The air in the room felt different the moment he stepped in.
He didn't need to say a word his presence alone was enough. Heavy. Commanding. Dangerous.
I stood frozen, my back pressed against the cold wall, my heart pounding so loud I was sure he could hear it.
"Why are you trembling?" his deep voice rolled out, low and controlled, yet laced with something darker.
I swallowed hard. "I'm not."
A lie.
And he knew it.
In two slow steps, he closed the distance between us.
Now he was right in front of me too close. Close enough for me to feel the heat radiating from his body. Close enough for his scent wild, intoxicating to wrap around me like a trap.
"Don't lie to me," he murmured, his voice dropping even lower.
My breath hitched as his fingers brushed lightly against my chin, lifting my face to meet his gaze.
Those eyes…
They weren't normal.
They glowed faintly, like something untamed was lurking beneath the surface, ready to break free.
"I should hate you," I whispered, even though my body betrayed me, refusing to move away.
"Should you?" he asked, a dangerous smirk tugging at his lips.
His thumb grazed my lower lip soft, slow, intentional. The touch sent a strange heat rushing through me, pooling deep in places I didn't understand.
I sucked in a breath.
"Careful," he warned, his voice rough now. "You don't know what you're awakening."
"Then stay away from me," I shot back, though it came out weaker than I intended.
Instead of stepping back, he leaned in.
Now I could feel his breath against my skin.
"If I wanted to stay away," he whispered, "you wouldn't be here."
My heart skipped.
The tension between us snapped tighter, like a thread about to break.
"Why me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Out of everyone… why did you choose me?"
For a moment, something flickered in his expression something almost… conflicted.
Then it vanished.
"Because you were never a choice," he said quietly. "You were meant."
A chill ran down my spine.
Before I could respond, his hand slid from my chin to my wrist, gripping it firmly but not painfully. Just enough to remind me that I couldn't pull away even if I tried.
And yet…
I didn't try.
His gaze dropped to my lips again, lingering this time.
"You should be afraid of me," he said.
"I am," I replied, though my voice trembled for a different reason now.
His grip tightened slightly.
"Then why aren't you running?"
Because I can't except you let me go
No, he replied and asked the same question again
I didn't have an answer.
Or maybe I did I just wasn't ready to admit it.
Because somewhere deep inside me… beneath the fear, beneath the confusion…
There was something else.
Something dangerous.
Something that wanted him just as much as it feared him.
He leaned in closer, his lips hovering just a breath away from mine close enough to steal the air from my lungs, but not close enough to touch.
Not yet.
"Say the word," he murmured. "And I'll stop."
But the word never came.
Because I couldn't tell if I wanted him to stop…
Or if I wanted him to finally lose control.
myself.
"Why me?" I asked again, my voice barely steady. "Why did you choose me?"
His expression shifted just for a second.
Then his hand slid from my chin… down… slowly… tracing the line of my neck.
My breath hitched sharply.
"You still don't understand," he said, his voice dangerously soft. "You weren't chosen."
His fingers paused just above my racing pulse.
"You were claimed."
A chill ran through me yet the heat didn't fade.
If anything…
It grew stronger.
His face dipped closer, his lips brushing just beside my ear now. Not quite touching just enough to make my entire body react.
"If I let go…" he whispered, "I won't be able to stop."
My fingers curled slightly into his shirt.
"Then don't let go," I breathed before I could stop myself.
The moment the words left my lips
Something in him snapped.
His hand tightened at my waist, pulling me flush against him, and for a split second, I felt it raw, untamed, barely restrained.
His forehead rested against mine, his breathing heavier now.
"You have no idea what you're inviting," he muttered.
"Then show me," I whispered.
Silence.
Thick.
Dangerous.
His lips hovered just above mine again closer than before. This time, I could feel the heat of them, the tension, the restraint hanging by a thread.
"Last chance," he said.
But I didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't stop him.
And that…
Was all the permission he needed.!