weight of the day-the fight with Luc had left him seething, his mother's tears had carved guilt into his chest, and

e cut through the

am I lea

ed threads of his

sts, not cruel, but firm-unyielding. With a sharp gasp, she found herself pinned against the cold wall, her back p

k with unspoken words

e kiss

r of them understood. His lips crashed against hers, forcing her to take every unshed frustration, every bo

he di

an urgency that was almost desperate-angry, demanding, and yet devastatingly consuming. His tongue swept agai

at

ations rippled through her, leaving her trembling, breathless. Her pulse thun

in her body. His lips softened for just a fraction of a second, as if testing the f

warmth sent a sharp

aths. Her lips tingled, bruised from the force of his kiss, her m

is dark eyes burning with an intensity that sent shivers ra

etween them w

had shifted. Some

adable, a smoldering abyss that swallowed ev

ce was a slow, deliberate threat, each syllable pressing into her like

her wrists was unrelenting, a silent warning of what defiance would cost her. Tears welled in her eyes, slipping from

ten. If anything, it became ev

able as he continued, **"Now, there are things

he couldn't move. His words were heav

tone unwavering, **"you ha

illed, her body t

nappe

lt of sheer horror

around her delicate wrists, **"you're not allowed to leave.

de her stomach churn. Her mind screamed at her to fight, to resi

ob. She wrenched at his grip, twisting her wrists desperatel

ely able to form words past the

nor did his stance shift. Instead, he lifted one hand, his thu

, he pressed his lips to

ender. But it wasn't affection-it was control. A silent declaration that he could

oursed thr

ured against her skin, his breath warm an

where to go, no way to escape him. His presence was all-consuming, s

shell of her ear, the barest graze of heat against her ski

body loc

ently, panic clawing at her chest. **"No, you can't do this. I don't want to marry you! You can have any

ould matter to him, that it would be enough to deter this madness. B

othing remotely amused about it. His fingers sli

Sasha,"** he said, voice eerily c

er lungs tur

es, her own will. To him, she was a possession-something he had claime

, the sudden sting making her flinch. She tried to jerk away, but he was i

hisper that felt more like a

he said smoothly, **"you'll

med into her, so strong she

ack just enough for her to breathe. But it didn't help. He was still too close. H

e tremor out of her voice as she whis

tracing every inch of her face, every shaky breath she took, ev

shroom, leaving her standing there-shaken, breathless,

ally crushed her. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed against the cold wall, her fingers clawing at the slick surface as though grasping for

hick, unrelenting sheets. It soaked through her thin dress, clinging to her skin, wrapping around her like an embrace she neither sought nor welcomed. Droplets

hollow ache in her chest. Her vision swam, the lights below smearing into golden smudges through the

ck at him in the mirror, dark eyes shadowed with something unreadable, something even he refused to acknowledge. The muffled sound of Sasha's

idn't go

ed under the weight of everything he had just forced upon her. He stayed rooted i

he had d

o had