I glance to the side. The alley still empty, shadows stretching out in every direction. My heartbeat picks up again, and I know he notices, his smirk widening.
“Thinking of running again?” he taunts, cocking his head. “Go ahead. It just makes it more fun for me.”
I don’t respond. My body is too exhausted, too wrung out to make sense of the mess in my head. I wipe at my mouth, stilltasting him there, and I hate the way my lips tingle from the bruising kisses.
He steps closer, his hand sliding up my neck, forcing me to look at him.
“You know you won’t get far,” he whispers, his thumb brushing over the bruise on my jaw. “I’ll drag you right back.”
I can’t help the way my hands shake, even though I try to hide it. He notices, of course, and his smirk softens into something almost affectionate. “Why do you keep fighting me?” he murmurs, leaning down to brush his lips over mine. “You already know how this ends.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the way his touch makes my skin burn. “I hate you,” I whisper, but the words sound weak, hollow.
He chuckles, low and rough. “No, you don’t,” he whispers back, his mouth tracing my jaw. “You hate that you can’t hate me. You hate that you keep coming back for more.”
My throat tightens, and I shove at his chest, but he barely moves, just grabs my wrists, pinning them to my sides.
“You’re a liar,” he whispers, his lips brushing over my temple. “You pretend to be afraid, but your body tells me the truth. You love being hunted. You love knowing I’m the one who’s going to catch you.”
My pulse pounds in my ears, and I try to turn my head away, but he doesn’t let me, his grip unrelenting.
“You’re mine, Raven,” he repeats, his voice dropping lower. “And I’m going to make sure you never forget it.”
I force myself to take a steadying breath, trying to gather what little resolve I have left. I need to get out of here. I need to put distance between us before I completely lose myself.
“Let me go,” I whisper, and he just laughs, a dark, inaudible sound that makes my stomach twist.
“Not a chance,” he murmurs, his fingers brushing over my lips. “You keep trying to slip away, but you’ll always end up right here—under me, begging for more.”
I grit my teeth, summoning a spark of anger through the haze of confusion. “I’ll never beg you for anything,” I snap.
He raises an eyebrow, his smirk widening. “Is that so?” he taunts. “Last night, you were screaming my name like I was the only thing keeping you alive.”
Heat floods my face, and I look away, hating how right he is. He leans in, pressing his forehead to mine, his breath hot on my lips.
“You don’t get it yet,” he whispers, his voice almost gentle. “I’m not the bad guy here. I’m just the one who finally gave you what you needed.”
I shake my head, trying to deny it, but he just presses his mouth to mine, slow and consuming, dragging a low whimper from my throat. My mind screams to fight, but my body melts into him, craving the intensity, the way he makes everything else fade away.
He pulls back, brushing his fingers through my hair, his eyes softer now but still burning with that dark, possessive need.
“You can keep pretending to hate me,” he murmurs. “But I know better. You’re mine, Raven. You’ll always be mine.”
My chest heaves, and I hate how much I want to believe him—how much I want to give in and let him claim me all over again. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep letting him tangle me up in his web.
I swallow hard, trying to find the strength to push him away, but he just leans in closer, his hands cupping my face.
“You’re never getting away from me,” he promises, his voice a dark caress. “Because even when you run, you know I’ll always find you. You need me to find you. You need me to drag you back.”
Tears prick my eyes, and I hate that he’s right. I hate that I’m too weak to fight back when he looks at me like that—like I’m the only thing keeping him from falling apart.
He wipes the tear that slips free with his thumb, his touch almost tender. “Don’t cry,” he whispers, kissing my forehead. “You’re safe with me. I’ll never let anyone else touch you. Never let anyone else break you. That’s my right.”
I shiver, and he pulls me into his arms, wrapping me up like he’s shielding me from the world. His hand strokes my hair, and for a moment, I almost believe that he means it—that I’m safe with him.
But deep down, I know the truth.
I’m not safe. Not with him.
