“You are not the Borg, and I will not be assimilated." I arched my brow at the interruption and a slight twitch at the corner of my mouth was all the notice her outburst was given.
“And I believe you're intelligent enough to recognize that."
"So I should just give up?" Ava demanded, a spark of anger flashing in her green eyes. "Stop fighting and let you... what? Mold me into the perfect little Omega?"
"Yes," I said, watching her flinch at my honesty. "That's exactly what I'm suggesting." Silence stretched between us, heavy and uncomfortable. Through the bond, I felt her emotions churning, anger, fear, and underneath it all, a desperate, exhausted desire for the fighting to stop.
That was the crack I needed.
"Let me explain something to you," I said, leaning forward slightly, keeping my voice calm and measured. "The bond is permanent. There is no breaking it, no escaping it, no pretending it doesn't exist. Every day you spend fighting, you're expending energy on a battle you've already lost."
"That's not—" Ava started, her voice rising.
"Let me finish," I interrupted, firm but not harsh, holding up one hand. "Please." She fell silent, her jaw clenched, her hands white-knuckled in her lap.
"The bond isn't just a chain," I continued, watching her face for every flicker of response. "It's a two-way connection. You feel us, yes—but we feel you too. Your pain, your fear, your loneliness. Do you think we enjoy feeling you suffer?"
"You seemed to enjoy it yesterday," Ava shot back, her voice sharp with accusation, her green eyes blazing.
"That was different," I replied calmly, unfazed by her hostility. "That was a consequence for a choice you made. The suffering you inflict on yourself through resistance is unnecessary. Pointless. And yes, it hurts us to feel it."
"Good," Ava said flatly, her lip curling with satisfaction. "I hope it hurts."
"I know you do," I acknowledged, something almost like a smile touching my lips. "And that's fine. For now. But eventually, you'll realize that hurting us only hurts yourself. The bond doesn't distinguish between your pain and ours. It all flows together."
Ava was quiet for a moment, processing. I could feel her mind working through the implications, testing the logic for flaws.
"What do you want from me?" Ava finally asked, her voice smaller now, some of the fire dimming into exhaustion.
"Compliance," I said simply, meeting her gaze without flinching. "Not submission—not yet. Just compliance. Follow the rules. Stop fighting every small thing. Let us take care of you."
"And in return?" Ava asked, her green eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"In return, we make your life easier," I replied, steepling my fingers beneath my chin. "More freedom. More autonomy. More of the things you want."
"I want to leave," Ava said flatly, her voice hard.
"You know that's not an option," I replied, no cruelty in my tone, just fact. "But within the boundaries of this life, there's room for negotiation. Privileges that can be earned." I watched her consider it, the calculation playing out behind her eyes. She was practical, our Ava. Intelligent. She understood leverage, even when the deck was stacked against her.
"What kind of privileges?" Ava asked cautiously, her curiosity overcoming her resistance.
"Access to the library," I said, gesturing to the wall of books behind me, watching her eyes flick to them with barely concealed longing. "Time outside, supervised at first, then alone.Communication with the outside world, limited, monitored, but possible. Eventually, perhaps, involvement in the family's legitimate business interests."
"You're trying to bribe me," Ava said, but there was less venom in it now, more wariness.
"I'm offering incentives," I corrected mildly, a slight smile curving my lips. "There's a difference. Bribes are one-time transactions. Incentives are ongoing motivation for continued behavior."
"Conditioning," Ava said flatly, understanding dawning in her green eyes. "You're conditioning me. Like a lab rat."
"Like a person," I corrected gently, holding her gaze. "Classical conditioning works on all mammals, Ava. It's not an insult—it's biology. Reward desired behavior, and it increases. Punish undesired behavior, and it decreases. Simple cause and effect."
"You've done this before?" Ava asked, something like horror creeping into her voice. "Trained people like animals?"
"I've studied behavior modification extensively," I acknowledged, seeing no point in lying. "But you're not an experiment, Ava. You're my Omega. My mate. I want you to be happy, genuinely happy. The conditioning is just a tool to get us there faster."
"Happy," Ava repeated, the word dripping with disbelief. "You kidnapped me, claimed me against my will, and now you want me to be happy?"
"Yes," I said simply, watching her struggle with the contradiction. "The circumstances of your arrival here were regrettable but necessary. Your happiness within this life is our primary goal."
