Bound by Fire

Leah's heart pounded as she stared at Damon, the space between them charged with an undeniable energy. She should have walked away. She should have resisted. But the moment his crimson eyes locked onto hers, every rational thought dissolved.

"Leah…" His voice was husky, laced with something dangerous—something possessive.

She took a step back, but Damon followed, his presence overwhelming, his scent intoxicating. She had spent so long running from her feelings, from her instincts, but there was no running from this.

Not anymore.

"I don't know if this is right," she whispered, though her body betrayed her, swaying toward him.

Damon smirked, tilting his head as he studied her. "Then tell me to leave."

Silence.

Her lips parted, but no words came. She should send him away. The tension between them had been building for too long, simmering beneath every stolen glance, every near touch. And now, standing in the dim glow of the fireplace, the only thing between them was the last shred of restraint she barely held onto.

Damon lifted a hand and traced his fingers along her jawline, the lightest touch setting her skin ablaze. He leaned in, his breath warm against her ear.

"You don't want me to leave," he murmured.

Leah shivered. He was right.

Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt as he drew her closer. "This isn't fair," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Damon's lips brushed against her temple, his touch lingering as he trailed down to her cheek. "Nothing about us has ever been fair."

She closed her eyes as his mouth finally met hers. The kiss was slow at first, testing, exploring—but then it deepened, raw and unrelenting. He pressed her back against the edge of the desk, his hands bracketing her hips as he pulled her flush against him.

A fire unlike anything she had ever known ignited within her, burning away every doubt, every hesitation.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, losing herself in the way he felt, the way he moved.

Damon growled low in his throat, his hands gripping her waist tighter, his control slipping. But just as he was about to lift her onto the desk, a sudden pulse of energy rippled through the room.

They broke apart, both breathless, their bodies still pressed together.

Leah gasped, clutching at her chest as warmth spread through her veins—foreign, unfamiliar.

Damon's eyes widened as he staggered back slightly. "What the hell was that?"

The air crackled around them, and then—

A sharp, searing pain tore through Leah's body.

She cried out, dropping to her knees as heat consumed her. It wasn't just desire anymore. It was power.

Something inside her was awakening. Something ancient.

Damon was at her side in an instant, his hands gripping her shoulders. "Leah! Talk to me—what's happening?"

But she couldn't answer.

Because deep inside her, the thing that had been waiting—watching—was finally breaking free.

And when she opened her eyes, they weren't just her own anymore.

They glowed with an unnatural light.

And Damon, the unshakable warrior, stared in shock.

"Leah… what are you?"