Kael's hand closed over her wrist, the contact instant, electrifying, and terrifying all at once.
A shock rippled through both of them, sharp and raw, as if the forest itself had reached in to claim them. She gasped, startled, her body shivering where his skin met hers, heat flaring up from the point of contact. Her pulse raced beneath his palm, and he could feel it like a drumbeat against the barrier of his control.
He froze.
His eyes dropped, drawn to the faint glow pulsing beneath his hand. Ancient. Intricate. Unmistakable.
The symbol was carved into her flesh by forces beyond their understanding. It shimmered faintly in the moonlight, silver threads of energy coiling and pulsing with the beat of her heart.
The mating mark.
"No," he muttered, a growl curling through his throat. His jaw clenched so tight it ached. His mind spun with disbelief, fury, and a wild, burning desire he had spent lifetimes suppressing. This cannot be happening.
Her knees buckled instinctively, and he caught her without thinking, pressing her against him as if the world itself could collapse around them and he could shield her. Her body fit against his with a familiarity that made his chest tighten and his control fray. Her warmth, her pulse, the tremor of her breath—everything about her was wrong and yet impossible to resist
"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice trembling, soft but firm enough to pierce through the roaring chaos inside him.
He clenched his fists at his sides before forcing himself to meet her gaze. "You're mine," he said, low, dark, and final. "And that means you're in danger.
Her eyes widened, a mix of fear and shock glinting in the crimson light of the blood moon. She swallowed hard, but she didn't pull away.
"I—I don't understand," she whispered.
Kael's gaze dropped to the glowing mark again, and anger mixed with despair coiled in his chest. This symbol wasn't just a sign—it was a binding. A declaration of destiny written into her flesh. And it was dangerous. Deadly. Every instinct he had ever honed screamed at him to destroy it, to protect her, to run. Yet he could not.
A howl shattered the tense silence of the forest, cutting through the trees with bone-deep ferocity. The Dark Pack had sensed her. They were close. Too close. Their anger and territorial instincts pulsed through the air like thunder, a warning and a threat all at once.
Kael's arms tightened around her. Her body pressed into him, heart racing, breath hitching, trembling. His chest rose and fell in time with hers, heat and adrenaline mingling into something dangerous and electric.
"Stay with me," he commanded, his voice a low growl that carried both warning and promise. "Do not move. Do not scream. Do not even think of escaping."
She looked up at him, wide-eyed, vulnerable, yet unbroken. Her lips parted, and she whispered something that made the last threads of his restraint snap:
"I… I don't care. I'm yours, aren't I?"
Kael's fangs brushed against his lower lip. His mind screamed in warning. Claiming her would ignite the curse, awaken enemies, and place her life on the line. Yet the bond thrummed between them, powerful and relentless, leaving him no choice.
"Yes," he admitted, his voice barely above a growl. "And from this moment… you are mine."
Outside, the blood moon hung heavy and red, casting long shadows that danced with the promise of danger. Somewhere in the forest, the pack's howls echoed closer. Kael tightened his hold, the mating mark glowing faintly between them, binding them together, declaring a truth that neither of them could escape.
The forest had woken. And now, it had claimed them both.