BOUNDARIES AND BREACHES
772 Words
Elara’s fingers tightened around the door handle as Aiden stepped inside her apartment without an invitation.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, but she didn’t move. She should have told him to leave—demanded it, even—but the weight of his presence made her tongue heavy and her resolve weaker than she wanted to admit.
“I didn’t invite you in,” she said finally, her voice sharper than she felt.
He turned, dark eyes scanning the room like he owned it, before settling back on her. “No. You didn’t.”
The calm arrogance in his tone made her stomach flip.
“And yet you’re here.”
“I told you—I protect what’s mine.”
With that again? “Well, I’m not yours.”
Aiden’s lips twitched, and he took a step closer. “Not yet.”
The heat between them thickened, and she hated how her body responded—how the raw edge in his voice set fire to something deep inside her. She took a step back, but he followed, closing the distance between them in a single stride.
“You can’t just show up here.”
“You think you’re safe in this city? Alone?” He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You’re not.”
Her breath hitched, but she slapped his hand away. “You don’t get to touch me.”
For the first time, something flickered in his eyes—surprise, maybe, or amusement. “You’re not afraid of me,” he said, almost as if he were testing the idea.
“I’m angry,” she shot back.
“Good.” His gaze darkened, and this time when he reached for her, he didn’t stop at a strand of hair. His fingers slid along her jaw, down the line of her neck, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “You should be angry. It means you’re still fighting.”
She swallowed hard, hating how easily his touch made her knees weak. “Fighting what?”
Aiden leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. “Me.”
Elara shoved him away—harder than she expected—but Aiden stepped back, lifting his hands in mock surrender.
“You can’t do this,” she said. “You can’t just show up in my life and act like you own it.”
His expression hardened. “You think this is a game? That party tonight wasn’t random, Elara. Neither was our meeting.”
Her stomach dropped. “What does that mean?”
“It means someone’s been watching you,” he said, his voice low. “Not just me.”
A chill ran down her spine. “What are you talking about?”
Aiden took a slow breath, as though deciding how much to tell her. “You’re tied to something bigger than you realize,” he said. “And whether you like it or not, that makes you a target.”
She shook her head. “This is insane. You’re insane.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But I’m the only one standing between you and the people who want to hurt you.”
“Why?”
His jaw tightened. “Because you’re mine.”
The possessiveness in his tone sent another shiver through her, but this time it wasn’t just fear—it was something darker, something that made her pulse quicken even as her instincts screamed at her to run.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Aiden lingered at the door as if he expected her to stop him from leaving. Instead, she crossed her arms and glared.
“I don’t need a protector,” she said.
His lips curved, but there was no humor in it. “That’s what you think.”
Then he was gone, leaving her staring at the empty doorway, heart pounding and mind racing.
What the hell had just happened?
Three hours later~
Sleep didn’t come easily. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Aiden’s face—those dark, predatory eyes that seemed to strip her bare without touching her.
When her phone buzzed again, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
Unknown Number: Lock your doors.
Her pulse spiked.
Elara: Who are you?
No response.
She tried to shake it off, but the shadows in her apartment felt heavier now. She checked the locks—twice—and then grabbed a knife from the kitchen, setting it on her nightstand.
She wouldn’t let him scare her.
But even as she curled up under the covers, clutching the knife, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone—maybe him—was still watching.
- Writer
