Something In The Way-SYLUS X MC X ZAYNE

Chapter 16 "The Promise"

The weight of his kiss lingered on my lips as Sylus pulled away, his intense gaze never leaving mine. The heat from the fire crackled softly behind us, but the real fire—the one burning between us—felt more dangerous, more consuming.

He stood before me, his broad frame casting shadows in the low light of the room. I felt trapped, not physically, but in the emotional web he'd spun around me. Every word, every touch, it was suffocating and addictive all at once.

"I'd destroy anyone for you," he had said, and the truth in his words hit harder than anything else.

I should've been afraid of him. Of his unwavering need to control every aspect of my life, to shield me in ways that felt more like entrapment than protection. But the part of me that was supposed to be scared was silenced by the intensity of his love—the love that could burn down worlds and people for me.

"Why, Sylus?" My voice was barely a whisper, the weight of everything suddenly too much to bear. "Why do you think it's all on you? Why do you have to control every piece of my life like I'm incapable of surviving without you?"

His jaw clenched as if the question unsettled him. He didn't answer right away, pacing slightly, trying to find the right words. I could see the storm brewing inside him, that same battle between protecting me and overwhelming me with his possessiveness.

"You don't get it, do you?" His voice was low, and his eyes narrowed, filled with frustration. "There are forces after you—people who won't stop until you're dead. I have to control it, because if I don't, you won't be here to hate me for it."

"That's not love, Sylus," I whispered, my heart hammering against my ribs. "Love isn't controlling someone's every move. Love isn't letting someone else die just so I can live."

The tension between us was palpable, thick enough to cut through. His fists clenched at his sides, his breathing ragged as he struggled to keep his temper in check. He took a step forward, and I braced myself for whatever storm was coming.

"You're mine," he growled, voice low and dangerous. "And I'll do whatever it takes to keep you alive. You don't get to decide that."

Anger flared inside me, and I shoved him back, the fire in me finally matching his. "You don't own me, Sylus!" I shouted, my voice cracking with emotion. "You can't just decide who lives and dies because you think you know what's best!"

His eyes flared with something dark, something primal. "I do what I have to," he said, his voice dropping dangerously low. "I would let that girl die a hundred times over if it meant saving you."

I froze. The gravity of his words hit me like a punch to the chest. The girl—she didn't have to die. I looked up at him, my heart pounding, the anger giving way to something deeper, something broken inside me.

"You'd let her die again?" My voice trembled, the guilt and grief washing over me all at once. "How can you say that?"

His eyes softened for a moment, but only a moment. "Because you are all that matters to me. Without you, none of it—nothing—means anything."

I stared at him, my heart breaking under the weight of his words. I couldn't tell if it was devotion or obsession anymore, but either way, it was suffocating. He reached out, pulling me closer, his touch almost tender despite the intensity in his eyes.

"I'd destroy anyone for you, even if it means you hate me for it," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "I'd rather you be alive and hate me than be dead and gone from me forever."

I shook my head, tears burning the corners of my eyes. "You don't get it, Sylus. I don't need someone to control everything. I need someone who trusts me enough to let me make my own choices."