Chapter 4 The Devil's Claim

Night fell too quickly.

Aria sat at the edge of the massive bed, her hands twisting the silk of her dress. The clock ticked louder with every second, each chime echoing in her chest like a countdown to doom.

She had spent the whole day trapped in her thoughtsof her family, of her mother's pleading eyes, of the man she was now chained to.

The door creaked open.

Damien entered, his presence sucking the air from the room. He had shed his jacket, his white shirt clinging to broad shoulders, sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms marked faintly with scars.

Predator. That's what he looked like. A lion stepping into his den.

Aria's breath caught as his eyes locked on her.

"You're nervous." His voice was low, smooth, deadly calm.

"I'm not," she lied.

He smirked, closing the door behind him with a soft click that sounded louder than thunder. "You should be."

He moved closer, unhurried, every step deliberate. She wanted to run, but her body refused to obey. When he stopped in front of her, she could feel the heat radiating off him.

Damien tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Do you know why I married you, Aria?"

Her lips parted, trembling. "To... control me?"

His smirk deepened, but his gaze hardened. "Control is part of it. But no..." he leaned closer, his breath hot against her ear "I married you because once I set my eyes on something, I don't let go. Ever."

Her heart pounded painfully. "You don't even know me."

"I don't need to." His hand slid from her chin to the back of her neck, firm, possessive. "You're mine now. That's all that matters."

Aria tried to push him back, her palms pressing against his chest. It was like pushing against steel.

"Stop fighting," he murmured, his lips hovering dangerously close to hers. "You'll only make me want you more."

Her breath hitched. She hated him. She feared him. And yet, when his lips brushed hers gentle at first, then demanding her body betrayed her with a shiver.

The kiss deepened, raw and consuming, until she felt like he was stealing the very air from her lungs. His hand gripped her waist, pulling her closer, burning her through the silk of her dress.

When he finally pulled back, his gray eyes were darker, hungrier.

"Remember this, Aria," Damien whispered, his voice a dangerous vow. "From tonight onward, there is no you without me. You are mine in every way that matters."

Her chest rose and fell in shallow breaths, torn between resistance and the fire his touch ignited inside her.

And in that moment, she realized the cruel truth:

The devil hadn't just bound her with a contract.

He was binding her with her own heart.