“A Love That Destroys”

I run.

The cold night air bites at my skin, my heart hammering in my chest as I push through the crowded streets, slipping into shadows whenever I hear footsteps behind me.

I was supposed to disappear.

I made a deal.

Elias promised that if I left Damian’s life forever, he would let him go. And yet… I can feel him chasing me.

I don’t know how he found me, but I can feel his presence like a storm on the horizon. Damian Calloway is coming for me.

And I don’t know if I want to run or let him catch me. The old cabin is hidden deep in the forest, miles away from the city.

It was my safe house. The place I used to go when I needed to disappear.

But tonight, it doesn’t feel safe.

Not when I hear the sound of a car pulling up outside. Not when I hear footsteps approaching the door. Not when the door slams open. And Damian Calloway walks in.

His blue eyes burn with fury as he strides toward me, his breath heavy, his fists clenched. His suit jacket is gone, his white shirt slightly wrinkled like he’s been running his hands through his hair over and over again.

He looks like a man on the edge. And I pushed him there. I step back, but he’s too fast.

Before I can react, he grabs my wrist, pulling me close.

His scent—dark spice and something purely him—wraps around me like a chain.

His voice is low, raw, filled with emotion. “Did you really think you could leave me?”

My breath catches. “You were supposed to let me go, Damian.”

His grip tightens. “You think I had a choice?”

I try to pull away, but he doesn’t let me.

“I had to do it,” I whisper. “It was the only way to keep you safe.”

His jaw clenches. “I don’t need you to protect me, Selene. I need you to stop running from me.”

I shake my head, my chest aching. “It’s not that simple.”

“It is.”

His other hand cups my face, forcing me to look at him. “I don’t want Ivy. I don’t want this life my father built for me. I only ever wanted you.”

“Damian—”

“No.” His voice drops lower, almost breaking. “You don’t get to decide for me. You don’t get to leave me behind.”

The weight of his words hits me all at once.

He’s not just angry. He’s desperate. And so am I. I stop fighting.

And then—

His lips crash against mine. The moment his lips touch mine, everything else disappears. I fall into him. Into his hands, his heat, his breath. It’s not a kiss of forgiveness.

It’s a kiss of punishment.

A kiss that says, I hate you for leaving. I love you for coming back.

His hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer, pressing my body against his. I can feel his heartbeat—pounding just as hard as mine.

His mouth moves rough, desperate, demanding. Like he’s trying to prove something. Like he’s trying to burn himself into me so I’ll never leave again.

I grab his shirt, pulling him closer, not caring about the consequences.

Not caring about anything except the way he’s touching me.

We move together, lost in each other, our bodies remembering what our minds tried to forget.

I shouldn’t be doing this. But I can’t stop. Because Damian has always been my destruction. And I am his.

A soft voice cuts through the air.

“Now I know who he truly loves.”

I freeze.

Damian’s body goes still. Slowly, I turn.

And there—standing in the doorway, watching us with a smile on her lips—is Ivy Monroe.

She doesn’t look surprised. She doesn’t look angry. She looks… satisfied.

My stomach tightens. “Ivy.”

She steps forward, her emerald eyes gleaming. “I should have known.”

Her voice is calm. Too calm. Like she’s been waiting for this moment.

Damian’s jaw clenches. “Ivy, whatever you think—”

“Oh, I’m not thinking, Damian,” she interrupts, her smile widening. “I’m just confirming what I already knew.”

She tilts her head, looking at me.

“And how Selene broke the agreement that she would stay away from you.”

My blood runs cold. I had promised Elias. I had promised to leave. And now I’ve broken that promise. I stepped right back into the trap.

Ivy chuckles softly, shaking her head. “You really should have run farther, Selene.”

I take a step back, my heart pounding. Damian moves instinctively in front of me, shielding me from her gaze. But Ivy just smiles. And in that moment—

I know something terrible is about to happen.