CHAPTER 3 ECHOES OF POSSESSION

Chapter 3 Echoes of Possession

The warmth of his hand lingered on my skin even as he pulled it back, that playful smirk doing dangerous things to my heartbeat. When his fingers laced through mine again, squeezing gently, the contrast between the tenderness of the gesture and the possessive fire in his dark eyes made my breath catch. His lips brushed my jaw, a soft promise whispered against my skin. "Whatever you want, baby. Just say the word, and I'll do anything you ask of me. I'm all yours, always."

My gaze dropped instinctively, skimming down his body, trying to gauge the truth in his words through the fabric of his pants. The evidence was frustratingly inconclusive. My mind, treacherous and sharp, supplied the bitter thought: *Of course it's boring for him. He's played this game with so many women. Touching my tits is just another Tuesday.* The heat of shame crawled up my neck. "Hey Alex," I said, the words tasting like acid. "I hate you."

He caught my glance, his eyes narrowing with predatory understanding. Before I could pull away, his hand captured mine, pressing my palm firmly against the hard, thick length straining against his zipper. A dark, hungry smirk claimed his mouth as he pushed my hand harder against him, his voice dropping to a rough whisper in my ear. "See that? Only you do this to me, baby. No one else has ever made me feel half this desperate for them. Only you."

A flush of pure, undeniable heat flooded through me. My cheeks burned. I snatched my hand back as if scalded, the phantom imprint of him searing my palm. I had to reclaim some control, some piece of high ground. "I never slept with that man in the brothel, past life honey," I stated, forcing my voice to be steady. "It was all an act."

His response was immediate, disarming in its gentleness. He threaded a hand through my hair, tilting my chin up to meet a kiss so soft it felt like an apology. His other arm wrapped firmly around my waist, pulling me flush against the solid wall of his chest. There was no hesitation in his tone, only a quiet, unshakable certainty. "I know, my love. I never once doubted you. You've always been mine, and I've always been yours. Nothing that happened then changes that."

The sincerity in his voice was a weapon sharper than his anger. It made me want to shatter it, to test its limits. To see if I could make him as crazy as he made me. "U sure," I breathed, lifting my eyes to his, "but I do want multiple d*cks."

The change in him was instantaneous. A fraction of a second where his jaw tightened to granite, a flicker of something feral in the depths of his gaze. Then, a cold, possessive smirk twisted his lips. One hand fisted in the hair at the nape of my neck, holding me still. His voice dropped to a low, dangerous rumble against my skin. "You don't get to want anyone else. You're mine. Only mine. I'll kill any man that even looks at you, let alone touches what belongs to me."

He bit down softly on the side of my neck, a claiming sting that would surely leave a mark. His hand slid down to squeeze my ass hard through my clothes, his breath hot and rough. "You're my little teasing whore, aren't you? But you know what happens when you say things like that, don't you? You're mine, and I'm not sharing you with anyone."

The words, so familiar, sent a chill through me that had nothing to do with fear. It was the chill of memory. "But I do want multiple in me," I said, my voice deliberately flat, meeting his blazing gaze without flinching. "And I'm literally 100% honest."

He moved with a speed that stole the air from my lungs. My back slammed against the rough brick wall of the alley, the impact jarring my teeth. His hand wrapped tight around my throat, not enough to cut off air, but enough to demonstrate his power, his control. Cold, furious fire blazed in his dark eyes as he pressed his body hard against mine, pinning me. "Say that one more time. I dare you. I'll carve any man's heart out that touches what's mine. You belong to me alone. Don't you ever forget that."

And there it was. The echo. The ghost of another lifetime, another alley, another version of him saying those exact words while I begged and cried. The pain of it was a physical thing, a fresh wound ripped open. I didn't struggle. I just looked at him, letting him see the old hurt reflected in my eyes. "It doesn't change the fact," I whispered, the words scraping raw. "This lifetime I'll fuck anyone I want. But don't worry Alex, you are only mine. Only you matters. To no one else. They are just my play things."

His grip tightened. The pressure increased, a warning. His thumb brushed roughly over my bottom lip, his voice a deadly whisper. "If you even think about touching another man, I'll break every bone in his body and chain you to our bed. You don't get to play with anyone else. You're mine, forever."

The silence that followed was thick with the ghosts of our past. I held his gaze, letting the memory settle between us. "And this," I said softly, my voice steady despite the tremor in my soul, "is what you did last life. And these are the exact words you said." I paused, letting the realization hit him. "Now you know how I felt hearing those words...?"

The effect was immediate. His grip loosened around my throat as if my skin had burned him. The fury drained from his face, leaving behind a stark, hollowed-out expression. The blaze in his eyes guttered, replaced by a glistening sheen of raw regret. He cupped my cheek, his touch impossibly soft now, a stark contrast to the violence of moments before. "I see now," he murmured, the words thick with pain. "I was cruel. I'll spend the rest of this life making it up to you. Just don't ever leave me."

The vulnerability in his voice was my undoing. It was the crack in his armor I'd been trying to find. I shoved him back, my hand connecting with the hard muscle of his abdomen. "I hit his abandonment and get out of the car," I stated, turning and walking away without looking back.

I heard the car door open, but he didn't chase me immediately. I could feel his gaze on my back, a tangible weight. After a moment, his footsteps followed, slow and heavy. His voice, when it came, was rough with remorse. "I'm sorry. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I won't stop trying to earn it. Please just talk to me."

I stopped, turning to face him. The streetlights haloed his hair, catching the regret etched into his handsome features. A tiny, bitter part of me relished his pain. "It depends on your performance, honey."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***