Chapter 4: His dark Side.

Lila Pov

I touched it with two fingers. “What is this?”

“Tribal mark.”

“Does everyone in your… group have one?”

“No. Only certain people.”

“What does that mean?”

He was quiet for a moment. “It means I’m one of the ones who make decisions.”

“You’re being vague on purpose.”

“I know.” He kissed the top of my head. “You’ll understand soon enough. Go back to sleep.”

I wanted to push harder, but the residual fear from the dream made me stay quiet. Eventually I drifted off again with his arms still around me.

I woke up feeling better. Darian was already dressed when I opened my eyes.

“Get ready,” he said. “We’re going out.”

We stopped at a café first for a light breakfast and coffee. When I asked where he was taking me, he only said shopping.

He took me to places I had only ever walked past. Private showrooms, quiet stores with no price tags on the racks. Salespeople who called him by name and never once looked at me like I didn’t belong. He picked out clothes for me—practical, expensive things I never would have chosen for myself, but everything fit perfectly. When I tried to protest about the cost he only looked at me, calm and unmovable.

“I know you don’t want to spend my money,” he said. “But as my woman, you will. It’s not optional.”

I only nodded, too tired to argue and too aware of how easily he made the entire experience feel normal.

On the drive back he suddenly said, “You’re moving out of that apartment. Today.”

I turned in the seat. “I’ve lived there for over a year.”

“It’s not safe anymore. Don’t fight me on this. I wasn’t asking, Lila. I’m telling you.”

“You’re being controlling. We only fuck. You don’t owe me anything.”

“I’m being careful.” His voice stayed even, but there was steel underneath it. “You’re my woman. That means I keep you safe. A vampire binding a human is already rare. Marking one the way I marked you is something the Council does not allow. They will come looking eventually. Your current place has no real security. Mine does.”

I stared at him. “You already have a place ready for me?”

“Yes. We move your things this evening.”

“Why are you acting like this for me?” I looked at him hard. “No, Darian. I’m not moving anywhere just because you said so.”

He was silent for a second. Then he slammed the brakes and brought the car to a hard stop. His head turned toward me, eyes cold.

“Really? You need a formal introduction? You have my mark on your neck. I’m a vampire. Don’t you know anything about how this works?”

“I don’t know, Darian. Maybe if you opened your mouth and explained something—anything—I could understand why you’re being this protective. Look, we have a thing going on, fine. But what does that have to do with me moving? Why are you still so secretive? Is there someone or something after me just because we met? Just because we slept together? What exactly aren’t you telling me?”

His eyes stayed deadly cold. “I hate being questioned. Once I say something, you agree to it. And I’m not asking for your opinion. I’m letting you know.”

“With me, you don’t get to tell me what to do,” I shot back. “Darian, it doesn’t work that way. We communicate.”

He leaned in close, so close I could feel the cold edge of his presence. “There is nothing to communicate here. You are moving into my secure apartment and that is final.”

I laughed in his face. “Then you’ll have to carry me over your shoulder, because it’s not happening.”

I shoved the door open and got out.

He shouted behind me, “Do not walk out on me when I’m talking to you, Lila. Come back here.”

I ignored him. This vampire actually thought he could control me. Ever since he came into my life he’d been dictating everything. It was like I didn’t even have a say anymore.

I wasn’t looking where I was going.

Something cut through the air—an arrow, moving fast. I froze. The blood drained from my face.

Before I could even scream, Darian was in front of me. He caught the arrow mid-flight with a speed that didn’t look human. He snapped it in half without looking at it, then turned his head toward the empty street, eyes already blood-red.

“Show yourselves. Now.”

Three men stepped out from the shadows. One of them spoke. “Darian. The Council found out about the human. They sent us to take her out quietly.”

“She’s not something for you to take out.”

“If your father wants her gone, we do it clean. A human and a vampire don’t belong together. You’re the heir. He will never allow this.”

Darian’s voice dropped into something low and final. “Then go back and tell my father he just made a mistake. Touch her and you die.”

They didn’t listen.

The first one lunged. Darian moved like he’d been waiting for it. He drove his hand straight into the man’s chest, ripped the heart out in one brutal pull, and dropped the body like it weighed nothing. Blood sprayed across the pavement.

The second came from behind with a dagger. Darian turned, caught the wrist, and snapped the neck with a sharp crack that I felt in my teeth. The third tried to drive a blade into his chest. Darian caught the dagger in mid-air, reversed it, and shoved it back into the man’s own heart without slowing down.

It was over in seconds. Bodies on the ground. Blood everywhere. The smell of it thick in the air.

I stood frozen, screaming, covered in the spray.

Darian was in front of me in the next breath, hands on my face, forcing me to look at him.

“Lila. We need to move. Now. I need to get you somewhere safe.”

I stared at the bodies, then at him. “Why is this happening? My quiet life is gone because of you. What the hell is going on?”

“I marked you,” he said, voice rough. “You’re my mate. A human carrying my mark is something the Council will never accept.”

“Then take it off. Remove the mark.”

His eyes stayed red. “It’s too late for that. Once it’s placed, it doesn’t come off.”