Forbidden Knots (Shadow Duet #1)

19. NINETEEN

NINETEEN

Shadow

T ime stood still. The clock showed it was past midnight, and the entire street was alive with the sound of her screams. I wanted everyone to know she was with me, that she was mine. I kept her locked to my hips, pushing deep inside her. Her hands clawed at the sheets, gripping them with desperate passion. Each scream she let out sent shivers through me, making me want her even more.

With the rhythm of my heartbeat, I thrust into her until she tightened around me. Her skin glistened in the moonlight, beads of sweat forming on its surface. As she arched her back, I noticed the oleander beside us, broken and standing as a silent witness to our cruel passion.

Her flower, poisonous like her, merged with our dream as I took it in my hand and gently rubbed it against her.

"Oh, my," she whispered, her fingers tangling in my hair as she tightened her grip, pulling with pleasure.

"Come for me, baby," I whispered, barely catching my breath as I continued thrusting into her. Her body danced on my hips, pinned to me.

"Tristan," she screamed, her hands flailing, searching for something to cling to as her toes curled with passion.

I was on the edge, driven to madness by her. She was the only one who quenched my thirst, the only one who poisoned me like this, making me an addict. Addicted to her scent of lemon and summer, to her tanned olive skin, her full lips, and her long blonde hair brushing against my skin. She was perfect, and she was mine.

"Tristan," she repeated, her head falling on my shoulder. I pushed her passionately onto the bed and started thrusting harder, reaching the peak of madness. My head fell back, eyes locking onto the ceiling as they slowly closed, and I climaxed on her back.

My voice, like thunder, called her name, summoning a storm of hope for her. With a smile, I collapsed onto the sheets stained with blood and sweat, looking at her.

Her face glowed with a radiance I had never seen before, and I knew that glow held me too. Shadows enveloped us as the storm calmed, and the lights around us slowly faded into the night.

Thalia could hardly move, her steps faltering like a beaten kitten barely able to walk. Her body was marked with bruises, torn from my hard thrusts and her struggle with life, dragging across the room step by step. She clung to me, inching toward the shower.

Cold tiles beneath us sent shivers through her as she struggled to stand upright. I turned the water on, letting it cascade over us. Drops fell on our skin as I held her close, her head resting on my chest, her arms entwined around my back.

"Is this a dream, Tristan?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. I could feel her smile against my skin.

"No," I replied, a deep hum escaping me, "this is better than a dream."

She lifted her head, her eyes locking onto mine, sinking into my touch.

"Can I stay with you?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I feel safe," she continued, her head falling back onto my chest.

A lump formed in my throat, words caught like a knot, rendering me mute. Something was wrong in that house; I'd never questioned it until now. I wanted her to stay, to be far from the secrets it held, but I knew I would have to let her go, just for a moment, until I climbed back through her bedroom window.

Guilt gnawed at me, knowing it was partly my fault her mind was fractured. I had started this shattered illusion she lived in. I had broken her wings and bound her with shadows, making her life a storm because I needed a bit of rain to quench my thirst. But it was never enough. I always needed more.

"Then stay," I said softly, my voice steady. "Stay with me."

I didn't think about the consequences—not even for a second. I didn't think about Lotta searching for her, or her parents worried sick about their daughter with a madman next door, older by almost ten years. A man obsessed with her, watching her every move, willing to do anything to keep her and eliminate anyone who dared to touch her. So yes, I would damn well stay with her.

A soft smile touched her lips as she pressed her hands tighter against my back. I placed my thumb on her jaw, lifting her head toward mine, and kissed her again. At that moment, all my worries dissolved. And it was just us.

I helped her out of the shower, wrapping her naked body in a soft towel. Her damp hair clung to her shoulders, and droplets of water glistened on her skin. I lifted her effortlessly into my arms, her body warm and delicate against mine, and carried her to the bedroom. The moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow over the room.

I laid her gently on the bed, the sheets cool beneath her. She settled beside me, her head resting on my chest, ear pressed against my heartbeat. Her fingers danced above my belly button, tracing the letters of my name with a delicate touch. I lay on my back, my palm cradling her head, holding her close. I leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead, feeling the dampness of her hair against my lips.

The world felt like a better place with her in my arms. I knew I wanted nothing more than to spend every night like this, every morning waking up to her smile.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked, the silence between us growing heavy. I needed to hear her voice, to feel her touch. But she lay beside me, feeling like a numb doll.

"Sophie," she whispered, tears leaving a wet trail on my skin. "I can't close my eyes, those masks..." She swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "They are haunting me."

"Shh," I murmured, placing a gentle finger on her lips. "You are safe here," I reassured her, pulling her closer.

"Sometimes I feel like everyone is wearing a mask, pretending to be someone they're not, hiding who they really are," she said, her fingers drawing soft circles across my chest.

"Not her," I said, kissing her forehead. "She's been through so much. She watched our parents die, and that image haunts her. She tried so many times to..." My voice faltered, my heart sinking. Clearing my throat, I continued, "Trust me, I know ."

"I saw her scars," she whispered, her voice tinged with fear. "But she scared me too."

I held her tighter, feeling the weight of her words. The world is filled with inexplicable reasons why someone would harm another. Yet, some choices lead to it—bad decisions that don't make us bad people, just victims of clouded judgment influenced by others.

"Is it wrong to be thankful?" she whispered, tilting her jaw towards me. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have found out that you are behind the Shadow mask."

A smile spread across my lips. "I wanted to break you just a little bit more, just enough so you would never escape when you let yourself go in my arms."

"I would've done it anyway," she confessed, her voice soft. "I broke myself first, but you broke me more."

Even if I didn't want to confess it, she broke me too. All this time, I had kept everyone at arm's length, but with her, I wanted the world. No, I wanted the universe, but only with her by my side.

She gave me herself, and suddenly, I didn't need anything else.

The world seemed insignificant in comparison.

She was bigger than the world; she was my whole universe