Chapter 8 The Breaking Point

• The days following that night were a blur. Noah found himself on edge every moment, caught between anger, desire, and confusion. Elias’s words echoed in his mind, each one a harsh reminder of how powerless he felt against the other man’s influence. He couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss—the way it had felt like a dark promise, a warning that he was already too deep to escape.
• He tried to focus on work, on keeping his mind distracted, but it was impossible. Every time he entered the bar, every time Elias walked in, it was as if the rest of the world faded away. His mind became a battlefield, torn between wanting to push Elias away and the undeniable pull that tethered him to the other man. It wasn’t just attraction anymore; it was something darker, something deeper. Elias’s presence had become an addiction, something Noah couldn’t ignore even if he wanted to.
• Tonight, Noah could feel it. The tension in the air, thick and oppressive. Elias hadn’t shown up yet, but Noah knew he was coming. It was always like this now—every night felt like an unspoken challenge between them, a test of wills. And Noah could feel himself breaking under the weight of it all. Every glance, every word, every moment Elias spent near him chipped away at his resolve.
• He watched as the minutes ticked by, each second stretching on for what felt like hours. The bar was quiet tonight, the usual crowd of regulars absent. Noah busied himself with cleaning, with little distractions, but it was all in vain. His mind kept going back to Elias, kept replaying the kiss, the look in his eyes. That possessive, dark look that left Noah feeling both consumed and terrified. It felt like Elias was everywhere, even when he wasn’t physically there.
• Finally, Elias walked into the bar, and the familiar weight of his presence fell over the room. Noah’s heart raced, though he tried to hide it, tried to control the way his body responded. But he couldn’t stop it—the rush of heat that flooded his chest, the shiver that crawled up his spine. He knew that Elias could feel it too, could see through him in a way that no one else could. It was a dangerous thing, the way Elias made him feel exposed, laid bare.
• Elias’s eyes locked onto Noah the second he entered, and Noah could feel it—this unspoken connection between them that pulled at him like a magnet. He tried to act normal, tried to go back to cleaning the bar, but he could feel Elias’s gaze on him, heavy and intent. It was as if Elias was waiting for him to break, waiting for him to acknowledge what was happening between them.
• "You’ve been avoiding me," Elias’s voice broke through the quiet hum of the bar. It wasn’t an accusation, but there was a quiet intensity in the way he said it. He was standing just behind Noah now, too close, his presence suffocating.
• “I’m not avoiding you,” Noah replied, his voice betraying him, shaky and uncertain. He knew it was a lie. He had been avoiding Elias for days now, trying to distance himself, to protect whatever was left of his sanity. But there was no escaping it. Elias had his claws in him, and Noah couldn’t find the strength to pull away.
• Elias’s presence loomed behind him, and Noah’s hands tightened around the cloth he was holding. His breath hitched when Elias stepped even closer, the heat from his body radiating onto Noah’s back. “Liar,” Elias murmured, his voice low, teasing, but with an edge to it that sent a thrill of fear down Noah’s spine.
• Noah turned slowly, meeting Elias’s dark, unrelenting gaze. He wanted to look away, to break the tension, but something in Elias’s eyes held him captive. There was no escape from this. Not anymore.
• “I’m not lying,” Noah said again, but this time the words came out weaker, less convincing. He wanted to push Elias away, wanted to demand that he leave, but his body refused to obey. Every inch of him screamed for Elias, every part of him ached with a need he couldn’t understand.
• Elias stepped forward, his gaze never leaving Noah’s. “You can keep pretending all you want, but we both know the truth.”
• Noah’s heart hammered in his chest. He could feel the space between them closing, could feel the crackling tension filling the air. He should’ve stepped back, should’ve put distance between them. But the pull of Elias was too strong. Too real.
• “I’m not yours,” Noah managed, though it felt like a lie as soon as the words left his mouth. He had told himself that so many times, but with every touch, every look from Elias, it became less and less believable. He wasn’t sure if he was lying to Elias or to himself.
• Elias didn’t say anything at first. He just smiled—a dark, knowing smile—and then he reached out, grabbing Noah’s wrist with a force that made Noah gasp. He tried to pull away, but Elias held him firm, bringing Noah closer. There was no escaping this, no more running. He was at Elias’s mercy now.
• “Stop,” Noah said, his voice low and shaky, but Elias didn’t stop. Instead, he leaned in closer, his breath warm against Noah’s ear.
• “I want to see you break,” Elias whispered, his voice smooth like silk, but with a sharpness to it that made Noah’s blood run cold. “I want to see you unravel. I want to watch you fall apart under me.”
• Noah’s pulse quickened, his chest tightening with a mixture of fear and something else—something darker, something he couldn’t control. He was afraid, but a part of him was also drawn to Elias, to the power he held over him. Elias wasn’t just playing a game anymore. He was pulling Noah into his world, making him a part of something far more dangerous than Noah had ever realized.
• “I’m not like you,” Noah whispered, his voice trembling with uncertainty. “You don’t know what you’re messing with.”
• Elias’s lips curled into a dangerous smile. “Oh, I know exactly what I’m messing with. I know you better than you know yourself, Noah. And that’s why you’ll never be able to resist me.”
• Before Noah could respond, Elias’s hand slid to his neck, his fingers brushing against the skin there. It wasn’t a gentle touch—Elias’s grip was firm, possessive. And as Elias pulled him in closer, Noah’s breath caught in his throat. He wanted to fight, to push Elias away, but the other man’s dominance overwhelmed him.
• “I told you, you’re mine,” Elias murmured, just before his lips pressed against Noah’s, claiming him in a kiss that was as fierce as it was possessive. Noah’s mind screamed at him to stop, to fight back, but his body betrayed him. He kissed Elias back, desperate, hungry, as though he couldn’t control himself anymore. The kiss deepened, and Elias’s hands moved to Noah’s waist, pulling him flush against him. There was nothing gentle about it. It was a kiss that held all the darkness of their twisted connection, a kiss that promised more of the same.
• Finally, Elias pulled back, his lips brushing against Noah’s one last time before he broke the kiss completely. He stood there for a moment, watching Noah with a satisfied, almost predatory look in his eyes.
• “You can fight this all you want,” Elias said softly, his voice low and filled with promise. “But you know the truth, don’t you?”
• Noah’s chest was rising and falling rapidly, his body still trembling from the kiss. He wanted to push Elias away, wanted to scream at him to leave. But deep down, he knew. Elias was right. He had already lost.
• “I belong to you,” Noah whispered, the words tasting like ash in his mouth, but also feeling like the cold, hard truth.
• Elias’s smile deepened, and he leaned in once more, brushing his lips against Noah’s ear. “I told you. You always were mine.”