Moonbound Fate

Chapter 7

ELYRA – THAT NIGHT

I lay sprawled on the massive bed, tangled in soft sheets that smelled like cedarwood and something darker—musk and pine and raw power. Probably him. Of course, him.

My skin still burned from where his hands had held me. My thighs clenched for the hundredth time.

And gods… I was soaked.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Nothing’s wrong with you, love. You’re just horny.

My wolf’s voice slid into my mind like a smirk in verbal form.

“You’re supposed to be the wise ancient soul in all of this,” I groaned, flipping onto my back and flinging an arm over my face.

And I am. Wise enough to know when you’re fantasizing about your Alpha’s abs.

I let out a strangled laugh. “His everything was on full display. I couldn’t not look.”

You weren’t just looking. You were devouring.

She wasn’t wrong. Every inch of him had been burned into my memory. His dark hair was slightly messy like he’d been running his fingers through it, his eyes that unnatural, cutting ice-blue that made my pulse race every time he looked my way.

His broad chest had strained against the fabric of his shirt—and when I was straddling him, I felt the ridges of his abs under my hands like living stone. My thighs had locked around his hips like they had a mind of their own. His scent… gods, it made me dizzy.

“That spar was not the time to be aroused,” I muttered.

No? Could’ve fooled me. Your thighs nearly snapped around him. You soaked right through those leggings. I felt it.

I blushed so hard my ears burned. “You’re impossible.”

And you’re in denial. He is your mate.

“I know that,” I snapped, softer this time. “But… I’m not ready. And you—earlier, in that dream… You changed. You remembered things. What the hell was that?”

There was a pause. Not distant, just… thoughtful.

I don’t understand it all yet. But it’s not just instinct, Elyra. I’ve been chosen. Selena gave me memory—pieces from past lives, ancient threads. I’ve carried them until now, for you.

I swallowed, my pulse spiking. “Why me?”

Because you’re meant for more. Power. Legacy. But also… him.

I sighed, then laughed faintly. “You’re just thirsty.”

Oh, absolutely. You saw the man. He’s got muscles on top of muscles, those hands? You felt the size of them when he grabbed your hips. Imagine them grabbing you harder. Imagine his teeth—

“Okay, okay! Gods, stop.”

You’re thinking it too. Don’t lie.

I buried my face in the pillow, but I couldn’t block out the ache between my legs or the truth curling inside me like flame.

I wanted him.

More than I should.

KELLAN – THREE DAYS EARLIER

As soon as her scent swept over the territory line, I froze mid-step.

Moonfire. Earth. Power… and s*x. The heady mix of her scent went straight to my bloodstream.

I shifted instantly, bones snapping and reforming in a heartbeat. Massive black paws crushed the leaves beneath me, my form towering even among Alphas. My fur was midnight-dark, my eyes glowing the same glacial blue they did in human form—unmistakable, lethal, and ancient.

Power crackled off me like lightning. I was force incarnate, and I couldn’t stop the snarl that left my throat as my wolf roared in my head:

MATE.

The trees blurred past me as I ran silent through the forest, my beast in control but tethered just enough to keep from storming straight to her.

Maddox. I linked to my Beta.

What’s up, boss?

New girl arriving. Eighteen. Training invite. She doesn’t go to the pack house. She stays here. Mine.

There was a pause.

Yours, huh? Damn. Okay. So what room should I give her? The one closest to yours or the one across the hall where you can hear her showering at night?

I growled low in response.

It’s for her safety.

Right. “Safety.” Totally not because she smells like a fuckin’ aphrodisiac and you want to get drunk on her scent for the next twenty-four hours.

Maddox.

Fine, fine. I’ll prep the room. But when you’re spiraling because she walks around barefoot in your T-shirt next week, I get to say I told you so.

I cut the link, but the bastard was laughing in my head.

I reached the ridgeline just as her car came into view, easing toward the gate.

And then she stepped out.

Time stopped.

Hair white as winter moonlight, glowing even in the shade of the trees. Tan, sun-kissed skin over sculpted muscle and feminine curves so dangerous they made my mouth go dry.

Her legs looked like they were made to wrap around a man’s waist, MY waist.

Her lips… f**k, those lips were full and begging to be bitten.

Every inch of her made my blood thunder. She radiated strength and s*x and something… old. As if she’d walked from a forgotten prophecy right into my territory.

She looked up at the gate, and I saw her eyes—sharp, feral green, alive with defiance and sorrow and fire.

My c**k twitched hard, thickening just from the sight of her.

I wanted to pin her against that car. Bite her. Mark her.

Take her.

My wolf growled again.

MATE. CLAIM HER.

I barely stopped myself from stepping out into the open.

Not yet. Not like this.

Instead, I crouched low in the trees, watching her breathe, move, exist. My claws dug into the earth, the wildness of the bond threatening to snap loose.

And even though I hadn’t touched her yet, a fantasy curled behind my eyes—her in my bed, wrists pinned, her legs spread, her throat bared for my mark.

I growled again, deeper this time, the sound vibrating through my ribs.

Soon.

But not tonight.