Chapter 9

• The door slammed shut behind Elijah, and the tension in the room seemed to coil tighter, suffocating me.
• Damian stood frozen, staring at the door with a look that sent chills down my spine. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his hands still clenched into tight fists at his sides. He didn’t move. He didn’t speak.
• For a moment, I thought he might break the silence, that maybe he’d turn and walk away. But then his gaze snapped to me, wild and unhinged, as if I were the one responsible for everything spiraling out of control.
• “You’re really going to let him control you?” Damian’s voice was raw, bitter, and laced with something darker, something almost desperate. “After everything we’ve been through, you choose him?”
• I swallowed hard, my throat tight. “I didn’t choose—”
• “Yes, you did,” Damian spat, cutting me off. “You chose him the moment you crawled into his bed. You let him mark you. And now, you’re trapped. Is that what you wanted, Annabel? To be someone else’s prisoner?”
• The accusation struck deep, but I couldn’t let myself sink under the weight of his words. He was wrong—about all of it. I hadn’t chosen Elijah. I hadn’t chosen any of this.
• “I didn’t have a choice,” I said, my voice trembling. “I’m not the one who gave up on us, Damian. You were. You were the one who brought Lilian into our lives. You were the one who pushed me away.”
• His jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he took a step toward me, his presence looming. “So this is payback, is that it? You think you can make me jealous by running to my uncle?”
• I shook my head, my heart racing. “No, Damian, that’s not what this is.”
• “Then what is it?” he growled, his voice rising. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’ve given up on us. It looks like you’ve given yourself to him.”
• I flinched at the intensity in his tone, the weight of his words crushing me. Damian’s eyes burned with a mix of rage and something else—something that looked almost like fear. His control was slipping, and I could see it in the way his hands shook, the way his gaze flickered with uncertainty.
• But instead of retreating, I felt something stir inside me. A strength I hadn’t felt in months. Damian wasn’t the only one losing control. For the first time, I felt like I had some say in my own fate, even if it was buried beneath layers of fear and regret.
• “I’m not yours to control anymore,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, but firm.
• Damian froze, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second before his expression hardened again. “You’ll always be mine,” he snarled, stepping closer until he was inches from me, his breath hot against my skin. “No matter what he says, no matter what he’s done. You’ll never be free of me, Annabel. I won’t let you go.”
• His words sent a shiver down my spine, but I didn’t back down. I couldn’t. I had spent too long being afraid of Damian, of his anger, of his control. But now, something had shifted. Something inside me had changed.
• “I’m not afraid of you anymore,” I whispered, my voice shaking, but the resolve was there.
• For a moment, Damian just stared at me, his eyes searching mine as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. And then, slowly, a cruel smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
• “You should be,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.
• The threat in his words sent a wave of fear through me, but I stood my ground, refusing to let him see how much his words affected me. I wouldn’t let him break me. Not again.
• “I don’t want to fight with you, Damian,” I said, my voice calmer than I felt. “But I can’t keep living like this. I need to be free.”
• Damian’s smile faded, replaced by something colder, more calculating. “You think Elijah’s going to give you freedom? You think he cares about you?” He scoffed, shaking his head. “He’s using you, Annabel. Just like everyone else has.”
• His words struck a chord, but I wouldn’t let them shake me. I knew Elijah wasn’t some savior. He was just another man trying to control me, just like Damian. But the difference was, I wasn’t going to let either of them win.
• “I don’t belong to either of you,” I said, the words leaving my mouth before I could second-guess them.
• Damian’s eyes narrowed, his expression hardening as he stepped even closer, his presence suffocating. “You’re wrong. You’ve always belonged to me, and nothing will change that.”
• Before I could respond, the door swung open again, and Elijah stepped back into the room. His eyes locked onto Damian, his expression unreadable, but the tension in the room spiked instantly.
• “Elijah,” Damian said, his voice cold and dripping with disdain. “I was just explaining to Annabel how things really work.”
• Elijah’s eyes flicked to me briefly before returning to Damian. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I could feel the power radiating from him, the Alpha in him coming to the surface.
• “You need to leave,” Elijah said, his voice calm but firm. “Now.”
• Damian’s eyes flashed with anger, his fists clenching at his sides. “You think you can just order me around? This isn’t over, Elijah. Not by a long shot.”
• Elijah didn’t respond, but the silence that followed was more powerful than any words. The tension between them was palpable, a silent battle for control that had nothing to do with me anymore. It was personal. Too personal.
• Without another word, Damian turned and stormed out of the house, the door slamming shut behind him. The sound echoed through the room, leaving me standing there, breathless and trembling.
• Elijah stepped toward me, his expression softening as he reached out to touch my arm. “Are you okay?”
• I pulled away from him, the touch too much, too soon. “I don’t need your help,” I said, my voice shaky but firm.
• Elijah’s eyes darkened, a flicker of something dangerous passing through them. “You’re not safe with him, Annabel. You know that.”
• “I’m not safe with you either,” I shot back, my voice trembling. “I don’t trust either of you.”
• His jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. “I’m trying to protect you.”
• “I don’t need your protection,” I said, taking a step back. “I need my life back.”
• Elijah’s expression hardened, his eyes cold and calculating. “And how do you plan on doing that?”
• I swallowed hard, my pulse racing as the reality of my situation hit me. I didn’t know. I didn’t have a plan. All I knew was that I couldn’t stay trapped between these two men any longer. I had to find a way out—before it was too late.
• “I’ll figure it out,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
• Elijah didn’t respond, but the look in his eyes told me he didn’t believe me. He didn’t think I could survive without him—or without Damian.
• But I was done being a pawn in their game. I had to be.
• The silence between us grew thick, suffocating, until Elijah finally spoke. “You’ll stay here tonight. We’ll talk in the morning.”
• It wasn’t a request, and I knew there was no point in arguing. I didn’t have anywhere else to go. Not yet.
• “Fine,” I muttered, turning away from him.
• But as I walked up the stairs to the guest room, my mind was racing. I couldn’t stay here, under Elijah’s control, waiting for Damian to come back and reignite this battle between them. I had to leave. I had to get out.
• And I would.