Chapter Eight: Bound to Him
The silence in the car was suffocating.
Ava stared out the window, trees blurring past like ghosts. She wasn't sure what disturbed her more: Damon's brother, the pact, or the way Damon said "he'll start with you."
She turned to him. "You have to tell me everything. No more half-truths. No more games."
He didn't look at her.
"You won't walk away if you hear it all?"
"I don't know," she admitted. "But I deserve the truth."
---
❖ The Pact Revealed
Back at the penthouse, Damon poured two glasses of whiskey and sat across from her, the skyline glittering behind him like a silent audience.
"My family built the Blackthorn name through blood, power, and loyalty pacts—some darker than you can imagine. Generations ago, during a rare blood moon, our ancestors made a deal with a shadow alliance. It granted them power… in exchange for something else."
Ava swallowed. "What?"
"A sacrifice. Every generation, one heir must give something up: their freedom, their legacy—or their heart."
She frowned. "And this pact still stands?"
"I ignored it. Refused it. But Lucien didn't. He believes in it."
Damon leaned forward, eyes burning into hers.
"He thinks hurting you will force me to bend. That you're the price I'll pay."
Ava's throat went dry. "Am I?"
"No," Damon said, his voice low and sure. "I'd rather burn everything down than let them have you."
---
❖ A Line Crossed
Ava stood up. "You keep saying I'm under your protection, like I'm your possession."
"Because you are," he said without flinching. "Not like a thing—but like a vow."
"That's not how love works, Damon."
His silence was sharp.
Then, quietly: "Who said anything about love?"
Her heart stuttered.
But his eyes—those storm-colored eyes—were blazing.
"You did," she whispered.
---
❖ Breaking Point
She crossed the room in three slow steps. His hands gripped the edge of the table like he was holding himself back.
Ava leaned close. "You say I see the real you. So here's what I see now, Damon Blackthorn. You're scared."
He chuckled—low, dangerous. "Of what?"
"Of caring. Of needing someone. Of letting someone in."
His jaw clenched.
She touched his chest, right over his heart. "You're not made of stone. And I'm not afraid of you."
---
❖ The Bond Sealed
He pulled her into him, kissing her like it was the last thing he'd ever do.
It was rough. Desperate. Honest.
This wasn't a transaction.
This wasn't a game.
This was them.
---
❖ Chapter Ending Hook
Later, as they lay together in the dark, Damon whispered, "You're mine now. Not because of a pact. Because I choose you."
Ava's breath caught.
But before she could respond, a sharp knock echoed through the penthouse.
Security's voice crackled through the intercom.
> "Sir—Lucien Blackthorn is here. And he's not alone."