at her body hummed with it, and a tempest of conflicting feelings swirled inside her. The kiss was hard and icy,

ep down wouldn't listen. Her heart was beating, and with each bre

and said to herself, "Why

h of his touch stayed on her flesh. How harsh the kiss was. How cold he wa

om the room's smothering silence. She hated how

r fingers, but before she could open it, the door s

art st

closed. His eyes were cold and impenetrable, and they met hers, but this time something was differe

mething dark, something she co

," she said, her voice barely above a whisper

d, he took a slow step forward. The space between them got smaller, a

s wrapped around her legs, but she couldn't fall asleep. She jumped at every creak of the floors and

en her. The man whose kiss

does he have over me? She had a million questions in her head, and each one was scarier than the la

tingling from the kiss. It was not right. She knew

ke it would never end until the pierc

open, and there

made it hard to breathe. Elara sat up in bed, her breath catching as he moved closer, h

ly cleared her throat and tried to find t

softly closed the door behind him

more there-a spark, something she couldn't

e see her frailty. "You have no right to come in here like this," she

utinising her every motion. She hated how he made her feel vulnera

reflexively took a step back. You couldn't get awa

reached out and touched her arm with his hand. It was a light touch, almost taunting, b

his lips turned up in a small smile. B

e, but the words sounded weak,

His smell, which was a blend of cologne and something darker, took over her sense

om this, Elara," but the weight of his wor

ightly with his palm as he did. The contact was more like a caress

e was as cold as ever. He took one last look over his shoulder before exiting the room. She wa

im. The shadows in the room looked like they were getting thicker and h

the edge of the wooden dresser. The remarks sounded emp

t inside her even worse. She could sense him, hiding in every shadow. She didn't get it. Her he

ara

But there was no one there. She let out a sigh of relief and her heart raced. It's just

ara stopped moving, and her heart raced in her ears

rcing stare was fixed on hers. Elara's body tightened, and a shudder ran down her spine as t

id under her breath,

th each step, they got closer un

the cold stone wall of her room. Darius's presence made her feel like she couldn't breathe,

?" Her voice shook even though

inside the room, keeping his eyes on hers the whole time

but also had a sense of command, "You're no

e wanted to fight with him and tell him he was wrong, but everyt

elled, but Darius didn't even move. He shoo

nitive tone that made it sound like there was no way out

d to shout, cry, or somehow get away from this annoying link. But every time she gaze