– Pres

didn't ask f

her hand-the black velvet and crim

Room hadn

submission. The music was low, a heartbeat beneath the silence. Arielle's hee

nstantly. Some curious. So

ingers clenched the strap

she whispere

y knows yo

lelight and gold-tinted shadows. Submissives on displ

nter of it al

't recognize. Tall, broad, dressed in black with that same silent domi

older. Sharper. Like power itself had

st turne

he look

wn the second

across the room, a

strip her down with a glance-sliced thro

dn't

't m

sta

her knees al

-

submissive girl being led on a leash by a woman in red. P

stood be

ed over her-slow, c

pet," h

omach

yours," s

ws arched slig

-

ted to

d to

id, "What the h

away-bartender, Dominants, clients. The space c

rivate booth, dark

it

m n

aise his vo

t remembered how to

stiff and

de of the booth, watching her like a man i

. "Someone knows who you a

u care?" s

they want

-

een them. Thick.

d set down two glasses of whiskey. Lucien didn'

you didn't vanish well. You made mistak

don't get to pretend you're m

a role. But if I hadn't marked you as mine back

. "I was supposed

u w

-

orward now, voi

Come back to me. Thirty nights. My

f I sa

didn't rea

. Elena Cross doesn't exist. Your school. Your job. Y

mail me?" sh

rotect

ed, standing. "Yo

er legs were shaking.

ed away, the fear cu

he knew t

't safe o

ith L

re she'd surv

en's

as holding herself to

uld almost hear her nails digging into her palms. She alwa

e was still

beauty in restraint. Deep brown skin, smooth and soft like she'd been carved from dusk. Black

changed-slender and strong, like something built to bend but never bre

f, m

e

ent

ll... s

looked him in the ey

s she walked away, Lucien knew-that hate still tethered her to

of his untouched glass. He did

t, he cons

ned to The Velvet Room.

have left

through the

she would co

ew her up, spit her out, sell her off to the

let anyone to

" he murmured to the emp

up on your knees..

e, he wouldn

trip her down, yes. Bu

e chose

for nothi