Fear skipped through his chest as the fingers tightened around his throat, cutting off his ability to breathe. He twisted his arms and wrists, but the restraints held tight, tearing his flesh and drawing blood. He thrashed and kicked, but it was like hitting granite. Desperate, he reached for his flames again.
Heat sparked and flickered around his fingers. The answering call of fire was still muted and dulled, but it answered. His lungs screamed for air. He felt when the flames caught on the ropes around his wrists, his desperation yanking it into a bigger and hotter fire.
The ropes snapped and his arms dropped, muscles aching and threatening to go out after being held in the wrong position for too long. But he pushed through the numbing agony, shoving the flames in his hands into the man’s chest.
They never connected.
The binding around his throat snapped into existence with a rush of burning heat.
This was nothing like when his pack put their marks on him. That had been an overwhelming surge of power, like he could set the entire world on fire with his breath.
This was a thousand blades slicing through his neck and into the core of his magic itself.
He stumbled when the man released him, clawing at his throat, but there was nothing there. He hit the floor, screams dying in his useless throat. A bright red-orange glow filled his vision as fire circled his neck.
A moment later everything stopped, the pain nothing but a sense memory that left his entire body raw and oversensitive. The skin around his throat stung, and he’d seen enough movies to know exactly what mark had just appeared on him.
A collar.
“Fucker,” he gasped, clasping a hand to his throat, but he still couldn’t feel anything there aside from the faint pulse of magic. He flexed his fingers, warmth igniting between them. He stumbled to his feet, blinking against the dizziness, and threw himself at the nearest target as flames erupted in a fireball around his fist.
“Stop.”
Max screamed. Lightning crackled through him and snuffed the flames. His body froze against his will and he stood, gasping for air, his muscles zinging and refusing to move.
He couldn’t lift his arms. Couldn’t run. Couldn’t even turn.
“I’ll kill you,” he hissed, but he couldn’t hide the tremor in his voice as terror threatened to drown him.
“You won’t be doing much of anything,” Maurice said with a leer.
“He’s yours for now,” the man said with a dismissive flick of his fingers. “Try not to kill him. I want Caius to see him suffer first.”
“Sure.” Maurice sauntered closer to Max. “Just order him to obey me and we’ll be fine.”
“Obey Maurice,” the man said, sounding bored. “Do not fight. Do not resist.” Then he turned and left.
Max looked for the mage, but she’d disappeared in the chaos. He was alone with Maurice. And for the first time he couldn’t get away.
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this,” Maurice said, grasping Max’s chin and tipping his head back.
“Go fuck yourself.”
Maurice hummed, not concerned in the least. And that was almost as terrifying as the fact that Max still couldn’t move. “I have a better idea.” He pressed his fingers into Max’s jaw and forced his mouth open, before sliding his thumb inside.
Max gagged, trying to bite Maurice’s finger off, but the binding magic tightened its hold and kept him still. He couldn’t stifle a whimper, which only seemed to encourage Maurice.
“On your knees.”
He hit the ground before he could even think to resist. His eyes watered when Maurice fisted a hand in his hair and yanked. This couldn’t be happening. He wished his father had killed him if this was going to be his future. Bound against his will and forced to service his father’s men.
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to tune out the sound of a zipper. Revulsion twisted his stomach, but nothing came up, which was a shame. If anything might stop this, it would be vomiting on Maurice’s shoes.
“Open your mouth.”
Max whimpered again, his mouth falling open. He closed his throat, drawing sharp, shallow breaths through his nose as he braced himself against one of his worst nightmares.
Glass shattered beside him, and Maurice let out a surprised hiss, jerking Max forward as he fell.
