Luca woke to the feeling of heat seeping into his skin, the weight of something heavy draped over his waist. His heart pounded as he slowly opened his eyes, only to find Damien lying beside him, half-dressed, his bare chest rising and falling steadily in sleep. The reality of the night before settled over him like a suffocating blanket, and his throat tightened with something between humiliation and reluctant longing.

Air was thick with tension, an unspoken weight pressing down on Luca’s chest as he stirred from his restless sleep. His body ached, a mixture of exhaustion and something more sinister—a lingering mark of Damien’s possessive hold on him.

The room was bathed in the soft glow of morning light filtering through the curtains, but the warmth did nothing to ease the chill that ran down Luca’s spine. He shifted carefully, trying to slip out from under Damien’s grasp, but the movement stirred the man awake. Before Luca could react, a gloved hand clamped around his wrist, pulling him back with a firm, possessive grip.

"Going somewhere, printsessa?" Damien’s voice was thick with sleep, but there was no mistaking the dangerous edge beneath it.

Luca swallowed hard, his breath hitching as Damien’s gaze roamed over him, darkened with something unmistakable. His body tensed when Damien leaned in, his lips brushing over the sensitive skin of Luca’s throat. A shiver ran down his spine, his traitorous body betraying him as Damien’s grip tightened.

"I gave you everything," Damien murmured against his skin, voice laced with quiet warning. "Your family. Your safety. And yet, you still flinch from me. Do I need to remind you who you belong to?"

Luca’s lips parted, his breath uneven, but before he could utter a word, Damien’s mouth was on his, hot and demanding. Luca whimpered into the forceful kiss, his fingers curling into the sheets as Damien’s hands roamed possessively over his body. It was overwhelming—too much—and yet, his body responded instinctively, heat pooling low in his stomach.

When Damien finally pulled back, his blue eyes gleamed with satisfaction. He traced a gloved finger along Luca’s flushed cheek, smirking at the way he shuddered under the touch.

"Don’t fight me, malysh," Damien whispered. "You were made for this—for me."

Luca’s chest rose and fell rapidly, his mind screaming at him to resist, to fight back. But deep down, in the part of him he hated most, he knew Damien was right. He had been broken—molded into something that belonged only to the man beside him. And there was no escape.

*********

---

The day stretched on with a quiet intensity that hung heavy between them. Damien had left the bed only to return shortly after with breakfast, forcing Luca to eat under his watchful gaze. There was no room for refusal—Damien had made that clear with a single look.

"Good boy," he murmured approvingly as Luca finished the last bite. The praise sent an unwanted thrill down Luca’s spine, making his stomach twist in shame.

Hours passed in a suffocating haze. Damien remained close, never allowing Luca too much distance. He would pull Luca into his lap when he tried to sit apart, fingers ghosting over his skin as if memorizing him. Every touch, every whisper, was a reminder that he was owned.

"You’re mine," Damien whispered against Luca’s shoulder, pressing a lingering kiss there before guiding him into the his lap. "Say it."

Luca trembled, as he clenched his fists. But he knew resistance was futile.

"I’m yours."

Damien’s smirk was satisfied, victorious. He pulled Luca closer, their bodies flush against each other as his grip tightened. "Good boy. Now, let me remind you exactly what that means."

Damien then stood , a cigarette resting between his fingers, his icy gaze pinned on Luca as if he were some fragile masterpiece he had yet to completely claim. The air between them crackled with an intensity that made Luca’s breath hitch.

"Are you thinking about leaving me mhm? Dorogoy " Damien murmured.

Luca swallowed hard, shifting beneath the silk sheets, the bruises on his skin a stark reminder of the night before. “No,” he lied, his voice barely above a whisper. “I wouldn’t.”

A cruel smile tugged at Damien’s lips as he strode over, his powerful presence making Luca feel even smaller. “Good.” His fingers traced along Luca’s jawline, the touch oddly tender, contrasting the dangerous glint in his eyes. “Because I’d find you.”

The words sent a shiver down Luca’s spine, a sick mix of fear and something darker creeping through him. Damien’s obsession was suffocating, consuming, but there was something in the way he looked at him, as if he belonged to him entirely, that made Luca’s pulse race.

The tension snapped as Damien leaned down, his breath fanning over Luca’s lips. “I have a gift for you,” he whispered, his voice laced with something twisted.

Luca’s heart pounded as Damien reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a velvet box. With an elegant flick, he opened it to reveal a choker—delicate black leather with a silver emblem, Damien’s insignia engraved at its center.

“Wear it,” Damien commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Luca hesitated, but the possessive gleam in Damien’s eyes made resistance futile. With trembling fingers, he took the choker, fastening it around his throat. The moment the buckle clicked into place, Damien’s smirk widened.

“Perfect,” he murmured, cupping Luca’s chin and tilting his face up. “Now everyone will know who you belong to.”

A dark shroud of inevitability settled over Luca as Damien claimed his lips in a punishing kiss, sealing their twisted fate. Resistance was a fantasy he could no longer afford.

---

Luca didn’t know how much time had passed before Damien finally pulled away, his cold fingers tracing the length of the choker with dark satisfaction. “This suits you,” Damien murmured. “Like a leash on something wild.”

Luca clenched his fists, but he knew better than to speak out of turn. Damien noticed anyway, his grin widening. “Ah, but you still think you can resist me.”

Before Luca could react, Damien grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward. “Get dressed,” he commanded, stepping back. “We have somewhere to go.”

Luca hesitated, his mind racing. “Where?”

“You’ll see.”

Dread pooled in Luca’s stomach as he obeyed, knowing that whatever Damien had planned, it wouldn’t be anything good.

--- Damien took Luca to a luxurious restaurant, one that exuded wealth and exclusivity, a place where only the richest and most powerful dined. The chandeliers dripped with crystals, casting golden light over the deep red velvet interiors. A live orchestra played soft classical music in the background, and the scent of the finest cuisine lingered in the air.

Luca felt suffocated by the opulence, dressed in an expensive, custom-tailored suit that Damien had picked for him. It clung to his frame perfectly, emphasizing his slender yet alluring figure. Damien, as always, was an imposing presence beside him, clad in a black three-piece suit, his cold eyes scanning the restaurant like a predator surveying his domain.

"Stay here," Damien ordered in a firm, low voice, gripping Luca's chin lightly before pressing a possessive kiss to his lips. "I have to take a call. Don't move."

Luca nodded, though he knew Damien's overbearing protectiveness was unnecessary. He was under constant surveillance, his every move monitored by Damien’s guards.

As soon as Damien stepped away, however, a tall, arrogant man with slicked-back blond hair and a diamond-studded watch slid into the seat across from Luca. His smile was confident, predatory.

"You’re too beautiful to be left alone," the man murmured, reaching out to trace a finger over Luca’s hand.

Luca instantly recoiled, his stomach twisting with unease. "I’m waiting for someone. Please leave."

The man chuckled, clearly undeterred. "Come on now, don’t be shy. I could show you a much better time than whoever you’re here with." The man said grabbing his hands.

Luca’s pulse quickened in anxiety. He knew Damien. He knew how possessive he was. This man had no idea he was flirting with danger itself.

Just then, a thick, suffocating silence swept over the room. Luca turned his head, his breath catching in his throat. Damien stood there, his expression unreadable, but the darkness in his gaze promised violence. His jaw was clenched and his entire body radiated lethal rage.

In an instant, Damien moved. Before the blond man could react, Damien's hand shot out, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him out of his seat with inhuman strength.

"Did you dare to touch what belongs to me?" Damien’s voice was chillingly soft, more terrifying than if he had shouted.

The man gasped, struggling against the iron grip. The entire restaurant went silent, guests watching in horrified fascination.

"P-please," the man choked out, eyes bulging in panic. "I—I didn’t know—"

CRACK.

Damien snapped his wrist like it was nothing. The sickening sound of breaking bones echoed through the room, followed by the man’s agonized scream.

Luca flinched but didn't dare to intervene. He knew this was inevitable. Damien’s jealousy knew no bounds, and anyone who overstepped paid the price in blood.

Not satisfied, Damien yanked the man’s arm back, dislocating his shoulder in one swift movement. Another scream pierced the air before the man collapsed onto the floor, sobbing in pain.

Damien knelt beside him, his voice eerily calm. "Touch him again, even look at him again, and I will personally carve your eyes out of your skull."

The man whimpered, nodding frantically as tears streamed down his face.

Damien exhaled slowly before turning his gaze to Luca. His eyes softened just a fraction as he reached for him, pulling Luca into his arms protectively.

"You did well not entertaining him," Damien murmured against his ear, pressing a possessive kiss to his temple. "But I don't like that he even dared to breathe near you."

Luca swallowed hard, heart pounding. He knew Damien was unstable, dangerous. And yet, part of him—the part that terrified him the most—felt safe in Damien’s arms, intoxicated by the sheer force of his devotion.

As the guards dragged the broken man away, Damien stroked Luca’s cheek, his gaze dark with obsessive adoration. "Next time, don’t let anyone sit near you. I won’t be so merciful again."

Luca shivered, knowing that ‘merciful’ wasn’t a word in Damien’s vocabulary. And yet, he didn’t resist when Damien pressed a lingering, possessive kiss to his lips for the whole restaurant to see.

He belonged to Damien. And the entire world needed to know it.