The air in Avery’s room felt heavy, thick with unspoken tension.
Elias had been different lately. The charming, teasing man she had once known had sharpened into something darker, more possessive, more urgent. He watched her constantly, his gaze lingering on her like a predator marking territory. Every word, every touch, was a reminder—she was his, completely, undeniably.
It thrilled her. Terrified her. Confused her.
She caught him watching her from the doorway that morning, dark eyes tracing the curve of her back as she dressed.
“Elias…” she whispered, voice trembling. “You can’t just—”
“Can’t just what?” His smirk was gone, replaced by the dangerous calm she had learned to obey. “Touch you? Think about you? Claim you?”
Avery swallowed, her pulse hammering. “It’s… it’s a lot. I—I do
