𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝑅𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛

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The night swallowed Kailani whole as she left the mansion, unaware of the line she had crossed the moment her foot stepped onto the cold, damp earth. She didn't understand the invisible chains that bound her to Salvatore. No one had ever told her not to leave explicitly, but she should have known—no one left without his permission.

She walked further into the woods, the air cold and biting at her skin, sending shivers that had nothing to do with the temperature. Her breaths came slow, a bit too calm for the wrath she was about to face. Maybe it was the feeling of being free, or maybe it was the sensation of Salvatore's invisible eyes on her, even when she couldn’t see him.

Just as she was about to turn back, the darkness around her shifted. She felt it before she heard anything, a presence wrapping itself around her like a vice. Her instincts screamed, but she was frozen, her feet locked in place by the thick tension that filled the air.

A low, raspy voice cut through the night like a knife. “Run.”

Her blood turned to ice. That single word—low, guttural, more command than suggestion—seeped into her bones. It was him. Salvatore. His voice was never loud; he didn’t need to be. The weight of his words alone was enough to make her tremble. And now... now she knew the consequences of her actions. The thrill of disobeying him crashed into a brutal wave of fear.

She didn’t hesitate this time. She ran, sprinting into the woods with all the speed she could muster, but she knew it was useless. There was no escape. Her legs pumped furiously, her lungs burned, and the ground beneath her feet seemed to vanish as her long hair whipped around her.

The sound of his footsteps behind her was deafening in the silence. He wasn’t rushing—no, he was stalking her, a predator savoring the hunt. She could hear his breath, steady, deliberate, and closing in.

Her heart pounded in her chest as the branches clawed at her skin. She could feel his presence getting closer, looming, overwhelming. Her foot caught on a root, sending her sprawling into a little river. She gasped for air, scrambling to push herself up, but it was too late.

Salvatore was already on her.

In one swift, brutal motion, he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against a tree, the force of the impact knocking the wind from her lungs. His hand tightened around her neck, his gloved fingers squeezing just enough to remind her who held the power. She whimpered, her eyes wide and filled with terror as his gaze burned into her.

Salvatore didn’t give a warning—he never needed to. The way his dark, lust-filled gaze burned into Kailani’s skin was enough to paralyze her. Without hesitation, he pulled the gun from his waistband, the sleek black metal cool against his palm as he pressed the barrel against her lips. Her breath hitched, fear flashing across her wide eyes, but she barely had time to react. His free hand came up to grip her jaw roughly, prying her mouth open as he shoved the gun between her lips, the cold barrel forcing her mouth wide as he pushed deeper.

Her body jolted at the sudden invasion, her lips stretching around the cold steel. He pushed it further, watching with dark satisfaction as her throat contracted, gagging around the barrel. Drool pooled at the corners of her mouth, dripping down her chin as he kept her head in place, the gun lodged deep in her throat.

“You’re mine,” he hissed, voice thick with primal hunger. “You’re never fucking leaving me.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before he twisted the gun, forcing her to choke harder, her eyes watering as she struggled for breath. Her body trembled against him, pinned between his massive frame and the tree, the bark digging into her back as she gagged violently, her throat working around the gun.