Daemond held Mahnoor tightly, his fingers pressing into her skin with an almost possessive intensity. His grey eyes locked onto hers, the intensity of his emotions swirling just beneath the surface. "I want you all to myself," he whispered, his voice low and dark. "In a dangerous way."
Mahnoor blinked, confusion flashing across her face. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to understand the sudden shift in his demeanor. She had seen Daemond intense before, but this was different—something darker was brewing within him.
He exhaled sharply, his hands moving from her waist to grip her face gently but firmly, making sure she was focused entirely on him. "Edward," he said, his voice laced with frustration. "That classmate of ours... He was talking about you."
Mahnoor frowned, her confusion deepening. "What are you talking about?"
Daemond's jaw clenched as he recalled the conversation he'd overheard earlier. "He said he wanted to get you in bed. Like you were some kind of conquest to him," Daemond spat out, his voice thick with disgust. "I don't care what he thinks he can do... but if he ever finds out that you're with me, he'll regret ever saying your name. He'll forget you ever existed."
Mahnoor's heart raced at the venom in his words. She had never seen him this way—possessive, protective, but also driven by something deeper. It unsettled her, yet a part of her couldn't deny the thrill of it either.
"Daemond..." she began cautiously, her hand reaching up to touch his face, trying to calm the storm raging inside him. "You know I'm with you. Why would you care what Edward thinks?"
His grip on her tightened, but not painfully. There was desperation behind his intensity, something Mahnoor hadn't fully understood before. "Because I can't stand the thought of someone else thinking they could have you," he said through gritted teeth. "I don't want to lose you. Not to him. Not to anyone."
Mahnoor's breath hitched. "Lose me? Daemond, I'm not going anywhere..."
He shook his head, his gaze hardening. "I know I've been distant, I know we're figuring this out, but I can't... I can't share you. Not with anyone. I want you to myself, and if anyone tries to take you from me, I won't let it happen."
Mahnoor's heart was pounding, torn between concern for the intensity of his words and a strange exhilaration at how fiercely he wanted her. She wasn't sure what to say, but she knew one thing for certain—Daemond wasn't just expressing jealousy, he was laying a claim, and there was no room for anyone else in his world but her.
"Daemond," she whispered, holding his face in both hands now, her eyes softening as she looked into his. "I'm yours. No one else matters."
His expression softened slightly at her words, but the tension in his body remained. "You promise me that?" he asked, his voice still low, but now vulnerable in a way that made Mahnoor's chest tighten.
She nodded slowly, her gaze never leaving his. "I promise."
For a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of the conversation hanging heavily between them. Daemond's grip loosened, but his eyes stayed locked on hers, as if needing to be reassured once more.
"If Edward ever tries to come near you," Daemond whispered, his voice dangerous again, "he'll regret it."