Chapter 12: Mine

  Lena liked control.

  She liked neatness, clean lines, precision. She liked knowing what came next.

  Except when it came to Mira.

  There was nothing neat about the way Mira affected her. She was soft in all the ways that tested Lena’s edges—unaware, flustered, hopelessly eager to please. And tely, so damn pliable.

  Lena hadn’t meant to touch her that first time. Not really. It had been a test—just a little pressure here, a lowered tone there. A way to see if Mira would squirm.

  She hadn’t expected Mira to melt.

  And she hadn’t expected how good it would feel to own that.

  Now, days ter, Lena sat in one of the quieter common rooms on campus, legs crossed, a book open in her p that she wasn’t reading. Her phone buzzed.

  From: Mira

  Finished my psych notes!!

  Are you proud of me?

  Lena’s mouth curved, slow and private.

  From: Lena

  Very. I’ll check them tonight. Bring them to the library.

  She stared at the screen for a moment longer than she needed to, then set it face-down.

  Mira had started begging.

  Whispering, trembling, holding on to Lena like she'd come undone without her. And the moment Mira had come—so desperate, so willing—Lena had felt something crack open in her chest. Not just hunger.

  Possession.

  That girl was hers now.

  Not publicly. No. Lena would never allow that. But in the way that mattered—the way Mira reacted, how she looked at Lena like she’d hung the moon—that was already sealed.

  She hadn’t expected it to run this deep.

  The memory of Mira’s voice, trembling and breathless, curled low in Lena’s gut.

  Please. I’ll do anything.

  God, she’d sounded ruined. Beautifully undone.

  Lena closed the book slowly.

  She’d never touched someone like that before. Never wanted to. But Mira had a way of dragging it out of her without even trying. She was so willing, so easily coaxed.

  But it wasn’t just the submission.

  It was the trust.

  And that—Lena realized with a soft, sharp ache—was what made her crave Mira in ways she hadn’t let herself name. Not just physically. Not just control.

  She wanted all of her.

  The way she lit up when she got praise. The way her voice softened when she said Lena’s name. The way she leaned in like her whole body wanted to be closer.

  And now… now Mira had started giving herself over piece by piece. Not just her body. Her attention. Her obedience.

  Lena knew what she’d do.

  She’d keep her close.

  She’d push a little more.

  She’d make sure Mira knew exactly who she belonged to, even if they could never say it out loud.

  Lena picked up her phone again.

  From: Lena

  Wear that skirt you like. The short one.

  And sit where I can touch you.

  A moment ter, Mira replied.

  From: Mira

  ...okay.

  I’ll be good.

  Lena smiled, slow and dark.

  She already was.