DISCLAIMER : The Chapter begins with smut. If that is something that you are not comfortable with, scroll to the end, skip it. Those you like it, read it, have fun!

************************************

The second the bedroom door slammed shut behind them, Elijah had Maeve pinned against it, his body pressing into hers, solid and unyielding. The air between them was thick, electric, their heavy breaths the only sound in the dimly lit room.

Maeve had barely a second to adjust before Elijah's lips crashed into hers again, claiming, demanding, consuming. His hands roamed her body with deliberate slowness, fingertips teasing the bare skin of her arms before slipping down to her waist. She gasped as he gripped her hips, fingers digging in just enough to make her feel that he wouldn't let her escape.

Her hands, however, weren't passive. She tugged at his shirt, fingers curling into the fabric, before finally pulling it over his head. The sight of him, lean muscle taut with tension, made her mouth go dry. Maeve ran her palms over his chest, nails lightly raking down, earning her a sharp inhale from Elijah.

But he wasn't about to let her take control.

Before she could reach for him again, he grabbed both her wrists and pinned them above her head, his knee parting her thighs just enough to make her whimper. His dark eyes burned into hers. "Do you think you hold the power here?" His voice was low, rough, taunting. "You push me away, make me wonder what went wrong, make me worry every waking moment to the point where I couldn't breathe, and now you think you can take from me as you please?"

Maeve's breath hitched. "I—"

Elijah tilted his head, as if daring her to lie to him.

She didn't. Instead, she arched into him, her body betraying her with how desperately she craved his touch. He smirked, pleased with her silent admission. "That's what I thought." away from the kiss. Both gasped for air. Their eyes wide and desiring the touch from other gazed deep. 

Without warning, he released her wrists only to grip the back of her neck, pulling her into another deep, bruising kiss. Maeve moaned against his lips as his free hand trailed down, fingers teasing the hem of her dress before bunching it up at her waist. He let his knuckles graze the inside of her thigh, barely touching, making her squirm.

"Elijah—" she exhaled, frustration thick in her voice. 

In one swift movement, he lifted her off the ground. Maeve's legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as he carried her across the room, his lips trailing down her throat, biting and sucking until small marks bloomed against her skin. He dropped her onto the bed, standing over her with a dark, hungry gaze.

"Take this off," he ordered, pointing at her pants and shirt.

Maeve hesitated for only a second before slipping it over her head, leaving her in nothing but lace. Elijah's jaw clenched as his eyes roamed over her, drinking in every inch of exposed skin. "Beautiful," he murmured before kneeling between her parted legs, hands sliding up her thighs, spreading her open for him.

She should have been embarrassed by how easily she surrendered, but all she felt was want.

Elijah leaned over her, his fingers tracing the delicate lace clinging to her body, his touch leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Maeve's breath hitched as his lips followed, pressing soft, deliberate kisses along her collarbone, her shoulder, down the curve of her stomach—each touch a silent claim, each whisper of breath a promise.

The room seemed to shrink around them, the air thick with something electric, something inevitable. Maeve curled her fingers into the sheets, eyes closed and head titled up. His lips brushed against her ear, his voice nothing but a velvet command against her skin.

"Let go."

And she did.

The world blurred into sensation—the heat of his body against hers, the weight of his hands pinning her down, the delicious pull between resistance and surrender. There were no more words, only sighs and shivers, only the unrelenting rhythm of their desire. 

It was a collision of everything they had fought, everything they had denied themselves for far too long—frustration and longing bleeding into every desperate touch, every fevered kiss, every unspoken word gasped between them.

Somewhere in the haze, her name spilled from his lips, rough and reverent, like a secret only he was meant to know.

Somewhere in the dark, she breathed his name into his skin, a quiet surrender, a silent plea.

And as the night unraveled around them, their bodies spoke in the only way that mattered—beyond destiny, beyond doubt—until nothing else existed but this.

But them.

The room was steeped in the quiet hum of early morning, the faintest traces of dawn creeping in through the curtains. Their bodies were tangled beneath the sheets, skin still warm, breaths slow and steady in the afterglow. Elijah lay on his back, one arm lazily draped around Maeve's waist, his fingers tracing idle circles against the small of her back. She lay with her head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, grounding herself in the moment.

But it wasn't enough.

Something twisted deep inside her—a thought, a memory, a truth she had buried for the night. She knew what she had to do. She had to go.

Maeve swallowed hard, pulling away from Elijah's warmth, sitting up as silently as she could. She reached for her clothes, moving slowly, carefully. She reached for her pants and shirt discarded carelessly on the floor and put them on quickly

"Where do you think you're going?" she gasped and sighed hearing the groggy morning voice of Elijah call out to her.

"I need to leave," she murmured, running her fingers through her hair fixing them as much as she could.

Elijah sat up immediately, his presence commanding. "Leave?" His brow furrowed, his voice sharpening with the kind of disbelief that bordered on anger. "Maeve, after everything—you think I'm going to let you just walk away?"

She exhaled, running a hand through her hair, avoiding his gaze. "It's not about you letting me do anything, Elijah. I have to go."

His jaw clenched, and he reached out, fingers wrapping gently but firmly around her wrist. "Why?" His tone softened, but beneath it lay something darker—an edge of desperation. "Tell me." He stood up standing in front of her towering tall.

She closed her eyes, the war inside her threatening to consume her. "There's something I haven't told you."

Elijah stilled. Maeve dared to look at him then, finding his expression unreadable, his eyes searching hers for something—truth, reassurance, anything.

"Maeve, no more secrets. Not anymore. You cannot keep running away." he pressed, his grip tightening just enough to remind her that he wouldn't let her run from this. From him.

Maeve inhaled deeply. "I can't tell you. Not yet."

Elijah's expression darkened, his patience wearing thin. "That's not good enough, Maeve. You cannot keep running away every time something is happening and expect me..." he sucked in a harsh breath. "expect me to wait for your excuses to make up for everything."

Her lips parted, her breath unsteady. "I am not making excuses," she whispered.

He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "No," he said firmly. "After last night, the memories, our past that you have known for so long, you cannot leave without telling us everything there is to know. No more half-truths. No more secrets. Whatever it is, say it."

She bit her lip, her resolve crumbling under the weight of his gaze. He wasn't going to let her go—not without answers. And maybe... maybe she didn't want to go, not really.

Maeve swallowed hard, nodding slowly. "Alright," she whispered. "I'll tell you everything."

Elijah studied her for a moment longer before releasing his grip on her wrist, his fingers instead brushing gently down her arm. "Good," he murmured, his voice softer now, but still unwavering.

Maeve let out a shaky breath, settling back beside him, bracing herself. "Over breakfast."

It was time.

************************************
Hello everyone!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to comment and let me know what you think!

Till the next update! Bye bye!

Take care everyone

Raven :)