Lyra's POV
I hadn't slept. Adrian's words played over and over in my mind, an endless loop of threats and revelations that I still couldn't fully wrap my head around. A blood debt? Bound to him and Leo through some twisted legacy? It sounded insane, but the worst part? A part of me believed him. The way he looked at me—like I was some kind of prize to be claimed—it wasn't just about control. It was something deeper, something older.
The knock on my door was soft but commanding, the kind of knock that didn't wait for an invitation. I knew who it was before I even turned.
Leo.
My heart skipped a beat as I stood, smoothing my hair with trembling fingers. Keep it together. Lyra. But I couldn't. Not with him. Not anymore.
He pushed the door open before I could speak, stepping inside with that usual, quiet confidence. His eyes locked onto mine,dark and unreadable, but there was a tension in the air that settled in the second he entered.
"Couldn't sleep?" His voice low, and calm, although I could feel the weight behind his words.
I swallowed hard. "Too much on my mind."
He closed the door behind him, his gaze never leaving mine. "I imagine so." He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming, like a storm on the horizon. "Adrian got to you, didn't he?"
I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to create some kind of barrier between us. "He told me things... things about our families. About debts."
Leo's jaw tightened. "Adrian's full of shit."
"But is he wrong?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Is he wrong about me being caught in something bigger than I can control?"
There was a flicker of something in Leo's eyes.anger, maybe frustration. but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. He stepped forward, closing the distance between us in a single, smooth motion. I could feel the heat radiating from him, the tension crackling in the air between us.
"You're not caught," he said softly, but his tone was hard, unyielding. "You're here because I want you here."
A shiver ran down my spine at the weight of his words. I want you here. Not because of Mira, not because I was good at my job—because he wanted me here.
"Leo," I began, my voice trembling despite my attempt to sound firm, "this isn't... you can't just—"
"I can," he cut me off, his hand reaching out to cup my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His touch was gentle, but there was a possessiveness behind it, something darker. "You think you can set boundaries with me, Lyra? You think you can walk out of this?"
I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened slightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to remind me who was in control. My heart pounded in my chest, fear and something else.something I didn't want to name. twisting inside me.
"You belong to me," he whispered, his lips inches from mine, his breath warm against my skin. "You'll never belong to Adrian. Not as long as I'm alive."
I opened my mouth to protest, to tell him he was wrong, that I wasn't some object to be owned or fought over, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, all I could feel was the heat of him, the way his body seemed to press into mine without even touching me.
"Leo, I—"
His lips were on mine before I could finish. It wasn't a gentle kiss. It was hard, demanding, full of everything I was trying to fight. His hand slid into my hair, pulling me closer as his mouth moved against mine, claiming me in a way that made my knees weak.
I should have pushed him away. I should have screamed, fought back, told him he couldn't do this. But I didn't. I kissed him back, my body betraying me as I melted into him, as if I'd been waiting for this moment all along.
He pulled back slightly, his breath ragged as his eyes burned into mine. "You feel that, don't you? The way you react to me?"
I couldn't speak, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and desire. His hand slid down to my waist, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.
"You can't deny this," he murmured against my ear, his voice a dark, dangerous whisper. "You want this as much as I do."
"No," I whispered, but even I didn't believe it.
His lips grazed my neck, sending a shiver through me that I couldn't control. "You're mine, Lyra. And I don't share."
I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to gather some semblance of strength. "You can't... you can't just take what you want."
He laughed softly, the sound full of arrogance. "I already have."
And maybe he was right. Maybe I was already too far gone, too entangled in his world to ever pull myself out.
I pushed against his chest, forcing space between us, my breath coming in ragged gasps. "This... this isn't right."
Leo's eyes darkened, the cruel edge creeping back into his expression. "You think you have a choice? You don't get to walk away from me. Not now."
My heart pounded in my chest as I stared up at him, trapped between the fear of what he could do and the undeniable pull he had over me. "You can't control me."
He stepped closer again, his hand gripping my chin, tilting my face up to meet his gaze. "Watch me."
The threat hung in the air between us, thick and suffocating. I swallowed hard,knowing that whatever line had been crossed, there was no going back.