The night grew heavier, cloaking the house in silence so dense it felt wrong. A low drone from the vents, a creak somewhere down below - they punched through Lena's ribs like echoes. Breathing slow didn't help; clearing her head wasn't happening. Despite effort, stillness stayed out of reach.
Each nerve in her body ached for him - Damian. Not just some guy, but her stepbrother. He'd slipped into her mind nonstop, showed up in sleep, then lit something deep inside without warning or excuse.
She sat in the library, acting like she was reading, yet thoughts of him slipped in. His stare - intense, unshakable - pulled her attention away. That brief touch of hands lingered in her memory. His voice, deep and firm, hinted at risk… and something hotter.
The door groaned as it swung loose, yet she felt his presence without looking back.
Lena," he said softly, his tone slow and quiet. Yet it carried a weight that filled the room.
Her heart skipped a beat. "Damian…" she said softly, fighting to keep her tone calm - acting like nothing was off, even though nothing had felt right in ages.
He walked in, shut the door - just a quiet snap - and her heart jumped. Light from outside lit up his features, giving him this wild, edgy glow, like he was both thrilling and risky to be near. Closer now, every move slow on purpose, animal-like, something you couldn't pull away from.
You're wondering 'bout me," he muttered, quiet but steady.
I… I don't," she said low, but deep down, truth burned hotter. Each pulse, each inhale - loud proof against her words.
He moved in slowly - air thick, breath held. The gap? Full of something heavy, electric.
"Yes, you are," he said. "And I can feel it. Every glance, every breath, every little shiver when I touch you."
Her legs went wobbly. Holding the library table's side helped keep her up - but not her heartbeat, which just kept pounding harder. Each part of her tingled, zapped by something strong, pulled his way despite how hard she'd fought that pull before.
"I… I shouldn't," she whispered, voice trembling. "This… this is wrong. We… step-siblings—"
He hushed her - lips grazing her temple, soft as a whisper - and suddenly her heart raced out of nowhere.
"Wrong doesn't matter," he murmured. "Not when it feels like this. Not when every part of you pulls me in. You are mine, and I am yours."
She gasped for air. His voice, how close he was, that burning heat - all of it overwhelmed her. She thought about stepping away, fighting it off, getting herself together again, yet something inside - something starved, restless, wanting more every day - drew her closer, craved his touch, burned for the way he couldn't let go.
His gaze grew a little gentler, though still sharp. A single finger traced her jaw - barely touching, yet sparking heat under her skin.
"You can't hide it from me," he murmured. "You're already mine… in thought, in heart, and soon… in ways you'll never forget."
Lena opened her mouth just a bit, air stuck in her chest. She shook, all her gut feelings pushing back on the limits she'd set for herself. Yet everything inside reacted to his presence - pleading, drawn close like metal to a magnet, nearly wiping out clear thought.
A loud noise cracked through the hall - someone shoved the door wide. Not invited. That voice? Her name's Vanessa.
Lena stopped dead. Her heart raced out of control. Because Vanessa showed up, it could ruin all of it - those secret seconds, the constant craving, that off-limits attraction.
Damian went rigid - his gaze hardening, each muscle tense like a spring held back by sheer will.
"She's here," he said quietly, almost a whisper.
Vanessa moved through the library entrance, smirking like she'd planned it all along.
"Well, well," she said, voice light but sharp. "Fancy seeing you two like this."
Damian moved quietly ahead of Lena, blocking her with his shade, eyes locked onto Vanessa - sharp, unblinking, like an animal marking its ground when someone gets too close. He wasn't shouting, just standing there, still and heavy, making it clear she didn't belong.
"She oughta go," he muttered, quiet but sharp.
Vanessa's smirk didn't falter. "I see why he's obsessed," she said, glancing pointedly at Lena. "Dangerous, intoxicating… irresistible. Isn't that right?"
Lena's breath caught. Her whole body buzzed - half dread, half pull. If Vanessa got involved, it might blow their cover, drag them into fallout they couldn't handle yet.
Damian's jaw clenched - just a little. His gaze, heavy and sharp, moved from Vanessa toward Lena once more.
"Stay away from my stuff," he said flatly, each word heavy with control.
Vanessa's eyes flicked to Lena, then back to Damian. "I'll leave… for now. But secrets like this don't stay hidden forever."
When she left, everything changed - just Damian and Lena now. He moved near, fingertips grazing hers, so near it sparked heat, almost touching but not quite there.
"You feel it too," he murmured, eyes dark and intense. "The pull, the obsession—you can't hide it. And I won't let you."
Her chest rose fast. Not just her nerves - but her breathing, even her pulse - spoke one clear thing: don't you dare pull away.
She wanted him.
All of him.
Damian moved in close, his face almost brushing hers, each part of him radiating control mixed with hunger and craving.
"I won't let anyone take you from me," he whispered, voice low and rough. "You're mine, Lena. Completely. And I will make sure you know it… in every way."
Her mouth opened slightly, shaking, heart racing fast. That draw, that fixation, this risky blaze - it burned through every feeling; fear mixed with need, want twisted deep inside, forming something way too strong to fight.
I... I need you," she said softly, her voice unsteady, eyes brimming with tears.
A dark, satisfied smile curved Damian's lips. "Good," he murmured. "Because I want you too. And neither of us will stop. Not now, not ever."
The night closed in, thick with craving, hunger, loose boundaries. Yet when they paused close - just a breath between - the big house faded out; Lena suddenly saw it clearly: wild fear mixed with thrill
They were unstoppable.
No force, no law, no family tie could stop what was already moving forward.
Then it hit her - she just let go.
To him.
To the obsession.
To a blaze neither one could escape.
She craved what started there - a shadow set on swallowing them whole.