Page 6 of Claimed In Darkness

Fucking bastard.

The halls are silent except for the distant crackle of torches and the echo of our footsteps. Gilded statues of long-dead Dark Elves loom from their pedestals, faces carved into expressions of eternal arrogance. The entire estate reeks of power. Of centuries of cruelty stitched into its very bones.

I clench my fists to keep from touching the walls. I don’t want any part of this place on my skin.

On me.

“You’re brooding,” Zephiran says without looking back.

I roll my eyes. “And you’re talking.”

A low, amused hum. Like he enjoys the fight.

I grit my teeth. “So? Where are you taking me?”

“You ask a lot of questions for someone with no leverage.”

I scoff. “You want me to steal for you, don’t you? Maybe don’t treat me like a dog you dragged in from the street.”

He stops.

Too fast. Too sharp.

I barely register the movement before I’m slammed against the cold stone wall.

The impact steals my breath, my head snapping back, a sharp sting cutting through my scalp. His body is all heat, all shadow, pressing me into unyielding stone, his scent crawling into my lungs—dark spice, steel, something ruinous.

I should be scared.

I should be fighting.

Instead, I’m burning.

“You think this is mistreatment?” he murmurs, his voice a slow drag of silk over a blade.

I glare at him, trying to ignore how fucking big he is. He’s not like the Dark Elf lords who lounge on velvet cushions and sip wine while their guards do their dirty work. No—Zephiran is a predator. And right now, I am cornered.

“Get the fuck off me,” I snap.

He smirks. “No.”

I growl, trying to shove him, but he doesn’t budge. His fingers slide down, slow and deliberate, grazing over the curve of my hip. Not a caress. Not quite.

A warning.

I hate that I shiver.

He leans in, his breath ghosting against my ear. “You’re mine now, little fox. If you want to survive, you’re going to learn exactly what that means.”

I let out a harsh laugh. “You wish I was yours.”

His grip tightens. Just a fraction. Just enough to send a shudder licking down my spine.

I don’t know if I hate him or if I just hate myself for reacting.

His eyes flicker to my mouth. “Careful, Naira,” he murmurs. “You might start to enjoy it.”

Bastard.

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