Chapter Thirty Two - No Escape - Maya's POV

The rest of breakfast goes as well as it can, considering everything. I try to talk to Serena a few more times and Damian seems to keep his eyes on me, for the most part. I guess he thinks I might bolt at any moment. Though I won't, I sure feel like it. My legs twitch with the urge to flee. It's like my body already knows this place isn't safe and never will be. I don't belong here, and if I don't leave soon, I never will. When breakfast finally ends, I push back from the table and try to ignore the way Damian's eyes narrow in my direction. He wants me to say something or look at him, but I can't. I don't meet his gaze as I excuse myself. Forcing my steps to stay even, I try to leave the dining hall calmly. I know he's watching me, even now. The feeling of having his eyes on my back doesn't leave until I disappear into the hallway. As soon as I'm back into the room, I look out through the doorway. 'This is my chance." They're going to move my room today and who knows what they might do? I may have a lock on the door or something worse. With determination, I go to the door and peer out into the hallway. It doesn't look busy right now. I can't stay here and I won't. As I slip out of the room, my heart hammers in my chest. Every step is careful as I make my way through the winding halls and hope that I'm headed for an exit. Anywhere is better than being trapped in this estate. I don't see a single soul as I roam through the hallways. My breath is shallow as I keep my steps light, hoping no one hears me. Every sound of my feet against the floor seems amplified, though I know I'm being quiet. Then there are the voices I hear down the hallway. I don't know how much time I have before someone notices that I'm gone, but I can't afford to slow down. The further I go, the more unfamiliar the corridors become and now I wonder if I have taken a wrong turn. Nothing looks familiar. Not the decor, not the rug, none of it. What have I done? Where did I go wrong? I don't stop to investigate anything. Instead, I keep moving with my only goal being to find a way out. I reach a set of stairs that I haven't seen before. The only thing I can figure out is they are another way to get to the second floor. There are no footsteps, no voices, and nothing to indicate that I've been detected, at least. I turn and head in another direction as my pulse frantically beats a rhythm in my ears. Then I see something familiar up ahead. It seems to be the way I came in when I arrived. Relief floods through me. Right as I reach the door, I hear a low growl behind me. I freeze, unable to move. That is when I feel something. I feel him. He's approaching me from behind and every fiber of my being is screaming to run. But I can't. I turn to look over my shoulder and notice his golden eyes glowing in the dim lighting. He doesn't speak, doesn't move. Damian only watches me like a predator that has cornered its prey. And just like that, I know for a fact I never stood a chance of escaping this place. My breath hitches in my throat as realization set in. If only I had been faster. The door is only a few steps away, but it doesn't matter anymore because I have been caught trying to leave. Damian takes one slow step forward, causing the air to shift between us. His mere presence is so overwhelming that I begin to tremble like an invisible force is pressing down on me. 'Did you really think you could leave?" He asks, his voice quiet, but there is an edge to it. There is something dangerous lurking beneath the surface and I don't miss his tone. My hands clench into fists at my side. 'I had to try at least once." His lips twitch as he gets closer, but it's definitely not a smile. It's more like amusement laced with something darker. Part of me wonders if he likes that I tried to run away. Maybe he likes a challenge. 'And what would you have done out there, Maya Sinclair? Where would you go? You can't go back to daddy because he will just send you back to me." I straighten my back and glare at him. 'Anywhere but here. Even if I died in the woods, it would be better than staying here, under your control." Damian exhales sharply, shaking his head. 'You don't understand what lies in those woods, outside of our territory. You think this is a cage, but outside these walls, death is all that waits for you. I know you think you could make it out and be fine, but you won't. There are woods for miles and dangerous things lurking." I shrug. 'Well, it's a good thing I don't mind dying." Something flickers in his gaze. Then, in a blur of movement, he closes the distance between us and yanks me to his chest. I barely have time to react before he embraces me so tightly that I can't breathe. 'You're not going anywhere." And deep down, beneath the defiance I feel burning inside of me, I know he's right. Fate, he called it, brought me here. 'Let me go," I whisper, though the words lack the bite I wish they had. Damian's grip loosens just enough for me to breathe and look up at him. But he doesn't release me. His golden eyes bore into mine. 'No." The word is final and I have no room to argue.