Chapter 9 The Weight Of Consequence

• The morning after felt like a cruel joke. Noah woke up tangled in the sheets, the air heavy with the remnants of last night’s chaos. The kiss. The words. Elias’s dark, suffocating presence. He had told himself he was strong enough to resist, but the truth was, every moment in Elias’s orbit was breaking him down in ways he didn’t understand. His mind replayed everything—every touch, every dangerous look—and it all felt so wrong, yet he couldn’t escape the pull, couldn’t stop the craving that had taken root inside of him.
• Noah rolled out of bed, his body sore from the intensity of the night. His skin still buzzed with the memory of Elias’s hands on him, his lips branding him with a mark that felt impossible to erase. He didn’t know what to think anymore. He didn’t know who he was when Elias was around.
• He went through the motions of getting dressed, his mind racing. It was impossible to ignore the fact that, even though he had pushed Elias away countless times, he still couldn’t get rid of the obsession. The need. The hunger that burned inside him every time Elias was near. He couldn’t deny it anymore—he was trapped. And there was no way out.
• When he arrived at the bar, everything felt different. The weight of the previous night hung over him like a storm cloud, threatening to rain down at any moment. The moment he stepped inside, the familiar sounds of clinking glasses and soft music felt distant. His focus was solely on the door, waiting for Elias to appear. He couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened, couldn’t stop wondering what Elias’s next move would be.
• And then, just like that, Elias entered. He was a force, as always—his mere presence commanding attention. But this time, there was something different in his eyes. A darker hunger, a deeper intensity that Noah couldn’t place.
• Noah tried to act normal, to ignore the way his pulse quickened at the sight of Elias. He walked to the bar and pretended to be busy with cleaning glasses, but his heart was pounding in his chest. He could feel Elias watching him, that ever-present gaze that never left him.
• Elias stood there for a moment, observing Noah with an unreadable expression. He didn’t say anything right away, but Noah could feel the storm brewing between them. He could feel the air around them crackling with tension, thick and almost unbearable. It was only a matter of time before Elias made his move.
• Finally, Elias spoke, his voice smooth but with an edge of something darker. “You’ve been quiet today,” he said, his words laced with an amusement that Noah couldn’t understand. “Trying to avoid me again?”
• Noah didn’t respond right away. He couldn’t bring himself to look Elias in the eye, so he kept his focus on the glass in front of him, as if it could provide some escape. He hated that Elias could still affect him like this, hated that he couldn’t control his own reactions. But the truth was, he was terrified. Terrified of how much control Elias had over him, and terrified of how much he wanted to give in.
• “I’m not avoiding you,” Noah replied, though his voice lacked conviction. He wasn’t fooling anyone, least of all Elias. The man knew him too well, knew how easily he could be broken.
• Elias chuckled softly, his voice low and dark. “Liar,” he said with that knowing tone, as though he had already won. He stepped closer, so close that Noah could feel the heat radiating off of him. His breath brushed against Noah’s ear, sending a jolt of awareness through him.
• “Stop,” Noah said, his voice a little more frantic now. He wanted to back away, to create some distance between them, but his body refused to obey. Instead, he stood frozen, his hands gripping the bar as if it were his only lifeline.
• Elias ignored him, his presence consuming Noah’s every thought. “You’ve been running from this, but you can’t hide anymore,” Elias said softly, his fingers brushing the side of Noah’s neck, sending a shiver down his spine. “You belong to me now.”
• Noah’s heart skipped a beat, the words slicing through him. He didn’t know how to respond. Part of him wanted to deny it, to push Elias away and reclaim control of his life. But another part of him—one he couldn’t ignore anymore—knew that it was too late. He was already too far gone. He was already entangled in Elias’s web, whether he wanted to admit it or not.
• “I’m not yours,” Noah whispered, but the words were empty. He could hear the lie in his own voice, and Elias must have heard it too. The man’s smile grew, dark and knowing, as though he were savoring Noah’s struggle.
• “You think you’re strong enough to resist?” Elias’s voice was low, almost like a growl, and Noah could feel it vibrating through his bones. “You think you have any control in this? You don’t.”
• Noah’s chest tightened, and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe. He wanted to fight, wanted to stand his ground, but the truth was—he didn’t know how. Elias was always one step ahead, always in control, and Noah had never felt so helpless in his life.
• Elias’s hand slipped under Noah’s chin, lifting his face so that their eyes met. The intensity in Elias’s gaze was almost suffocating, and Noah’s heart pounded in his chest. “You’re mine, Noah,” Elias said, his voice a whisper that sent a shiver down Noah’s spine. “You always have been.”
• Before Noah could respond, Elias leaned in, his lips brushing against his ear. The touch was soft at first, teasing, but it quickly turned urgent, possessive. Noah’s breath hitched as Elias’s lips trailed down his neck, his mouth leaving a burning path behind.
• “Noah,” Elias whispered, his voice dripping with desire. “You’re mine, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”
• The words sent a surge of heat through Noah’s body, and despite himself, despite everything he had told himself, he leaned into the touch. His mind screamed at him to stop, but his body betrayed him, responding to Elias’s touch in ways he couldn’t control.
• But then, just as quickly as it had started, Elias pulled away, his hands leaving Noah’s body. Noah’s breath was ragged, his chest rising and falling with the effort to steady himself.
• Elias looked down at him, his smile wicked and satisfied. “You’ll break eventually,” he said, his tone low and almost loving. “And when you do, I’ll be here. Waiting.”
• Noah felt a surge of anger, of defiance, but it was quickly smothered by the overwhelming reality of what Elias had said. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to break, but he knew, deep down, that he was already too far gone to fight it anymore.
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