The Soldier's Hostage

Chapter Twenty-One

Then he was straightening and moving back into his office. "Come on."

I shuffled forward on my knees, following him in as he shifted some things around. I jumped in surprise when his hand suddenly closed around the back of my neck and towed me forward before pressing me down towards the floor. My face hit a pillow and he shoved my hip to make me lie down. Then a blanket dropped over me.

"There. Punishment. No bed for today. Now be quiet and go back to sleep." The cot creaked a little next to me as he lay back down and got comfortable, sighing once more as he settled. I licked my lips and shifted a little myself, turning so I was facing him.

"Thank you." Arthur grunted in response. I slowly relaxed. This punishment was rather lax compared to what I was used to. But paired with the cuffs it was enough loss of control that I was starting to unwind. I blinked in the dark, not quite able to sleep just yet. The sound of Arthur's breathing evened out and softened until I could barely hear it, adding another soothing balm to my frayed nerves. I could just make out Arthur's hand, hanging off the edge of the cot.

On impulse, I wiggled forward. I ducked under his hand and held perfectly still when Arthur breathed deep. He slowly relaxed again and his fingers curled in my hair. My head wasn't on the pillow any more, but the contact was more than fair trade in my opinion.

His fingertips scraped against my scalp and his fingers tightened into a fist for a moment, holding my hair in an almost painful grip. But then he relaxed and his hand opened up again, sliding through to cup around the back of my skull. The heel of his hand rested on my temple and his thumb gently stroked my cheekbone for a moment. Then he went still as he fell back into a deep sleep.

I soon fell asleep myself.

When I woke up, it was to Arthur gently tapping the side of my face. I inhaled sharply and strained against the cuffs holding my hands behind my back before remembering what had happened. My gaze flicked up to Arthur, laying on his side so he could lean over the edge of the cot and look at me. He slowly raised a brow at me.

"Feeling better?"

I flushed a little and dropped my gaze from his. "Yes."

"Don't understand why. The floor is hardly more comfortable than an actual bed." He yawned once, showing off his fangs and making me swallow. He ran his fingers through his hair and sat up, managing to fit his feet in the minimal space between the edge of the cot and me. He cracked his neck and reached over to a shelf, picking up the key to the cuffs.

Reaching down, he tugged me off my side to lay flat on my stomach. Unlocking one cuff, he shoved me again, prompting me to roll onto my back. I froze as he got up and straddle me, grasping the wrist he had just freed and capturing it again in the cuff. I shivered a little, my hands held against my chest as he finished restraining me and straightened. He stepped away from me and jerked his thumb at the door.

"Get started on breakfast."

I scrambled to get up and going, perfectly willing to follow his orders and behave. Preparing breakfast with my hands cuffed took a little getting used to, but I managed. I even finished just as Arthur was done in the bathroom and dressed. I served him as he sat down and instinctively dropped down to kneel at his side rather than serving myself breakfast. He eyed me, but said nothing.

When he was finished, I hopped up to clear the dishes away. I froze when Arthur grasped my shoulder, turning me until I looked at him. "Make sure you eat while I'm gone. And try to get all this out of your system by the time I get home, please." He finished getting himself ready for work and took off the cuffs before leaving. I bit my lip, holding my wrists instead.

The door clicked closed behind him and I squeezed my wrists hard. Then took in a bracing breath and turned my attention to the apartment. I inhaled breakfast, did all the laundry, cleaned the apartment to perfection, apologized profusely to Angel for stepping on her tail, and had one of Arthur's favorites on the table for dinner as he was walking back in.

He eyed me carefully as he passed me to change. I waited patiently until he reappeared and took his place at the table. He gingerly sat down, perhaps assuming I would spend this meal at his feet as well. I carefully glanced at him, waiting. He relaxed as he got it and nodded at my seat. "Be seated."

I slid into my seat and served out dinner, serving him first before myself. And then I waited quietly until he had taken his first bite before picking up my fork. He regarded me as he chewed and swallowed, then dropped his gaze back down into his plate. "Back to normal yet?"

I considered for a moment, then shrugged. "Sort of."

"Do I want to know what that was?"

My face heated with a blush and I focused really hard on the tip of my fork. "I... I don't handle stress really well?"

"I got that part."

I hunched a little further in my seat. "It's a control thing." I chanced a glance up at him and found him mildly curious. He finally let it go and turned back to eating. I breathed a little easier, thankful he wasn't pushing the subject. "Thank you."

He hummed in response. "It's alright. Hopefully we can help you out with those control issues. I convinced Katty it would be a good idea to teach you and your friends some things to help you get along in the world."

I cocked my head in question. Arthur only smirked and continued to eat.