When I do that, just know there’s no backing down. I’ll own you. Body and soul. Mine, to do whatever I please.”
His gaze is intense, filled with a wicked promise I can’t quite understand. When his fingers grip my hard length this time, one pump is all it takes for me to cry out in release, tugging on my restraints and reveling in the mix of pleasure and pain.
Pulling out a blade I never saw coming, Demon cuts the zip tie, and I collapse like a heap onto the floor. I glance up and watch in awed horror as Demon furiously strokes his cock and thrusts viciously into his hand. His grip is punishing as he works himself over.
I just stay there frozen, on my knees, kneeling in front of him as I try to catch my breath. With a loud click, the door to the Game Room bangs open and light spills into our little hidden alcove. Demon rips off his mask with a snarl but doesn’t stop stroking.
Suddenly, I’m staring up into the cold crimson eyes of the last Black Hart I expected to see.
Devyn Shio.
Completely under his spell, my mouth falls open on its own accord as I eagerly stick out my tongue, desperate to taste him.
Devyn’s eyes widen with surprise. With a shout, Devyn comes, falling forward, his free hand catching him before bracing himself against the stone wall. Warm cum paints my face and tongue.
He smiles down at me before wiping his cum from my cheeks with two fingers and shoving them into my mouth. It’s both filthy and alluring, and strangely, it makes me feel owned. I fucking love it.
“That’s it, Zaiah. Take it. You’re such a good doll for me.”
Shame and lust war within me.
A shrill ring pierces the air, and my eyes snap to his multi-slate. Right there in bold letters is his father calling.
Suddenly, I’m hit with a rush of memories, specifically that damn phone call with Remy and Marco Lombardi, and the information I have on Devyn’s father.
Devyn sighs heavily. “Just a minute.” He spins on his heel and answers the call. Cold fear snakes up my spine as I realize what I’ve done and who’s on the other end of the line. Before Devyn can turn around and spot me, I slip out of the alcove and silently make my way down the hall.