Marked By the Moon -By Kori Boyce

CHAPTER FIVE — PULSES AND PROMISES

ROWAN

The moment I stepped closer, the bond constricted, a tight coil around my chest, tugging me toward her in a way I had never felt. I could smell her heartbeat, hear the shallow rhythm of her breathing, feel the heat rising from her skin even from three feet away. Every instinct screamed stay back, but every nerve screamed louder she is yours.

She sat on the edge of the bed, shoulder bare, hair falling in disarray over one side of her face, eyes wide and bright under the moonlight. I wanted to reach out. Wanted to brush that hair behind her ear, touch the mark, trace it with my fingertips. And I could feel the imprint humming under my skin, responding to my thought, my desire, my restraint.

I swallowed hard. “Elara…” My voice was rough, low, more animal than human. “You… this—” I stopped myself, shaking my head. “You don’t understand the bond. How it works. How it demands…” I trailed off, realizing the truth was simpler—and far more dangerous. It demanded us.

Her gaze held mine, unwavering, fearless. “I understand more than you think,” she said softly. “I’ve always felt it. I’ve always… known.”

The bond flared, hot, insistent, like the moon itself had descended into the room. I could feel her need echoing mine, and for the first time, I understood the real danger—not the pack, not outsiders, not the laws of the world. The danger was us.

She was mine. And I had never wanted anyone more.