Broken Bonds; Fated Souls

CHAPTER TEN: A Kiss in the Dark

The air between them crackled like lightning, splitting the sky. Selene stood frozen, her breath uneven as Xander stepped closer, the darkness wrapping around them like a veil. His silver eyes gleamed under the moonlight, a dangerous allure in their depths that made her pulse hammer against her ribs. She should move; she should put space between them, but she couldn’t.

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind rustling through the trees.

Xander didn’t answer right away. His gaze roamed over her, lingering on the curve of her lips before meeting her eyes again. His presence was overwhelming, an intoxicating mix of power and something deeper—something primal.

“Because you’re different,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers skittering down her spine. “And because you feel it too.”

Selene swallowed hard, her body betraying her as warmth coiled in her stomach. She did feel it—the pull, the invisible thread tying them together, growing tighter every time they were near. It made no sense. She had just lost everything, yet this man—this Lycan—was igniting something inside her that had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with desire.

“Xander,” she warned, but it lacked conviction. Her feet stayed rooted to the ground as he lifted a hand, his fingers ghosting over her cheek.

“Tell me to stop.”

She should. She needed to. But when his hand slid to the back of her neck, his fingers threading through her hair, all logic dissolved. He didn’t pull her to himself. He didn’t force her. He simply waited, his breath fanning against her lips, giving her the choice to close the distance.

Her heart pounded as her resolve crumbled. Slowly, hesitantly, she tilted her head up. And then his lips met hers.

Heat, pure consuming heat.

Xander kissed her like he was claiming her, like he had been waiting for this moment forever. His lips were firm yet soft, demanding yet careful. He tasted of something wild, something untamed, and Selene melted into him, grasping his jacket as if letting go would shatter her.

A deep growl rumbled in his chest, sending a thrill through her. His hands moved to her waist, gripping her tightly, pulling her flush against him. Every nerve in her body came alive, fire licking beneath her skin as his tongue traced the seam of her lips, coaxing her open. She parted her lips for him, and he deepened the kiss, stealing the breath from her lungs.

The world around them faded. There was no past, no pain, no betrayal—only the warmth of his body against hers, the way he kissed her like he needed her just as much as she needed him. His fingers flexed against her waist, sliding up her spine, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

Selene shuddered, her own hands moving on their own accord, pressing against the hard muscle of his chest. His heartbeat was just as erratic as hers, and that realization made her dizzy. He wasn’t unaffected. He wasn’t holding back. He wanted this just as much as she did.

Xander didn’t hesitate. With a sharp inhale, he lifted her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around his waist instinctively as he carried her toward the nearest surface. Their lips never broke contact, their breathing heavy, their need raw and unrelenting. When her back met the rough bark of a tree, a small gasp escaped her, but it was quickly swallowed by his lips as he devoured her in a way that left her trembling.

His hands roamed freely, dragging over her curves, fingers pressing into her hips as if he were afraid she might disappear. The sensation sent fire straight to her core, and when he ground against her, she nearly came undone. She clung to him, nails digging into his shoulders as he trailed his mouth down her throat, his breath hot against her skin.

“Xander,” she gasped, tilting her head back to grant him better access. His response was a low, guttural sound, his teeth grazing the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder. The rush of pleasure and anticipation sent her spiraling.

Her clothes were an afterthought, stripped away with an urgency that left her skin tingling in the cool night air. Xander’s body was heat against hers, solid and commanding. His hands explored her, teasing, coaxing reactions from her she hadn’t even known she was capable of. He took his time, despite the desperation in his touch, savoring every inch of her.

By the time he finally entered her, Selene was lost. The world blurred around her, reduced to nothing but sensation—the way he filled her so completely, the slow, deliberate thrusts that sent pleasure rippling through her body. Every movement was a promise, every touch a claim, and she surrendered to it, to him, to the undeniable connection neither of them could explain.

The tension coiled between them, their rhythm desperate, bodies moving in sync like they had done this a thousand times before. Selene’s fingers tangled in his hair, her moans swallowed by his hungry kisses. Xander held her like she was the most precious thing in the world, like this moment belonged to them and no one else.

And when the pleasure finally shattered, crashing over them like a tidal wave, she knew—this wasn’t just lust. It was something far more dangerous.

When he finally pulled away, both of them gasping for air as they just had a long session, he didn’t let her go. His forehead rested against hers, his breath heavy, his hands still firm on her hips.

“This…” Selene swallowed, struggling to find her voice. “This shouldn’t be happening.”

Xander’s fingers tightened slightly, as if he refused to let her slip away. “And yet, here we are.”

She found out that it was all a dream when she woke up from it.

She closed her eyes, her heart still racing. She had no answers, no explanations. All she knew was that her world had changed the moment he walked into it, and there was no turning back now.