Chapter 7: Bound by Shadows
639 Words
Lilah didn’t move.
She couldn’t.
Damien was still standing too close, his fingers barely touching her skin, but the sensation burned through her like fire. His crimson eyes watched her, waiting, as if he was testing her reaction.
As if he already knew what she wanted before she did.
Her breathing was unsteady, her pulse erratic.
Desire things.
His words echoed in her mind, making her stomach tighten. She should have stepped back, should have put space between them, but instead, her body betrayed her.
She tilted her head slightly, her lips parting—just enough.
Damien’s eyes darkened.
And then he moved.
It wasn’t slow. It wasn’t hesitant.
It was a collision.
His hand curled around the back of her neck, pulling her flush against him as his lips crashed into hers. Lilah gasped against his mouth, but the sound was swallowed by the sheer intensity of the kiss.
He was claiming her.
Just like he had with his mark, just like he had with his touch.
Lilah barely had time to process it before his other hand found her waist, pressing her back against the bookshelf behind them. The impact sent a few books tumbling to the floor, but neither of them cared.
His kiss was demanding, consuming. He tasted like dark whiskey and something else, something dangerous.
Lilah’s fingers instinctively curled into his bare shoulders, feeling the heat of his skin, the way his muscles tensed beneath her touch.
She should have been afraid.
But she wasn’t.
She was burning.
Damien deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against hers, coaxing a soft moan from her lips before he suddenly pulled back—just enough.
His breath was warm against her skin, his lips hovering over hers as if he was barely restraining himself.
His voice was rough when he spoke.
“You don’t know what you’re doing to me, Lilah.”
She shivered.
His fingers traced the mark on her palm again, and this time, the sensation wasn’t just warmth. It was electric. It spread through her veins, settling low in her stomach, making her legs weak.
“I—” She couldn’t even form words.
Damien exhaled sharply, his control slipping for just a moment. His lips brushed her jaw, then lower, grazing the sensitive skin of her throat.
A sharp gasp left her lips.
“Tell me to stop,” he murmured, his breath hot against her neck.
Lilah’s fingers dug into his shoulders. She knew she should say it.
Tell him to stop.
Tell him this was too much, too fast.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she tilted her head, giving him more access.
Damien groaned softly, his grip on her tightening. His lips pressed lower, over the racing pulse at her throat.
Then—he suddenly tore himself away.
Lilah barely had time to react before he was stepping back, putting distance between them. His breathing was uneven, his hands curled into fists at his sides.
His crimson eyes burned into hers with a hunger that was almost unbearable.
“This can’t happen,” he said, his voice strained. “You don’t understand what I am.”
Lilah’s chest was rising and falling rapidly. “Then tell me.”
Damien shook his head. “Not yet.”
Frustration coiled in her stomach, but before she could argue, the air in the room shifted.
A sudden cold swept over them.
Damien’s expression darkened instantly. He turned toward the large window, his body tensing.
Lilah followed his gaze—and her blood ran cold.
Because outside, barely visible through the darkened glass, was a shadowy figure.
Watching them.
Waiting.
Damien didn’t hesitate. He was already moving, already summoning the dark energy that pulsed around him.
Lilah’s body still burned from his touch.
But the moment was over.
Because whatever was outside… had finally found her.
- Writer
