Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem) by Pippa Moon

Chase POV

I whipped my head around, my heart racing, and there was Astaroth, lounging lazily on a lavish red velvet sofa. It was the kind of setup you'd expect in some grand, twisted palace-extravagant and disturbing at the same time. He was watching me like someone watches their favourite show, a delighted smirk playing on his lips.

Beside him knelt a man, gaunt and barely clothed, wearing nothing but filthy rags that barely clung to his bruised and battered frame. Chains rattled from the man's wrists, the metal digging into his raw, scabbed skin. His eyes were hollow, and the sound of his laboured breathing filled the eerie silence as he hand-fed grapes to Astaroth like a broken servant.

The contrast between them was stark-Astaroth, relaxed and gleaming with power, his eyes sharp and predatory, and the poor soul next to him, beaten down by what I could only imagine was endless torment. The sight sent a chill crawling up my spine, a sickening reminder of the hellish world Astaroth commanded. He took a grape lazily from the man's trembling fingers and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly as though savouring every bite. The man didn't even flinch, his gaze lowered in complete submission. "So how is big bro doing?" Astaroth asked, but he paused as he caught the disbelief on my face, his smirk widening.

"What? Surprised?" he said, his voice dripping with mockery. "You act like you've never seen someone enjoy the finer things in life." I couldn't tear my eyes away from the poor man beside him, the marks of torment clear across his too-thin body. Bruises, some old and yellowing, others fresh and purple, covered his skin, and the chains seemed to weigh more than he did. I couldn't fathom how anyone could survive that level of abuse. My stomach churned, and I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away from the horrifying sight. "Disbelief suits you, Chase," Astaroth continued, his eyes never leaving mine as he took another grape. "You always did have a problem comprehending the real power at play here." He gestured lazily toward the man, who continued to serve him without so much as a twitch of emotion. "He's been down here for quite some time. A little broken, sure, but useful. A loyal subject."

"Loyal?" I spat, barely able to contain my revulsion. "You call that loyalty? He's broken, tortured. You've destroyed him."

Astaroth chuckled darkly. "Oh, Chase. You're still clinging to those old, tired notions of morality. Down here, there is no loyalty without suffering. It's through suffering that you learn true submission, true devotion."

I felt my blood boil, the desire to tear Astaroth's smug grin off his face burning in my chest. But my body stayed frozen, rooted to the spot as though the very air around me was holding me in place.

"Look at him," Astaroth continued, his voice soft and mocking. "He doesn't even flinch anymore. He's beyond pain, beyond resistance. Isn't it beautiful?"

I stared at the man again, my heart pounding in my ears. I wanted to help him, to break him free of the chains that bound him, but I knew in my gut that this was far beyond anything I could fix. This wasn't just physical torment; this was Astaroth's twisted version of control, of breaking someone down until there was nothing left but obedience.

The man's hollow eyes flicked up to meet mine for the briefest second, and I saw something-desperation, a flicker of hope. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the dead-eyed compliance Astaroth had carved into him.

I swallowed hard, my voice thick with anger. "You're a monster."

Astaroth tilted his head, amusement still dancing in his eyes. "Perhaps. But I'm a monster with power, Chase. And you? You're still fumbling around in the dark, trying to make sense of things you'll never truly understand." The words hung in the air between us, suffocating and heavy, and I could feel Thor stirring restlessly inside me, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.

"This was you," I uttered, motioning behind me to where the door used to be, my voice shaking despite my attempt to sound firm. "Why? How?" Astaroth merely laughed, a low, chilling sound that sent another wave of dread through me. Astaroth leaned back against the plush red velvet, his fingers plucking another grape from the bowl, eyes gleaming with amusement. He popped it into his mouth and chewed slowly, his grin widening at my disbelief.

"This was you," I muttered, gesturing vaguely behind me, where the door had once been, now replaced by the hellish scene in front of me. My voice shook despite my attempt to sound firm. "Why? How?" Astaroth let out a low, chilling laugh, one that sent shivers racing up my spine.

"Why? How? What on earth are you talking about, Chase?" he said innocently, his tone dripping with mockery, though his eyes danced with that smug glint that told me he knew exactly what I was referring to. "Don't play dumb with me," I snapped. "You know exactly what I mean." I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the rising anger. He raised an eyebrow, his smile growing wider.

"Do I?" he asked softly, the words like a snake's hiss.

My blood boiled, the words escaping my lips before I could stop them.

"Connie."

Astaroth's grin stretched into something predatory. He popped another grape into his mouth, as though savouring the word I'd just uttered.

"Ahhh... Connie," he drawled, eyes

lighting up. "Your mate? How sweet.

Congrats, by the way. A rare bond, those mate connections." He laughed again, getting up from the sofa in a fluid motion, the sound of chains rattling as his servant seurried away at his dismissive wave.

The pitiful man rushed off into the shadows, chains scraping the floor as he disappeared into the darkness, leaving me alone with Astaroth. He crossed the floor toward me, the heat from the coals licking at my boots, but the fire inside me was hotter than the inferno beneath my feet.

"She can't be my mate," I replied, my voice low, trying to keep my temper in check. I couldn't afford to lose it, not here, not in front of him.

Astaroth was the craziest bastard knew, and he thrived on chaos The wand last thing I needed was to give him more ammunition. But even as I said the words, doubt twisted in my gut. How could Connie be my mate? Everything about it felt wrong.

"Can't she?" He asked with a grin that had my heart beating faster; only I wasn't sure if it was with dread or excitement.