"What else are you going to take?"
"Nothing you don't give me." He tilted my chin up, making me meet those storm-grey eyes. "Everything here is a choice, Bunny. You choose compliance or consequence. Pleasure or denial. Who to be and who to leave behind."
"Those aren't real choices."
"Aren't they?" His thumb traced my lower lip, still swollen from our kiss. "You could have held out longer. Some subjects do. Days of denial before they break. But you chose release over pride. That tells me something important."
"What?"
"That deep down, past all that defensive armor, you want this. Want to be good. Want to be held. Want someone else to make the hard decisions so you can finally rest." His thumb pressed gently, not quite breaching my lips. "Lilah could never admit that. But Bunny?"
I turned my face away, unable to bear the knowing in his eyes.
"Bunny can want whatever she needs," he finished softly.
The chime for lunch saved me from responding. He helped me stand on shaky legs, steadying me when I wobbled. Everything felt different. Lighter and heavier at once. Like I'd lost something essential but gained something I couldn't name.
"Eat," he instructed, moving toward the door. "Rest. Tomorrow we'll explore what else Bunny might enjoy."
"Wait." The word escaped before I could stop it.
He paused, looking back. "Yes?"
"The kiss. Did it—did you—" I couldn't finish the question.
"Did I mean it?" Something flickered across his face. "I don't know. That's what makes you so fascinating, little bunny. You make me react in ways I don't expect."
The door closed behind him, leaving me with that admission. I sank onto the bed, staring at the lunch tray that had appeared. Simple foods, easy to eat with hands that still shook.
"Is there anything else Bunny needs?"The AI asked, responsive now that I'd surrendered.
"No," I whispered. Then, hating myself: "Thank you."
"Good bunny. Enjoy your lunch."
The praise made something warm unfurl in my chest, right next to the cold knot of loss. My body had been programmed to respond, neurons firing in patterns he'd designed. But knowing that didn't stop the feeling.
I ate mechanically, trying not to think about tomorrow. About what else Bunny might enjoy that Lilah would have fought. The collar sat heavy against my throat, initials that weren't mine anymore pressing into skin that belonged tosomeone new.
Someone who came when called a good bunny.
Someone who kissed back when kissed.
Someone who curled into her captor's arms and felt, for just a moment, safe.
The food tasted like nothing. Everything tasted like nothing compared to the memory of coffee and control on his lips. But I ate it all, because Bunny was a good girl who followed instructions.
Lilah would have thrown the tray at the wall.
But Lilah was gone, wasn't she? Lost somewhere between denial and that final, devastating admission. All that remained was Bunny, who got held when she broke and praised when she complied.
I pulled my knees to my chest, making myself small in this too-pink room. Somewhere, Dr. Gabriel Mire was making notes about my fascinating responses. Planning tomorrow's sessions. Calculating new ways to strip away what remained of my resistance.
And the worst part?
Some traitorous piece of me couldn't wait to see what he'd come up with.
Because Bunny, it turned out, was curious in ways Lilah had never allowed herself to be.
