Chapter 1
The lock on my bedroom door clicked. I checked it twice.
I breathed a sigh of relief, leaning my forehead against the cool wood. My first night in the Thorne mansion had been a nightmare of stiff dinners and cold glares, but at least I was finally safe. At least I was alone.
"You really think a lock stops me?"
The voice came from behind me. deeply amused and terrifyingly dark.
I spun around, my heart slamming against my ribs.
Kaelen Thorne was lounging on my bed. He was leaning back against the headboard, legs crossed at the ankles, looking at me like I was a meal he hadn't decided whether to eat or throw away. He held a small photo frame in his hand—the picture of my dad.
"Get out," I choked out, pressing my back against the door. "How did you get in here?"
Kaelen didn't answer. He just set the photo down on the nightstand with slow, deliberate care. He stood up, his tall frame unfolding, filling the room with a suffocating energy.
"This is my house, Elara," he said, taking a step toward me. "Every room. Every door. Every key."
He stopped inches from me. He smelled like expensive whiskey and trouble. I wanted to run, but my legs felt rooted to the spot.
"You're in my space," I whispered, trying to sound brave.
"You have no space," Kaelen corrected softly. He reached out, his fingers wrapping around a lock of my hair. He tugged it, just hard enough to force me to look up at him. His blue eyes were dilated, scanning my face with a hunger that made my skin prickle.
"I just came to give you a warning," he murmured, leaning down so his breath ghosted over my lips.
"What warning?"
"Don't get comfortable." He let go of my hair and slammed his hand against the door next to my head, the sound making me jump. "I’m going to make you hate it here. I’m going to make you wish you never met my father. And I’m going to enjoy every second of watching you break."
He stared at me for one more second—his gaze dropping to my mouth—before he pulled away.
"Sleep tight, little sister."
He unlocked the door from the inside, stepping out into the hall, leaving me trembling in the dark, realizing that even with the door locked, I was already trapped.
