Chapter 35

Sarah's POV

The car rolled to a halt behind the mansion, nestled among the trees, hidden from the sight of anyone who might be watching. The familiar looming silhouette of the Blackwood estate felt like a prison, and my heart pounded as I stepped out of the car. The damp chill of the night air hit me immediately, sharp against my skin. The shadows of the forest stretched out before me, dark and thick, swallowing the path ahead. I barely registered the sound of Zeke's footsteps fading as he retreated back toward the car.

I stood there, staring into the woods. I could feel the weight of the Blackwood estate behind me, but I didn't turn back. I couldn't—not yet. I had been through too much, seen too many secrets I wasn't meant to know.

Zeke had dropped me here, at the edge of the forest, far enough from the mansion so I wouldn't be seen. I had to take the last steps on my own, away from the shadows of my family and the curse that bound me. But as I ventured deeper into the woods, the air grew colder, the sound of my feet on the earth the only thing breaking the silence.

Then I felt it—a familiar presence, a weight in the air. My heart stuttered in my chest, the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. The darkness parted before me, and there he was.

Axel.

His figure stepped out of the shadows, his presence like a storm that suddenly filled the space around me. His face, barely lit by the moonlight, was dark and intense, his eyes burning with a longing that I hadn't expected. He didn't speak, but the hunger in his gaze was unmistakable.

I froze, instinctively taking a step back. The raw intensity of Axel's presence hit me harder than it ever had before. He wasn't just Axel anymore. He was something else—something more dangerous. And I wasn't sure if it was because of the curse or because of him.

He moved toward me, his steps confident, predatory, and before I could react, Axel was upon me. "You're back" he whispers before his hands, warm and firm, grabbed my waist, pulling me to him. His lips claimed mine in a kiss that was far too urgent, far too demanding. The moment his mouth touched mine, I felt the world blur, the lines between right and wrong dissolving. His kiss was possessive, desperate, as if he could feel the unraveling of everything that held him back.

I tried to push him away, tried to break free, but Axel was relentless. His hands roamed my body with a desperation that stole my breath. My chest tightened, panic building as his touch became more insistent. My hands pressed against his chest, but he didn't let go. His lips moved across my neck, leaving a trail of heat in their wake, and I shivered, caught between instinct and the strange, overwhelming pull I felt toward him.

The storm in my mind and heart was unrelenting. This wasn't just a kiss. This was Axel, my husband's brother—Eren's brother. The forbidden, the impossible, the one person I shouldn't want, yet I couldn't pull away from. I had always known Axel was different, but this? This was far beyond anything I'd ever imagined. It was obsession, lust, love—everything tangled together in a deadly, intoxicating mix.

"Axel," I gasped, breaking away from him with a sharp, panicked breath. "Stop."

But he didn't listen. He pulled me closer, his lips brushing mine again, too hard, too fast. I pushed against him with all my strength, but he only tightened his hold on me, his body pressing into mine, making it impossible to break free.

"You think you can escape me, Sarah?" Axel whispered against my lips, his voice raw, dangerous. "You think you can walk away from this? From me?"

My heart pounded against my chest, a mixture of fear and something darker bubbling inside me. "You're wrong," I managed, trying to catch my breath. "I'm married to Eren. I'm his wife. This—this can't happen."

Axel's laugh was low, almost bitter, as he pulled back just enough to look at me. His eyes burned with something wild, something possessive. "Do you think that matters to me?" he asked, his voice strained. "Eren's never seen you the way I do, Sarah. He doesn't understand you. He doesn't need you like I do."

His words felt like a dagger to my chest, yet they stirred something in me. I hated it, the way my pulse quickened, the way I couldn't pull away from him completely. Axel was my brother-in-law. This was forbidden. But the way he looked at me, the way he kissed me, made it feel like we were already too far gone.

"Axel," I breathed, my voice trembling. "You can't do this. This is wrong."

He smiled—an expression that was both soft and savage—and leaned in close enough for me to feel the heat of his breath. "It's too late for that, Sarah. You've always belonged to me. It's just taken me longer to show you." His hands slipped under my jacket, pulling me closer still, as his lips found my ear, his breath warm against my skin. "You can't fight this. You'll never be free of me."

His words sent a chill down my spine, but they also stirred something deeper, something I didn't want to acknowledge. Something dangerous. My heart raced, and my body betrayed me. The feel of his hands on me, the heat of his body against mine—it felt impossible to ignore.

I pushed him back once more, using every ounce of strength I had. "No, Axel. I'm not yours. I'm married to Eren."

He didn't step back. Instead, his eyes darkened, and he took a step closer, the air between us heavy with unspoken need. "You belong to me," he repeated, his voice low, guttural. "Don't you feel it, Sarah? The way we're connected? The pull? You can't fight it. You'll never be free of me."

The intensity in his eyes shook me to my core. I had always known Axel was dangerous in his own way—charismatic, manipulative, and dark. But this? This obsession, this hunger—this was something I wasn't sure I could escape.

His fingers brushed against my cheek, sending a spark of heat through my skin, and I flinched. "I don't want this," I said, my voice firm but unsure. "You have to stop."

Axel's expression softened, but there was no warmth in it—only hunger, a deep, unyielding need. "I can't stop. And neither can you."

I didn't know what to say, how to push him away anymore. My hands trembled, my body still pressed against his. It felt like I was caught in a web, a trap I couldn't escape from. I was married to his brother. I loved Eren but did he?

Axel's kiss, his touch, his words… they felt too real, too powerful to deny.

"I won't let you go, Sarah," he whispered, his voice dark with promise. "Not now. Not ever."

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I was lost between the weight of my own feelings, the crushing reality of my marriage, and the impossible attraction I felt for Axel.

I had no choice but to pull away from him, my heart aching with the knowledge of how dangerous this all was. But Axel wasn't done. He never would be.

And neither was I.