Chapter 40 – Bound by Shadows
627 Words
Elena’s pulse pounded in her ears as she stared up at Damon, her back pressed against the cold brick wall. His presence was overwhelming—dark, suffocating, and inescapable.
She should have known he’d find her.
Damon Blackwell never let go of what was his.
His eyes bore into hers, sharp and unrelenting. The air between them was thick with tension, an electric current that neither of them could escape.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Damon’s voice was dangerously soft, a whisper of restrained fury.
Elena forced herself to meet his gaze, her breath shallow. “I did what I had to do.”
His jaw clenched. “What you had to do?” He let out a cold laugh, but there was no amusement in it. “Running from me was never an option, Elena.”
She braced her hands against the wall behind her, trying to steady herself. “I can’t do this, Damon. I can’t be your possession.”
His eyes darkened, something unreadable flickering across his face. “Is that what you think this is?”
She swallowed hard. “Isn’t it?”
Damon’s silence was more unnerving than his anger. He studied her, his expression unreadable, but his fingers twitched at his side, as if he was holding himself back.
Then, in a single movement, he closed the distance between them. His hands came down on either side of her, trapping her without touching her. His scent surrounded her—smoky, rich, and laced with something more dangerous.
“You don’t get to walk away from me,” he said, his voice low, threatening. “Not now. Not ever.”
Elena shivered, but she lifted her chin, refusing to cower. “You don’t own me, Damon.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Don’t I?”
His words sent a shiver down her spine. Because the truth was, he did own something—her thoughts, her emotions, her body’s traitorous reactions to him.
But she wouldn’t admit it.
She couldn’t.
Damon exhaled sharply, as if trying to rein in his fury. Then, without warning, he reached for her wrist, his grip firm but not painful. “We’re leaving.”
Elena struggled against him, but it was futile. “No—”
He turned sharply, pulling her with him. “I won’t ask twice.”
A sleek black car was already waiting at the end of the alley, its tinted windows reflecting the dim streetlights. Jaxon stood beside it, his expression unreadable as he watched Damon drag her forward.
“Boss.” Jaxon inclined his head, stepping aside as Damon yanked the door open.
Elena dug her heels into the pavement. “Damon, don’t do this—”
He turned to her, his grip tightening. “Get in the car, Elena.”
Her chest rose and fell in rapid breaths. “And if I don’t?”
Something flickered in his gaze—something dark, possessive, and unyielding.
“Then I’ll put you in myself.”
A cold shiver ran through her. He wasn’t bluffing.
For a moment, she considered screaming, fighting, making a scene. But what would that accomplish? Damon wasn’t the kind of man who backed down.
So, she did the only thing she could.
She lifted her chin, eyes burning with defiance, and stepped into the car.
Damon followed immediately, sliding in beside her. The door shut with a heavy thud, sealing her fate.
The car started moving, and the silence between them was deafening.
Elena clenched her fists, staring out the window as the city blurred past.
She had run.
She had fought.
And yet, here she was—right back where she started.
Trapped.
But this time…
She wouldn’t break so easily.
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- Writer
