When Aurora awoke, she wasn't in her bed, but in a grand, gothic castle, its halls illuminated by flickering candlelight. The bed she lay on was enormous, the black silk sheets cool against her skin. The dark roses that had once surrounded her were now carved into the stone walls, blooming endlessly.

Damon stood at the end of the room, watching her with a gaze so intense it made her insides twist in anticipation.

"You're awake," he said, his deep voice a caress.

"Where am I?" Aurora demanded, though her voice betrayed her excitement. The air between them was thick with tension—an unspoken desire that she couldn't deny.

"My world," Damon said simply. "You belong to me now."

Aurora swallowed, trying to shake off the spell. "I don't belong to anyone."

Damon approached her slowly, his eyes darkening. "That's where you're wrong, love." He reached for her hand, pulling her to her feet, their bodies now inches apart. His thumb traced her bottom lip, and she felt a wave of heat rush through her. "You felt it, didn't you? The magic between us."

His words were a command, not a question.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out as Damon closed the distance, capturing her mouth with his in a searing kiss. The kiss wasn't gentle—it was wild, full of the desire that had been simmering since the moment their eyes had met. Aurora's knees nearly buckled as she felt herself giving in to the overwhelming pull of his touch.

Their kiss deepened, tongues tangling in a dance that spoke of promises to be fulfilled. Damon's hands slid down her back, pulling her flush against him, and Aurora gasped, her body igniting with need.

She should fight him, should pull away, but something inside her craved him more than anything she had ever wanted.

Aurora gasped as she woke, her chest heaving. Her surroundings were no longer her bedroom. She sat upright in a grand, gothic room, surrounded by towering windows that looked out into an endless dark forest. The bed beneath her was covered in black silk sheets, and roses still bloomed around the edges of the room, vibrant and dangerous.

"I see you've awakened," came a voice from the shadows.

She spun, her heart racing, to find Damon standing near the door. His black leather tunic clung to his muscular frame, the edges of a smirk playing on his lips. He stepped forward, his gaze never leaving hers.

"Who—where am I?" she demanded, her voice trembling with fear and something else... a pull, a desire she couldn't quite place.

Damon approached the bed, his eyes burning into her. "You're in my world now. The realm of dreams. And you—Aurora—are bound to me."

Her pulse quickened. "I don't belong to you."

Damon chuckled, leaning down until his face was just inches from hers. "Oh, but you will. The roses chose you for a reason. They awakened me. And now... you belong to them."

His lips brushed the shell of her ear, sending a shock of heat down her spine. Aurora shivered under his touch, torn between fear and the undeniable allure of his proximity.