Page 73 of Little Spider

“You can’t deny it, Raven,” he murmurs, voice dripping with dark satisfaction. “You like being hunted. You like knowing I’ll drag you back every time. You’d rather be caught than be alone.”

I swallow hard, trying to ignore the way his words sink under my skin, twisting around my thoughts. He reaches out, brushing his fingers through my hair, and I flinch, but he just tightens his grip, forcing me to look at him.

“You’re mine,” he whispers, his lips brushing over my forehead. “And I’m going to make sure you never forget it.”

My mind spins, and I can’t shake the feeling that he’s right—that no matter how much I want to hate him, part of me wants to be caught.

I glance at the alley behind him, weighing my chances, but he just smirks, catching the thought before I can act on it.

“Go on,” he taunts. “Make me chase you again. See how far you get.”

But I don’t move, my legs locked in place, my breathing uneven. He leans in, pressing his mouth to mine, slow and deep, his hands sliding down to grip my hips.

“You’ll never be free of me,” he growls, biting down on my lower lip. “And deep down, you don’t really want to be.”

I can’t think. I can’t breathe. His words coil around my mind, squeezing until I can’t tell where the fear ends and the need begins. Damien’s hands are rough on my waist, pressing me against the cold brick wall, his breath hot on my neck.

I try to turn my head, to break eye contact, but he just grips my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes are dark, glittering with twisted satisfaction, like he’s savouring every second of my confusion.

“You’re mine,” he whispers again, his lips brushing over my ear. “Say it.”

I shake my head, stubborn even though my whole body is shaking. He just clicks his tongue, his fingers tracing the line ofmy jaw, down to my throat, pressing lightly on the bruises he left earlier.

“Still fighting,” he murmurs, almost amused. “But you’re not going anywhere. You don’t really want to, do you?”

I open my mouth to protest, but he doesn’t give me the chance. His mouth crashes against mine, rough and demanding, swallowing the sound that tears from my throat. His teeth scrape my lips, and I taste blood, but it doesn’t stop him—if anything, it makes him hungrier, his hands sliding under my shirt, fingers digging into my sides.

He breaks the kiss just long enough to drag his tongue over my swollen lip, smirking at the way I can’t hold back a shudder.

“I could do this all night,” he whispers. “Keep you pinned here, make you admit how much you need me.”

“I don’t,” I gasp, but the words sound weak even to me.

He laughs softly, leaning back just enough to look at me, his eyes narrowing.

“Liar,” he taunts, his hands slipping lower, gripping my hips and pulling me closer. “You’ve been mine from the start. I’ve watched you, remember? I know how lonely you are. How much you ache for someone to see you. To own you.”

My stomach flips, and I hate that he’s right—that some part of me wants that twisted, suffocating obsession.

He leans in, his mouth brushing over my jaw, down to my neck, biting down hard enough to make me gasp. His fingers trace the curve of my waist, slipping under the hem of my shirt, teasing the skin just above my waistband.

“You keep running,” he whispers, dragging his teeth over my pulse. “But you always come back. Even if you don’t realise it yet, your body knows it belongs to me.”

I shove at his chest, trying to put some distance between us, but he just grips my wrists, pinning them against the wall. Hisbody presses harder against mine, and I can’t ignore the heat radiating from him, the way his breath fans over my skin.

“You’re so stubborn,” he murmurs, almost affectionately. “But I’ll break you down, eventually.”

He moves one of my hands to his chest, pressing my palm flat against his heartbeat. It’s erratic, just as frantic as mine, and I realise he’s barely holding back his own need.

“Feel that?” he whispers, his lips ghosting over mine. “You make me crazy. You make me want to destroy anyone who looks at you. Anyone who thinks they can have you. I’ll tear them apart. I’ll make sure you never forget who you belong to.”

I can’t help the way my fingers curl into his shirt, desperate for something to hold on to. His lips find mine again, slower this time, his tongue teasing, tasting, making my knees weak.

I try to pull away, to catch my breath, but he just follows, his mouth chasing mine, his hands sliding down to squeeze my thighs, lifting me off the ground so my legs wrap around his waist.

“You don’t get to pretend anymore,” he growls, his voice vibrating against my lips. “You’re mine, Raven. Mine to break. Mine to keep. You don’t get to run from that.”

His hands grip my ass, pressing me harder against him, and I can feel how hard he is, the pressure making heat coil low in my belly despite the fear still clawing at my thoughts.