RULES AND SHADOW
896 Words
“Follow me.”
Lucia didn’t argue this time.
She walked behind Rio, painfully aware of every step he took, every shift of his shoulders, every quiet command in his silence. There was something unsettling about him—not just his power, but the way he carried it so effortlessly.
When they reached her room, she stepped inside, hugging herself slightly as she took in the space.
“This is your room.”
Not ours.
The realization should have comforted her.
Instead, it didn’t.
She turned back to him. “And yours?”
“Across the hall.”
Something flickered across her face—relief, confusion… maybe even disappointment.
Rio noticed.
He stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
The soft click sent her heart racing.
“Did you expect something else?” he asked, his voice lower now.
Lucia swallowed. “I didn’t expect anything.”
“That’s good,” he said, moving closer. “Expectations lead to disappointment.”
Her back hit the edge of the vanity before she even realized how close he had gotten. The air between them shifted—thicker, warmer.
Dangerous.
“You’re trembling,” he murmured.
“I’m not,” she replied quickly.
His hand lifted slowly, almost giving her time to pull away—but she didn’t.
His fingers brushed against her wrist.
Light.
Testing.
Her breath caught.
“You are,” he said quietly, his thumb tracing the inside of her wrist where her pulse betrayed her. “Your heart is racing.”
Lucia hated that he could feel it.
Hated that he was right.
“Anyone would be,” she whispered.
For a moment, something in his expression softened.
Not completely.
But enough to confuse her.
“I don’t intend to hurt you, Lucia.”
The words were unexpected.
And somehow, that made them more dangerous.
“Then why force me into this?” she asked, her voice breaking slightly.
His jaw tightened.
“Because I don’t lose what belongs to me.”
The words should have angered her.
Instead, they lingered.
His hand slid from her wrist to her chin, tilting her face up again. This time, his touch was slower… almost careful.
“Look at me,” he said.
She did.
And for a second—just a second—the world around them disappeared.
It wasn’t fear she felt.
Not entirely.
It was something else.
Something she didn’t want to name.
“Three rules,” he said, his voice softer now, though no less firm.
As he spoke, his fingers remained lightly against her skin, his presence overwhelming her senses.
“You do not leave this house without my permission.”
His thumb brushed her jaw again.
“You do not question my business.”
Her breath grew uneven.
“And you do not betray me.”
The last rule came with a pause.
A warning.
But also… something deeper.
“Why?” she asked before she could stop herself.
His eyes searched hers.
“Because betrayal,” he said quietly, “is the only thing I don’t forgive.”
Silence fell.
But neither of them moved.
Lucia could feel it—the tension, the pull, the dangerous line they were both standing on.
And then—
Rio stepped back.
Just like that.
The moment shattered.
“Get some rest,” he said, his voice returning to its usual calm distance. “Tomorrow will not be easier.”
He left.
And Lucia was left standing there… her heart still racing, her skin still warm where he had touched her.
Confused.
Later that night, unable to sleep, Lucia stepped into the hallway.
That was when she heard the voice.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone.”
She turned—and saw him.
Cole.
He stood a few steps away, his gaze steady but not harsh. There was something different about him. Something… human.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she admitted.
His eyes softened slightly.
“That’s normal,” he said. “First nights here usually are.”
“Usually?” she asked.
A small pause.
“Adjustment takes time.”
Lucia studied him, noticing the way he stood—not too close, not too distant. Careful.
Respectful.
It was… new.
“You’re not like the others,” she said before she could stop herself.
His brow lifted slightly. “How so?”
“They look at me like I’m… nothing.”
“And I don’t?”
She hesitated.
“No.”
Something unreadable passed through his eyes.
“Careful, Lucia,” he said quietly. “That kind of thinking can be dangerous here.”
“For who?” she asked.
“For both of us.”
The words settled between them, heavier than they should have been.
Lucia felt it then—that subtle shift.
Not trust but something close.
“Get some rest,” Cole added, his voice softer now. “You’ll need your strength.”
She nodded, but as she turned to leave, she couldn’t ignore the strange feeling in her chest.
Because for the first time since arriving…
She didn’t feel completely alone.
Back in her room, Lucia leaned against the door, her fingers brushing lightly against her wrist where Rio had touched her.
Because now she had two problems.
A husband she feared… and didn’t fully understand.
And a stranger who looked at her like she was worth saving.
- Writer
