A Curse Love: Bound by Shadow

Chapter 5: The Magnetic Pull

The town was quiet that evening as I made my way home, Damon’s words echoing in my head, making everything feel that much more intense. Despite every warning, every caution whispered my way, I couldn’t shake the need I felt to understand Luca—and maybe, I realized, to be near him. But it was more than curiosity now. It was a pull, something beyond words, beyond reason. And it was growing stronger.

When I got back to my place, I found myself pacing, my thoughts a mess of contradictions. After everything I’d learned, I knew I should be afraid. Damon had made that abundantly clear. Yet I was still drawn to Luca, pulled by the force of something I couldn’t fully understand but couldn’t deny, either.

A knock at my door startled me out of my thoughts. My heart hammered in my chest as I opened it, finding Luca standing there, his face shadowed and tense.

“Amelia,” he murmured, his voice rough, as though he’d been fighting some inner battle. “We need to talk.”

I stepped aside, letting him in, but the room felt even smaller with him in it. I could feel the energy rolling off him, dark and magnetic, filling the space between us like a charged wire.

“You’ve been asking questions,” he said, turning to face me, his eyes stormy. “Talking to Damon.”

I crossed my arms, holding my ground. “Yes, because no one else will tell me the truth. I deserve to know what’s going on, Luca.”

A muscle in his jaw tightened. “And what exactly did Damon tell you?” he asked, a dangerous edge in his voice.

“That you have a darkness you’re not in control of. That you’re… dangerous.” I didn’t flinch as I said it, refusing to look away. “Is it true?”

He clenched his fists at his sides, the shadows in his gaze deepening. “If I’m dangerous, then you should stay away, shouldn’t you?” His voice was low, almost a growl, but there was something else there—an ache, a fear that I could feel.

“Why won’t you just let me in?” I said, my voice breaking slightly. “What are you so afraid of?”

He looked at me, his expression a mix of frustration and something deeper, something vulnerable. “Because letting you in would be the worst thing I could do for you,” he said, his voice rough, haunted. “You don’t know what you’re asking, Amelia. You don’t know the darkness that comes with me.”

“I don’t care,” I replied, my voice trembling. “You can keep pushing me away, keep warning me, but it’s too late. I’m already in this, Luca. And so are you.”

His eyes flashed with a fierce, desperate anger. “You don’t understand,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “This thing between us—it’s a curse, Amelia. The more you’re around me, the deeper you’ll get pulled into it, until you’re drowning.”

“Maybe I don’t care about the risk,” I shot back, feeling a surge of defiance. “Maybe I’m willing to face whatever darkness is out there if it means being with you. Can’t you see that?”

For a moment, he just stared at me, his breath coming fast, his eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made my pulse race. Then, before I could react, he stepped forward, closing the distance between us, and his hands came up to grip my arms, his touch rough and desperate.

“Amelia,” he said, his voice low, laced with a mixture of anger and longing. “Why do you have to make this so damn hard?”

I looked up at him, feeling the heat of his hands on my skin, the tension radiating off him in waves. “Because I want you, Luca. And I think you want me too.”

His jaw clenched, his gaze flicking to my lips before he quickly looked away, as if he were trying to control himself. “I’ve been fighting it,” he admitted, his voice tight. “Fighting you. Fighting this. But I can’t… I can’t keep doing it.”

“Then stop fighting,” I whispered, my heart pounding so hard I could barely hear my own voice. “Let yourself feel it.”

The last thread of restraint snapped. Luca’s hands moved up, one gripping my shoulder, the other pressing against the small of my back as he pulled me against him, his eyes dark with desire. Before I could take a breath, his lips crashed onto mine, fierce and consuming, pouring every ounce of his tension and longing into that one kiss.

I felt myself melting into him, my hands tangling in his hair, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath my fingers. The kiss was electric, a raw surge of heat that made my head spin, filling every corner of me with a hunger I’d never known before. I pressed closer, feeling the way his body moved against mine, as if we were two pieces of the same puzzle finally fitting together.

He backed me against the wall, pinning me there as his mouth moved down to my neck, leaving a trail of hot, searing kisses that made my skin tingle. My breath came in shallow gasps, my heart racing as I felt the weight of him pressing into me, the intensity of his touch almost overwhelming.

“Amelia,” he murmured against my skin, his voice thick with need, but tinged with an edge of desperation. “I’ve been trying so hard to stay away. Trying to keep you safe.”

My fingers dug into his shoulders, pulling him closer. “Then stop trying,” I whispered, my voice breathless. “I don’t want safe, Luca. I want you.”

With a groan, he captured my mouth again, his kiss rougher, more urgent, as if he were letting go of every barrier, every ounce of control he’d been holding onto. I could feel the intensity of his emotions, the storm raging inside him, pouring into me with every touch, every kiss.

But as his hands traced down my sides, his fingers digging into my waist, a flicker of hesitation broke through. He pulled back, just enough to look into my eyes, his gaze full of conflict.

“This isn’t just desire, Amelia,” he said, his voice hoarse. “There’s a darkness in me—a part of me that wants to protect you, yes, but also… something that wants to consume you.”

His words sent a shiver down my spine, a thrill of fear mixed with something else, something darker, that made my pulse quicken. But instead of pulling away, I reached up, my fingers brushing his jaw, my eyes locked onto his.

“Then let it consume me,” I whispered, feeling a fierce determination burning in my chest. “I’m not afraid of you, Luca. I’m not afraid of whatever darkness you’re carrying. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

He stared at me, his breath coming in rough, shallow gasps, as if he were trying to decide whether to pull me closer or push me away. And then, with a resigned, almost anguished look, he let go, his fingers loosening their grip on me as he stepped back, his hands shaking slightly.

“I can’t… I can’t do this, Amelia,” he said, his voice breaking. “I want you, God, I want you so much it hurts. But I can’t risk losing control. I can’t risk… hurting you.”

I reached for him, trying to bring him back, but he stepped away, his face a mixture of regret and longing. “Luca…”

“Please,” he whispered, his voice raw. “If you care about me at all, you’ll listen. You’ll stay away. Because if I give in… if I let myself feel everything I want to feel for you… there’s no going back.”

I stood there, my heart aching, every part of me wanting to reach for him, to bridge the gap between us. But I could see the torment in his eyes, the fear that he was battling, and it stopped me. I could feel the weight of his darkness, the shadows that had haunted him for so long.

“Luca,” I said, my voice soft, gentle. “You don’t have to be afraid. I’m not asking you to change. I just… I want you to let me in.”

He looked at me, his eyes filled with an agony I could feel down at my bones. “I don't think you understand what you're asking for, Amelia,” he murmured. “This is... it's a curse. A part of me is bound to hurt you, no matter how much I try to protect you.”

“Then let me decide,” I replied, stepping closer, my voice fierce. “I know the risk, Luca. I'm willing to face them. But I can't keep pretending this isn't real. You and me... we're connected. And I don't want to ignore it.”

He ran a hand through his hair, his gaze distant, tormented. “I don't deserve you, Amelia. I don't deserve this... connection, this chance. But you...” His voice broke, and he looked down, his shoulders slumping. “You deserve more than what I can give.”

I reached up, cupping his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me. “I want you, Luca. All of you. Even the parts you think are too dark, too broken. I want them too.”

For a moment, he just stared at me, his eyes filled with a mix of desperation and yearning. And then, with a shuddering breath, he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine. The tension between us was palpable, crackling in the air like static electricity. I could feel his breath against my skin, uneven and ragged, and I knew in that moment that we were both teetering on the edge of something far more dangerous than we were ready to face.

“I never wanted to drag you into this,” Luca whispered, his voice barely audible. “But here we are, aren't we?”

I nodded slowly, my hands trembling slightly as I reached for him again. “I'm not backing away from this, Luca. I want to be here with you. I want us to figure it out, together.”

He inhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling with the weight of everything he was holding in. “You have no idea what you're asking for,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I can't promise you anything. Not safety, not peace. All I can give you is the chaos of who I am.”

His words hit me like a storm, but they didn't scare me. If anything, they only made me want him more—because I could feel the depth of his pain, the darkness that haunted him, and the vulnerability that he was too afraid to show anyone else.

“I don't want promises, Luca,” I said softly, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside me. “I just want you to stop shutting me out. I want you to stop running from this. From us ”

Luca's hands, which had been clenched at his sides, slowly relaxed, and he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. His eyes closed briefly, and I saw the internal battle raging within him. He was torn, caught between the desire to give in to what we both so desperately needed and the feat that by doing so, he would only hurt me.

“God, you make this so damn hard,” he muttered under his breath, his voice rough.

“I'm not going anywhere.” I whispered, stepping even closer to him, closing the gap between us. “You don't have to face this alone.”

He opened his eyes, locking with mine. For a moment, everything around us seemed to blur, as though the world had narrowed to just the two of us, trapped in this magnetic pull that neither of us could escape. His hand lifted, his fingers gently brushing the side of my fave, as if testing the waters—unsure whether he should give in, but unable to resist the urge to touch me.

Before I knew it, his lips were on mine again, his kiss desperate, hungry. This time, there was no restraint, no second thoughts. The kiss was fierce, filled with all the emotions he had kept hidden for so long. His hands roamed to my waist, pulling me even closer, as if he couldn't bear the space between us. I could feel the heat of his body, the hardness of his muscles pressed against me, and it only made me want him more.

I could feel the weight of everything between us—the darkness—but none of that mattered in this moment. All that mattered was the fire that burned between us, the way our bodies responded to each other, like we were two pieces of the same puzzle that had finally found their place.

Luca's hands slid up my back, the touch gentle at first, as though he were trying to maintain some semblance of control. But that control slipped as the kiss deepened, his fingers tracing the line of my spine, sending shivers through me.

I pulled away briefly, gasping for air, my chest heaving as I looked up at him, my heart pounding. His eyes were darker than ever, filled with an almost primal need. There was something raw and vulnerable in his gaze—something that told me he was on the edge of losing himself completely, and yet he still fought to keep it together.

“You're mine,” he murmured, his voice thick with desire. “You have to know that. I won't let you go.”

The intensity of his words sent a rush of heat through me. I didn't even need to think before I responded, my own voice filled with same hunger. “I'm not going anywhere, Luca. Not now. Not ever ”

And that was all it took. With a growl, Luca lifted me, pressing me back against the wall, his lips crashing into mine once more, this time even more frantic, as if he were trying to consume me whole. I wrapped my legs around his waist, feeking the weight of him between my thighs, the heat of his body making my skin burn with desire.

His hands roamed to the hem of my shirt, pulling it up, his fingertips grazing the soft skin of my stomach. I shivered, but I didn't pull away. I wanted him, all of him—the good, the bad, and everything in between.

But just as his fingers brushed the edge of my bra, he pulled back suddenly, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. His eyes were wild, filled with a mixture of lust and restraint, as though he were fighting a battle that he knew he might not win.

“I can't... I can't do this,” he said, his voice tight, pained. “Not yet. I can't lose control.”

I reached up, cupping his face in my hands, my fingers trembling as I traced the line of his jaw. “Then let me help you. Let me be the one you don't have to fight anymore.”

Luca closed his eyes, letting out a long, shuddering breath. For a moment, it seemed like he was going to pull away, to retreat into the darkness that he was so afraid of. But instead, he leaned into my touch, his lips brushing mine softly, almost reverently.

“I'm not good for you, Amelia,” he whispered against my lips. “I'm not someone you should want.”

“I don't care what you think you are,” I said firmly, my heart swelling with determination. “I care about who you are when you're with me.”

Luca exhaled slowly, his fingers tightening around me, pulling me even closer, as if he were no longer able to fight the pull between us. The intensity in his gaze made my heart flutter, and without another word, he kissed me again—this time slow, tender, but no less filled with that smoldering heat that threatened to consume us both.

For a moment, the rest of the world faded aywa. It was just us, tangled in each other's arms, lots in a moment of raw desire and desperate connection. Nothing else mattered—not the curse, not the danger, not the fear.

We were two souls, bound together, drawn to each other with an undeniable force. And in that moment, nothing could tear us apart.

But as our kisses deepened, as the world around us faded, I knew one thing for sure: this was just the beginning.