I lay on the bed, the city lights outside looking at me like an insult.
Each one a reminder of what I was missing. Freedom. I suddenly got lost in memories.
Mom,mom, I shouted
Why are you shouting my name " my dear Ali baby " my mom said
Nothing but I just want you and dad to try this my recipe of my smoky chicken,I made for Eliana "
Okay okay,give me a spoon and a plate of smoky chicken for me and your dad" she said
Hmmm ,it is very tasty " my dad says
Am sure when you get married your husband or wife will love the way you cook" my dad says
Dadddyyyy please stop,am not getting married anytime soon " I said with blush in my cheeks.
I know,son but if I had not known that you and eliana are just best friend and that eliana has her own boyfriend i would have thought you are planning on marrying Eliana." My dad said
"Ewwww, dad Eliana is my best friend and sister,so I can't marry her "
I Have heard you" said mom and Dad at the same time
.
Ahhhh they laughed after looking at each other.
May this kind of love find me
Ali ,Ali, Alistair,where the f*ck are you "
Shu, bitch I was working my ass out to cook for you and you can't even called my name with respect "
You were cooking for me,"
Nope,I was cooking for the sharks since they are my best friend"
"Ok fine am sorry "
Hi uncle and auntie Hello Elia baby,how are you" my mom asked
Am fine ma "
The hum of the city was a faint drone through the reinforced glass, like even sound knew its place under Dante's thumb brought me out from my memories.
Tears just kept on falling from my eyes,I miss mom ,dad and Eliana.
I can't afford to be weak right now.
I just want to go home I'd spent hours memorizing everything.
Guard rotations. Camera angles.
The layout of every d*mn hallway and stairwell.
I'd replayed each move in my head, stalking this place like a predator sizing up its prey.
My Alpha instincts screamed: fight, reclaim, run.
And I would. I had to.
The door was locked, yeah, but those air vents… they were my shot.
I'd measured them,paper scraps, the edge of my hands.
Counted the seconds between patrols. Tested the screws with whatever I could scrounge.
Every step had to be perfect.
One wrong move, one wrong breath… failure?
That'd be instructive.
I didn't want to know what kind of "lesson" Dante had planned.
Just thinking about it made my chest tighten.
I slipped out of bed, muscles coiled, the darkness my armor.
I dressed in Dante's plainest clothes I could find nothing fancy, nothing that reeked of Dante's money.
I needed to be invisible unremarkable gone.
The clock ticked, each second twisting deeper into my gut.
The corridor outside was dim, endless.
As soon as the lock gave that soft click, my pulse went through the roof.
I slipped into the hallway, a shadow in the shadows.
Every sound,the hum of the security system, the guards' boots felt increased, like my ears were tuned for survival.
I moved with a predator's patience, calculating every turn.
The lieutenants patrolling were tough, but predictable.
I'd watched them long enough to know their routines, their habits.
Hell, I even knew which one liked to check his reflection in the elevator doors.
The air grew colder as I crept forward.
A strange stillness settled over everything, like the building itself was holding its breath.
At the first intersection, I pressed my back against the wall as two guards passed.
My heartbeat thundered loud enough to drown everything else out.
When they were gone, I let out a slow breath, forcing my hands to stop shaking.
Freedom was close.
So d*mn close I could almost taste it.
The service corridor stretched ahead, dim and promising.
The emergency exit sign glowed red at the end.
Each step brought me closer to that light, closer to… whatever came next.
My mind ran the calculations,air vents, emergency ladders, exit codes. I could do this.
I would do this.
And then the bond pulsed.
A flicker of warmth in my chest, faint at first, then deepening, spreading like a slow burn.
Not now.
The pulse became a rhythm, syncing with my heartbeat.
I tried to shake it off, focus on the path ahead, but it only got stronger, heavier.
It wasn't just awareness.
It was a presence. Dante's.
I clenched my jaw and kept moving.
But with each step, the pull got unbearable.
The air thickened,the light dimmed,then came the pain.
A searing pain ripped through me, burning down my spine, tearing through my chest.
I went down hard, clutching at the wall, my vision blurring,the world twisted and warped under the pressure of Dante's will.
"Alistair…" where do you think you are going my queen? His voice slid into my mind like silk over a blade,low, smooth, almost amused.
Am not your queen,get out of my head ,am tired of your manipulation,I said with tears in my eyes
You can't run from me .
"I will ,I will make sure I do or my name is not Alistair park you bitch "
The bond flared, his presence crashing through me like a storm.
I could feel his heartbeat calm, steady, cruel.
The possessive satisfaction threading through every pulse.
My body betrayed me, trembling, arching against the invisible current ,more tears coming out from my eyes.
"Get out,get out of my head."my voice a broken.
His response was laughter—quiet, indulgent.
I stumbled forward, desperate, furious.
"You don't own me!" .
But even as I said it, the words rang hollow.
My body didn't believe it
. The bond sure as hell didn't.
A shadow appeared at the end of the corridor, tall , still, Patient, Dante.
He stepped forward, unhurried, every inch of him radiating calm dominance.
His scent hit me,dark, sharp, intoxicating.
My throat went dry
. Our eyes met, and time just… stopped.
He didn't speak,he didn't need to.
The connection between us pulsed like a living thing, humming with command and hunger.
It pressed down on my chest until I could barely breathe.
"You are mine," he said softly, his voice a low vibration that shook something deep inside me.
"No matter where you go… no matter what you try.
" I will always find you, even if you were to go to the underworld my queen".
Each word sank deep, binding itself into the bond, into my nerves.
My hands shook,my nails dug into my palms.
"I… I'll find a way," I managed to say
But it sounded more like a prayer than defiance.
Dante smiled just barely,that faint, dangerous curve of lips that promised ruin.
"Then you'd better start running faster now."
Because I might change my mind on letting you go"
He stepped back, his presence receding just enough for me to run ,I ran fast,faster than I have ever done in my life.
I collapse against the wall, gasping for air,the corridor blurred.
The light flickered ,My body ached from the effort of resisting.
The guards would find me soon.
Dante wouldn't even need to speak.
The building itself seemed to answer him.
Well it is basically his penthouse
As I slumped to the cold floor, vision swimming, his voice brushed against my thoughts again,soft, deliberate, almost tender.
Try again… if you dare, a pause then the words that sealed the night:
"You belong to me,my queen"
My breath caught,I wanted to scream, to deny it, but all that came out was a shudder.
The bond pulsed once more, deep and final, like a heartbeat echoing between us.
And in that moment, I knew this wasn't defeat.
It was the beginning of a war—one that would be fought not with weapons, but with will, pride, and desire.
I closed my eyes and whispered into the dark
"This isn't over, Dante. Not yet."
with tears and sweat and somewhere maybe in my head
maybe not but I could feel him smile. Because I had just declared war.