Caleb had been curled up on the floor, wrapped tightly in his own arms, fighting to keep his emotions from dragging him down into a pit of despair. 

Then the door had banged open, shattering the silence he'd been trying to find solace in. Griffin loomed in the doorway like a shadow.

"What are you doing?" Griffin growled, his voice low and menacing. He stepped into the room, the heavy thud of his shoes echoing. "I thought I told you I wanted you in my room. Yet here you are, sulking on the floor like some sad little puppy."

Caleb's instinct was to shrink even smaller, to melt into the carpet as Griffin's harsh presence filled the space. He knew this had been coming; for days, his choice to stay in Oliver's room had been a silent act of rebellion. Griffin had grown increasingly impatient with him over every little thing, and the thought of being trapped alone with the cold man sent chills racing down Caleb's spine. So he'd defied Griffin's command to sleep in his room.

"I-- I just like it here," Caleb stammered, his voice trembling. The words felt like a whisper of defiance, yet the way Griffin's face darkened at them, you'd think Caleb had shouted that he hated the man. 

"What?" Griffin snarled. "Is it because you think I won't hurt you here?" He advanced, his eyes narrowing as he kicked the edge of the bed, sending one of Oliver's books on the nightstand teetering to the ground with a dull thud. "That won't work, Caleb. You won't try to control me like that."

Before Caleb could crawl any farther away, before he could even react to the flash of movement, Griffin lunged forward and grabbed his wrist. Caleb's heart pounded painfully against his ribs as Griffin yanked him to his feet. Desperation (and adrenaline) flooded Caleb and he instinctively tried to wrench free, but Griffin's grip was like steel.

"No!" Caleb gasped, panic rising as he stumbled in Griffin's wake. He was dragged towards the doorway that led to the other bedroom, Griffin's footsteps thudding heavily and unrelenting. "Please don't!"

Griffin's response was a low snarl, his lips curling in frustration. "You're mine, Caleb. I decide where you sleep. You don't get a choice."

Before Caleb could even gather his thoughts, he was thrown onto the bed. He scrambled up and crawled away, slamming into the headboard in his panic, but his resistance only fueled Griffin's irritation further.

"Damnit, Caleb," Griffin hissed, stalking towards him. "Why do you always have to make things difficult? Just behave. All you have to do is be obedient."

Caleb's breath quickened, his pulse beating erratically as he pressed his back into the wood behind him. He wasn't just afraid of Griffin's physical strength, but also the suffocating weight of the situation. "Stop! Please just leave me alone!" he shouted, trying to keep his voice steady even as fear curled around his throat. 

Griffin paused, a cold glimmer in his eye showing that he had no intention of listening to Caleb's pleas. "And why would I leave you alone? So you can sleep on the cold floor of my brother's room?" He closed the distance between them, looming over Caleb.

Caleb pressed himself even farther into the headboard, his body wanting to make itself as small as possible in the face of Griffin's dark aura. "I want to go home!" he cried, the rawness of his voce cutting through the tension in the air. 

"You're not going anywhere." Griffin replied, his voice dropping to a growl. He leaned closer, placing his hands on the bed as he bent down. "You will never leave. You are ours, now. Remember?"

No matter how much Caleb wanted to scream in his face or lash out in desperation, a paralyzing fear rooted him in place. The look in Griffin's eyes was predatory, hungry with something that twisted Caleb's stomach into knots. The urge to escape warred against the overwhelming panic that froze him. 

Griffin crawled onto the bed, closing the distance between them until they were almost nose to nose. The intensity of his gaze bore into Caleb, a heat that felt invasive and made his skin crawl. "You need to learn how to obey," Griffin murmured, the casual tone of his voice contrasting the sharp tension in the air. 

Caleb shook his head violently, his thoughts racing. "No! get away from me!"

Griffin laughed softly, a cruel sound that grated on Caleb's nerves. "You're in no position to give orders."

The moment Caleb felt Griffin's hands on his waist, his body ignited with a fresh wave of fear and adrenaline. He pushed against the man's chest, trying to create space, but it was no use. Griffin's grip was firm, and he easily maneuvered Caleb onto his back. 

Powerless against the panic taking over him, Caleb curled into a ball, covering his head with his arms as he felt Griffin's fingers exploring his sides, slipping under his shirt. With every touch, his heart raced higher, an uncontrollable rhythm of terror that drowned out every rational thought.

"Please," Caleb choked out, his voice a broken whisper as he shielded himself from Griffin's relentless advances. "Don't touch me--"

"Shut up and hold still." came the growled response. 

Caleb tried to wriggle away, but Griffin caught him again and pinned him down. Caleb turned his face away, panting as rough hands continued to grope him.

              Part 22 Coming Soon
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I hope this was okay!

Have a great day, Darlings♥