"Every predator hunts in the dark—but some crave more than blood."
---
Swindon – Midnight Pub, Urban District
Neon lights pulsed across the crowded room, casting electric blues and purples across flushed faces, the air thick with alcohol, perfume, and temptation. The music throbbed with a pulse of its own—wild, chaotic, and addictive. In one of the private booths, three men sat, laughing louder than the rest.Kiaan leaned back in his chair, his blazer unbuttoned, shirt slightly creased from a long day, his hair tousled but perfect, jawline sharp under the flashing lights. Even drunk, his aura was unnervingly calm, collected, almost dangerously magnetic. Girls passing by slowed down, lips bitten, eyes trailing him like a lion in a silk cage.But Kiaan barely looked at any of them.Across the table, Rehaan chuckled, sipping his whiskey. "You know, I'm starting to think you're either a saint or broken inside. Look at you—every damn girl here wants a night in your bed and you just sit there like a monk."
Kiaan smirked, eyes flicking to a woman trying to make her third eye-contact. "Why waste time on someone I won't remember by morning?"Rehaan burst into laughter, "Says the guy who looks like he walked off a cologne ad."Meanwhile, Dev, ever the wild card, had already disappeared into a dark corner with a red-lipped girl on his arm.
"He's probably halfway into a hotel suite by now," Rehaan muttered, shaking his head.
Kiaan raised his glass with a lazy smirk.
"To Dev and his noble sacrifices for lust."
They clinked glasses, the sound light, harmless—like the calm before a storm.
---
In the Shadows – Opposite Side of the Pub
A booth veiled in shadows. The air was heavier there.Reyaan Malhotra—Rex—sat like a king in silence. Black shirt, sleeves rolled, silver watch glinting under low lights. Around him, his men lounged, but their leader's eyes never moved.They were fixed on Kiaan.His Kiaan.The boy he had ripped open once, not with bullets, but with his hands, his hunger, his control. A boy he'd marked so cruelly that night, the name "Reyaan" still etched into his wrist—an eternal reminder of that brutal, intimate claim.And yet… here Kiaan was. Laughing. Living. Defying. "He still breathes fire…" Reyaan murmured, swirling his dark liquor.
Then he snapped his fingers. The bartender approached. "Take this to him. The blue-label blend. Say it's on the house."
His voice was silk wrapped around venom.
---
At the Bar – Minutes LaterKiaan blinked as the bartender placed the glass"Compliments from the house, sir."Rehaan raised a brow.
"When did we become VIP enough for freebies?"Kiaan shrugged, lifted the drink, and took a slow sip. Rehaan followed, not noticing the second bartender exchange glances with the first.The liquor burned. It was too smooth.Within minutes, Kiaan's head began to tilt. The edges of the world blurred.He leaned into Rehaan—his body warm, pliant. "Rehaan… I… think I…"Rehaan steadied him, voice tense."Kiaan? Hey—are you okay?"
---
From the ShadowsRex stood now. Eyes darker than night. Smile cruel. "Bring him to the VIP suite. Keep the other away."One of his men nodded, but before he moved, another figure stepped forward.Vihaan Roy.
Sharp suit, wicked smile, and eyes that burned like a furnace. A predator in human skin. "Let me handle the tall one," Vihaan said, licking his lips like a man seeing prey.
Rex turned his head slowly."Rehaan's an agent, Vihaan. You touch him, it's war."
Vihaan smiled wider. "You have your agent. Let me taste mine. If you can tame fire, then let me test if I can survive lightning."Reyaan stared at him, something tense in his jaw—then, slowly, he nodded. "He's not weak, Vihaan. Don't bleed on my floor."Vihaan laughed softly. "I like when they fight."
"Sometimes the most dangerous prisons have no locks… only obsession."
---
Swindon – Elite Pub, VIP Level
Midnight deepened. The city's heartbeat pulsed behind glass and music, but inside this room… time stopped.
The heavy velvet curtains cloaked the floor-to-ceiling windows in the VIP suite, swallowing the sounds of the world outside. Dim golden chandeliers hummed gently above, casting a sensual glow over the lavish space—plush leather sofas, dark wood, and an undeniable sense of power and danger.Kiaan's body lay sprawled across the king-sized velvet couch, head leaning against the armrest, breath slow—drugged. His jacket was gone, shirt slightly open from the earlier heat, his wrist visible… and so was that name."Reyaan Malhotra."
Etched into his skin. Scarred. Brutal. Personal.The door creaked open. Boots echoed softly against marble tiles.Reyaan Malhotra entered, removing his coat. His eyes devoured the scene before him like a wolf watching its wounded prey. No hunger. Obsession.He said nothing at first—only walked closer, each step heavier with tension. He stood over Kiaan silently, then crouched, fingers brushing the edges of that inked scar on Kiaan's wrist."You still wear me," he whispered, voice low, amused. "Even after I ruined you."Kiaan stirred faintly, lids fluttering. "Mm… R-Rehaan…"That name.Reyaan's jaw clenched instantly.
"Still calling for him, huh?"His fingers curled around Kiaan's jaw—not hard, not soft—just enough to tilt his face towards him. Kiaan's lips parted slightly as if in sleep, his lashes fluttering.Reyaan let out a low chuckle, and whispered near his ear,"You should've known better than to walk freely in my city again, baby boy."He pulled a strand of hair behind Kiaan's ear, eyes tracing every feature with eerie intimacy."Still untouched… still mine."He stood up, loosening his shirt cuffs, watching Kiaan with the same intensity one would reserve for a long-lost, beloved possession—damaged, yet treasured."You don't know what you've done, Kiaan," he muttered to himself. "You shouldn't have come back… You made me remember."The door opened again."Boss," a man whispered, "Rehaan's with Vihaan. He's... resisting."Reyaan nodded slowly without turning back. "Let Vihaan play. But not too far… I still need Rehaan breathing."He crouched again beside Kiaan, fingers brushing over the tattoo."You tried to move on. You thought I'd forget. But now, I'll remind you all over again."His thumb trailed down Kiaan's collarbone, pausing at the pulse on his neck."You left the devil once, Kiaan. This time… you'll stay in hell."And then, he kissed the mark he left behind years ago. Reyaan tooks Kiaan's clothes one by one and throws on floor. Reyaan moved down to Kiaan's ankles next,
securing them to the foot of the couch so he
was spread out like a feast for him. Reyaan's
touch was sure and confident as he bound
Kiaan in place. After reyaan was done,
his piercing deep eyes gazed at kiaan as if he
was looking at the masterpiece he just
created."You look perfect like this," he murmured,admiring his handiwork. "Completely at my mercy.".