The palace had never felt this still.

Maya sat by the window of Zayed’s chamber, gazing out at the gardens that stretched endlessly toward the horizon. She wasn’t alone, but it felt as if the world had paused just for them. Zayed’s presence was always like that—immense, unavoidable, the air around him too thick with his dominance.

For the first time in weeks, Maya didn’t mind it.

Her hand still ached from the injury, but it was the sting of something else that kept her restless. The way Zayed looked at her now—possessive, controlling, but undeniably intimate—was something she hadn’t fully understood until now.

Zayed had commanded everyone to leave them alone for the day, no meetings, no obligations. It was just him and her in their private world, and the silence felt suffocating, but somehow... right.

Her thoughts swirled back to the evening after her injury, when Zayed had held her, tended to her with such careful precision. The tenderness he had shown her was raw, vulnerable. But now, as she sat in front of him, she could feel the walls between them breaking down—like the very space that had once kept her distant was starting to close in.

The door creaked open, and Zayed entered, his dark silhouette filling the doorway. His eyes, sharp as ever, moved over her with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat.

"You look lost in thought," he said, his voice low, almost a whisper, yet his presence was powerful enough to fill the room.

Maya turned to face him, meeting his gaze without hesitation. “I was just thinking about… us.”

The corner of his mouth twitched upward. “And what were you thinking?”

She hesitated. There were so many things to say, but the truth was hard to speak. Harder to even understand. She swallowed, then stood, her heart hammering in her chest.

“I’m still learning what it means to be… your wife.” She took a step closer to him. “And sometimes, I feel like I’m losing myself in it.”

Zayed didn’t flinch. His gaze never left her. He moved toward her slowly, deliberately. His every step was calculated, and Maya could feel the energy shift in the room, pulling her closer to him with invisible force.

“Losing yourself?” His voice was colder now, but there was a hint of something more beneath it—something dangerous. “You are mine, Maya. You belong to me. There’s nothing to lose.”

Maya’s heart thudded louder. “But what if I don’t want to lose myself? What if I want to be more than just your possession?”

Zayed’s eyes narrowed, but he remained calm. “You think you can be something else?”

She blinked, momentarily caught in the weight of his words. But then she realized: it wasn’t just a question—it was a challenge.

“Yes,” she said, her voice unwavering. “I don’t want to be just a name on your list. I want to be me. And I want you to see me as more than just your wife.”

Zayed took another step, closing the distance between them. His chest was nearly touching hers now, his breath warm on her face. “You think you can be anything other than mine? You are mine in every way, Maya. And if I choose to let you be anything else, it will be because I want it, not because you’ve earned it.”

Maya’s pulse quickened. She could feel the tension crackling between them, a storm waiting to erupt. But there was something in his voice—a hint of possessiveness that she couldn’t ignore. It was as if he was warning her, and yet, she knew this was just the beginning.

“I want you, Maya. I want all of you. Your mind, your heart, your body,” he whispered, his lips brushing against her ear. “You belong to me, but you will choose to stay with me. No one else will ever have you. Do you understand?”

She nodded slowly, her body responding to the raw intensity of his words, the force of his control.

But then, she did something she hadn’t planned.

She stepped back, breaking the contact. His eyes flickered with surprise, but she didn’t give him a chance to react. “I don’t want to be just another woman in your life, Zayed. I don’t want to just exist to satisfy your desires. I want to matter.”

He stood still for a moment, his face unreadable. But then his expression hardened. His hands clenched into fists, and the air around them grew thicker.

“You matter more than you know,” he said through gritted teeth, his voice dark and filled with restraint. “But I am not going to let you walk away, Maya. You think you can just decide when to be my queen and when to be your own woman? You will learn what it means to belong to me, whether you like it or not.”

There was no anger in his voice—just the calm certainty of a man who knew exactly what he wanted.

And what he wanted was her.

Maya didn’t step back this time.

She walked forward, closing the gap between them. She lifted her hand, placing it on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath his clothing.

“I don’t want to fight you,” she said softly. “But I don’t want to lose myself either.”

Zayed’s eyes softened, but there was something wild in them too. Something untamed. “Maya, you will never lose yourself. I will shape you. You will grow. But no one—no one—will ever take you away from me.”

He moved quickly then, his hands gripping her waist, pulling her flush against him. His lips crashed down on hers, fierce and demanding, but it wasn’t just about the kiss—it was a declaration.

That she was his.

And he was hers.

Maya responded, her own desire flooding her veins. Zayed had always controlled her—in every way. But now, something inside her wanted to claim him. She kissed him back, letting the passion between them grow, her hands tangling in his hair as she pulled him closer, if that was even possible.

But Zayed wasn’t finished.

He pushed her gently but firmly onto the bed, his body following hers. His touch was now commanding, his hands caressing every inch of her body, but there was an underlying urgency in the way he moved, as if he needed to feel her, to know she was his.

He paused, looking down at her, his face inches from hers.

“Maya… this is the last time you will question us. The last time you will test my patience. You are mine, in every sense. And you will never leave me. Do you understand?”

She nodded, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she looked up at him.

“Yes, Zayed. I understand.”

And with that, his lips were on hers again, his control absolute, his love all-consuming. He had always been the man who ruled everything—except her heart. But now, in this moment, she knew that he would never let her go.

And she wouldn’t leave him either.