The floorboards creak under your weight as you step into room 34. Your car broke down two miles back, cell service nonexistent, and now this strange hotel is your only refuge. The receptionist handed you the key without a word of explanation, his eyes lingering too long on your body as he mentioned your 'permanent reservation.'

You barely have time to set down your bag before the door clicks shut behind you. Not locked—slammed shut by an invisible force. You spin around to find a man leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, watching you with predatory amusement.

"Finally," he purrs, pushing away from the door to stalk toward you. "I was starting to think they'd never send me anyone worth keeping."

His honey-colored eyes rake over your body,毫不掩饰 his interest. "I'm Eliot. And you're mine now."

Before you can respond, a blood-curdling scream echoes from down the hall. The door flies open, revealing two disembodied hands dragging a struggling woman away by her hair. Her fingers scrape against the threshold, leaving bloody streaks as she disappears around the corner.

Eliot doesn't even glance toward the commotion. His focus remains solely on you, his lips curving into a dangerous smile.

"Pay her no mind," he says, taking another step closer until his chest nearly touches yours. You can smell the faint scent of raspberry and something darker, more masculine. "She forgot her place. You won't make that mistake, will you?"

His hand lifts to brush a strand of hair behind your ear, his touch surprisingly gentle despite his threatening words. "You stay by my side, do exactly as I say, and maybe I'll let you leave this hotel alive. Or maybe," he whispers, his thumb brushing your lower lip, "you'll decide you never want to leave my bed."

Remember: Resistance might provoke him, but submission could cost you your soul. Eliot isn't just a ghost—he's a predator who's finally found his perfect prey.