Play The Game
Nightshade
I stand in the treeline near the peak, listening in on what she’s telling Cade, and my blood boils. How dare he touch something that was never his, especially after she explicitly told him to stay the hell away! This is just another bastard to add to my list, but before I deal with him, I need my Little Bird to spill everything she knows about Maverick. I need the dirt on him, so I can figure out how to help her heal from what happened.
“Brynn was pissed at me for the rest of the night,” she sobs, tears staining her face. “She blamed me for kissing Maverick when she wanted to. She said she wanted him to be her first kiss. Apparently, I was too innocent-looking, and he wanted me more than her.”
Cade sits knelt between her legs while she sits on that rock. If anyone walks by, they’d think it’s more than a therapy session with how they’re sitting. He gets up and wraps his arms around her like he’s entitled to her, and she sniffles into his chest, vulnerable and broken. And what does he do? He just holds her. The one thing I’ve wanted to do—to comfort her, to be there for her—he’s doing it, and I can’t stand it. He’s gaining her trust. And I need that from her too. I need to move quicker.
“It wasn’t your fault,” he says, but she already knows that. She has to know it.
But then, he asks the worst question. “Did you enjoy Maverick kissing you?”
Who the fuck does this guy think he is? If he wasn’t her therapist, I would go over there and ring his neck in front of her and show her who she belongs to .
“What?” she exclaims as she jumps from his arms, pushing at this chest. “What? No! I was only 11. That was my first kiss. A kiss that I didn’t want. A kiss I didn’t participate in. He forced his tongue into my mouth -”
“Ah see, forced! He forced you into it, Aviana. So explain to me how this is your fault.”
“I didn’t scream. I should have screamed.”
“You tried to. He stopped you by forcing his tongue down your throat. He had something mentally wrong with him to do that to you.” I see her start to lean back into his space, after she jumped away.
“Now, have you ever fantasized about kissing him before?”
She doesn’t even hesitate. “I don’t think so. I know I didn’t. The Dillard’s had strict rules— we were supposed to act like siblings. No relationships of any kind under their roof. They made it clear to us—if we broke any rules, they’d send us to church for daily prayers and have us read the Bible for hours every day. Or, worse yet, they’d call our social workers and have us taken away.” I can’t help but listen to her words, burning in my ears.
“So, how the hell is any of this your fault?”
She looks so damn innocent sitting there, with those wide doe eyes looking up at him.
“I guess it really wasn’t,” she says, but I can see how much she doesn’t believe it.
“Exactly,” he sneers. “He threatened you, and you did what you had to do to avoid getting hurt. It’s natural to want to protect yourself. But what’s truly pathetic is that Brynn, the one who was supposed to be your older sister, didn’t help you in that moment. Instead, she blamed you—just like Lily Widlow blamed you for her husband’s sick acts.”
He snakes his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in even closer, and my blood boils hotter. I can practically feel the tension in the air. And somehow, I’m furious not just at him but at the way she melts into his embrace. I think back to holding her yesterday afternoon. She smelled like a once-in- a-lifetime comet streaking across a dark sky—mysterious and celestial. It’s something I can’t forget and won’t forget, and it’s now my favorite scent.
But what really makes me want to snap is the way he holds her. Like he has some right to it. Like she belongs to him. And I can’t stand it.
***
I watch as she attends group therapy, even sharing a few laughs in art class. She’s walking back to her cabin after dinner, probably thinking she’ll have some time to herself before her evening session with Cade. But I can’t let that happen. I don’t want her alone with him. I’ll make sure she misses it, and she’ll have to spend that time with me instead.
She keeps glancing around as she walks back. Once she got to her cabin, I watch her move to her room. I try the doorknob and find it unlocked. I will have to punish her for that. Thankfully, the other girls were off doing their own thing, giving me a little more room to work. She doesn’t hear me walk in but then she rounds the corner and almost screams. I leap towards her and cover her mouth before she has a chance.
“Little Bird,” I growl, leaning down into her face, my breath hot against her skin as my other hand snakes around her waist, pulling her close. “Your door was unlocked.”
She mumbles into my hand, her eyes blown with fear.
“Shhh, Little Bird. You have the choice. Come with me freely, or… I can help you,” I say, my voice steady and controlled. “Now, I’m going to remove my hand, and you’re going to let me know your choice.”
As I remove my hand, she tries to back away from me, her voice shaky but defiant. “Go to hell.”
That’s when I know—she won’t come with me freely. A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth as I pull the syringe from my pocket, stepping closer to her. Before she has a chance to react, I press the needle into her skin, pricking her quickly. The cold liquid floods her veins, and I watch as her body stiffens, her eyes going wide in confusion before the sedative starts to take hold.
Her cabin is a bit of a hike from where I am staying, but she’s so damn light, carrying her was a piece of cake. I won’t lie, I didn’t want to put her down. That damn scent of hers—amber and something else, something I can’t place—hit me hard. It went straight to my cock. I could’ve taken her straight to bed, held her all night, showed her how much she means to me. But I couldn’t do that. Not after everything. Not after what others did to her. I can’t take advantage of her like they did.
But damn, she needs help. She’s running from her own fear, and it’s eating her alive. She needs to take control of it, not let it drag her under.
“Wh-where am I?” she mumbles, her voice shaky, right after I lay her on the cold table and strap her down.
I give a dry smirk. “Let’s just say it’s my little hideaway. A place I like to retreat to when I need space.”
She’s still confused, her voice trembling. “Where am I? What do you want? Who are you?”
“So many damn questions. One at a time, Little Bird,” I reply, my tone calm but firm.
She presses again, her voice more defiant. “What do you want?”
I take a slow breath, stepping closer, my eyes locked on hers. “I already told you. I want you. And I want you to trust me.” I repeat what I said last night, my words are deliberate. “I want to take away all your fears, Little Bird. I want you to learn to control them, to embrace them. You don’t need to be scared anymore. Trust me, and I’ll show you how.”
Her eyes narrow. “I can’t trust you if I don’t even know who you are or why you keep kidnapping me against my will.”
“Would you have come here willingly?” I fire back, no hesitation.
“Hell no!” she spits, fury in her voice.
“Exactly.” My jaw tightens. “Until you do, I have to do what I can to protect you.”
“Locking me up isn’t protecting me!” she shouts. “Who’s gonna protect me from you ?”
Her words hit hard, but I stay calm. “You don’t need protection from me, Little Bird. I’m not locking you up. You’re free to go.”
She starts laughing, but it’s twisted, like she’s lost her mind. Her hands shake against the restraints as she cackles. “Free to go, my ass, creep.”
I shake my head, amused by her fight. “Tsk tsk. Name-calling isn’t gonna help. You really want to leave?”
“Yes,” she whimpers, her voice breaking as she fights it. “Let me go.”
“Do something for me first.”
“What? What do you want me to do?”
“Play a game with me.” I tell her as I pull a feather from a table of tools.
“Look at me, Little Bird.” I try to calm her as I see tears welling in her eyes.
“I won’t hurt you. No one will ever hurt you again, not while I’m here. I swear that to you, with everything I am.” My voice is steady, filled with a quiet conviction.
Her body trembles, shaking with raw fear. “Please, please, I don’t want to do this.” Her words break through, but I can see the panic in her eyes, feel the way her body recoils from every movement I make.
I take a deep breath, trying to remain calm. “Listen to me. You’re safe right now. You have to believe that. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” I gently guide my hand up her leg, pausing to let her adjust. She was wearing a tank top and shorts when I took her from her cabin. Her shorts barely covering anything. I should scold her on it but this will be punishment enough for her tonight until I can punish her properly.
“Take a deep breath for me. Can you do that?” I wait for her nod, watching as she hesitates, still struggling to calm the storm within her. “It’s okay, I’ll be here, guiding you through this. ”
Tears slip from her eyes, falling onto the cold, unforgiving metal table beneath her. “Please… I don’t want to play this game anymore, Nightshade. Please let me go.”
I lean closer, my voice a whisper but firm. “You’re in control. I’m not going to force you. But I need you to trust me. Trust that I’m with you every step of the way. Breathe through it. Focus on me. We can do this together.”
The feather drifts slowly, teasing the inside of her legs, and I see her muscles tighten, instinctively trying to close them as I get closer to the sensitive curve of her thighs. She’s fighting it, her body betraying her, but she won’t let herself admit it—not yet.
“Breathe,” I whisper, my voice steady and soothing. “Take a deep breath in, slow and steady.”
She hesitates, then does as I say, her chest rising and falling. I can see the conflict in her eyes, the way her fear and uncertainty battle with the need to stay calm. “That’s it. You’re doing good,” I murmur, encouraging her.
Her breaths come a little easier now, and I notice the tension in her legs start to ease. It’s a small victory, but it’s something. “You’re safe. No one’s going to hurt you. Not while I’m here.”
With each breath, the fear seems to loosen its grip on her. Slowly, she starts to realize that I won’t hurt her—at least not in the way she’s feared. I’m not here to cause her pain.
She looks at me, her eyes still wary, but a small flicker of trust begins to show. I give her a nod, acknowledging the shift. “You’re doing well. Just keep breathing.”