The morning sunlight filtered softly through the large windows, casting a warm glow on Valerian's delicate features as he lay sprawled on the bed. His body sank into the plush mattress, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths. A month had passed since Sebastian captured him here, and in all that time, life had fallen into a monotonous cycle.
Each day felt the same. He'd wake up, eat, watch films, clean up, and cook when the food ran out. It felt as though he'd become a wife forcibly married to Sebastian—a man who spent his mornings out and returned only late at night. Their conversations were sparse, their interactions fleeting, and the tension between them palpable.
Valerian had gained a bit of weight, a fact he couldn't ignore when looking at himself in the mirror. The sedentary lifestyle left him restless, so he filled the hours with little projects: making small crafts, designing bead jewelry, and anything else to pass the time. He noticed with mild surprise that Sebastian had picked up some of the beads and wore them.
It baffled him. Why was he still here? He wasn't confined to a single room, nor was he being tortured. Instead, he wandered freely around the house, like a guest who had overstayed his welcome.
Stretching as he rose from the bed, he yawned deeply, rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes. His shirt slipped off one shoulder, grazing his skin. "He's gone," he muttered, glancing at the empty side of the bed. "Why is he leaving so early these days?"
He padded toward the bathroom, intending to freshen up, but froze when he opened the door.
Inside, Sebastian stood under the spray of the shower, water cascading down his muscular frame.
Valerian gasped and quickly turned around, hissing in annoyance. "Why didn't you lock the door?"
"And why didn't you knock?" Sebastian replied, his voice calm yet teasing.
"I thought you'd left," Valerian snapped, rolling his eyes.
Sebastian smirked, dropping the bar of soap. "You were wrong."
Valerian made to leave but stopped in the doorway, glancing back. "Where are you going?" Sebastian called after him.
"Out. What else should I do when you're hogging the bathroom?"
"Pass me the towel," Sebastian said, his steps echoing closer.
Valerian glanced at the towel shelf and crossed his arms. "Why? If I hadn't come in, wouldn't you have picked it up yourself?"
Sebastian chuckled, the sound deep and warm. "You're here now. Give it to me."
" Mtch, rubbish," Valerian muttered, grabbing a towel. He held it out without turning around.
Sebastian's eyes lingered on Valerian's exposed nape and bare legs. The shirt barely reached his thighs clung to his frame, teasing Sebastian's restraint. It had been a month since he last touched him, but the desire building in his chest now was almost unbearable.
When Sebastian wrapped the towel around his waist, Valerian walked past him to the bathtub. He crouched to turn on the faucet, dropping a bath bomb into the water.
"What are you doing?" Valerian shot over his shoulder. "Go out!"
Sebastian leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "Why should I? It's my house. I can stay wherever I want."
Valerian glared at him. "Fine. If it's your house, let me leave. I don't belong here."
"That's not an option," Sebastian said, his voice dropping an octave as he stepped closer. "You're my prisoner. The day you try to escape, I'll break your legs."
The whispered threat sent a shiver down Valerian's spine. Before he could protest, Sebastian's hands gripped his waist, pulling him flush against his chest.
"Let me go!" Valerian whined, squirming to break free, but Sebastian held firm.
"Why should I?," Sebastian growled before capturing Valerian's lips in a bruising kiss. His tongue slipped past the younger man's lips, dominating him completely. Valerian whimpered, weakly pushing at Sebastian's chest, but it only made the kiss more heated.
When Sebastian finally let him go, Valerian's cheeks were flushed, his chest heaving with anger and humiliation.
"What the hell was that?" Valerian spat, glaring daggers at him.
Sebastian smirked. "Do I need permission to kiss you?"
"Yes! You need my consent—my body is mine, not yours!"
Sebastian leaned closer, his breath brushing Valerian's ear. "Everything in this house belongs to me, Rian. Including you."
Valerian shuddered but quickly masked it, pushing past him to slide into the steaming tub and thatbmade Sebastian smiled as he walked out.
As he undressed, he mumbled under his breath, mimicking Sebastian's voice. "'You're mine, blah blah blah. You're my prisoner. Stupid bastard.'"
His grumbling didn't go unheard as Sebastian walked to the room.
In the next room, Sebastian leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths to steady himself. His body betrayed him, the kiss still lingering on his lips and the heat pooling in his stomach.
It amazed him how this delicate, fiery creature could unravel him so easily. For years, Sebastian had felt nothing for anyone—no lust, no affection, no weakness. Yet, with Valerian, everything was different.
He had studied Valerian over the past month, observing his habits, his vulnerabilities, and his strengths. The young man was no villain, merely a pawn in a greater game. His innocence and untapped power were rare—a purity Sebastian couldn't allow his enemies to taint.
Valerian might not understand it yet, but Sebastian wasn't just keeping him captive. He was protecting him—from the world, from himself, and from the people who wanted to use him, along with the witch who call herself his lord [Veilkeeper] he knows she alos want to use him for her selfish reasons.
Apart from that she knows he's capable of bringing him down but one thing she didn't understood is that he is Sebastian he's ten times prepared for her all the evil plots she has.
But valerian... He's not going to torture him for he knows it's not his fault that he's here, he followed an order and he's not a bad person the real people he has problem with is Selvara and her subordinates who were involved with his parents killing, valerian wasn't even there when all that happened, he wasn't born yet amd he's not going to punish him for what he didn't know but he's not going to let him leave either.
"No one will take you away from me," Sebastian whispered to himself. "Not even your own will."