Chapter 6

The night was cold, and the wind howled through the trees as I made my way down the deserted road. My footsteps echoed on the pavement, the sound too loud in the eerie silence that surrounded me.

I pulled my coat tighter around me, shivering, but not from the cold—from the dread building in my chest.

Elijah’s message haunted me, a silent threat that gnawed at my insides. It’s time. Meet me.

I hadn’t wanted to go. Every instinct screamed at me to turn back, to run far away from this dark path I had put myself on. But Elijah had a pull on me, one I didn’t fully understand.

Something deeper than the attraction I had felt the night before. He knew too much. He had too much power over me, and now, I wasn’t sure if I could escape him.

I reached the edge of the town, the outskirts where the city lights faded into darkness. It was the same place we had met the night before—the bar now a looming shadow behind me as I approached the spot where Elijah had said he would wait.

The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the empty parking lot. My pulse quickened, fear creeping up my spine as I scanned the area.

There was no sign of Elijah, but I knew he was there. He always made an entrance when he was ready, always in control.

And then, as if on cue, I felt it—a shift in the air, a presence behind me that sent a chill through my body. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

“Elijah,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

He stepped out of the shadows, his tall frame silhouetted by the faint light of the moon. His eyes gleamed in the darkness, locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart race.

“You came,” he said, his voice low, almost like a purr.

“I didn’t have a choice,” I replied, my throat dry.

He smiled, but it wasn’t a kind smile. It was the smile of a predator who had just caught his prey. “You always have a choice, Annabel. But you made the right one.”

I swallowed hard, my hands trembling at my sides. I wanted to tell him this was wrong, that I shouldn’t be here. But the words wouldn’t come. Elijah had a way of silencing my doubts, of making me forget the consequences of my actions.

“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

Elijah stepped closer, his eyes never leaving mine. “I told you before, didn’t I? I want you to stop pretending. Stop pretending you belong to Damian. You don’t.”

I shook my head, stepping back. “You don’t understand. Damian and I… we’re still bonded. I can’t just—”

“You’re not bonded,” Elijah interrupted, his voice cold. “You haven’t been bonded for a long time. He rejected you in every way that matters. And now… now you belong to me.”

My breath caught in my throat as his words sank in. Belong to him? The idea terrified me, but there was something dark and twisted inside me that responded to it, that wanted to give in.

Maybe because, deep down, I knew Elijah was right. Damian had already cast me aside. He had made his choice, and it wasn’t me.

But Elijah… Elijah wasn’t giving me a choice. He was taking what he wanted.

“You marked me, didn’t you?” I whispered, the realization dawning on me, my pulse quickening. “That night… when I was drunk…”

He didn’t deny it. His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he stepped even closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “I claimed what Damian threw away.”

The words sent a shiver through me, and I stumbled back, my heart pounding in my chest. “You had no right.”

Elijah’s expression darkened, his smile fading as he reached out, his hand gripping my arm with a force that made me wince. “No right?” he repeated, his voice low and dangerous. “I’ve had every right since the moment you crawled into my bed, begging for someone to take away your pain.”

I flinched, his words cutting deep. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I had been desperate, yes, but I hadn’t asked for this—for him to claim me, to take what wasn’t his.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

Elijah’s grip tightened, his eyes burning with intensity. “You did. You might not have said it, but your actions spoke for you.”

I tried to pull away, but his hold was unyielding. “Let me go, Elijah.”

He didn’t. Instead, he pulled me closer, his breath hot against my skin as he leaned down, his voice a whisper in my ear. “I’ve marked you, Annabel. You’re mine now. Whether you like it or not.”

My heart raced, panic rising in my chest as the full weight of his words settled over me. I was trapped, bound to him in a way I didn’t understand, a way I couldn’t escape.

“Elijah, please,” I pleaded, my voice breaking. “I can’t do this.”

But he didn’t let go. His hand moved to my chin, tilting my face up so I had no choice but to meet his gaze. His eyes were dark, possessive, and there was something there that frightened me—a hunger that went beyond desire.

“You will do this,” he said, his voice soft but commanding. “Because you don’t have a choice. Damian doesn’t want you. But I do.”

Tears welled in my eyes, the reality of my situation sinking in like a lead weight. I had lost Damian, my bond with him shattered beyond repair. And now, Elijah was claiming what was left of me.

“I’m not yours,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I’ll never be yours.”

Elijah’s grip tightened, his eyes narrowing. “You already are.”

The silence that followed was suffocating, the tension between us thick and dangerous. My heart pounded in my chest, my mind racing as I searched for a way out, a way to escape him. But I knew there was none.

Elijah had marked me, and in our world, that meant everything. I was bound to him, just as I had once been bound to Damian.

But this felt different. Darker. More dangerous.

“I know you’re scared,” Elijah said, his voice softening, though the possessiveness in his gaze remained. “But you’ll learn to accept this. You’ll see that I’m what you need.”

I shook my head, tears slipping down my cheeks. “I’ll never accept it.”

He sighed, his hand releasing me as he stepped back, his expression unreadable. “We’ll see.”

For a moment, I thought he was going to leave, that he would finally let me go. But then he reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. My heart sank as he tapped the screen a few times before turning it toward me.

It was a picture. Of me. Of us. Together in his bed.

My blood ran cold.

“What is this?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

“It’s insurance,” Elijah said calmly, his eyes never leaving mine. “In case you decide to run, in case you think you can go back to Damian.”

I stared at the picture, my mind reeling. He had taken photos of us—proof of my betrayal. Proof that could destroy what little was left of my life.

“You wouldn’t,” I said, though my voice lacked conviction. I knew Elijah wasn’t bluffing. He had me exactly where he wanted me.

“I would,” he replied, his tone cold and final. “And I will, if you don’t do as I say.”

The weight of his words crushed me, and I felt the fight leave my body, my shoulders slumping in defeat. I was trapped. There was no escape. Elijah had me, and he wasn’t going to let me go.

“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice hollow.

He smiled, a slow, dangerous smile. “For now, I want you to come with me. We have unfinished business.”