Meant to Be Yours

Chapter 1

"Victoria."

His voice makes me gasp. I whip around, pressing my back against the wall I'd been leaning on and find myself confronting a nightmare. Peter is standing there, framed in the doorway. Thin bands of black are twisted around his upper arms, looking like veins. He has a web-shooter on each wrist.

He has a twisted grin across his lips and his eyes sparkle with madness. My breath catches in my throat, terror seizes my chest, and I let out a soft, strangled sob.

"How did you get in here, Peter? We're on lockdown and everyone's out there looking for you!"

He doesn't respond. Instead, he slowly crosses over to me, his gaze flicking up and down, studying me. I know I look like a mess, not having bothered to change out of my pajamas this morning with shadows of mascara smudges under my eyes and tear tracks down my face.

"Peter, please. We want to help you."

He arches an eyebrow at me. "Help me, Tori? With what? I've never been better." He stops directly in front of me and brushes his fingertips across my cheek. "You've never felt true power, darling. The rush that comes from giving out justice! It's unlike anything else I've ever felt!"

"No, tell me you didn't." My eyes fill with tears. I shake my head, desperate to be wrong even though I know, deep down, that I'm right. "Peter, you didn't!"

"Didn't what?" he whispers, resting his hand on the place where my neck meets my shoulder. His hand is rough with callouses, cold and strong.

"Natasha..."

He sighs, pressing a kiss against my hair. "I'm sorry it hurt you, Tori. She gave me no choice! She lied to me! She was keeping you from me!"

"Peter, please," I breathe, flinching away from him as rivers flow down my cheeks.

His hands ball into fists, one of them tangled up in my hair. "I don't know what lies those heroes told you to poison you against me, but it's not true! I would never hurt you, Victoria! I love you!"

"Peter – you hurt all those people!"

He shrugs. "All of them were criminals. And I made sure they didn't die. I did that for you! You value every life – even those of criminals! Because you're my angel! You are so good, my darling!"

"They aren't lies then!" I try to pull away from him, terrified, but his hands clamp down around my arms and he shoves me back into the wall, pinning me there.

"Not outright lies, darling. They're all twisted half-truths!"

"And Natasha?"

He stops, pressing his lips together and considering me for a moment. "That was... a mistake."

"You think?" I snap. "Friday! Call for help!"

Peter sadly shakes his head. "Do you see what I mean, my darling? They've messed up your mind! They've turned you against me, but I can set you free! Now..." He tilts my chin up and presses a searing kiss against my lips. "Go get suited up. We have a date with destiny tonight."

"What are you talking about, Peter?"

I know I'm just stalling for time now, but I can't think straight. Surely Dad will realize something's wrong with Friday any second now, and then he'll be here right away! I just need to buy myself a few minutes.

"When you left me, I fell apart!" He turns and slams his fist through the wall, punching a hole into the drywall at the mere memory. He takes a deep breath and pulls me against him, holding my back against his chest. "I admit that, for a moment, I wanted you dead."