Chapter Nine – No One Else’s

I didn’t sleep.

Not even after the guards dragged the intruder away and Adrian locked every window and door himself.

He stayed with me — not on the couch, not in the armchair, but sitting on the edge of the bed like a sentry, still wearing his black shirt from earlier, the sleeves rolled up, forearms tense and unmoving.

“Lie down,” he ordered quietly when he caught me watching him.

“I’m not tired.”

His eyes met mine, sharp in the dim firelight. “That wasn’t a request, Emma.”

I hesitated, but the heaviness in his voice made my chest tighten. I slipped under the covers, my mind still replaying the moment the lock clicked open, the glint of a blade in the intruder’s hand.

Adrian didn’t move to leave. Instead, he stood, went around to the other side of the bed, and slid under the covers himself.

I sat up. “What are you—”

“You heard what I said earlier.” His voice was low, almost dangerous. “You don’t sleep without me in the room. If I’m going to keep you alive, I’m going to be here. Close.”

The mattress dipped under his weight, his presence filling the space between us. I could feel the heat radiating from him, even without touching.

“This is ridiculous,” I muttered, trying to mask the way my pulse had picked up.

“No,” he said, turning his head to look at me, “what’s ridiculous is that anyone thought they could take you from me.”

The word me burned more than I wanted to admit.

I tried to roll onto my side, away from him, but his hand shot out, wrapping around my wrist with just enough pressure to keep me still. “I don’t think you understand, Emma. The second you stepped into this house, you became mine to protect. Mine to punish if necessary. And mine to keep.”

My breath caught. “You’re making it sound like I’m some… possession.”

“You are,” he said simply. “You just don’t want to admit it yet.”

Silence stretched between us, heavy and charged.

“Lucas would disagree,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended.

Adrian’s jaw tightened. “Lucas made his choice. And I’ll make sure he regrets it for the rest of his life.”

There was something in his tone — not just a threat, but a vow. And I suddenly understood why the intruder had looked more afraid of Adrian than of being caught.

“You don’t need to scare me,” I whispered.

“I’m not trying to scare you,” he said, his voice dropping as he leaned in slightly. “I’m trying to make you understand. The danger outside this room isn’t going away. And until it does, you stay here. With me. Every night.”

“And if I refuse?” I asked.

His eyes darkened, a flicker of something possessive and unyielding crossing his face. “You won’t.”

He released my wrist but didn’t move away, his gaze lingering like a touch. Then, almost as if he couldn’t stop himself, he brushed a loose strand of hair from my cheek, his fingers grazing my skin for a fraction too long.

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in a way that had nothing to do with fear.

Because in that moment, I wasn’t sure if the real threat was the people trying to break in…

…or the man lying beside me.