Bound by Darkness

Ivy’s thoughts swirled in chaos as she slammed her apartment door behind her. She leaned against it, breathless, as if she’d been running for miles. The encounter with Lorne in the alley had left her shaken in ways she couldn’t explain. His voice, his touch, it all lingered on her skin like a ghost she couldn’t shake. What was happening to her? Who was he?

Her heart was pounding so loudly she barely heard her phone ringing from the kitchen counter. With trembling hands, she picked it up, grateful for any distraction from the suffocating thoughts in her head.

“Hey, Ivy.” Dorian’s voice was warm, familiar. Safe.

She let out a shaky breath, clutching the phone as if it were a lifeline. “Dorian… thank God.”

“Hey, are you okay? You sound... off.”

Ivy hesitated. How could she explain what just happened without sounding insane? That a stranger had appeared in her life, claiming to know her, claiming that she belonged to him?

“I’m fine,” she lied, rubbing her forehead. “Just a long night.”

“Ivy, don’t lie to me. I know something’s up. You always get this tone in your voice when you’re hiding something.”

Dorian had always been able to read her like an open book. He had been her rock ever since she’d moved to the city two years ago, trying to put distance between her and the past. But there were things she couldn’t tell even him—things that defied logic, things he wouldn’t understand.

“I just…” Ivy’s voice wavered. “I met someone.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. “Someone? Ivy, you sound terrified.”

She swallowed hard, her mind racing back to Lorne’s intense gaze, the heat of his breath against her skin, and the way he made her feel like she was teetering on the edge of a cliff. “It’s complicated.”

“I’m coming over,” Dorian said firmly.

“No!” Ivy blurted out. The last thing she needed was to drag Dorian into this mess. He was too good, too kind. Lorne’s presence was like poison, and she couldn’t risk it spreading to the one person who’d kept her grounded.

“Ivy…” Dorian’s voice softened, but she could hear the worry in it. “You don’t have to do this alone, okay? Just... let me help.”

A heavy silence settled between them, and Ivy closed her eyes, wishing for just a moment that she could open up to him. But the memory of Lorne’s whispered words echoed in her mind.

You’re mine. And no matter how far you run, I’ll always find you.

“I’ll be fine,” Ivy said quietly. “I just need some sleep.”

Dorian didn’t push, but she could tell he wasn’t convinced. “Alright. But I’m checking in tomorrow, and if you’re still acting weird, I’m dragging you out of that apartment whether you like it or not.”

A small smile tugged at Ivy’s lips despite the turmoil brewing inside her. “Deal.”

After she hung up, the silence of her apartment pressed in around her, thick and heavy. Ivy walked to the window, staring out at the city lights below. She had always loved the anonymity of the city, the way you could blend into the crowds and disappear. But tonight, even the sprawling urban jungle couldn’t hide her from whatever was coming.

A flicker of movement caught her eye, and her heart stopped.

There, standing in the shadows of the street below, was Lorne.

His eyes locked on hers, dark and unyielding. A silent promise that no matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, there would be no escape.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***