The night was suffocatingly silent.....

Not a single sound, not even the whisper of the wind, disturbed the stillness in Adrian’s house.

Aurora lay unconscious on his bed, her chest rising and falling in steady breaths...

Peaceful...

Oblivious...

Completely his.

Adrian sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers ghosting over her lips, his mind replaying the moment that had broken him.

That accidental kiss........

His grip tightened...

He had seen it happen right in front of his eyes, had watched as Aurora’s lips had touched Sebastian’s.

It didn’t matter that it was unintentional. It happened. And now, no matter what, he would erase it.

His eyes flickered toward the bedside drawer. He reached for it, his fingers wrapping around a small syringe.

“Don’t worry, my love,” he whispered, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

“This won’t hurt much.”

With practiced precision, he injected the numbing agent just near her lips.

He watched the needle sink into her skin, pressing down slowly.

Her body stirred slightly, but she remained unconscious.

Perfect...

His hands trembled with anticipation as he picked up a small scalpel.

Carefully, gently, he tilted her chin up, his eyes narrowing at her lips.

Sebastian touched these lips...

He pressed the blade to the thin upper layer, where her skin was slightly dry.

And then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he peeled it off.

A new beginning....

A thin trail of blood surfaced, bright and fresh, a stark contrast against her pale skin.

Adrian inhaled deeply, his chest filling with satisfaction.

Sebastian was gone now...

Aurora belonged to him alone....

He reached for the antiseptic, dabbing at the small wound with a tenderness that contradicted his actions.

His lips curled as he applied a soothing balm, sealing his mark.

His fingers trembled as he held the small piece of skin between them.

This was the last trace of Sebastian.

He walked over to the fireplace, tossing the delicate sliver of flesh into the flames.

He watched it curl and darken, watched as it disintegrated into nothing.

Gone....

A deep exhale left his lips. His body felt lighter. Free.

He turned back toward the bed, his gaze softening as he admired Aurora’s sleeping form.

“Mine,” he whispered, brushing his lips over her forehead.

No one would take her away from him now.

No one....

TO BE CONTINUED...