Luna Burn

Chapter Nine — Aria

“When the heat takes you, there is no hiding from who you belong to.”

The moon was high when it started.

At first, it was a slow ache, low in my belly. Then the burn spread through my veins, curling under my skin like fire. My heart raced, my breath came in short gasps, and I knew—every fiber of me knew—what this was.

Heat.

The first real cycle since the bond.

I clutched the sheets, shivering and sweating all at once, my body screaming for something I didn’t want to admit. My thighs squeezed together, a moan slipping past my lips before I could stop it.

And then I smelled him.

Kade.

The door opened without a knock. His scent hit me like a storm—pine, smoke, and Alpha power that curled into my lungs and took over. He stood in the doorway, eyes blazing gold, bare chest rising with a ragged breath.

His jaw tightened. “Aria… you’re in heat.”

I couldn’t speak. I just stared, trembling, the bond flaring so violently it made me dizzy.

In a heartbeat he was at my side, crouching by the bed. “You need me to leave,” he rasped, voice rough with restraint. “Say the word and I’ll go.”

But the word wouldn’t come. I didn’t want it to.

My fingers curled in the front of his shirt. “Don’t go.”

Something inside him broke. His hands were on me before I could blink, pulling me into his lap, kissing me with a force that stole my breath. The taste of him—hot and wild—set my body on fire.

My heat surged, slickness pooling between my thighs, and his nostrils flared as he scented it. A deep growl rumbled in his chest, vibrating through me. He kissed down my neck, teeth grazing my pulse point, and I arched against him, whimpering.

“Kade…” My voice was barely a whisper, needy and raw.

“You’re burning up,” he said, slipping my top over my head. My bra followed, his hands cupping my breasts, thumbs teasing my n*****s until I cried out. His mouth found them next, hot and greedy, and I tangled my hands in his hair.

I rocked against him, feeling the thick hardness pressing through his sweatpants. He growled, ripping them off in one swift motion, then hooked his fingers in my shorts and panties, sliding them down my legs.

I was bare. Exposed. Trembling.

And I didn’t care.

“Look at you,” he murmured, fingers sliding between my legs. I gasped, hips bucking as he found how wet I already was. “Your body knows exactly who you belong to.”

“Yes,” I gasped. “Yours… Kade… please—”

He didn’t make me beg twice.

In one fluid motion, he laid me back on the bed and positioned himself between my thighs. His fingers teased my entrance, sliding in deep, curling until stars sparked behind my eyes. My hips moved of their own accord, riding his hand, desperate for more.

“Alpha,” I whimpered.

That word snapped whatever control he had left.

With a guttural sound, he entered me hard, thick and deep, filling me completely. The stretch burned, then melted into pleasure so sharp it made my toes curl. He moved slowly at first, long thrusts that made my body sing, then faster, harder, until the sound of skin slapping skin filled the room.

The heat drove me wild. I met him thrust for thrust, nails digging into his shoulders, hips grinding up to take him deeper. Sweat slicked our bodies. The bond pulsed like a living thing, tightening, pulling us closer.

“Kade!” I screamed as he shifted, angling his hips, hitting that perfect spot again and again until I was crying out, trembling, breaking apart around him.

He kept going, relentless, pushing me through the pleasure into another wave, his hand gripping my throat lightly as he kissed me, growled my name, and moved faster.

“I can’t—” I sobbed, shaking, on fire.

“You can,” he growled, voice raw. “Give me everything. Let them hear you. Let them know who you belong to.”

The orgasm tore through me like lightning, arching my back off the bed, a scream ripped from my throat. He followed with a groan, spilling deep inside me, the bond snapping taut, locking us together in a haze of pleasure and possessive fire.

We collapsed, breathing hard, bodies tangled, the moonlight painting us silver.

⸻

He brushed damp hair from my face, eyes soft but burning. “You’re mine, Aria. And I’ll kill anyone who tries to take you.”

I cupped his cheek, still trembling from the aftershocks. “Ronan’s not going to stop.”

Kade’s smile was dark. “Then neither will I.”

Outside, a distant howl echoed through the night—low, mournful, and dangerous.