CHAPTER 4

NATALIA POV

The moment the front door clicked shut behind them, my legs gave way beneath me and I sank onto the nearest chair, my heart hammering wildly against my ribs as if trying to break free. Marco. The man I had loved for three years, the man who had shattered my heart only days ago… was Drakon’s son. The son of the man who had pulled me into the shadows, who had kissed me senseless, who now stood on the verge of becoming my stepfather.

The realization was dizzying, terrifying, and impossibly tangled. How could this be? How could the two men who now held my fate in their hands be father and son? And how long would it take before everything unraveled and burned me to ash?

“Natalia? Are you all right?” My mother hurried over, her face lined with concern as she knelt beside me. “You look as though you have seen a ghost.”

I forced a shaky breath, reaching out to touch her hand. “I… I am fine, Mother. Just… surprised. That is all. I never imagined… that Marco was Drakon’s son.”

She smiled gently, patting my cheek. “It is truly a small world, is it not? And think of it, my dear — if things work out between Drakon and me, then you and Marco would practically be family. Perhaps… perhaps there is still hope for you two?”

The suggestion nearly choked me. Hope? With Marco? After everything he had done? And while his father looked at me with eyes that promised ruin and desire in equal measure?

“Mother, please,” I said softly, pulling my hand away. “Marco and I are finished. Truly. We are better off as strangers.”

She sighed, but nodded. “Very well. I will not press you. But I do hope you will give Drakon a chance. He is a wonderful man, Natalia. He treats me with such kindness and respect. I have not felt this safe in years.”

Safe, she called it. I bit back a bitter laugh. She had no idea. She had no clue that the man she trusted so blindly had held me in his arms, had tasted my lips, had whispered that I belonged to him. And he was her boyfriend. The man she intended to marry.

“I am glad you are happy, Mother,” I said instead, standing up and forcing a smile that felt brittle. “Truly.”

 

Two days later, Drakon returned.

My mother had stepped out briefly to run an errand, leaving me alone in the house. I had thought I would have time to prepare myself, to steel my nerves — but when the door opened and he walked in, tall and imposing, filling the hallway with his presence, my breath caught in my throat just as it always did.

He locked the door behind him.

Panic flared in my chest. “Drakon… what are you doing here? My mother will be back any moment.”

He walked toward me slowly, each deliberate step closing the distance between us until I was forced to step back, my spine pressing against the living room wall. He towered over me, his dark eyes sweeping over my face, heavy with something raw and hungry.

“Let her come back,” he said, his voice low and rough, sending shivers racing over my skin. “Let her walk in and see exactly who I have come to see.”

My eyes widened. “You would not dare.”

“Would I not?” He leaned one hand against the wall beside my head, trapping me in place, his face inches from mine. “Everything has changed now, Natalia. Everything. Marco is my son. And knowing what I know… seeing the way he looked at you last night, the way he treated you… I understand now why you ran that night. Why you were crying.” His gaze darkened, turning stormy and fierce. “He broke your heart. And for that, he will pay.”

“It was a long time ago,” I whispered, though my heart was racing. “You do not need to defend me.”

Drakon lowered his head until his lips brushed my ear, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl.

“I am not defending you, Natalia. I am claiming what should have been mine from the very beginning. He threw you away. He did not know the treasure he held in his hands. But I do.” He pulled back slightly, his dark gaze locking onto mine with terrifying intensity. “That night in the alley… you were hurting. You were vulnerable. And yet… you responded to me. Your body remembered mine. Tell me I am wrong.”

I could not speak. I could not deny it. No matter how wrong it was, no matter how forbidden, my traitorous heart raced at his nearness.

“You are Marco’s father,” I managed to say, tears stinging my eyes. “You are the man my mother loves. This… whatever this is between us… it is wrong. It cannot happen.”

Drakon lifted his hand, his thumb brushing gently over my trembling bottom lip. The touch was searing.

“I did not choose this, Natalia. But I will not pretend I am sorry it happened. That night changed everything. And seeing you again… knowing who you are… it only made me certain of one thing.” He leaned closer, his forehead resting against mine. “I will not be like him. I will not cast you aside. I will not lie to you. And I will certainly not let anyone else hurt you. Not him. Not anyone.”

“Drakon… please…”

“Tell me to stop,” he challenged, his voice rough with desire. “Tell me you do not feel this pull between us, and I will walk away. But do not lie to me, Natalia. Not when your heart is beating as wildly as mine.”

Before I could form a reply, before I could even decide whether to push him away or pull him closer, the front gate creaked open.

My mother.

Drakon did not pull away. He did not step back. Instead, he straightened slowly, his expression shifting instantly into calm composure — as if he had not just been holding me trapped against the wall, as if he had not just been about to kiss me breathless. He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his touch lingering just a second too long, his eyes burning with a promise he dared not speak aloud.

“Remember this, Natalia,” he whispered so softly I barely heard it. “I am not my son. And I do not lose what belongs to me.”

The door opened. My mother walked in, smiling brightly — until she saw us standing so close, the flush on my cheeks, the way I could not seem to meet her eyes.

“Oh,” she said, pausing in the doorway. “I did not realize you were already here, Drakon.”

Drakon turned to her with a warm, practiced smile, reaching out to take her hand and pull her gently into his arms. “I arrived early, Elena. I hope you do not mind. I simply could not wait to see you.”

My mother blushed, completely charmed, completely oblivious. “Of course not. That is very sweet.”

I stood there frozen, watching the man who had just been trapping me against the wall embrace my mother with such tenderness, such ease. It was terrifying. He could switch it on and off like a light. And I was the only one who saw the darkness beneath.

“Natalia was just telling me how surprised she was to learn that Marco is my son,” Drakon said smoothly, glancing back at me over his shoulder with a look that dared me to say a word. “Small world, is it not?”

“Indeed,” my mother agreed happily. “Perhaps Marco will come around more often now. It would be lovely to see him again, would it not, Natalia?”

My blood ran cold. Drakon’s gaze sharpened on me, waiting. Watching.

“Yes,” I managed to say, my voice trembling only slightly. “Lovely.”

Drakon’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. “I am certain he will. And when he does… I will make sure he learns to treat you with the respect you deserve.”

The double meaning hung in the air, heavy and unmistakable. He was not just speaking as a father. He was speaking as a man who intended to keep me for himself.

And as I turned away, unable to bear his gaze a moment longer, I realized with sinking certainty… I was caught. Caught between the man who had broken me and the man who would burn the world down to possess me. And there was nowhere left to run.

 

TO BE CONTINUE