Elena couldn't calm her racing heart, even after Adrian led her back into the safety of her chamber. The candles flared higher the moment he stepped inside, shadows crawling along the walls like soldiers awaiting command.
He closed the door with a click, his back still to her. His shoulders were tense, his jaw set.
"Adrian?" Her voice was soft, uncertain.
For a moment, he didn't answer. Then he turned, eyes burning faintly red. "The voice you heard—it wasn't a trick of the dark. Something has its gaze on you."
Her stomach dropped. "Another demon?"
"Not just any demon." He stepped closer, his hand lifting to touch her cheek, almost too gently. "It's one of the old ones. The kind even devils learn to fear."
Her skin prickled under his touch, her breath catching. "Why me? What makes me so important?"
Adrian's thumb traced along her jaw, his smirk faint but hollow. "Because you're mine. And what belongs to me becomes a prize worth stealing."
Elena shivered, not sure if it was fear or something else. His hand moved, sliding to the back of her neck, pulling her closer.
"Do you know what they want, Elena?" he whispered, his lips brushing hers without fully touching. "They want to break me. And the easiest way to break me… is you."
Her knees weakened at the weight of his words. She should have pushed him away, should have protested—but instead, she found herself leaning in, caught in the fire of his presence.
"Adrian…" Her voice trembled. "You scare me."
His smirk widened, though his eyes softened. "Good. Because fear will keep you alive. But don't mistake this—" His mouth finally claimed hers, the kiss deep, possessive, burning away the last fragments of distance between them.
Her hands clutched his shirt, torn between resistance and surrender, between terror and comfort. Every part of him was danger, yet every heartbeat whispered safety.
When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against hers, his voice a vow.
"I'll keep you safe from the dark. Even if it means becoming darker than all of them."
Her chest tightened at his promise, equal parts terrified and spellbound.
But deep inside, Elena knew—every step closer to Adrian meant a step deeper into shadows she might never escape.