Chapter 12 The Breaking Point

• Noah awoke to the sound of rain battering against the windows, the relentless rhythm like the pounding of his own heart. He had barely slept. His body was still aching from the intensity of the night before, but it wasn’t the physical ache that kept him awake. It was Elias. That kiss, that dark pull that seemed to invade every part of him, left him restless. Even in the quiet of his apartment, he could feel Elias’s presence like a shadow in the corners of his mind.
• He ran a hand through his hair and sat up, blinking in the dim light. The storm outside reflected the chaos inside him. A storm that had started the moment Elias had entered his life, and now, it seemed to be building toward something inevitable. Something he couldn’t escape, no matter how hard he tried.
• His thoughts were a mess. One moment, he hated Elias with every fiber of his being. The next, he wanted him more than anything. Noah clenched his fists at his sides, trying to push the thoughts away. But they wouldn’t leave. Elias was everywhere: in the way his lips had tasted, in the way his body had responded, in the way he seemed to control every part of Noah’s soul without even trying.
• He couldn’t do this anymore.
• Noah rose from the bed, the sudden movement sharp and full of urgency. He needed to get out. To clear his head. He grabbed his jacket, not caring that it was still early, and stormed out of his apartment, the cool night air hitting his face like a slap. He needed space. He needed time. He needed to breathe without the weight of Elias’s shadow hanging over him.
• But as he walked, the familiar streets of the city felt alien. Nothing felt the same. He felt like he was walking through a dream, disconnected from reality, and every corner he turned, every streetlight he passed, seemed to pull him back toward Elias.
• When he reached the bar, he wasn’t sure how he got there. His feet had carried him there without him even realizing it. He paused in front of the door, feeling the familiar weight of the place on his shoulders. It was a sanctuary, a place where he had always felt in control. But tonight, it felt suffocating.
• He hesitated for a moment before pushing open the door, the familiar chime of the bell above the entrance ringing out as he stepped inside. The bar was empty, save for a few scattered patrons nursing their drinks, their quiet conversations creating a low hum in the background.
• But then, he saw him.
• Elias.
• He was sitting at the end of the bar, looking as though he had been waiting for Noah. His dark eyes were fixed on Noah as he walked in, and for a moment, it felt like the whole world had stopped. Elias was a force of nature—commanding, powerful, and impossible to ignore.
• “Couldn’t stay away, huh?” Elias’s voice broke the silence, and it sent a shiver down Noah’s spine. He wasn’t sure if it was the way Elias spoke, or the way he looked at him like he already knew everything about him. Either way, it made Noah’s insides twist in a way he didn’t want to admit.
• “I didn’t come here for you,” Noah said, though the words felt hollow even to him. He could feel Elias’s gaze boring into him, could feel the heat of his presence even from across the room. But he couldn’t let him see that. He couldn’t let Elias know how much power he had over him.
• Elias raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a knowing smirk. “We both know that’s not true. You came because you can’t stay away from me. You need me.”
• Noah’s chest tightened at the truth in those words. He wanted to argue, to deny it, but the truth was too much for him to swallow. Elias was right. Every fiber of his being did crave Elias. He couldn’t fight it anymore.
• But he had to. He had to find a way to fight it.
• “I don’t need you,” Noah said, but it came out weaker than he intended. The words felt like a lie on his tongue.
• Elias stood up slowly, the predatory grace in his movements making Noah’s heart race. With every step Elias took toward him, the distance between them grew smaller, the tension thicker. When Elias was standing in front of him, Noah could feel the heat radiating off his body. He could smell the familiar scent of him—something dark, intoxicating, and dangerous.
• “You’re lying,” Elias whispered, his breath warm against Noah’s ear. “You can lie to yourself all you want, but I know the truth. You’re mine. You’ve always been mine.”
• Noah wanted to push him away, wanted to tell him to stop, to go away and leave him alone. But as Elias’s hand brushed against his arm, Noah’s body betrayed him. His skin tingled under Elias’s touch, his heart thudding harder in his chest.
• “Stop,” Noah managed to say, but even to his own ears, it sounded weak. He wanted to pull away, wanted to run, but his feet felt frozen in place.
• Elias’s hand cupped Noah’s jaw, forcing him to look up. His fingers were gentle, but the grip was firm, like a man who knew he could break him if he wanted to. “I don’t think you want me to stop,” Elias murmured, his voice low and filled with a dark satisfaction. “I think you want me to push you. You want me to take control. To make you see that you belong to me.”
• The words sent a chill down Noah’s spine. He couldn’t deny it. Every part of him was craving Elias’s touch, the dominance that Elias exuded so effortlessly. But there was a war inside him, a battle between his fear and his desire.
• “You’re mine,” Elias repeated, his lips brushing against Noah’s cheek, sending a rush of heat through his body. “And I’m not letting you go.”
• Noah’s breath hitched as Elias’s lips found his, a slow, searing kiss that felt like an anchor and a chain all at once. For a moment, he tried to resist. He tried to push Elias away, but it was like fighting the tide. It was impossible. His body responded before his mind could process what was happening, and all Noah could do was surrender to the kiss, to the darkness that Elias was pulling him into.
• When they pulled away, Noah was breathless, his heart racing as if it might explode. Elias’s eyes were filled with a dark satisfaction, and Noah realized with a sickening certainty that he was already too far gone. He had already fallen into Elias’s world, and there was no coming back.
• “Give up, Noah,” Elias said, his voice soft, almost affectionate. “You’re mine, and you always will be.”
• Noah closed his eyes, the truth settling deep inside him.
• He was trapped. And Elias was the one who held the key.