Page 48 of Reforging Onyx

Dominic’s lips twitched in slight amusement. “More torturous than boredom?” He lifted his hand in the familiar “come here” gesture.

Onyx huffed out an aggrieved sigh, but he went closer to Dominic’s side without having to be verbally told to approach. “Yeah,” he said. “But I mean, if you’d just let me go to the rec room, I wouldn’t have that problem either.” He glared at Dominic. He knew that technically it was his own fault that Dominic wouldn’t leave him alone anywhere, but it was Shane’s fault that he couldn’t have the werewolf around.

Because he’d had to decide that Onyx needed to understand how lucky he was to have ended up in Dominic Bancroft’s possession. Fuck him. Fuck all of that.

Even if he wasn’t entirely wrong, these days. If the worst torment he got was to have to learn things, well…

He guessed he was lucky, a thought that continued to haunt and taunt him.

“Why are you wanting me to learn that shit, anyway?” he demanded.

Dominic turned his chair away from his desk when Onyx approached, tugging him closer by the hips when he stopped, as he always did, just beyond where Dominic wanted him to stand. “Knowledge sharpens the mind." He chuckled. “Boredom dulls it. As do endless games and entertainment.”

“Playing games and listening to books isn’t dull,” Onyx grumbled. “And it’s definitely better than dry old history books. Why should I care what happened three thousand years ago? It’s irrelevant now.”

“What are we all if not products of our history? But if not history, what would you wish to learn?” Dominic inquired.

Onyx didn’t really have to think about the answer to that question. “Magic,” he said promptly. “Even if it’s just theory, even if I can’t ever use it, I want to learn more about magic.”

Dominic made a noncommittal hum. “I could be persuaded on the topic.”

Onyx eyed Dominic. It was a stupid thing to ask, really, and he knew it; without being able to practice, he wouldn’t fully catch on. But he’d never learned much beyond the bare basics, and he craved that knowledge. He always had, even when he’d been learning scraps from Archie.

He wondered how the witch was doing. Had he gotten caught helping the rebellion? Or was he out there thriving, away from the cause that could’ve cost him everything? Onyx would never know.

“Uh-huh,” Onyx said skeptically, “and how could you be persuaded? I’m not doing anything crazy; it’s not like you’re gonna bring a magic teacher out to the warehouse and let me learn live.”

Dominic hummed again, surprising Onyx with the not entirely disagreeable noise. “I’m open to negotiation.”

Onyx’s mouth went dry.

What would he do to earn the right to use his magic? To learn how to wield it better, to use anything he learned?

Almost anything, and he hated that because it meant his mind went to places that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with. He stepped in closer to Dominic, between his legs, gingerly leaning down to press a kiss to his lips.

“This isn’t fair,” Onyx whispered against Dominic’s mouth, letting himself be drawn deeper into the kiss when the other witch pressed for more. He wanted this so badly. He didn’t want to feel like a whore, to know that he’d give himself up for his magic, but Dominic hadn’t shut down the ideas he’d proposed.

If there was one thing he’d learned about Dominic Bancroft, it was that the witch kept his promises. He was deceptive and manipulative, but if he gave his word, he meant it. Onyx would get what he wanted.

The question, though, was what it would cost. What he wanted was insane, and he knew it.

His heart thudded wildly in his chest. He didn’t want to give up one more thing. But to have his magic…

Dominic chuckled softly. “What’s not fair about it?” he asked, amusement threaded through the words.

“I know what you want, and you know what I want,” Onyx mumbled. “And you’re fucking crazy enough to offer me the world to get me to… to…” He faltered, unable to say the words.

“Say it,” Dominic murmured, stroking Onyx’s hips with his thumbs. “What do I want from you, Onyx Rayne?”

Onyx swallowed hard. He didn’t want to say the words. He didn’t want to make any of this reality. If he said it…

He bit his lip, his eyes searching Dominic’s expression as anxiety filled him to the brim. “You want to fuck me,” he finally said. “And if I let you, you might give me what I want, too.”

He was not a whore.

He was not going to give up so much of himself, even for his magic.

His throat was dry.