Ethan Kane awoke tangled in silk sheets, Lila Monroe curled against him. Her glasses were on the nightstand, her lips swollen, her skin glowing with the aftershocks of his touch.
She had given herself to him completely. Not as Marcus's castoff, not as a shallow socialite, but as Lila—brilliant, stubborn, and now irrevocably his.
The System purred in his mind.
[Domain Expansion: 3/3 Completed.] [Incubus Evolution – Stage Two Unlocked.] [New Ability: Crimson Thrall – Strengthen and bind your conquests to you permanently.]
Selene's voice slid through his thoughts like velvet. "She's yours now, Ethan. Body, mind, soul. And with three under your command, your throne is no longer fantasy. You are rising."
Ethan smirked, brushing a strand of hair from Lila's face. "Then let's make sure she never forgets who she belongs to."
The Claim
Lila stirred awake, blinking up at him. "Ethan… last night…" Her cheeks flushed crimson. "I've never… I mean, I didn't think I'd ever—"
Ethan silenced her with a kiss, slow but commanding. His aura pulsed, wrapping around her like chains. Her resistance melted, her body arching to his touch.
When his lips trailed down her neck, she gasped. "E-Ethan… you're insatiable…"
"Get used to it," he growled against her skin. "You're mine now. Forever."
Her breath hitched as his new power surged. Crimson Thrall activated—his touch embedding heat into her veins, etching his mark deep into her soul. Lila moaned, trembling, her eyes rolling back as the bond locked.
[Thrall Bond Established: Lila Monroe – Permanent Loyalty Secured.]
When she finally collapsed against him, exhausted, her whisper was shaky but devoted. "I… I can't escape you, can I?"
Ethan smirked, tilting her chin so she met his burning gaze. "Why would you ever want to?"
Meanwhile – Marcus's Rage
Across town, Marcus Blackwood destroyed his gym equipment one punch at a time. Sweat and fury dripped off him as rumors swarmed his phone.
Vanessa had been distant. Aria refused to answer his texts. And now whispers claimed Lila Monroe—the quiet girl he never noticed—was seen with Ethan Kane.
The loser. The nothing. The shadow he'd crushed publicly.
Now, Ethan was everywhere.
Marcus hurled a dumbbell into the mirror, glass shattering.
"Fuck!"
His right-hand man, Travis, hesitated by the door. "Boss, maybe it's just talk. Kane can't be—"
Marcus whirled, eyes blazing. "Don't tell me what he can't be. He's taking what's mine. And I'm not letting him breathe another day if this keeps up."
For the first time, Marcus's pride was cracking into something uglier. Violence.
Campus – The Confrontation
Later that week, Ethan walked across campus with Lila at his side. Her transformation was obvious—confidence replacing her quiet shell, her gaze locked on him with devotion.
And Marcus noticed.
He strode across the courtyard with his entourage, eyes bloodshot, fury etched into every step. The crowd hushed.
"Well, well," Marcus spat, his gaze flicking between Ethan and Lila. "Didn't know you were into hand-me-downs from the library."
Ethan's smirk didn't falter. "Funny. You're calling her a hand-me-down when you've already lost Aria and Vanessa too."
Gasps erupted. Lila's fingers tightened on Ethan's arm, but his aura reassured her.
Marcus lunged, shoving Ethan hard. "Stay the hell away from my women, Kane!"
Ethan caught himself easily, his Stage Two strength making the shove meaningless. His crimson eyes glowed, his voice low and lethal.
"They're not your women anymore, Marcus. They're mine."
The crowd roared with whispers. Marcus's fists clenched, but before he could swing, Ethan leaned closer, his words slicing deeper than any punch.
"And soon, everyone will be."
System Notification
[New Mission: Crush Marcus Blackwood's Empire.] [Condition: Strip him of influence, wealth, and allies. Leave him broken.] [Reward: Incubus Evolution – Stage Three.]
Selene's laughter dripped like honey. "The war begins, Ethan. Marcus won't go quietly. And when he fights back, the blood spilled will only make you stronger."
Ethan smirked, pulling Lila closer as Marcus seethed.
The king was falling. The overlord was rising.
And the flames of lust were about to ignite into war.