Dark Wish

And now I’m going to have to beg to get it back.

Eli

When I close the door behind me, she tenses up, which is exactly what I’d expect from a girl like her. Like a lost doe, she’s still willing to fight as though it would ever give her an inkling of a chance to escape.

I gaze at the food that remains untouched on the table. A smirk spreads on my lips.

“You haven’t eaten,” I say.

She doesn’t reply. Of course not. Who would when there’s a monster standing in your room?

That’s what she thinks of me, and it clearly shows on her face.

But I am not the monster here … she is.

She just doesn’t know it.

But she will … soon. It’s only a matter of time.

They all succumb to this place, and she is no exception, no matter how much she thinks she is. The harder she fights, the easier it is to get to her.

But I will start slowly … there’s no rush with perfection.

I step in closer, and her fingers instinctively curl up the bedding underneath her. Each step I take makes her push herself back across the bed until there’s no more room, and she’s stuck against the wall.

I sit down on the bed beside her, watching her chest rise and fall with each heavy breath, as though she’s contemplating whether to try to escape. But the door is locked, and no one has the key except me. And I know she knows this. Her eyes already found it the minute I stepped into this room and tucked that key into my pocket. And if she wants it, she knows she’s going to have to either fight me … or beg.

And I think we both already know which option she’s going to choose.

I hold out my hand, but she inches back and grabs the blanket, covering herself with it as though she intends to hide from me.

“Don’t be scared. I won’t bite,” I say, adding a gentle smile.

“Why are you doing this to me?” she asks.

“You know why.”

I cock my head and scoot a little closer until she can no longer crawl back. I reach over to the blanket she’s clutching and slowly drape it down her body until her beautiful dress is shown to me again.

“You don’t have to hide from me. I won’t hurt you.”

She shivers in place, and her eyes flutter from the key in my pocket to my eyes and back again, almost like an injured animal contemplating what to do.

“You won’t get this key,” I say, lowering my head to meet her gaze. “And if you do, the guards will stop you from escaping.”

She swallows, and the look on her face changes from determined to hopeless in a matter of seconds. A pure delight to witness.

“What do you plan on doing with me? Are you just going to keep me here like some pet?” she asks.

“Perhaps.” I raise my brows. “Or maybe I am not as evil as you think I am.”

“You stole me away from my home,” she says through gritted teeth.

“I took you because you asked me to,” I reply, and I lean in to grab her chin. “And don’t ever think I will forget that.”

She jerks her head out of my soft grip and looks the other way as though it will give her power just to spite me. But I cannot let my arrogance get to me and let her control the narrative.

“This will be your home for now,” I say, firmly planting my hands on my knees. “And you will do as you’re told.”

“Why?” she asks. “Why should I?”

“Do not test me, Amelia,” I retort, the harshness in my tone enough to make her soften her look. “I may look like a gentle man, but I am far from it. I will break you if I have to.”

“Break me? But I didn’t do anything,” she exclaims.

“You didn’t?” I raise a brow at her, which makes her pupils dilate. “Or is it just that you can’t remember?”

Her body begins to quake. “What are you talking about?”

“You knew you needed punishment … but you don’t know why.” I lean into her and place a hand on the bedding beside her. “Curious, don’t you think?”

Her lips quiver. “You’re lying.”

“I wish I was, little angel.” I grab a loose strand of her hair and tuck it behind her ear. “But you are a sinner.”

“Tell me what I did then,” she hisses.

I smile again. “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” I say, cocking my head as my finger lingers on her cheek. “But you will learn when you’re ready.”

“I don’t believe you,” she murmurs, but the tears welling up in her eyes tell me that’s a lie.

“You keep telling yourself that. Maybe you’ll believe it eventually,” I say.

She makes a tsk sound. “Did you just come here to gloat?”