When I pull back, she’s breathing hard, eyes wide, and I smirk, wiping the tear from her cheek with my thumb.
“Next time you try to run,” I whisper, low and menacing, “I’ll make sure you can’t walk for a week. Do you understand me?”
She nods, eyes locked on mine, and satisfaction surges. I brush a strand of hair from her face, letting my hand trail down to her throat, thumb pressing against her pulse.
“Good girl,” I murmur. “Now, you’re coming back with me. And we’re going to have a long talk about what happens when you try to leave me.”
I grip her wrist, pulling her close, and I feel her resistance falter—her body giving in even as her mind fights it.
She’s mine and I’ll make sure she never forgets it.
I grip her wrist tighter, dragging her closer, feeling her pulse pounding under my fingers. She’s trembling, but there’s something else in her eyes—something calculating.
“You’re not running again,” I growl, voice low and rough. “You’re coming with me, and we’re going to fix this little problem of yours—thinking you can just slip away whenever you want.”
She says nothing, just swallows hard, eyes darting to the side like she’s looking for an escape. I jerk her chin back, forcing her to look at me. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, Little Spider. You’re not going anywhere.”
Her lips part, and I see the fear mingled with something sharper—like she’s forming a plan. I narrow my eyes, squeezing her wrist harder. “Don’t even think about it.”
Her breathing evens out, and she tilts her head, trying to soften her expression. “Damien,” she whispers, and I almost falter at the way she says my name—soft, almost pleading. “I’m sorry. I just… I panicked.”
My jaw tightens, but hearing it satisfies something in me. “You should be sorry,” I mutter. “Running from me like that. What the fuck were you thinking?”
She looks down, biting her lip, and I loosen my grip just a fraction, curious about this sudden change. “I was just scared,”she murmurs, voice trembling. “You… you scared me. I needed to breathe.”
I scoff, shaking my head. “You don’t get to breathe without my permission. You don’t get to just leave.”
Her free hand lifts, fingers brushing my chest, and I freeze—caught between suspicion and the way her touch makes my skin burn. “You’re right,” she whispers, eyes lifting to meet mine. “I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you.”
My mind blanks for a second at the softness in her voice. She presses her palm to my chest, right over my heart, and for just a moment, I think she’s finally breaking—finally giving in.
That’s when she digs her nails into my skin, raking them down hard enough to sting, and in the split second I flinch, she shoves me back with all her strength.
I stumble—just a step—but it’s enough. She bolts, slipping under my arm and sprinting down the length of the train yard, kicking up gravel as she runs.
“RAVEN!” I roar, the sound echoing off the metal cars. Rage bursts through me like wildfire, and I take off after her, heart pounding.
She’s faster than I thought, weaving between the abandoned train cars, darting around corners like she actually thinks she can outmanoeuvre me. I slam my fist against a rusted metal door as I pass, the sound reverberating through the yard, but it doesn’t slow her down.
“Fucking clever little bitch,” I mutter, pulse throbbing in my temples.
I speed up, tracking her by the sound of her footsteps and the way her breathing comes out in harsh, terrified pants. I can’t believe she pulled that shit on me—playing sweet, playing submissive.
“You’re just making it worse for yourself!” I shout, cutting through a gap between cars, trying to head her off. “When I catch you, you’re going to pay for that stunt!”
I catch a glimpse of her darting right, heading for the broken fence at the far end of the yard. My blood boils. She actually thinks she can get out that way. I speed up, but she’s quicker, and before I know it, she’s slipping through the gap, cutting her hand on the jagged wire.
I snarl, grab the fence, yank it open wider, and force my way through. I lose a few seconds disentangling my jacket from the wire, and when I make it to the other side, she’s already across the empty lot, sprinting toward the alleys that cut through the industrial district.
“You’re just digging your own grave!” I bellow, sprinting after her, adrenaline pounding in my veins. I’m furious—more than that, I’m fucking livid. How dare she trick me? How dare she think she can slip through my fingers after everything I did to claim her?
I can hear her panting, see the way she stumbles, the cut on her hand leaving a trail of blood on the cracked pavement. She’s wearing out—good. I’ll drag her back by her hair if I have to.
I take a shortcut through the side path, trying to cut her off, but when I round the corner, she’s not there. I freeze, ears straining, listening for any sign of movement.
Silence.
I grind my teeth, fists clenching. “You can’t hide from me!” I call, my voice reverberating between the buildings. “You’re mine, Raven. You’ll always be mine. Come out, and I might not hurt you as much.”
