A Soft Power Struggle

Even now, the recollection of Damian's touch and the lingering smell of pricey cologne cling to me. The night had gone by in a fog of tension. Despite my best efforts, I was unable to get rid of it. My mind was racing and I had hardly slept at all, tossing and turning. I could always see him when I closed my eyes—the way he gazed at me from the other side of the room, the way his whisper in my ear sent chills down my spine.

However, it went beyond that. The draw between us was something I had sensed. Something profound, something perilous.

Having escaped the stuffy ballroom, I withdrew to my room and attempted to regain some control. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know or where this was leading. I was aware that the instant my father signed the document, my life was forever altered.

Even when I wasn't thinking about Damian, his face continued to torment me. I felt a mixture of fear and fascination, yearning and repulsion, control, and rebellion as if a storm had settled deep within me when I did think of him. It was frustrating.

A knock on the door interrupted my pacing of the room. Anxiety shot through me as my heart skipped a beat. At this hour, who might it be?

The door creaked open a little before I could respond. The quiet was broken by Damian's quiet voice, which was tinged by an unidentified substance.

"Lyra, you're avoiding me."

I went cold. He was, of course.

With my back to the wall and my heart thumping in my chest, I turned slowly. I started to say something, but nothing came out. For a minute, I didn't trust myself to say anything without giving away too much because my throat felt dry.

I finally managed to respond, "I'm not avoiding you," but it came out sounding more defensive than I had hoped. I took a swallow. "All I was doing was thinking."

His presence filled the room as he entered. As though he could see through every barrier I had up, his piercing, perceptive eyes met mine. His presence, his strength, and his control were unavoidable.

He said, "You don't seem like the type to waste time thinking," in a velvety, authoritative voice. However, it's okay with me if you do. As long as you remember your position.

I crossed my arms, trying to look calmer than I felt. Damian, where do I stand?

With a sneer on his lips, he cocked his head. I could see he was playing with me again. But there was a change in something in his gaze. A glimmer of something else appeared. He seemed to be attempting to understand me, much like I was attempting to understand him.

"Beside me," he added, taking a step forward. "Whether or not you like it."

Although there was a good foot between us, I could still feel the heat from his body. As I fought to maintain my composure, my breath caught in my throat, but the way he said it—so confident in himself, so sure of his control over me—sent a shockwave through me.

Despite my best attempts, my voice was shaking as I responded, "Damian, I don't need to be next to you." "I am not an object that you can manipulate."

For a second, the sneer wavered, and then his eyes softened slightly. "Lyra, I never said you were an item. However, you belong to me. And you'll realize that eventually.

His words sent a weird chill down my spine. He wasn't precisely threatening me, but it was obvious what he was implying. In ways I hadn't even started to comprehend, he owned me. And perhaps, just possibly, he wanted me to comprehend it.

"Is that the nature of this?" I questioned, trying to sound sharp to hide the growing panic in my chest. "You expect me to simply accept that everything is under your control? That this...arrangement is something I have no say in?

He took a stride toward me, his presence filling me. I had to keep myself from backing off. He had such a piercing, steadfast gaze.

He lowered his voice and continued, "Lyra, you've always had a say." "You simply don't understand how to use it yet."

Something flickered inside of me, fury, bewilderment, perhaps even a glimmer of hope. My heart pounded faster, and I struggled to maintain a steady voice. "So what? Are you offering me an option now?

Damian hesitated, a tiny, almost amused smile twisting his lips. "Yes, a choice. However, there are repercussions for it.

"Repercussions?" I said it again, raising my voice. "What sort of repercussions?"

His words seemed to loom like a menace, laden with significance, as he stated, "An ultimatum." As my wife, you have the option to remain with me and live under my protection or to go. But realize this, Lyra—you cannot abandon me without repercussions.

I took a deep breath. His remarks were piercing, like a blade against my flesh.

I couldn't tell if he was testing me or attempting to frighten me. There was a part of me that wanted to go and tell him that I wouldn't be controlled, but there was also a part of me that was terrified of what might occur if I did.

"You want me to decide between staying with you or going?" My question was hardly audible above a whisper.

His gaze never left mine as he nodded. "I'll give you some time to consider it, but keep in mind that time is not something you have much of. I stand by my offer. Choose wisely.

I looked at him, trying to figure out what was going on. His demand weighed heavily on me, but I hesitated because of something in his eyes, something in the tenderness that had come when he talked to me. Was this merely a game? Or did something genuine lie behind the surface?

I was about to say something, anything, when Damian stepped aside, his face hardening once more.

"Lyra, you have until tomorrow. Not anymore, not any less.

He left before I could reply. I stood in the silence, alone with my thoughts, while the door clicked shut behind him. His words kept repeating in my mind, each one weighing heavily on me.

A decision.

Remain or go.

And I didn't feel like I would be free with either choice.

With my thoughts racing, I turned my back on the door. However, I heard another knock before I could collect myself.

Damian wasn't the one this time.

It was a woman's voice, and even though I had never heard it before, it instantly made me shiver.

The voice called softly, "It's me, Lyra. We must speak.

She was standing there with something illegible pressed against her face as I opened the door.

Her eyes darted about anxiously as she replied, "I think you should hear this before you make any decisions."

"What are you discussing?" Feeling the first shivers of panic, I asked.

Her lips trembled as she paused. "Damian and your father are not who you believe them to be."

I felt sick to my stomach.

I was unsure of what to believe as the world changed around me.