Bound by the Blood Moon

Chapter 3: Dangerous Proximity

Elena took an involuntary step back, her back pressing against the cold wooden wall of the cabin. Her heart sounded like a war drum in her ears. The stranger walking out of the shadows wasn't just dangerous—he was breathtaking.

The heat radiating off his body melted the falling snowflakes before they could even touch his skin. Faint silver scars lined his muscular chest, and those amber eyes burned with a dark, primal hunger that made her breath hitch.

"Stay back," Elena tried to say, but her voice was barely a whisper.

Ethan didn't stop. Within two silent strides, he closed the distance between them. He towered over her, his broad shoulders blocking out the freezing wind, trapping her within his immediate space. The sweet scent of wild cherries and vanilla was so overwhelming that his wolf roared beneath his ribs, demanding he mark her right here, right now.

"You feel it too, don't you?" Ethan's voice was a deep, gravelly rumble. He reached out, his long fingers lightly brushing against her jawline.

A sharp spark of electricity shot straight down Elena's spine at his touch. She gasped, her hands instinctively resting against his chest to push him away—but instead of pushing, her fingers gripped the warmth of his skin.

"What are you?" she breathed, looking up into his burning eyes.

"I am Ethan Thorne," he leaned down, his lips hovering just millimeters from her ear, his hot breath sending shivers across her neck. "And whether you are ready for it or not, little human... you belong to me now."

Before Elena could process his words, a distant, piercing wolf howl echoed from deep within the forest. Ethan’s eyes snapped toward the dark trees, his jaw tightening as his protective instincts surged. Vance was returning, and he had brought the rest of the pack with him.