Chapter 4 : Trapped in His Grasp

The night felt unbearably long for Celeste. She sat in the corner of the bed, hugging herself tightly, while her mind remained plagued by Alistair's words, echoing relentlessly in her ears.

"What if I make you carry my child?"

Her breath caught every time she recalled the look in his eyes—so certain, so commanding, as if she no longer belonged to herself, but to Alistair entirely.

Celeste knew that he never made empty threats. If he said something, he meant it. And that was what terrified her the most.

A sudden knock at the door made her flinch. Before she could even think to respond, the door swung open without hesitation, and there he was—Alistair, standing tall in the doorway.

His gaze locked onto her, trapping her under an unyielding dominance. Without a word, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

"Are you done sulking?" His voice was deep and steady, laced with mockery that made her feel even more cornered.

She didn't answer, only lowered her head, desperately avoiding his eyes.

Alistair took slow, deliberate steps toward her before settling at the edge of the bed. He reached out, his fingers tilting her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Never lower your head in front of me, Celeste," he commanded, his voice firm. "I want to see your face… every time I desire you."

Celeste bit her lip, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. "What do you want from me, Alistair?" Her voice was weak, but this time, it carried exhaustion.

His smile softened slightly, but his eyes remained just as intimidating. "I want you to stop thinking you can escape me." His thumb brushed against her cheek—a touch that should have been gentle, but instead felt like chains tightening around her. "I've already told you, Celeste. You are mine."

Celeste closed her eyes for a brief moment, trying to steady her racing heart. But when she opened them again, Alistair was still there—watching her as if she were the only thing he wanted in this world.

And that was more terrifying than any threat he could ever make.

Celeste wanted to run. She wanted to stand up and push him away, but her body felt weak under Alistair's piercing gaze.

"Stop looking at me like that," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Alistair raised an eyebrow, as if savoring the panic shining in her eyes. "Like what, darling? Like I'm stripping away every little thought you try to hide from me?"

He moved closer, his tall, imposing frame completely dominating the small space between them. Celeste could feel the heat of his body, smell the intoxicating scent that clung to him—masculine, expensive, and dangerous.

"You keep trying to run from me, Celeste," he murmured, his fingers tracing the delicate line of her jaw with an almost gentle touch. "But you forget one thing… I always get what I want."

Her breath hitched as his fingers trailed down her neck, then to her shoulder, making her body stiffen. She willed herself not to react, but her own body betrayed her—and he noticed.

Alistair smirked. "You can fight as hard as you want, Celeste. But I know… sooner or later, you will surrender."

"I will never surrender to you," she tried to sound firm, but the tremor in her voice made her words feel fragile.

Alistair chuckled softly, his confidence suffocating in its intensity. "Oh, darling… I'm going to enjoy every second of the moment you finally do."

With a swift movement, he pulled her into his arms, making her gasp and freeze in his embrace.

"And when that moment comes," he whispered against her ear, "I will make sure you can never leave me again."

Celeste held her breath. She knew Alistair wasn't just speaking. He meant every single word.

And that left her with only two choices—fight harder to escape, or brace herself for the fate he had already decided for her.

Celeste felt the coldness of the room, but more than that, what made her body tense was the warmth radiating from the man in front of her. Alistair didn't move, yet his gaze was like invisible chains that held her in place.

"Are you afraid of me, Celeste?" His voice was low, almost a whisper.

Celeste clenched her jaw. "I'm not afraid of you," she said, though even she wasn't sure if she believed her own words.

Alistair chuckled softly. "Really? Because your body says otherwise."

His hand lifted, touching her shoulder lightly, but the impact felt like an electric current spreading across her skin. Celeste wanted to pull away, but before she could move, Alistair had already leaned in, closing the distance between them.

"You know, Celeste," he whispered against her ear, "there are many ways I can ensure you never leave me."

Celeste froze. "You can't keep me forever, Alistair."

"I don't need to keep you," he murmured, his fingers trailing down her arm before resting on her waist. "I only need to make sure you have no reason to leave."

He paused for a moment, letting his words hang in the air before adding, "And if I have to put my child inside you to make sure of that… then I will."

Celeste's eyes widened. Her heart felt as if it had stopped beating.

"You wouldn't dare…" she muttered in disbelief.

Alistair smirked, his eyes locking onto hers with a challenging intensity. "Do you really think I wouldn't?"

His grip on her waist tightened, pulling her closer until she could feel his warm breath against her face.

"Imagine it, Celeste," he continued, his voice calm yet laced with a clear threat. "If you carried my child, you wouldn't be able to go anywhere. You would always come back to me… for me."

Celeste felt heat spread through her body—not from desire, but from the rage burning inside her. She glared at Alistair with all the hatred she could muster, knowing it wouldn't mean anything to him.

"You can't play with me like this," she hissed, her breath uneven.

Alistair studied her for a moment, then gave a small, knowing smile. "I'm not playing with you, darling. I'm simply making sure you understand your place."

His hand moved up to her face, his thumb brushing over her lips, relishing the way she trembled under his touch.

"And soon," he added, "you will accept that you were always meant to be mine."

Celeste held her breath, her heart pounding so hard it hurt.

She had to do something… before it was truly too late.