Page 78 of The Library

She thinks I’m being sweet. That I’m making breakfast because I care. And huge part of me does. Maybe part of me wants to make her feel safe, cared for, after everything I’ve done to her. But that’s not why I’m here, why I’m telling her she’s moving in. I have my reasons, and they have nothing to do with kindness.

The phone call earlier is still hanging over me, and I know it’s only a matter of time before shit starts to unravel. I need herhere. I need her close, where I can watch over her, where I can control the chaos that’s about to descend on our lives.

I smirk as she approaches, her gaze lingering on my back, the tattoos that mark me. I know she’s staring, and I know exactly what she’s thinking—she’s trying to figure out why I’m acting like this, why I’m playing the role of the loving boyfriend. She doesn’t realize yet that I’m doing this because I need her under my roof. Safe. Where I can keep an eye on her.

I turn around, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips as I wipe my hands on the towel. “Enjoy your shower, darling?” I ask, my voice low, filled with amusement. She looks up at me, eyes wide, like she’s trying to find her footing. She knows. She can feel it.

“I see you’ve been busy,” I add, watching her blink, still trying to process what I’ve done.

“You actually accepted?” she asks, her voice small but laced with disbelief.

I chuckle, setting the towel aside and making my way over to her. The distance between us shrinks as I close in, my gaze locked on hers, dark with that familiar hunger. “Of course I did,” I say, my voice steady, deliberate. She doesn’t get it yet, but she will. “You want the world to know, right?”

I pull her against me, feeling the way her body molds to mine. My hand slips around her waist, fingers brushing over the brand on her pussy, the mark that tells the truth of everything. The one thing that matters. “I’ve already claimed you, Lilith. I don’t care if Facebook knows. I want everyone to know. You’re mine.”

I watch her swallow, see the way her pulse races in her throat, and it excites me. She’s still fighting it, but I can feel her resolve cracking, piece by piece. I lean in, letting my lips ghost over hers, just enough to make her tremble. “You want to make it official on Facebook? Fine,” I murmur, knowing that’s not even close tothe full picture. “But remember, I’ve already made it official in ways that go far beyond that.”

I let my lips trail down her neck, feeling the way she melts into me, surrendering to what’s always been inevitable. It’s not just a status. It’s the life we’re building—one built on the twisted, dark connection between us. No one else can touch that.

I pull back, just enough to see her face, her eyes wide and full of emotions she’s still grappling with. But I see it—acceptance. Finally.

“You’re mine, Lilith,” I whisper, my fingers tracing the edges of the brand. My name on her skin, a permanent reminder of what we are. “Now and forever. Everyone can know it, but you’ll always feel it.”

I watch her take it in, see the rush of emotion in her eyes. She’s not running anymore. And for the first time, there’s peace in her expression. She understands. She’s mine, and I’m hers. There’s no escaping that.

“You’re going to move in with me,” I say, turning my head back to the stove like it’s a done deal. Because it is.

I hear her stop in her tracks, her breath hitching slightly as she processes what I just said.

“What?” she asks, her voice tinged with confusion, but also curiosity.

I turn back to her, watching the way her eyes widen. She’s not used to me making decisions for her—at least not like this. Not with this level of finality. But she’ll learn. She’ll understand that this is how things work between us now.

“You heard me,” I say calmly, turning my attention back to the stove. “You’re moving in. It’s time.”

I don’t need to explain myself. She knows I’m serious, knows there’s no room for negotiation. And I can feel the conflict inside her, the way she’s torn between wanting to surrender completely and still holding on to some illusion of control.

“I’ll move in,” she finally says, her voice steady but defiant. “But only if you start giving me answers. Like Ty does with Anna. No more secrets.”

I pause, my grip tightening on the pan as her words sink in. She’s asking for answers. She thinks she can demand something from me, like she’s in a position to negotiate. It amuses me, the way she pushes back, the way she still believes she has some kind of say in this. I do love a woman who puts up a fight, it only makes it that much sweeter.

I glance over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “Answers, huh?”

“Yes,” she repeats, her tone firm. “I deserve to know what’s going on.”

I let out a low chuckle, turning to face her fully. There’s a fire in her eyes, a challenge, and it only makes me want her more. I can see the desire flickering beneath the surface, the way her body reacts to my presence, even when she’s trying to stand her ground.

“If you want answers, Lilith,” I say, stepping closer, my voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper, “you’re going to have to work for them.”

I watch as her body responds, her nipples hardening beneath the towel. She doesn’t say a word, but she doesn’t have to. I can see it in her eyes, the way she’s already surrendering without even realizing it.

“You’re unbelievable,” she mutters, shaking her head, but the faint blush creeping up her neck tells me everything I need to know.

I laugh, a deep, satisfied sound, turning back to the stove. “And you’re still here, aren’t you?”

She rolls her eyes, but she knows the truth. She’s not going anywhere. Not now. Not after everything that’s happened between us. And the thought of her being anywhere else, out ofmy sight, makes something dark and possessive flare up inside me.

The phone call from earlier flashes in my mind again, and I know I need to leave soon. The situation with the Society is escalating, and it’s only going to get worse. But for now, I’ll let her have this moment. Let her think she’s negotiating, that she’s making her own decisions.

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