A punishment or a reward?

Please refrain from opening this chapter if you are under 18 years old. Exercise discretion; this is a work of fiction with all its imaginative elements.

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Alaric moved in closer, his lips near Raven's ear, and murmured, "You know, I always get what I want."

The moment stretched, filled with the unspoken challenge in Alaric's eyes and the flicker of defiance in Raven's. But beneath the surface, something else simmered—an anticipation neither wanted to admit openly.

Alaric, sensing the change, tightened his grip just enough to assert control, not enough to hurt but enough to make his point clear. "What do you say."

Raven's lips curled into a smirk, the bravado returning as he met Alaric's gaze head-on. "I don't understand," he replied, his voice cool, but there was no mistaking the underlying heat.