The contract

The contract


Winston leaned down, lowering himself until he was eye level with me, glaring so hard I couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. His icy stare pierced straight through me, so unrelenting and intense that it felt like the entire room froze over. I remained standing, stiff and unmoving, forcing myself to hold my ground. I refused to show weakness, refused to cower, even though every cell in my body screamed at me to run. I didn't look away, no matter what happened. That was, until I felt Winston’s hand reach up and slowly wrap around my neck. His fingers were cold, possessive, and controlling. The pressure grew tighter and tighter by the second, squeezing my airway until panic began to rise like a wave.

"Trust me," he paused, letting the silence stretch between us, making sure I was listening. Every syllable felt deliberate, heavy. "I do protect my property, I have its whole life. But it can get difficult when that property decides that it wants to disobey." His voice was low, almost a growl, and it dripped with warning.

His words stabbed me through the chest, only because he knew that I knew exactly what he was talking about. There was no misunderstanding here. No room for confusion. He was referring to me, I was the property, the possession, the thing. And he had protected me in his own twisted way, hadn't he?

I reached my hands up to try and pry his off of my neck because the collars were starting to dig into my skin. The sharp edges cut in a little deeper with every breath I couldn't quite take. My fingers trembled as they wrapped around his wrists, but his grip didn’t falter. I placed my hands on top of his and looked into his eyes desperately, as he was already looking in mine. Unblinking. Unfeeling. Unrelenting.

I couldn't get his hands to budge, no matter how hard I tried, and I could feel myself slowly losing it. My head grew both fuzzy and dizzy, like the world had started to tilt. “Y-.. you're right,” I finally mustered up, which surprised both me and them. The words felt like glass in my throat. His grip loosened enough for me to be able to fill my lungs back up with air, and I gasped like I’d been drowning. “I was wrong,” I held back my growl, trying to please him. Trying to be good. I could tell it worked because his hands dropped from my neck and fell to my waist.

I let out a sigh, part relief, part defeat, leaning my head back onto Xavier. His presence behind me was constant now, like a shadow I could never escape. “I want to see my parents.” The words came out small, but clear. Honest.

“No,” both of them answered without hesitation. It was instant. Unyielding. Like the idea of me having a choice was absurd.

“Please…” I whimpered out of frustration. “If it takes me begging, I will.” What I said was the truth, and I knew they would have loved to see me begging them. The following silence confirmed it. I could feel their satisfaction in the way they said nothing at all. I watched as Winston shut his eyes and tilted his head to the side, popping his neck to release tension. He exhaled softly through his nose, like he was weighing options he already knew the answer to.

“Please…” I begged again, my voice more raw this time. “Depends. If we were to take you to see your, parents, are you going to be a good boy for us?” His tone was teasing, but serious. I almost nodded my head until a paper suddenly appeared out of nowhere in his hand, like magic—or like a trap snapping shut.

He held it firmly, right in front of my face for me to read. It looked official. Cold. Final.

It was a contract. A contract.

I looked at him like he was insane, well, he was. “Read it,” he commanded, and I did just that. I shakily took the paper out of his hands and brought it close enough to read. My fingers felt numb as I held the paper.

\---

This contract shows the ownership Xavier Andruil, and Winston Andruil shall have over Benson Baros for the remainder of his years left living.

Rules include:

1\. Benson Baros must submit and obey Xavier Andruil and Winston Andruil at all times.

2\. Must be loyal, no other relationships beyond are allowed.

3\. Must ask for permission before going anywhere without mates, or there shall be major punishments.

4\. Must ask permission before speaking to anyone other than mates, or there shall be major punishments.

\---

The rules went on and on and on. Paragraphs of restrictions. Sentences dripping with control. There were so many that I couldn't read them all. The words blurred together, becoming a wall of oppression on paper.

I looked up at Winston with a disappointed look. “No way I'm signing this,” I said truthfully, my voice low but firm. He didn't look too happy with what I had to say. His jaw clenched, his eyes hardening.

“You will if you would like to ever see your parents again.” The ultimatum hit me like a blow to the stomach. My lips parted, but nothing came out at first. I gritted my teeth, trying my best to keep myself together, to not shatter completely.

“What will I get out of this?” I asked, my voice tight with barely contained fury and fear. They looked at each other before back at me, both opening their mouths to speak. Their expressions were unreadable, but their words came soft and steady.

“Protection.”

“Pleasure.”

“Anything you would ever want.”

“Anything you would ever need.”

“Everything.”

“Okay okay, I get it,” I cut them off, grabbing the paper out of his hands. My fingers gripped it tighter than necessary, like I could crush the power it held if I just squeezed hard enough. Winston smiled softly, darkly, before handing me a pen that also appeared out of nowhere. There was something sinister in how effortless it was for him.

I grabbed it, looking down at the paper. This was a very dangerous step I would be taking. This was my life, I was basically handing over my life to them. My freedom, my body, my voice.

“And,” I hesitated, my hand hovering above the page, “what if I chose to not sign this?” Both of them slowly looked at each other before back at me, grinning. Their smiles were almost identical, chilling.

I shivered when I felt Xavier’s lips graze over my ear, the warmth of his breath sending goosebumps racing across my skin. “Well, if you were to make that… awful, poorly made decision,” he whispered, voice low and mocking, “it would only be right for you to stay down here, bound, for the rest of your precious little life. Slowly going insane… to the point that the only thing crossing your mind would be us and the regret of not choosing the good boy option.” He chuckled darkly, the sound vibrating against my spine.

And we both knew he was very serious.