Chapter 11 The Descent

• Noah didn’t know how long he stood in the empty bar, his heart pounding in his chest, still feeling the heat of Elias’s touch on his skin. His body was in chaos, his thoughts spiraling. Everything inside him screamed for release, but there was no escape. He was caught, tangled in Elias’s web, and he couldn’t figure out whether he wanted out—or if he ever truly could.
• The kiss still lingered on his lips, a fierce, demanding imprint that left him shaking. Every part of him burned with need, with a hunger he didn’t understand and couldn’t control. It wasn’t just physical; it was something deeper, darker, that felt like it was seeping into his very soul.
• Noah finally exhaled, his breath coming in shallow gasps. He turned around and walked to the back of the bar, the motion mechanical, as if he were on autopilot. His hands trembled as he wiped down the counter, trying to keep busy, trying to regain some sense of control. But it was impossible.
• Elias had gotten under his skin, and there was nothing Noah could do to erase it. The more he resisted, the more Elias pushed. The more he pulled away, the deeper Elias’s grip seemed to grow. It was maddening. Every time Elias was near, Noah’s heart raced, and a dark, primal part of him wanted to let go completely. But then the fear would hit. The realization that he was spiraling, losing himself in Elias’s world.
• And the worst part was, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to stop.
• A knock at the door pulled Noah from his thoughts. His head snapped up, and he froze when he saw Elias standing there, leaning casually against the doorframe, a dark smirk playing on his lips. The sight of him was enough to send a fresh wave of heat rushing through Noah’s body.
• “I thought you might need some company,” Elias said, his voice low, almost teasing, as he stepped inside. His eyes flickered over Noah’s body, the look dark and possessive, as if he owned every inch of him.
• Noah swallowed hard, his throat dry. He wanted to say something, anything, to push Elias away, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he stood there, frozen, watching Elias approach.
• “You’ve been avoiding me,” Elias continued, his gaze never leaving Noah. “But we both know you’re not as strong as you think. You’ve always been mine. You just don’t want to admit it.”
• Noah felt a shiver run down his spine. His mouth went dry, and despite everything, despite the fear gnawing at him, he found himself wanting to give in. He wanted to give in to Elias’s touch, to the overwhelming desire that seemed to consume him whenever the man was near. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t let himself be broken, not like this.
• “I’m not yours,” Noah finally managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper. He hated how weak he sounded, how much he wanted Elias to prove him wrong. But he had to hold on. He couldn’t lose himself.
• Elias’s lips curled into a dark, knowing smile. He was enjoying this, the struggle, the push and pull between them. “Liar,” he said softly, stepping even closer until there was barely any space left between them. “You want this just as much as I do, Noah. You just won’t admit it. You can fight it, but eventually, you’ll give in. You always do.”
• Noah’s heart skipped a beat. Elias was right. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to pull away, to push Elias out of his life. But there was another part of him, a darker, more desperate part, that wanted nothing more than to let Elias claim him completely. To let him shatter everything that Noah had carefully built up.
• “Stop,” Noah said, though it lacked the conviction it needed. “Just stop.”
• But Elias wasn’t stopping. Not now. Not ever.
• Elias cupped Noah’s face, his touch gentle, but there was a darkness in his eyes, a storm brewing that Noah could feel in the pit of his stomach. “You’re mine, Noah. I’ve always known it. And you’ve always known it too.”
• Noah shook his head, trying to pull away, but Elias’s grip tightened. He wasn’t going anywhere. Not until Elias decided it was time.
• “You don’t know anything about me,” Noah said, but even as he said it, he could feel the lies building up. Elias did know him. He knew his every weakness, his every desire. And the worst part was, Noah was beginning to let him.
• “I know everything,” Elias said, his voice soft, almost affectionate. “And I know you want this. You want me just as much as I want you.”
• The words hit Noah like a punch to the gut. He wanted to deny it, wanted to fight back, but the truth was, Elias was right. He wanted Elias—wanted him in ways that terrified him, in ways that made him feel like he was losing control of everything.
• Elias’s thumb brushed over Noah’s lower lip, and the touch sent a surge of heat through Noah’s body. His breath hitched, and for a moment, everything else faded away. It was just him and Elias, caught in the tangled web of desire and obsession.
• “You’re already mine,” Elias whispered, his lips brushing against Noah’s ear. “And I’m not going to let you go. Not ever.”
• Noah closed his eyes, the words crashing over him. He could feel the weight of them, the finality, the truth that seemed to settle deep inside him. It wasn’t just a physical pull anymore; it was something more. Something dark, consuming, and he was powerless to fight it.
• When Elias kissed him again, it wasn’t gentle. It was urgent, needy, as if they both knew there was no turning back. Noah’s hands gripped Elias’s shirt, pulling him closer, as if he could erase the distance between them, as if he could drown in the feeling of Elias’s lips on his.
• But even as their bodies collided, even as the kiss deepened and grew more desperate, Noah couldn’t shake the feeling that he was falling. Falling into Elias’s world, into his obsession. He was losing himself, and it terrified him—but at the same time, there was a part of him that wanted to fall further.
• And the more he gave in, the more he realized that maybe he didn’t want to stop. Maybe he
• didn’t have the strength to fight it anymore.
• ---