A dance with shadows

Time passed in the mansion like a slow-moving storm. It had been a month since the night Ren's wolf had bitten me, a month since he'd carried me back,

My thigh had healed, though the scar remained, a jagged reminder of the moment I'd learned just how far Ren Valenti was willing to go to prove his dominance.

Each day I woke to the same pristine white walls, the same gilded mirrors reflecting my haunted expression, and the same eerie silence broken only by the distant echo of Ren's commands or the occasional howl of the wolves outside.

The staff moved like ghosts, always present yet never seen.

One particular evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, I found myself in the library.

It was a grand room filled with floor to ceiling bookshelves, the scent of aged paper and polished wood filling the air.

It was one of the few places where I felt a semblance of peace, away from Ren's suffocating presence.

I ran my fingers along the spines of the books, searching for something, anything that might distract me from the weight of my reality.

I turned and saw him,

He stood there,

His blue eyes, as sharp and piercing as ever, locked onto mine.

"Why you're here?"

"I didn't realize I needed your permission to be here," I said, my voice steady despite the way my heart raced.

His lips curved into a smirk, but there was no warmth in it. "You need my permission for everything, Elena. Don't forget that."

I swallowed hard, my defiance faltering under his gaze.

He stepped closer, the space between us shrinking until I could feel the cold intensity of his presence.

He reached out, his fingers brushing against the hem of my dress, and for a moment, I thought he might tear it away, as he had torn away every semblance of control I'd ever had.

"Your leg," he said, his voice softer now but no less dangerous. "It's healed."

"Yes," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "The scar is still there, though."

He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle he couldn't quite solve.

"Scars have meaning," he said. "They're reminders of lessons learned."

"Is that why you have so many?" I retorted, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

He chuckled a low, humorless sound that sent a chill down my spine.

"You're braver than you should be," he said, his hand moving to cup my chin.

His grip was firm, his fingers cold against my skin.

"Or maybe just foolish."

I tried to pull away, but his hold was unyielding. "What do you want from me, Ren?" I demanded, my voice trembling with frustration.

"Why keep me here? Why go through all this trouble?"

His smirk faded, replaced by a cold, unreadable expression. "You saved my life," he said simply.

"That makes you mine. And I don't let go of what's mine."

I was nervous, i didnt know what to say,

His hand leaves my chin to wrap around my waist, pulling me further into him.

I felt his other hand moves down to my thigh,

His touch is gentle, as his fingers trace the healing bite mark on my thigh.

"These marks..." He pauses, his voice low and rough.

I breathed heavily, his hand continues its ascent, fingers brushing against my soft skin.

I tried to get him away,

He pushed his leg, stepping between mine as he applies gentle pressure with his thigh.

He can feel my breath hitching, the rapid rise and fall of my chest as i try to pull away from his touch, yet remain trapped.

"Look at me."

I looked up at him, a knowing smirk playing across his lips.

"Your breath, Elena. It's coming faster now..." He leans in closer,

His teeth graze my earlobe gently, a teasing bite.

I felt desperate to his touch at this moment ,a weird feeling hit me, suddenly then i felt one of his hands slip down my dress.

His large hand cups my core possessively through the thin fabric of my panties, feeling the heat radiating from my body.

"So fucking warm..." He murmurs, his thumb pressing against my clit through the material, applying gentle pressure, he slides his thumb back and forth teasingly, eliciting another involuntary moan from me..

"Elena," he murmured, his voice a low rasp.

And then his lips were on mine.

The kiss was fire and steel,

His other hand slid to the back of my neck, holding me in place as he deepened the kiss, claiming me in a way that left no room for doubt or hesitation.

I clung to him, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt,

The world outside the library faded to nothing, swallowed by the heat of his lips, the press of his body against mine.

But just as quickly as it began, it ended.

Ren pulled back, his breathing uneven, his lips swollen and glistening from the kiss.

My chest tightened as he stepped away, the absence of his touch leaving a hollow ache in its wake.

"Ren .. " I started, but he cut me off with a sharp gesture of his hand.

"I have things to handle." his jaw clenching.

Without another word, he turned and walked toward the door, his broad shoulders tense.

The sound of the door closing behind him echoed in the library.

I sat for a moment, the silence pressing against me like a thick fog. My gaze wandered over the rows of books.

------------

As I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, the door to my room creaked open.

I sat up, my heart pounding as Ren stepped inside.

His footsteps so slow ,he didn't say a word as he crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed, his back to me, i could feel him breathing slowly.

The silence stretched between us.

"I've done things," he said finally, his voice low and strained.

"Things you can't imagine. Things I can't take back."

I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing, looking at his shadow back,

His hand moved slowly to his pocket, His fingers found the cigarette, pulling it free as he gazed into the shadowed corner of the room, lost in thought, the unlit stick dangled between his fingers, waiting.

The night pressed against him, heavy and suffocating.

Perched on the bed's edge, He stared at it for a moment, letting the silence linger, before finally bringing it to his lips.

He took a slow drag, the tip of the cigarette glowing like a fading ember. As he exhaled, a thin stream of smoke curled into the air, dissipating into the night.

The cigarette hung lazily between his fingers, smoke unfurling from his lips like whispers in the cold. Each exhale painted the air in soft, gray spirals, a cloud of frustration and unspoken words drifting into the silence,swirling briefly before vanishing into the shadows.

After a long pause, he stood and left without another word, leaving me to wonder what had brought on his sudden confession.

----------

The next morning, he was gone. Max, one of his trusted men, informed me that Ren had left on business and would be away for several days maybe a week.

The mansion felt even colder in his absence, the shadows deeper and more menacing.

As the days passed, I found myself drawn to the library once more. I spent hours there, losing myself in books and trying to forget the world outside.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape the pull of Ren Valenti. He was a force of nature, a storm that had swept into my life and left nothing untouched.

It wasn't fear that made me glance at the doorway every time i heard a sound, it was something else.

I found myself thinking about him when i shouldn't.

My heart betrayed me when it fluttered at the thought of his return.

But how could i feel this way about someone like him? Someone who held my life in his hands, who kept me locked away as if i was a secret he couldn't afford to lose.

The realization was slow, creeping in like the shadows at dusk. It unnerved me as much as it thrilled me.

I wanted to understand him, to unravel the mystery behind the danger. And that terrified me most of all.