Perched on her couch, she drummed her fingers nervously against the armrest, every clock tick echoing in her ears. The anticipation was an electric current coursing through her veins, setting her nerves alight. The scent of her carefully prepared lasagna permeated the air, a tangible reminder of her efforts to make everything perfect. Even the tantalizing aroma couldn't ease her mind, and her mind raced with doubts and worries, each passing moment intensifying her anxiousness as she waited for him to arrive.
The abrupt honk of the car jolted her from her swirling thoughts. She approached the door with hesitant steps, her heart pounding in sync with each footfall. Pausing at the entrance, she watched as he made his way to the door, her stomach tightening with anticipation. As he drew closer, a wave of solid alcohol scent hit her senses, thick and overpowering. Despite the intensity of the aroma, his movements showed no sign of drunkenness. His steps were steady, his gaze clear, leaving her puzzled by the contradiction between the smell and his composed demeanor.
He looked at her and walked towards his room without saying a word. Disappointment took over her, but she composed herself. "I made food. Take a shower and come down."
He glanced back over his shoulder, meeting her gaze with a mysterious look before ascending the stairs. Minutes ticked by in a blur as she waited, her nerves tingling with anticipation. Then, with surprising speed, he descended the staircase in his night pants and no shirt. His tattoos were shining in the moonlight. Oh, how much she missed touching him.
He cleared his throat, and she straightened herself. She served him steaming hot lasagna, and again, without a word, he dug his fork into the food, put a bite in his mouth, and stopped himself from moaning. The food was incredible. Autumn sat in the chair next to him. Summoning her courage, she asked, "How was your day?"
He closed his eyes as if he was trying hard not to respond to her, but he didn't. "Is everything okay at work?" She stared at him hopefully, but Zyler finished his food in minutes and got up. Without looking at her, he ran up the steps.
Autumn's heart plummeted with disappointment. The once cozy atmosphere of the room shifted into a suffocating cloak of despair. Anger and frustration boiled inside her, clouding her thoughts and heightening her senses with an urgent prickling sensation. Leaving the plate in the sink, she climbed the stairs with determined steps, her footsteps echoing in the quiet house.
Entering his room, she was met with a heavy atmosphere thick with the acrid scent of cigarette smoke and the overpowering odor of alcohol. The air felt dense, charged with a palpable tension that seemed to seep into every corner, casting shadows and obscuring her view. Smoke curled lazily in the dim light, swirling in unpredictable patterns that obscured her vision, turning the room into a murky labyrinth.
Struggling to see through the haze, Autumn squinted, her eyes stinging as she searched for him in the swirling fog. The weight of the air pressed against her skin, bearing down on her with an almost tangible force that threatened to crush her spirits. Despite her efforts, she felt disoriented, her movements slow and hesitant as she navigated through the dense atmosphere, her senses overwhelmed by the oppressive gloom of the room.
Coughing and spluttering, she hurriedly flicked the exhaust fan switch, the whirring noise cutting through the thick haze of smoke. As the swirling clouds dissipated, revealing the scene before her, her breath caught in her throat.
There he stood, his muscular back turned toward her, a cigarette dangling casually from his right hand and a bottle of alcohol gripped firmly in his left. The dim light cast ominous shadows across his form, emphasizing the tense set of his shoulders and the imposing aura he exuded. Despite the moment's chaos, he remained an imposing figure, symbolizing strength and defiance among the swirling smoke and uncertainty.
She knew there would never be another man that looked like him. "Why are you up? What are you doing here?" This was the first time he had spoken to her in ages. Oh, how much she missed that voice.
"Why are you avoiding me? Why are you pretending I don't exist?" she fired back, frustration lacing her words. He merely took another sip of the bitter liquid, his silence starkly contrasting the turmoil within her. This game of cat and mouse was tearing her apart, each unanswered question adding another layer of uncertainty to their strained relationship.
"Who do you think I am? I am a monster; this is what monsters do," he chuckled dryly, and that pissed her off more. "Besides, I am your stalker. Don't you remember the times I have hidden in the shadows?"
"Enough," she wanted to scream, her frustration bubbling to the surface like a simmering volcano. Yet, she contained her voice, keeping it low but firm. Finally reaching her breaking point, she no longer tolerated his cryptic responses. As the tension peaked, he turned to look at her, his gaze locking with hers.
At that moment, his eyes met hers, and she felt he could see straight into her soul. There he was, the Zyler he knew and came to understand. Her chest rose and fell with each breath, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. The intensity of his gaze left her feeling exposed, vulnerable, yet strangely exhilarated, as if she had been caught in a whirlwind of emotions that she couldn't control.
"What do you want, Autumn?" His voice was surprisingly calm, devoid of the usual anger and frustration she had come to expect from him. It caught her off guard, leaving her momentarily speechless. Where was the fire that usually burned within him? Why was he so composed?
His calm demeanor unsettled her, stirring a mixture of emotions within her. Confusion mingled with apprehension as she struggled to comprehend this sudden shift in his behavior. It was unlike him to remain so collected, especially during their heated exchange. The absence of his usual intensity only deepened her unease, leaving her wondering what lay beneath his outward composure.
There was silence. What does she want? Does she tell him that she wants him? Does she tell him his ignorance hurt her so much, breaking her heart into pieces? Zyler chuckled. "Thought so. You don't know what you want."
"That's not the point," she simmered, frustration edging her voice. "That's not the damn point at all." His uncharacteristic lack of anger only served to intensify her turmoil. Where was his authority, his commanding presence, that once left her breathless? Where was his possessive "you are mine" attitude that she had grown accustomed to?
He closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, his presence overwhelming as he stood before her. With a swift motion, he seized her jaw in his hand, his touch firm and commanding. Before she could react, he lifted her effortlessly by her thighs, pressing her body against the wall with an intensity that stole her breath away. His eyes blazed with fiery intensity, a storm of emotion swirling within their depths.
A startled squeal escaped her lips as she instinctively grabbed onto his shoulders, her fingers digging into his flesh in a desperate attempt to anchor herself. But he showed no signs of relenting, his grip unyielding as he held her pinned against the wall. The raw power of his presence enveloped her, leaving her trembling in his grasp, both exhilarated and unnerved by the overwhelming force of his passion.
"Do you think this is fun, Autumn?" His voice was a low growl as he pressed her harder into the wall, causing her breath to catch in her throat. "Huh? Do you think this is fun for me? To play this game of cat and mouse, to make you feel like a helpless little bird trapped in a lion's mouth. Is that what you want?"
His words struck her like a physical blow, his intensity palpable as he held her captive against the wall. The weight of his gaze bore down on her, his frustration and anger simmering beneath the surface. Fear mingled with arousal, a potent mix that left her trembling in his grasp.
"If that's what you want," he continued, his voice thick with emotion, "then I'll show you exactly what it feels like to be a helpless bird. How helpless it is to be the one on the other side. To be helpless like me."
Her eyes widened at his sudden accusation. "You?" She couldn't believe he thought he was helpless.
"Yes, Me. Do you want to know what it is like to be powerless? Powerless for a man like me?" He squeezed her jaw.
"Do you know what it feels like for a powerful man to be on his knees, begging you to say? Do you think stalking, chasing, eating, and fucking you was power? Do you think it was strength? Control?" his eyes darted from her lips to her eyes. There was no voice for her to say a thing. She just stared at him.
"Why did you think I chased you through that forest and I stalked you? Do you know why?" He pinched her jaw, and she hissed. "Do you know?"
She shook her head. "You have said it yourself many times that I cannot have you or your love. Do you remember that?" he inhaled her scent like a wolf.
"The one thing I wanted in my life was you. Your love, your devotion. All of it." He licked her neck like a feral wolf, digging his teeth as she hissed.
"You are the one in control. You are the one in power. You are the one that has me on my motherfucking knees," he declared, his words dripping with raw intensity as he pressed his lips to the bite mark he had left on her skin while she was lost in a whirlwind of emotions.
"I took and took because that's all I knew how to do. I had no home, but I found it in you. The more you resisted, the more I wanted. The more you shone with your light, the more I consumed you like a black hole. Because you are mine, and you had the power," he confessed, his voice huskily against her neck as he trailed kisses along her skin.
"You had the power, and you never used it. That's what's wrong with me, Autumn. That's what fucking wrong with me," he murmured, his words heavy with regret and longing.
"Your betrayal wrung me into death, but that doesn't matter. This fucking heart wants you," he grabbed her arm and put it on his chest. His heart was racing like a jet engine. "This heart beats for you. You are the one on my throne."
"Order me, and I will rip it out. Do you think your betrayal hurt me?" He moved his hands to her hips and squeezed her waist. "Answer me, do you?"
She shook, answering yes. "No. It was your leaving that hurt the most." Her eyes widened again. How could this man forgive her betrayal?
The shadows seemed to cling to Zyler, accentuating the hard lines of his face and the unyielding resolve in his eyes. A mix of fear and longing dancing in her gaze, Autumn found herself pinned not just by his hands but by the weight of their past, the silent accusations and unspoken desires hanging heavy between them.
"I will live looking at you," Zyler's fingers pressed into her arms with a possessiveness that bordered on painful, a physical manifestation of his pent-up yearning. His touch had no gentleness, only the raw, unfiltered need that had simmered beneath the surface during their years apart. Autumn's back hit the wall with a soft thud, a stark reminder of the inevitability of this moment. It was as if the universe had conspired to bring them back to this collision point, where the line between love and obsession blurred.
With a ferocity born of desperation, Zyler's lips crashed against Autumn's, a collision of passion and longing. His tongue sought hers with an intensity that left no room for hesitation, plunging into the warm, inviting depths of her mouth. Autumn welcomed him with open arms, her desire, a mirror to his, a conflagration that threatened to consume them both.
The taste of hers was intoxicating, a heady mix of heaven and sin that drove him to the brink of madness. Her lips, soft and pliant beneath his, were the balm to his tortured soul, the answer to every unspoken question that had plagued him during their time apart. This kiss was not just a meeting of mouths but a merging of spirits, a testament to their enduring connection that no amount of time or distance could sever.
As they delved deeper into the kiss, the world around them faded into obscurity, leaving nothing but their passion's fierce, all-consuming blaze. Zyler's hands roamed Autumn's body with a possessive urgency, tracing the contours of her figure, memorizing every curve and hollow with a reverent attention that left her breathless.
This was more than a mere reunion; it was a rebirth, a phoenix rising from the ashes of their past. In this moment, they were invincible, two souls intertwined in a dance as old as time, moving to the rhythm of their shared heartbeat. The darkness that had once threatened to tear them apart was now the very thing that bound them together, a testament to the enduring power of love in the face of adversity.
This book will soon come to an end. Ask me any questions you want. Thank you for the journey you have been on with me.