Moon Valley: The Hidden Contract

Chapter 4; His name

Claire POV.

Revulsion and alarm surged through me. I twisted my head sharply away from his touch, trying to pull back, but my limbs were still weak and bound. Before I could struggle further, his hands slid carefully beneath my shoulders and knees, and in one smooth motion, he lifted me off the cold floor.

I was pressed against him instantly—feeling the solid, unyielding strength of his arms, the hard, steady rise and fall of his chest. Even through my clothes, his warmth seeped into me, and I hated that my body felt smaller, safer somehow, even as my mind screamed to get away.

His voice came then, still deep and cold, but now carrying absolute authority. It was directed at the man still on the floor.

“Get out. Take whatever is left of your brother and disappear. If I ever hear either of your names spoken in this territory again, you will not be given a second chance.”

“Y-yes! Right away! Thank you!” the abductor stammered, scrambling to his feet. I heard the scraping of shoes and the dragging of something heavy, followed by hurried footsteps fading toward the door.

Once they were gone, the only sounds left were the quiet rhythm of his steps as he began to walk—carrying me away, blindfolded, bound, and completely at his mercy.

I stayed completely silent, my heart hammering in my chest, until I felt the soft give of a mattress beneath me—softer and cleaner than anything I’d touched since waking up. The moment he set me down, I used every bit of strength I had left, even with my hands and feet still tied, to scramble backward across the bed, putting as much distance as I could between us. My muscles burned and protested, but I didn’t stop until my back hit the headboard.

I reached up instinctively, rubbing at the rough fabric of the blindfold the second I could, eager to tear it off. When it finally fell away, I blinked hard, my eyes adjusting slowly. But disappointment washed over me—this room was still dim, lit only by the faint glow of a lamp in the corner, leaving most of the space in shadow. All I could clearly make out was his tall, broad figure standing near the edge of the bed, unmoving. I could feel his gaze fixed on me, heavy and unwavering.

Then he bent forward, bringing himself closer.

I gasped in shock when his warm breath brushed lightly against the side of my neck. Logically, I should have flinched in terror—this was the man who had arranged my abduction, the reason I was trapped here. But instead, a strange, hot tingle shot through my skin, racing down my spine and settling deep in my lower belly. My pulse jumped wildly, speeding up until it throbbed loudly in my ears.

He breathed in sharply, as if he was struggling to hold himself back, before his deep voice rumbled right next to my skin.

“I’ve waited so long for you… far longer than you can imagine.”

His lips brushed lightly against the tip of my ear, sending another wave of heat through me.

I turned my head away quickly, trying to escape the contact, but his hand came up to cup the back of my neck gently—firm enough to hold me still, but not painful. I heard him panting softly, like he was in some kind of pain himself, fighting against something inside him.

“Rest now,” he murmured, his tone lowering to something softer, almost soothing.

His fingers moved to the knot at the back of my head, and in one smooth motion, he pulled the cloth away from my mouth. Cool air hit my lips, and I could finally speak again.

“Who are you?” I asked immediately, my voice shaking but clear. “What do you want from me? Why did you do this?”

I swallowed hard as he shifted closer, his face coming into clearer view—only half an inch separating our noses. My breath caught in my throat. My mind screamed to stay alert, to feel only anger and fear, but my senses betrayed me. He smelled like rain and pine, mixed with something rich and warm—something that felt strangely familiar, like safety, even though I knew it shouldn’t. I couldn’t look away.

He brushed the tip of his nose gently against mine, slow and deliberate.

“No need to rush,” he whispered. “Soon enough, you will know everything. We have all the time in the world now.”

I held my breath as his arm wrapped slowly around my waist, pulling me just a little closer. Oh God… he really smells so good… The thought slipped into my head uninvited, and I bit down hard on my lower lip to stop a soft sound from escaping. This was wrong—everything about this was wrong.

His hands moved lower, and with practiced ease, he undid the ropes binding my wrists first, then my ankles. The moment the last knot came loose and my limbs were free, I didn’t hesitate. I pushed myself off the mattress, scrambling toward the edge of the bed to run.

But before I could even swing my legs over the side, his arm shot out, wrapping securely around my waist and pulling me back against his chest as if I weighed nothing at all. He didn’t even break a sweat.

“Let me go! Please—just let me leave!” I begged, struggling against his hold.

He didn’t loosen his grip. Instead, he hugged me tighter, pressing me firmly against him, then easily laid me back down onto the mattress, keeping his body close enough to block any escape.

“Stop being stubborn, Claire,” he said, his voice firm but gentle. “You are hurt, exhausted, and your body needs rest. I promise you—once you have calmed down and recovered, I will answer every single one of your questions. Every last one.”

I stopped wondering how he knew my name. If he’d been able to track me all the way here, if he’d known every detail of my application, my background, even things I’d never told a living soul—of course he would know something as simple as my name. There was no use asking that anymore. There was only one thing left I needed to know first.

“Then tell me… what is your name?” I asked, my voice quieter now, stripped of its earlier sharpness, though still edged with wariness.

His hand lifted again, and his palm settled gently against my cheek—warm, steady, and impossible to ignore. His thumb brushed slowly over my skin, tracing the line of my jaw, sending that same familiar, confusing tingle through me.

He leaned in, bringing his face so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my mouth. There was barely any space left between us, and when he finally spoke, his lips brushed lightly against mine as the sound formed—soft, deep, and vibrating right through me.

“Killian.”