Prologue

Aeni's scream pierced the night as Ayden wrenched open the car door. Before she could scramble away, he grabbed her-rough, furious-and threw her over his shoulder like a ragdoll.

"Let go of me! Ayden!" she cried, her fists pounding weakly against his back.

But he didn't flinch.

His footsteps were thunder-each one pounding with fury and purpose as he stormed up the stairs of the mansion.

"Put me down! Please!" she sobbed, legs kicking in vain. "You're hurting me!"

"You think I give a damn after what you pulled today?" he snarled, voice deadly low. "You ran from me. You actually ran."

"You locked me in!" she screamed. "You took me from my family!"

Ayden's jaw tightened. "And you belong with me now."

His footsteps echoed through the vast marble hall as he marched up the stairs, each step heavier, faster, like the rage inside him was pushing him forward. Her pleas bounced off the walls, desperate, cracking.

"Put me down! Please-please, I'm scared!"

"You didn't do that right, Fairy," he growled, his voice vibrating with barely contained rage. "You thought you were clever?"

She cried harder. "I didn't mean to-Ayden, please! Please don't hurt me!"

With a brutal thud, he kicked open the bedroom door and stormed inside. He dropped her roughly to the floor. She whimpered, trying to crawl away, but he was already walking to the drawer.

"I didn't want to do this to you," he snarled, yanking it open. "You forced my hand."

When he turned, the metal tether glinted in his grip.

Aeni's eyes widened. She scrambled back until her spine hit the wall, breath caught in her throat.

"Wha-what a-are you doing?" she gasped, voice cracking in terror.

Ayden's brown eyes locked on hers, unreadable and cold. "What I should have done earlier."

"No! No, no, please-don't be a demon in real," she sobbed, shaking violently. "Ayden, please-please!"

He didn't flinch. "Then don't make me become one."

He crossed the room and chained her wrists, then her ankles. The iron was cold, heavy, biting into her skin.

She writhed, screamed, begged. "It hurts-Ayden, it hurts! I said I won't run again! Please untie me-Ayden!"

But he didn't answer.

His jaw was clenched, eyes burning as he stared at her-this sobbing, broken girl he once swore he'd protect.

"I never wanted this," he said through gritted teeth. "But maybe this is the only way you'll understand. You don't run from me."

Then he turned.

Without looking back, he walked out the door and slammed it shut behind him, sealing in her screams.

"Ay-Ayden, Ayden no! Please don't do this! Ayden, I'm scared-please come back! Don't leave me here alone like this! Please don't go after binding me like this. You can't hurt me, right? But it's hurting-please untie me. It's hurting, Ayden. Please, come back. I-I won't do anything like that again. But you... you come back."

Her voice broke as tears and hiccups wracked her body. She cried so hard her breath faltered, her face drenched in tears.

Even as he descended the stairs, her anguished wails chased after him, echoing down the halls. But he didn't look back. He left the mansion, leaving her alone in the dark.