My heart stopped.

"What," I breathed and felt every single muscle in my body seize up, "no. No, no, no. I can't."

"Yes you can, Kellen. I promise I won't do anything you don't want me to," Hypnos urged and brushed his knuckles across my cheek. I flinched and pushed away from him.

"No! I don't want to!" I threw my arms in front of me and turned my face to the side.

"You're acting like a child," he drawled but I could hear the edge in his voice. He was hurt and irritated that I'd turned him down so quickly.

"I am a child!" I snapped and pushed myself to the opposite end of the bed, far from him in case he lost his temper.

"You're not Kellen, not anymore," he put simply and the calmness in his tone made me want to lash out in anger.

"Just shut up! You don't know anything about me, I don't want this. And I definitely don't want you," I snarled even if it was somewhat a lie because a little part of me did want him. I could feel his wrath boiling over.

"Come here, now," he hissed and I only shook my head and pushed further away.

"You can't tell me what to do," I clenched my jaw and wrapped my arms around myself. I knew he only wanted to play with me. I knew it. He was too charming, too... perfect.

"I won't repeat myself, Kellen," Hypnos challenged and I was very tempted to obey. Instead, I glared at him intensely.

Consort? Are you serious? Never. I couldn't think of anything more degrading. When he finally got me to spread my legs for him, he'd only use me up and throw me away. I wasn't a pretty little decoration and he wasn't going to treat me like one either.

"Then don't, you prick!" I snapped and curled my body closer, "just leave me alone. I wish I'd never met you! You're nothing but a pathetic coward trying to stay in control of your shitty life."

Hypnos' nostrils flared and he lunged for me. I cried out when his firm hand latched onto my thigh and roughly dragged me back towards him.

His shoulders trembled with rage as he shoved me beneath him. I thrashed and yelled and pushed at his chest but he only kept me pinned under him.

Fear crawled up my throat and made my limbs tense and spasm.

He clamped his hand over my collarbone and up the side of my neck. I panted and stopped writhing beneath him and trembled violently. Visually, he seemed to be wrestling with himself for control, trying to leash his anger. But he also seemed to be losing, very badly.

And I watched him snap, his hand clenching tightly on my neck. I screamed in pain as I felt his palm burning my skin. It stung and ached and he wouldn't stop even though I cried and shouted as loudly as I could.

By the time the burning sensation had died away, I was sobbing and whimpering underneath Hypnos. He clenched his jaw tightly and brought his face closer to mine as tears threatened to spill over. A dull throb pounded from my collarbone.

"I don't give a fuck what you want, Kellen, because I am your master and you'll do as I say," he hissed in my ear as I winced and pulled my knees to my chest.

"Yes, master," I whimpered and felt my lip tremble.

He hurt me. I can't believe Hypnos actually... he harmed me physically. I felt a new fear dawning on me, I was afraid of him. I was so afraid.

"That's a good boy," he purred and I knew that the rage simmering inside still hadn't gone away. He was still not back. Not the Hypnos I had become acquainted with. And that absolutely terrified me.

And I instinctively knew what to say. After being around him for these past months, I had a rough understanding of the god of slumber.

"Thank you, m-master," I faltered and tried to swallow the painful tightness in my throat, he let out a low purr of content and pulled me close to his broad chest. I tensed and then forced myself to relax as his arms went around my shaking body. His callused palm slid down my thigh and hooked behind my knee. I pressed my face into his chest and tried to calm my heart rate as he pulled my leg around his waist and nuzzled his face in my hair.

It wasn't a very affectionate touch. It was more like a child cuddling a new stuffed toy. Suffocating.

"You're all mine, Kellen."

--------------------

I awoke in a new peach-colored shirt that flowed around my torso loosely.

And hot.

I was sweating through the sheets. With a quiet whimper, I threw the blankets off my body and gulped in deep breaths. I felt sick. My throat hurt and my head felt like it was going to explode with pressure. I released a short cough and turned on my side.

Hypnos was gone. Nowhere to be seen. I didn't know whether to feel disappointed or relieved.

After a few minutes of wallowing and slow yawns, I threw my legs off the edge of the bed and let them hang there. After a quiet pause, I pressed my toes onto the hardwood and winced as it creaked loudly. I feared that Hypnos might hear, even if he probably couldn't. My previously wounded ankle felt slightly weaker than my other, but at least it didn't hurt.

Unlike the throbbing pain in my neck.

I pressed my hand over it but felt no wound, or welt. With a frown, I went to take a step forward, but the door opened so suddenly that I jumped in fright. Hypnos walked in and I placed my foot wrong. It twisted sideways and I let out a noise of distress before falling back onto the bed.

My master clicked the door shut and gave me a stern look.

"You shouldn't be walking on that ankle," he said and walked over, I shrunk under his towering form and curled into myself.

"I didn't know where you were," I whispered, but my voice sounded hoarse and foreign to me. I guess it wasn't a complete lie, I hadn't known where he was. But I didn't want to know either.

"I was in the garden," he replied and brushed his palm against my cheek gently. I forced myself not to flinch away. It might make him angry.

"Oh," I mumbled and looked at the floor, "I-I think I'm feeling unwell."

I didn't want to sit in silence with him. Because silence led to... certain things.

"How so?" Hypnos asked tenderly and I found his tone breaking my heart.

Or more like tearing it in two.

I wanted to let him touch me and I wanted him to be nice and comforting.

But I was also afraid he might snap again and so I wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

"I just feel bad," I answered truthfully and let him lay me back down on the bed. He leaned over me and kissed all over the sore place on my neck. I hated to admit that I liked how soft his lips felt on my burning skin.

"You'll be better soon," he mumbled against my neck. I fisted my small hands in his shirt as he gently ran his fingers through my hair.

"Can you open the window?" I breathed and I felt his breath catch ever so slightly.

"No," he replied indignantly and rolled onto the bed with me. I blinked away tears of frustration. The heat just made me want to kick and scream and lash out. But I was too exhausted at the same time.

"Please," my voice cracked, but his face remained stoic, "it's too hot."

"No," Hypnos repeated and pulled me against him. At least he had the courtesy to kick the blankets away from us. He pressed his face into my chest and I awkwardly wrapped my arms about him, assuming that's what he wanted.

My master slid his legs between mine and placed a rough palm on my hip. I took in deep breaths in order to hold back the wall of tears I wanted to let out.

Eventually, I had calmed down enough to grow tired once more. Though, every time Hypnos stirred against me I tensed and snapped back awake again.

Soon, enough he grew fed up with my fidgeting and just knocked me out. Not physically, of course. God of slumber, I guess.

The last thing I could taste was the sour tang of magic on my tongue.