Silk and Cinders : Series #1 Edited version of "Intertwined Destinies : His Replaced Bride" "Did you really think you could walk away?" My back slammed against the wall as he caged me in. "Answer me." I swallowed hard "I-i thought-" "You thought?" His gaze sharpened. "You thought you had a choice?" He stepped closer. Slowly. Deliberately. "Look at me." My gaze lifted, and my breath caught. His eyes-dark, unreadable, locked onto mine, drowning me. "Tell me" he whispered "did this marriage ever fucking matter to you?" I flinched. Silence. For a moment, nothing. No expression. No sound. Just him. Watching. Calculating. Then, his hand snaked around my waist, dragging me into him until my chest crushed against his. My pulse spiked. "You wanted to leave, right?" His fingers trailed up my spine- slow, deliberate, sending shivers down my entire body. They stopped at the back of my neck. With a firm yank, he pulled me even closer, our lips nearly brushing. "This" his knuckles traced my temple, feather-light "-this mind? It doesnt get to think about leaving me." His thumb pressed against the rapid pulse on my throat. "And this?" His voice dropped further, dark with promise. "This pulse? It races for me. Every.single.beat. Mine." His hand glided down, stopping over my heart. "And this?" His finger tapped against it "this heart? Every. Damn. Beat. For. Me. These breaths? Mine. Your entire fucking existence?" His grip tightened. "Mine." I shivered. His arms locked around my waist. He leaned in, his lips hovering over mine. "Whose man am I?" My breath hitched. "Whose. Man. Am. I. Mi alma?" "M-mine." I whispered. "Good. Remember that. And learn to hold on to what's already yours. Trust us. Not the lies they feed you." ___ Two souls. Two scars. Different worlds. But fate had other plans. When destinies intertwine through an unwanted bond, will love bloom, or will they burn each other down? [Edited version of Intertwined Destinies : His Replaced Bride]