Page 34 of Collin: Episodes 10-12
“Like I said.” Damian sighed and rinsed his washcloth. “You done? Washed everywhere?”
Damian offered Collin a pair of his own sweats and turned on the TV in the living room. They curled up on the couch with a blanket and Artemis with an animated film playing in the background. Collin lay down in Damian’s lap and let the older man play with his hair while Artemis purred against his chest. In time, the door to the dungeon opened and the sound of footsteps moving into the master suite followed. Fifteen minutes and half an episode of the show later, Mr. Reevesworth and Mr. Moreau emerged.
Collin lifted Artemis to the side carefully and scrambled to his feet as they approached, then stood there awkwardly, his hands opening and closing into fists at his side.
His doms looked relaxed. Peaceful. So utterly different than the sounds that had come from the dungeon earlier had implied. Mr. Reevesworth smiled and reached toward Collin.
Collin held stock-still. He didn’t flinch. He couldn’t. But he wasn’t breathing.
Damian stood up from the couch behind him. “I think the soundproofing might not be up to the current stress levels, sirs,” Damian said, voice even and slightly colored with humor. “I’ll go reheat the pasta.”
“Wait.” Mr. Reevesworth gestured Damian forward. He pressed his forehead against Damian’s and put his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “Thank you.”
“Always, sir.”
Mr. Reevesworth’s hand dropped to Damian’s wrist, his thumb passing over Damian’s pulse point.
“I’m good, sir.”
“Stay with me tonight?”
“Yes, sir.”
Mr. Reevesworth nodded decisively and let Damian go.
“Maybe we should get Damian a dog,” Mr. Moreau murmured.
“Transitions aren’t smooth, but we’ll rise to the challenge. Franklin figured it out.”
“Franklin left us to each other.”
“We can’t just find him someone.”
“I think Damian can find someone himself,” Collin whispered.
Mr. Reevesworth and Mr. Moreau gave him assessing looks. The question of what he knew was in their eyes, but neither asked. Instead, Mr. Reevesworth sat down and patted his thigh, inviting Collin into his lap.
That was easier. The man wasn’t looming over him. He looked calm. He felt calm. It was still a mind trip to know this same man had recently been bellowing in rage while being whipped. He dared a glance toward Mr. Moreau. He was less frightening. He hadn’t been screaming.
He moved slowly toward his master and settled on his lap. Everything he’d learned, the familiar touch, the scents, and textures he’d come to associate with safety over the last few weeks filled his senses.
“You’re scary, sir,” he murmured.
“Yes,” Mr. Reevesworth rumbled back. He pulled Collin deeper into his arms and picked up Collin’s legs so that he was cradling Collin against his chest. “And someday you’ll learn to trust just how terrifying I can be.”
“My wolf,” Collin whispered.
“More like a dragon,” Mr. Moreau muttered.
Mr. Reevesworth chuckled. “I told you I was going to burn them.”
“How?” Collin glanced upward to his master’s face.
Mr. Reevesworth chuckled, a harsh delight in his eyes. “To start with, their stock. Monday, a significant amount of it is going to be sold in some companies and bought in others.”
Collin frowned. “You’re going to crash their market value?”
“In some companies. And buy a controlling share in others. It’s already arranged. There’s plenty of businesses I can’t touch but several I can. And a few that can be rattled.”
