The boy glared at the man that remained seated behind his desk who barely threw a glance his way even as he shuffled the papers on his desk. Had it not been for the men standing at his side ready to grab him should he make a single move towards the seated man maybe the boy would have bothered to try something. Not that it would have made a difference-- elf or not, he was still only a kid and the air around the man, Luther Moore he was told, made it clear that he was someone capable of handling himself. Maybe he could have made a go for the son waiting behind him, watching, but the chances of that going anywhere useful somehow seemed even less likely. Not that it wouldn’t have been nice to try for either of them, to create some sort of chaos in the affluent office.
Luther Moore cleared his throat in expectation and one of the men’s hands fell to grip tightly at the boy’s shoulder. He hissed in pain and fixed a glare at his captor.
“Rhys,” He spit out.. Another tight squeeze. “Cade.”
A thoughtful silence followed. For a moment, he couldn’t tell if the man had even heard him. Several long seconds passed, until finally the papers he had been reading rustled as he set them down.
“Alexander.” Luther looked up instead to the boy waiting near the entrance of the room. He could hear the boy, only a few years older than him, approach and watched out of the corner of his eyes as he passed. He didn’t look at him directly though, his cheek still stung from earlier and to look at that asshole now would just piss him off again.
Alexander Moore’s voice was damn near cherubic once he reached the desk. “Yes, Father?”
“Choose a name.”
What? Rhys’ head whipped up in shock to stare at the two Moore’s. A new name? Was he serious? Nothing on the man’s face indicated that he was joking, and Alexander already had a delighted and thoughtful look on his face.
He grit his teeth. Consequences be damned, they were talking about renaming him like he was some sort of pet! “Now hold the fuck on--”
“Val!” Alexander called out cheerfully, green eyes alight with a unique blend of mischief and malice. “’Val Moore’ seems fitting doesn’t it, Father?”
Luther gave a disinterested nod, having already turned his attention back towards his work. “It will do. Get him used to it so that he responds to it. I don’t want to call him and receive any trouble instead.”
“Hold the fuck on!” Rhys growled out and took a step forward. “Fuck this! You can’t just change my name like that! It’s Rhys Cade, not that shit!” Vivid eyes snapped angrily and a snarl left him. “I’m not gonna fucking respond to something that isn’t my name--”
“Alexander,” Luther called out with a flip of a page, “it will be your responsibility to ensure that he does not act out.” Alexander gave a noise of affirmation and nodded at one of the men. A heavy blow landed across the back of his head and he fell to his knees as stars burst across his vision. Dazed, Rhys didn’t notice the other’s approach until a hand tangled into his hair and painfully jerked his head upwards towards Alexander’s unsmiling face.
“Watch your mouth,” the older boy hissed and gave his head a painful shake, eliciting a grunt of pain. “Val. This can go smoothly if you comply, but I have no problems reminding you of your situation. Your name is Val, you now belong to us, and you will treat me, my father, and the rest of our family with the upmost respect.” Each point was punctuated with another shake, and at the end of it, Alexander released his hair and let him crumple to the ground as pain rang through his head. Before he could struggle back to his feet, his arms were seized and body dragged upwards by the men. Through clearing vision he watched Alexander Moore smile at his father.
“Rest assured, Father, I will handle him properly.”
“Alexander, what exactly was all of that back there?” Val tried to keep the anger from his voice to keep from running the risk of sounding disrespectful, and possibly earning a punishment from the other, but it was hard to do with blood still spattered on his skin and the wound from where a bullet had grazed him still stinging. The negotiations for the alliance were tense and there had been a big possibility of violence, sure, but the talks with Victor Delacroix had been going perfectly fine until Alexander suddenly announced that he had no intention to go through with the proceedings and had his guards open fire on the other side. Val was lucky to have managed to get both that blond bastard and himself out just fine but the casualties on their side...not like Alexander cared about his pawns though. And when it came to his enemies...the image of the woman he shot flashed through his mind, and of the boy who had been running towards her too. They looked alike, was she his mom? It wasn’t like him to linger like this and it was annoying, it was something he had to do and so he did it. Despicable, sure, but that was par for the course by now.
The man in front of him, annoyingly without a single scratch or hair out of place thanks to Val’s own actions, smiled demurely. “Oh don’t be cross with me, Val, I know I didn’t warn you but we both made it out just fine, didn’t we?”
“I’m bleeding and covered in blood,” the words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and when Alexander’s eyes narrowed Val immediately tensed and braced himself. Thankfully, no blow came and Alexander continued.
“Anyways, now with France’s largest family head gone, it will be only a matter of time until the rest falls apart, leaving ample space for us to move into. And, of course, once my father catches word of how the Delacroix family so cruelly tried to betray our trust and kill his heir, well...it won’t be long before the rest of the family is eradicated.”
So even Luther didn’t know of this plan of his? And he intended to keep it a secret? That was crazy, and even worse, that made Val the only other person alive who knew a secret of Alexander’s. Fear began to coil around his spine, being the only other person with knowledge of something that Alexander Moore wanted to keep secret from even his own father was a position that no one ever wanted to be in.
Alexander took one look at him and began to laugh. “Oh, look at the face you’re making! Relax, relax, you’re still far too valuable for me to get rid of, especially when I know that you know the consequences of spilling this thing between us. And don’t worry, I know you’ll likely tell Alexa, as endearingly close as the two of you are, but still so long as it remains between just the three of us.” He reached out and ruffled Val’s hair before playfully tugging at the tip of his ear. When he pulled his hand away, cool green eyes regarded Val. “Now I need you to go back there and clean up any leftovers. Everyone is down but I still saw a few moving here and there. And of course, make sure the still ones remain that way.”
The orders were clear. Take his gun and shoot anyone remaining, alive or dead, their side or not, to ensure that no one else would be leaving there alive to let word get to Luther Moore of how his own son played him. Because, whether he wanted it or not, he was not a conspirator with Alexander, and any chances of survivors back in that warehouse now meant his head as well.
The door slammed shut behind him and Val stumbled once more into his room. He knew he must have looked like a nightmare with blood streaked across his face and hands but he still fell onto his bed with a grunt of pain. But as bad as he was, he at least made sure to leave the other guys ten times worse. His face and body throbbed where the other guys’ punches had landed and there was a shallow cut on his arm from one of the fucker’s knife he’d have to see to but right now all Val wanted to do was sink into blissful unconsciousness.
He wanted a distraction and he’d gotten one. As late at night as it’d been it was an easy matter to find a group of sketchy guys who looked like they might’ve had a drink too many and pick a fight with them. And fights were what he was especially good at. In the moment he could remember the wide, violent grin across his face and the way his blood practically sang as adrenaline pumped through him. He knew to them he must’ve looked like a monster. But for a few moments he could lose himself in the rush of it all. Then it was over way too soon and he ended up back here. Always back here. Because if he was gone too long they’d think he ran again and they’d make sure Alexa would suffer because of him.
Alexa.
An eye traveled to the door. He half expected to see the knob turn and her head peek in, out of everyone in this damn house she was the only one who never actually knocked before coming into his room. And he never bothered knocking with her either, it was just how things were between them. But no matter how late it was or how long he’d been out, whether it was in someone else’s bed or just wandering around, and no matter how quiet he tried to be when returning, whenever he got back she would always hear him from her room next door and look in to check on him.
Of course, the door remained closed. It’d been months since he last saw her. As part of their punishment they rarely saw each other, she was out of the country with Luther now while he did some business. Who knew when he’d see her next. It was for the best she didn’t see him as he was right now anyways, no doubt she’d have words, or her own equivalent of words, if she saw him bruised and bloodied like this. And he knew that even if he didn’t say anything she’d still be able to pick up that it was because of Zale that he was like this. So no, he could pass on all of that for the moment, and as he rolled over on his bed there was more twinges from his various injuries, all clamoring for attention. But sleepiness was making itself known and darkness slowly curtained his vision, taking over until Val finally fell asleep bloodied atop his sheets.
The door to his room slammed angrily behind him and Val skulked over to his bed. With a noise of aggravation, the elf collapsed on it and immediately drew his pillow over his head. He finally had a moment of time to himself and actually felt in the mood for once so why...? It was clear from the way that the other guy had been eyeing him that he was interest, and hell he himself was at a point where he didn’t give a shit anymore, anything that could serve as a good distraction from the hell his life had turned into was welcome, and yet, and yet...!
Dark hair.
Blue eyes.
That stupid grin, that irritating fucking smile...his voice, especially when it was crying out his name... No wait, no. He had to forget him, trying to hold onto any memory of that fucker was only going to hurt in the long run. He was tired of false hope.
Besides, Val removed the pillow and stared up at the ceiling above, it wasn’t like they had been exclusive anyways. They were friends who just happened to end up in bed together...a lot. But they never established anything so it wasn’t like he had any obligation to keep from fucking anyone else ever for the rest of whatever shitty life he had, however short it’d probably be. Hell, he should get up right now, march back to that fucker that’d been ogling him, and yank him into a kiss just to show he didn’t have anything to prove. Val shifted up onto an elbow then paused. He should, but...
Would the other’s breath catch and moan the way Zale’s always did if he gave attention to his collar? Would it feel the same as that cheeky grin whenever he managed to turn the tables on him, so damn smug right before making him forget all but the other man’s name? Would it feel even half as good the times he’d fucked Zale so good that the chatty bastard couldn’t even muster any words and instead just lay there with that stupid breathless grin on his lips and that gleam in his eyes?
Fuck, he was doing a piss poor job of this. Val groaned and threw an arm over his eye, blocking the light of the room. His hand inched closer to his pants and began to work at the button. Stupid fucking...how was anyone else going to compare to that when the memories of Zale alone had him this easily undone? They couldn’t. Shit.
--------------
His breathing slowly returned to normal as the aftershocks of pleasure slowly but surely faded and Val stared blankly up at the ceiling once more. His sheets and clothes were in disarray, shirt rucked up his chest and his pants undone, and he knew his hair had to be just as messy too. He curled onto his side, the momentary burst of pleasure all but forgotten. Just as much as the hot stuff, he knew it couldn’t ever compare even afterwards too. Zale immediately cuddling up to him, warm and comforting and already back to his jokes. Or the way he would always start to nod off if he started playing with his hair. The grin he gave him when they woke up the next morning. Small things that he took for granted, never stopping to think that he should take it all in in case it didn’t last. Dumbass, and here he usually always did plan for in case something lasted. He got too comfortable with Zale and now look what happened.
Val buried his face again in his pillow as if that would stem the wave of sorrow that rose up within him, threatening to sweep him away. He missed him. And there was nothing he could do about it now except try to forget him for good.
Val gave an annoyed click of his tongue as he quickly sought cover under a nearby awning from the downpour that had drenched him. Fucking rain, he thought he’d be finished with his errand for the Moores and back before the clouds decided to let loose but clearly he was wrong. And it looked like his two options were to either wait this shit out or just go on back and brave the downpour.
A crack of lightning pierced the sky, briefly illuminating his surroundings in stark light, and the elf’s shoulders tensed following the clap of thunder that echoed afterwards. And he hated storms too, his already shitty mood never failed to tank whenever he had to suffer through one. Storms always made him think of things he didn’t want to think about, of people he left long ago. Or more specifically, one person...
The second bolt of lightning jolted the man from his quickly spiraling thoughts and he shook his head, feeling his mood worsen even more. No good, there wasn’t any use in thinking about those things. It was all the past and better left forgotten there too.
Val peered up at the darkening clouds. By the looks of it, things would get worse before they got better. He was already drenched so he might as well make a run for it, not like he was particularly eager to return though. Fingers brushed against the patch covering his left eye to ensure it was in place before the man stepped out from under the awning in preparation to book it. His gaze caught sight of someone approaching, probably seeking shelter from the rain too, but he barely paid them any mind save for the customary quick once over. But then he froze, his legs seemingly forgetting how to work once he took in the other person’s features.
She sat half-collapsed in a corner of the room, as far away from the scene that she had caused as she could get.
The left one, opposite of his dominant hand.
Another heave wracked through her frame but she’d expelled the last remnants in her stomach already with the last bout of nausea.
As quick and as neatly as possible, a clean slice down.
Her body shook, she couldn’t stop staring at the blood that still splattered her glove and the exposed skin of her wrist where her sleeve hadn’t met the fabric covering her hand. The similarly bloody knife lay beside her.
His screams had been awful.
Val now sat passed out, likely from shock and the pain, but she could imagine that she could practically hear the steady drip and flow of blood from the wound she had given him. An irreparable one, there would be no saving his eye. Fuck, his eye--
Another wave of sickness rolled through her and the elf doubled over as dry heaves choked her. She could hear the sound of footsteps approaching and a hand briefly rested on top of her head, the voice that followed the action saccharine sweet.
“Good girl. Let this be a lesson to never defy this family again. I’ll send someone to clean up.” Alexander gave a last pat to her head and his steps echoed followed by the heavy thud of the door closing behind him as he left, Alexa’s sobs now the only sound left in the room.
His wrists yanked fruitlessly at the metal that bound them. Val knew it was pointless, they were reinforced to be able to hold an elf back and he knew from all his prior attempts years ago that they wouldn’t budge an inch no matter how much he pulled at them, his wrists would be bloodied and raw long before he could even make a dent in breaking them. Not that it stopped him from trying. He knew it was pointless, knew that even if he could get himself free and out of this damned room it would be pointless too. But that didn’t mean he didn’t want to spite that bastard even a little with his struggle, no matter how much his body ached and screamed already from the punishments it had had to endure.
The man in front of him only watched benignly, smiling all the while as Alexa stood off further back, not tied down as he was but looking as if she were going through her own personal torment as well. Val’s lips pulled back in a snarl and part to launch a stream of a few choice words towards Alexander, but before he could, the man’s hand hauled back and pain exploded across his skull as it connected with his face. From behind Alexander, Alexa winced. Stars flashed in front of his eyes and the elf reeled and gritted his teeth against the throbbing in his head that now added to the various pains already present along his body. ...He could taste blood in his mouth, he must have bitten his tongue.
“If it weren’t so amusing, I’d say your little foul-mouthed act was getting tired.” Alexander chuckled lightly. Val only glared in response. The other man only smiled and began to pace as he mused aloud. “I thought for sure as I picked you up that you were done with your little bouts of rebellion but it seems that I was wrong. Are you going to remain that intent to defy my family’s every order? After all of the years we invested in your care and upkeep?” He paused but no response came. Not that he seemed to expect any. Alexander continued with a chuckle, “And for a little stint like this, running off with those thieves for as long you both had, that was a very serious offense. Neither me nor Father were pleased.” His hand curls into a fist and a dark light entered his eyes. Val braced himself but no blow came, and instead Alexander continued his leisurely pace.
“I think...” the man’s eyes gleamed down at Val, “that you need a more permanent lesson of what happens when you choose to disobey us. A reminder for if either of you get any ideas again.” Both Alexa and Val’s frames tensed, Alexander and Luther Moore never hesitated to serve out harsh punishments before, but never had they been anything permanent. It would have been seen as damaging their investments.
“Alexa,” Alexander smiled angelically down at Val, “ruin his eye.”
It was as if all of the air rushed out of the room with those few words. Alexa staggered back. “E-eye? I-I can’t--” She had never once spoken back to him before, but to be ordered to do this... However, before she could even finish, sharp green eyes had already fixed on her, any last pretense of easygoing friendliness gone.
“Either you take one of his eyes or I’ll rip the both of them out myself.” Yet just as quickly as it had disappeared, the smile was soon back in place. “I’ll even be kind enough to let you choose how to do it.” Alexa’s shaking gaze traveled past Alexander to where Val was, eyes wide in shock as if he didn’t want to believe that Alexander would go that far. And yet there was still dread and despair creeping into his gaze. She began to walk forward.
“Wait, Alexander--” Val rasped out, his struggles against the chains growing as Alexa drew closer and closer, watching as her trembling hands accepted a knife that Alexander held out to her as she passed. No, no! “ALEXANDER!” A yell tore from him, pitiably desperate as his pulse pounded in his ears, lungs struggling for air. “Fuck, I-I won’t try to run anymore, is that what you want to hear?! I’ll stay, I’ll fucking stay!” He would have been humiliated at practically begging Alexander Moore but Val’s panicked mind couldn’t muster coherent thoughts, only a deep, primal fear at the notion of a disfigurement as damaging as that. The only things he eve relied on in this world were Alexa and his own body, to have something as vitally important as his sight damaged like that-- Fear rushed through his veins. “Please!” The word came out in a cracked plea, Alexa now only a step away from him.
She paused then turned to glance back at Alexander with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Yet that hope died as he calmly waved at her to continue without a moment’s hesitation. Alexa turned back to Val as her own breaths came out in choked pants and pained gasps as Val still struggled in his restraints. A hand tangled in his hair, forcibly holding his head still and tilted up towards her and the gleam of the knife in her hand. His mind blanked, vivid eyes wild with fear and panic as her hand raised above his left eye. The only sound that left him now was a single wretched sob. The knife flashed down.
It was like a punch in the gut to hear that name again and Val sucked in a harsh breath. How many years had it last been since he’d heard it? Or hell, how long had it been since he’d even thought of it. He’d been Val so long that now his actual fucking name felt foreign to him.
“Why the surprised look there, Rhys? I mean, it is your name after all, not the one we gave you. I’d only assumed since you were finally free of us, you would have started going by that again.”
“I mean,” he took a step closer, “if you were truly free of us it would be easy, correct? ‘Val Moore’ belongs to us, he’s spent years in our service and I know him like the back of my hand.” Another step and Val fought to control his breathing. “’Val’ is our guard dog, one of the Moore family’s bloodthirsty ‘demons’. He cares only about the other little dog he was forced to get along with and only knows how to destroy everything he touches. There’s no such thing as a peaceful life for him. But if you’d truly moved past that, Rhys, you would have taken up your old name, wouldn’t you?” Each word was like a small dagger that sank into his skin with precision aim. It was true, his name didn’t feel his own anymore, he couldn’t use it again even if he wanted to. He had changed too much from that boy all those years ago.
Alexander spent a moment studying him, clearly fake shock soon registering on his features at Val’s continued silence. “...Oh, my apologies, it seems I was mistaken. Even in your time away you couldn’t forget us, I’m touched. Hah, it was the same for Alexa as well.”
“A-Alexa...” His voice was weak, but Val finally managed to stammer out at the mention of her name.
“I have her already, I picked her up first. To be honest, I was surprised to find you two apart from each other. It made my work easier, of course, but don’t tell me you had a far easier time pushing her to the side than you did us.” Cruel mirth glinted in the man’s eyes as he watched defeat overtake every inch of the other from his expression to his posture. No matter what fight he might have put up or even if there was a legitimate possibility of escaping, there was no way he would ever leave Alexa behind with them. Alexander planned this well. A hand roughly gripped his jaw.
“And if that isn’t enough then all I need is to say the word and those little thieves will receive a lovely surprise as well. Along with Zale Devereaux,” a lance of panic shot through Val, “and his sister Laguna Devereaux. To be honest though, I wasn’t sure how well they would work as leverage against you. You always have been the kind to do whatever it takes for you own survival after all, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if you’d decided to trade their lives for your own freedom.” A question he himself had worried over before. He shouldn’t have let himself get too close to Zale, now him and Luna were in Alexander’s line of sight. No matter how much time had passed, they’d always be at risk from him.
The hand on his jaw tightened and Alexander’s amused green eyes studied his face, whatever shift he found in Val’s expression had them crinkling at the corners as he smiled. Then they caught sight of something and shifted to something on the side as delight filled the other man’s gaze. “You pierced your ears!” His hand moved, tucking Val’s hair behind his ear and allowing his fingers to travel down the shell of his pointed ear, the warm skin lingering at the tip and every single bit of metal decorating the elf’s skin along the way down. “Like an act of teenage rebellion. They’re fitting though, overboard as they are.” A shudder traveled down Val’s spine from the prolonged touch and he had to bite back the wave of revulsion that rose up. Alexander’s eyes rested on him briefly and he chuckled softly as he pulled his hand away.
“Enough of my rambling on, it’s time we returned.” Val knew he had no choice but to obey, blanking his mind to any now pointless sentimental thoughts that might cross it. There was no point in worrying or thinking about those people now, not when he had other things to focus on. Because, without fail, whenever he tried to run away in the past there would be a punishment. And Val knew that this time for a violation as grave as this from both Alexa and him Alexander would be sure to give one that they’d never forget.
