CHAPTER THREE: Mine to Protect
I kept pulling the door.
Again.
And again.
And again.
⸻
It wouldn't open.
⸻
My chest tightened, panic rising so fast I couldn't control it anymore.
"No… no, no, no—"
⸻
"Stop."
His voice cut through everything.
Cold.
Commanding.
⸻
I froze instantly.
⸻
Slowly… I turned.
He was closer now.
Closer than before.
Like he moved without me noticing.
⸻
"Panicking won't help you," he said calmly.
⸻
"I want to leave," I said, my voice shaking.
"I didn't do anything wrong, I don't belong here—"
"You do now."
The words hit harder than anything else.
My throat tightened.
"I don't," I whispered.
He stepped even closer.
Now there was barely space between us.
I could feel his presence.
His control.
His eyes locked onto mine like I wasn't allowed to look away.
⸻
"You walked into our world," he said quietly.
"And you think you can just walk out?"
"I didn't know," I said quickly, my voice breaking.
"If I knew, I would have never come here—"
"That's the problem."
His voice dropped lower.
More dangerous.
"You didn't know."
Silence.
Then—
His hand lifted. I flinched instantly.
But he didn't hit me.Instead… his fingers gently tilted my chin up.
My breath caught.
⸻
"Look at me," he said.
I didn't want to.
But I did.
And the moment our eyes met…Something shifted.His gaze softened. Just slightly.
Almost unnoticeable.
"Innocent," Matteo's voice came from behind me.
I stiffened.
"I told you," he continued, stepping closer again,
"She has no idea what she just walked into."
"Then she shouldn't have walked in," the first one replied.
His fingers were still under my chin.
Holding me in place.
Not rough.But firm.
Like I didn't have a choice.
"What's your name?" I asked quietly.
He paused.
For a second… it felt like I wasn't supposed to ask that.
But then,
"Alessandro," he said.
The name settled heavily in the air.
Alessandro.
It fit him too well.
⸻
"And you?" I asked, my voice softer now, looking past him slightly.
⸻
Matteo smirked immediately.
⸻
"Oh, she wants to know us," he said, amused.
⸻
The quiet one finally spoke again.
"Luca."
Short.
Simple.
But his eyes stayed on me longer than the others.
Watching.
Observing.
Almost… concerned.
⸻
I swallowed hard.
"Please," I said again, my voice barely steady.
"I don't want problems. I don't even know what this is. Just let me go and I'll forget everything, I swear—"
Alessandro's grip on my chin tightened slightly.
"You don't forget things like this."
My heart pounded.
"I can," I said quickly.
"I won't tell anyone, I'll just leave—"
"No."
Again.
That word.
Final.
"You're not leaving," he said.
Tears burned at the back of my eyes.
"Why?" I whispered.
Silence.
Then Matteo answered instead.
"Because you've seen us."
My chest tightened.
"And people who see us…" he continued,
"…don't just walk away."
Fear spread through me instantly.
"You're not going to hurt me…" I said, more to convince myself than them.
No one answered.
That scared me more.
Then suddenly—
⸻
Alessandro stepped even closer.
⸻
Too close.
⸻
His hand moved from my chin…
Down to my wrist.
The same wrist Matteo had held earlier.
But his touch was different.
Slower.
Deliberate.
He lifted my hand slightly.
Studying it.
Like I was something fragile.
Something unfamiliar.
"You're shaking," he said quietly.
I tried to pull away.
He didn't let me.
"Please…" I whispered again.
And for the first time…
Something in his expression change.
Not anger. Not control.Something else.
Something… protective.
"You're not safe out there," he said suddenly.
I blinked.
"What…?
"You think leaving fixes this?" he continued.
"It doesn't."
My confusion grew.
"I don't understand—"
"You will," Matteo muttered.Luca stepped forward slightly.
"She doesn't belong here," he said quietly
Alessandro didn't look at him.m
"Yes," he said.
"She does."
My heart dropped.
"I don't—"
His grip tightened slightly.
"You're staying," he said.
My chest tightened.
"For how long?" I whispered.
A pause.
Then—
"As long as I decide."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Tears filled my eyes. This was real.
This wasn't a mistake anymore
This was happening.
And then—
Alessandro leaned closer.
So close I could feel his breath.
His voice dropped low.Only for me.
"If you're here…"
A pause.
"…then you're mine to protect."
My breath stopped.
Protect.
The word didn't match the situation.
Didn't match him.Didn't match anything.
But the way he said it…It didn't sound like a choice.It sounded like a promise.And somehow…
That scared me more than everything else.