BOUND TO HIS MOON

CHAPTER FOUR

Stepping out of the small bathroom, Kael was wrapped with nothing but a white towel slung low around his hips. Water droplets rolled down his tall, powerfully built body, tracing every ridge of his sculpted chest and abs. His gray-green skin glistened under the morning light, and his damp hair fell messily over his forehead in a way that made him look dangerously attractive — raw, masculine, and effortlessly commanding.

Serene had just woken up. She sat frozen on the couch, eyes wide as she stared. Her gaze slowly drifted from his broad shoulders down to the deep V-line disappearing beneath the towel. She didn’t realize she was slightly drooling until she felt the wetness on her lip.

Kael noticed immediately. He raised a dark eyebrow, golden eyes filled with arrogant amusement.

“What are you looking at, kitten?” he asked, his deep voice mocking.

Serene blinked rapidly, cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Nothing,” she replied quickly, tearing her eyes away.

Kael’s lips curved into a brief, smug smirk before his expression returned to its usual cold arrogance.

Serene cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. “I… I need to leave. I have to find my grandmother. I can’t just stay here.”

Kael didn’t reply right away. He walked into the bedroom area and came back a minute later, throwing a bundle of clothes at her — a black hoodie and sweatpants.

“We are leaving,” he said coldly. “This isn’t my place anyway.”

Serene clutched the clothes. “How can I just follow a stranger I don’t even know? And you’re so rude…”

Kael paused while pulling on a shirt, his back muscles flexing. He turned to her with a dark, intimidating look. “It’s better you listen to me than you leaving on your own. Unless you want to be caught by those men again. “Your choice, kitten.”

Left with no real options, Serene heaved a deep sigh. She grabbed the clothes and went to shower. The hot water helped wash away some of the night’s terror, but the worry for her grandmother still sat heavy in her chest.

When she came out, Kael was already on the phone.

“Bring the car. Now,” he ordered, then hung up.

A few minutes later, a sleek black luxury Maybach pulled up outside the warehouse. Serene’s eyes widened when she saw it — the latest model, shining even in the gray Vienna morning.

Is he really that rich?

As they stepped outside, her phone suddenly rang. Unknown number. Her stomach dropped in fear, but she didn’t answer. She let it ring until it stopped.

Kael glanced at her. “Why didn’t you pick?”

Serene shook her head. “I couldn’t…”

He didn’t push the issue. They got into the car, and the silent driver started moving. The drive to Kael’s actual residence was quiet and unsettling. Serene sat stiffly in the luxurious leather seat, staring out at the passing streets while Kael sat beside her, scrolling through his phone as if she didn’t exist.

After several minutes of tense silence, she tried again.

“What’s your full name?” she asked softly.

Kael didn’t even look up. “You don’t need to know.”

Serene leaned back against the seat, biting her lip. She was sitting next to an incredibly attractive but extremely rude stranger who had saved her life… and she still had no idea where he was taking her.