Chapter 2
"So noisy! I must be failing as a host," the distorted electronic voice hissed. "Perhaps the 'gift' I sent wasn't strong enough. Let's fix that, shall we?"
The next second, a cloud of pink gas sprayed from the vents, a sickly-sweet scent that snaked into my nostrils. It was like breathing in molten honey. My fingertips started to tingle.
Leon spun around, his eyes locking onto mine, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks.
My heart seized. My body trembled, and a shameful wave of anticipation washed over me.
"Don't breathe!" Leon yelled.
With a roar that shook the air, he snapped. He moved like lightning, his palm clamping down on my face with a feverish heat.
His palm was scalding, the rough calluses of his fingers brushing against my lips with a shocking intimacy.
I shied away from the burn, only to slam into the wall of his chest.
He was inches away, his ragged breath pouring over me like a furnace, reeking of the chemicals.
The chat section went wild.
[He's making a move! Pin her against the wall, Mr. Lancaster!]
[Look at his hand! He's about to crush her face!]
[Go for it! Stop playing the gentleman!]
Leon's fingers tightened, and a pained grunt escaped my lips.
"Sorry," he blurted.
As if waking from a trance, he snatched his hand back and stumbled away, his back slamming hard against the iron door.
There was a loud bang.
He let out a pained grunt.
A sharp piece of metal jutting from the door had sliced a gash in his forearm, opening a wound to the bone.
Blood gushed from the wound, streaming down his arm and dripping onto the pale gray floor in startlingly bright red drops.
I screamed.
"Don't be scared!" he rasped.
He retreated to the corner and dug his fingers into the wound, letting out an animalistic growl of pure, tearing agony.
He was using the pain to stay lucid, to force himself to stay away from me.
The live feed exploded with a new wave of even filthier comments.
[Look, he's actually bleeding! Is this for sympathy? Hope she feels sorry for you?]
[Make her lick it clean! It's a free foreplay!]
[You're ready to pop, man! Stop holding back! Who do you think you are, a saint?]
Honestly, I wasn't doing much better.
The chaos had sent the drug surging through my veins. It was like a beast waking up, devouring my willpower.
I bit my tongue hard. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as I used the pain to fight the shameful desire.
To make matters worse, my body was already responding, a million tiny ants crawling under my skin, pulling me toward the source of all that raw, masculine energy.
Leon's arm was still bleeding, staining his sleeve a dark, wet red.
Fighting against my own body, I tore a strip of lace from the hem of my dress.
"Use this. To bandage it."
My legs were jelly, my voice trembling so badly that I could barely speak as I shuffled toward him.
His body went rigid. He snapped his head around, his bloodshot eyes gleaming like a beast on the verge of losing all control.
His gaze dropped from the strip of fabric in my hand, slowly traveling up to my face.
His stare made my skin crawl. I instinctively tried to pull my hand back, but he grabbed my wrist, his fingertips brushing my skin and sending an electric jolt through me.
My mind was screaming at me to push him away, but my body was betraying me. It wanted to press closer, to melt into his arms.
"Don't..." I murmured and bit my lip, my nails digging into my palms, clinging to the last shred of my sanity. "Please, Leon. Don't."
The chat was a frenzy.
[He's got her! About time! Slam her into the wall!]
[She's already wet! What's she pretending for?]
[I bet they won't last ten seconds. I'm putting thirty grand on it.]
[Do it! Stop wasting time!]
Tears streamed down my cheeks, and one burning drop hit his hand. He flinched violently, as if my tear had scorched his skin.
He abruptly let me go and stumbled back, gasping for air.
"Sorry!" he choked out, turning his head away sharply. His voice faltered with a hint of panic. "Thanks, but I don't need it."
It was a truth we both understood: to surrender to this lust meant becoming beasts. We would be mating amidst the sneers and scorn of a faceless crowd, while they recorded it all to be sold like cheap meat.
The video would leak into every part of our world, haunting us forever.
A fleeting moment of lust wasn't worth a future of endless shame.