Marked by Desire

Chapter seven

ALINA’S POV

The morning air was sharp and cool, but it didn’t do much to settle my mind. I hadn’t slept well. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt him—Rhett—pressing against my thoughts, pulling at me, refusing to let me forget him.

I pushed it aside as I followed my younger brother Kai and my cousin Amala deeper into the forest. Training days were supposed to help me focus, to sharpen my instincts, but today my thoughts were everywhere except where they should be.

“Try not to get caught first,” Kai teased, glancing at me with a grin.

Amala smirked. “She won’t. She cheats.”

“I don’t cheat,” I muttered, rolling my eyes.

“You disappear,” Amala corrected. “There’s a difference.”

I didn’t respond. Maybe she was right. Maybe disappearing was the only thing I was good at lately.

We reached the clearing where we usually started. The rules were simple. We spread out. We hunt each other. The last one found wins.

“Same rules,” Kai said. “No shifting. No tracking beyond scent and instinct.”

Amala nodded. “And no complaining when you lose.”

I gave a small nod, already stepping back. “We’ll see.”

Then we scattered.

I ran without thinking, letting my instincts take over, moving faster and farther than I usually would. I didn’t want to be found. Not by Kai. Not by Amala. Not by anyone.

The forest swallowed me whole, branches brushing against my arms as I pushed deeper, past the familiar paths, past where we usually trained. My breathing slowed as I finally stopped, pressing myself behind a thick cluster of trees. Hidden. Quiet. Alone.

For a moment, everything was still.

Then I turned around—

—and froze.

Rhett.

He was standing right in front of me, like he had been there the whole time, like the forest itself had brought me straight to him.

My heart slammed against my chest. “What are you doing here?” I whispered harshly, panic flaring instantly.

His eyes were dark, intense, fixed on me in a way that made it impossible to look away. “Looking for you.”

My chest tightened. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“And you shouldn’t ignore me.” His voice was low, controlled, but I could feel the anger beneath it—sharp, restrained. “You think you can just shut me out?”

I shook my head quickly, stepping back. “You need to leave, Rhett. If anyone sees you—”

“They won’t.” He stepped closer.

I swallowed, my back pressing against the rough bark behind me. “You don’t know that.”

“I know you avoided me.” His gaze didn’t soften. “Last night.”

The words hit harder than I expected. I looked away, my jaw tightening. “I had to.”

His expression darkened. “You had to?”

“Yes.” My voice came out sharper than I intended. “I have responsibilities. I can’t just leave whenever you decide you want to see me.”

Something flickered in his eyes—frustration, anger, something deeper.

“I don’t like being ignored, Alina,” he said quietly.

My heart skipped. There was something in his tone that made my chest tighten, something possessive, something that made it harder to breathe.

“I’m not ignoring you,” I said, though it sounded weak even to me. “I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.”

“By staying away from me?” he pressed.

“Yes.” I forced the word out, even though the bond pulsed painfully between us, betraying me.

He stepped closer again, and I felt it instantly—the pull, the heat, the connection that refused to be denied. My resolve wavered for a second, just a second, and he noticed. Of course he did.

“You felt it,” he murmured.

I clenched my fists. “Rhett—”

“No.” His voice cut through mine. “You don’t get to pretend this isn’t real.”

“I’m not pretending,” I snapped, my frustration finally spilling over. “I’m trying to do the right thing!”

“And what is that?” he challenged. “Ignoring the bond? Ignoring me?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

For a moment, the only sound between us was our breathing, uneven and tense.

Then he spoke again, quieter this time, but no less firm. “Meet me tonight.”

I shook my head immediately. “No.”

“Alina.”

He moved before I could react.

One second there was space between us, and the next, he was right in front of me again. His hand lifted, fingers curling lightly but firmly against my neck, just enough to stop me from turning away.

“Look at me,” he said, low and steady.

My breath caught.

I didn’t want to. I couldn’t. But my body betrayed me, my gaze snapping back to his. His eyes held mine instantly, dark and unyielding, like he wasn’t going to let me escape this—not the moment, not him, not the bond between us.

“Meet me at the river tonight,” he said.

It wasn’t a suggestion.

The way his fingers rested against my neck sent a strange warmth through me, slow and spreading, making it harder to think clearly. My heart started racing, faster than it should have, and I hated how aware I suddenly was of him—of how close he was, of the heat between us, of the way the bond pulsed stronger the longer he touched me.

I felt a heartbeat start to form in between my legs and my n*****s involuntarily hardened against my shirt.

“Rhett…” I whispered, but it came out weaker than I meant it to.

His gaze dropped for a second—to my lips.

The shift was small, almost unnoticeable, but I felt it. The air between us changed, thick and heavy, like something unspoken was building, pressing in on both of us at once.

My breath hitched, and I turned my head slightly, trying to break whatever hold he had over me.

“I said no,” I murmured, though there was no real strength behind it anymore.

His fingers tightened just slightly—not enough to hurt, just enough to make sure I stayed still, stayed focused on him.

“Say you’ll come,” he said again, quieter this time, but somehow more intense.

The bond flared, sharp and undeniable, and my resolve cracked under it.

“I…” I hesitated, my thoughts scattered, my chest rising and falling too quickly.

“Say it.”

I swallowed, my voice barely steady. “I’ll meet you at the river tonight.”

For a moment, neither of us moved.

His eyes looked deep into mine before they dropped down to my lips again.

The action made me hot and I couldn’t help but run my tongue across my lips.

He followed this action with his eyes and took his own lips in between his teeth and groaned as if he was trying to hold himself back.

He took a deep breath in and then his hand dropped, the loss of contact immediate and almost jarring.

“Good,” he said.

He gave me one last look and turned around to walk away from me