Julian stared at his companion, waiting with bated breath for some sort of response that never came. He only heard the jeers of the others as the first round was played and won by another, his eyes still focused on Artorius and pleading with him for relief from the tension and fear running through him. He couldn't have him upset, he might leave and- He couldn't leave him again.
He could tell by the smirk upon one man's face across the table and Artorius's glares that another round had been lost. The shifter winced, trying to scoot his chair closer as he looked up at the fixed scowl upon the gambler's face with apprehension and eyes that begged for forgiveness.
When the game did not immediately end after the third or fourth round he held some hope that he might win and there would be no additional fuss about enforcing himself as some prize in their game. But at the end of the last round when the stranger across the table, Greshig, revealed his cards and Artorius couldn't even show his on the table Julian's heart sank.
The murmurs of congratulations were deafened, Julian's attention still on Artorius as he reached out to try to comfort him for his loss, reaching out with one hand to stroke against his arm. He wasn't sure what he was shaking his head at him for but his throat tightened in fearful anticipation as Greshig rose from his seat, snaking his way around the table to claim his prize.
The rough jolt of a bony hand clasping around his arm and tugging him up to his feet brought the rest of the people around him back into focus. Julian showed his teeth in a grimace, though the snarl that had been meant to go with it never came out.
"Come along," Greshig sneered, still looking very pleased with himself.
Julian wanted to hiss, wanted to shift and claw at this stranger who thought it his right to handle him in such a way. He spat in the man's face and tugged against his hold on him instead, determined to restrain himself and not entirely push Artorius away if he saw such a display out in the open. Perhaps he could beg forgiveness later.
"Fiery, aren't ya?" Greshig laughed, wiping the spit from his cheek and dragging Julian forward with him as if there was no resistance from the smaller man at all. He tugged him along down a hall, ignoring that Julian kept trying to dig his heels in or grab at door frames to stop them.
Slamming through the door to his room and not bothering to close it he tossed the shifter to the bed, quickly caging him in even as Julian firmly shoved his hands up against the man's chest in weak attempts at keeping him away. Greshig swarmed him, though, careful of flying elbows and sharp nails as he swooped low to steal a kiss from the shifter's lips. It earned him a swift bite, though, and he hesitated enough for Julian to push him back and partially crawl out from under him as he raised a hand to the small trickle of blood running down his chin.
"Bitch," he hissed, though his eyes widened and he quickly devolved into a coughing fit as Julian delivered a swift kick to his stomach. With one hand still firmly clasped around the smaller man's arm he kept the shifter from fleeing entirely, dragging him back down and pinning his legs with the rest of his body.
"I won and you're mine fair and square. You're gonna pay for playing hard to get with me," Greshig growled, his hand snaking up to Julian's throat and applying pressure so that he might think twice about struggling again.