Chapter 17 The Point Of No Return

• Noah lay awake in his bed, the sheets tangled around his body as if he were trying to escape something, but he knew he couldn’t. The events from the night before replayed in his mind like a loop he couldn’t escape from. Elias’s touch, his words, the weight of his presence—it was all too much. It wasn’t just the physical side of things, the things that made Noah’s body react despite himself, but the way Elias seemed to see through him, to strip him bare with nothing but his gaze.
• He tossed and turned, trying to shut his mind off, but every time he closed his eyes, he saw Elias. He heard his voice, felt his breath against his skin, tasted the lingering kiss that still burned his lips.
• It was overwhelming.
• Noah wanted to hate it. He wanted to tell himself that it wasn’t real, that what he was feeling wasn’t something he could control, but the more he fought it, the more his own body betrayed him. Every part of him was drawn to Elias—whether he liked it or not.
• The truth clawed at him relentlessly: he was caught in Elias’s world, and no matter how much he tried to push away, Elias was always a step ahead, pulling him deeper, forcing him to face parts of himself that Noah had spent years suppressing.
• Noah shoved the thoughts aside, his hands gripping the edge of his bed as if he could physically stop the storm inside him. He tried to focus on something—anything—to pull him out of the dark thoughts swirling in his mind. But the world outside felt distant, as though it had become irrelevant.
• His phone buzzed on the nightstand, and he hesitated before reaching for it. A message from Elias.
• “I’m waiting.”
• The simple words hit him like a punch to the gut, and before he could stop himself, he found his feet hitting the floor. He didn’t even need to think about it. His body moved on its own, responding to the summons. It was like he had been waiting for this moment, and even if he didn’t want to admit it, the idea of seeing Elias again both terrified and exhilarated him.
• He didn’t bother with an explanation. He grabbed his jacket, headed out the door, and into the cold night. The streets seemed emptier than usual, the silence almost suffocating, but it felt familiar, like he was walking into a place he couldn’t escape from.
• The walk to Elias’s building felt like a lifetime, each step echoing in the quiet night. He didn’t know why he was going. He told himself it was to prove a point, that he could leave whenever he wanted. That he wasn’t some puppet on a string. But deep down, Noah knew the truth. He wasn’t going there to escape. He was going there because he couldn’t fight it anymore. He couldn’t fight what Elias made him feel.
• When he arrived, the front door opened almost immediately, as if Elias had been waiting for him. His expression was unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something predatory—that sent a shiver down Noah’s spine.
• “You came,” Elias said, his voice dark and smooth. He stepped aside, gesturing for Noah to enter. “I knew you would.”
• Noah’s heart pounded in his chest, the weight of the moment pressing down on him. He stepped inside, not trusting himself to speak. The door clicked shut behind him, and for a moment, the silence between them was deafening.
• Elias didn’t move, but the air around them seemed charged, thick with tension. Noah could feel it—Elias’s presence surrounding him, pressing in, like he was drowning in it. The longer they stood there, the harder it became for Noah to breathe.
• “I’m not your plaything, Elias,” Noah finally spoke, though his voice shook with uncertainty. “I can’t be. This... whatever this is, it’s not right.”
• Elias’s lips curved into a smile, but there was no humor in it. It was cold, calculating. “You’re mine, Noah,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “And whether you want it or not, you’re already in this. There’s no turning back.”
• Noah’s chest tightened. He wanted to protest, to argue, but he knew Elias was right. He had already crossed that line. He had been pulled into Elias’s world in ways he didn’t fully understand, and now, there was no going back.
• “You think you can just control me?” Noah challenged, though the words came out weak and unsure.
• Elias took a slow step toward him, his eyes never leaving Noah’s face. “It’s not about control,” he said quietly. “It’s about power. About connection. About knowing what you want, even when you can’t admit it to yourself.”
• Before Noah could respond, Elias reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against Noah’s cheek. The touch was gentle, almost tender, but there was an underlying darkness in it. A promise. A warning.
• “I told you,” Elias murmured, his voice low and dangerous. “You’ll never be the same once you’ve crossed the line with me. And you’ve crossed it, Noah. There’s no coming back from it.”
• Noah’s breath hitched as he felt the warmth of Elias’s hand on his skin. His heart raced, his body responding in spite of his mind’s desperate plea to resist. Every part of him wanted to pull away, but something deep inside him—the same thing that had drawn him to Elias in the first place—was pulling him closer.
• Elias leaned in, his breath hot against Noah’s ear, sending a shiver down his spine. “I’ve been patient with you,” he whispered. “But I can’t wait any longer. You’re mine now.”
• And just like that, Noah felt the last of his resistance shatter. He was no longer fighting against Elias. He wasn’t even trying to leave anymore. Because deep down, Noah knew that Elias was right—he had already given in. The battle had already been lost the moment he stepped into Elias’s world.
• Elias’s lips brushed against his, soft and slow, before deepening the kiss. It wasn’t just a kiss. It was a mark. A claim. And Noah felt himself slipping deeper into the abyss, unable—and unwilling—to climb back out.
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