Moonlight Awakening

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

18: The Claiming

The night was thick with the scent of blood and smoke, but in the heart of the forest, all Elena could hear was the steady beat of Kieran’s heart against her own. The battle was over, Marcus was dead, and yet something inside her burned hotter than before. The moon, still tinged red from the Blood Moon’s power, hung low in the sky, bathing them in a silver glow.

Elena stumbled, still unsteady on her feet—no, her paws. The shift had left her body aching, her skin hypersensitive in ways she hadn’t expected. Every breath she took carried Kieran’s scent, rich with musk and something deeper, something that called to the fire now running through her veins.

Kieran stood before her in his wolf form, golden eyes locked onto hers. There was something primal in his gaze—possessive, protective. Her wolf stirred in response, an unfamiliar hunger curling through her belly.

You’re mine now, his voice brushed against her mind through their newly forged bond.

The words sent a shiver through her, though not from fear. She had felt his presence before, through whispered thoughts and shared emotions, but this was different. Stronger.

Elena exhaled shakily before allowing her body to shift back. The transformation was smoother this time, her bones melting back into human form with a sharp pull of energy. She stood before him, her skin tingling in the cool night air. Kieran shifted a heartbeat later, his powerful frame towering over her, his chest rising and falling with deep, controlled breaths.

“Elena,” he murmured, his voice thick, heavy with something unsaid.

Her name on his lips was a trigger, a spark to the wildfire already raging inside her. She took a step forward, fingers skimming across his bare chest, feeling the steady thump of his heart beneath her palm.

“I feel… different,” she admitted, tilting her head to look up at him. Her skin was feverish, her body humming with an unfamiliar energy.

Kieran’s jaw clenched, his golden eyes darkening. “The bond is raw right now,” he said, voice low, almost hoarse. “Our wolves are restless. They need—” He cut himself off, exhaling sharply.

Elena’s pulse quickened. She understood what he wasn’t saying. She felt it too—the unspoken pull between them, the need crackling in the air like an approaching storm.

“Then don’t hold back,” she whispered.

A growl rumbled deep in Kieran’s chest, something wild flickering behind his gaze. He reached out, fingers tangling in her hair, tilting her head back.

“Are you sure?” he asked, his breath warm against her lips.

Elena didn’t answer with words. Instead, she closed the distance between them, capturing his mouth in a fierce, unrelenting kiss. The second their lips met, the dam holding back the fire inside them shattered.

Kieran responded instantly, his grip tightening as he pulled her flush against him. The heat between them was intoxicating, their bond amplifying every sensation. Elena felt his need through the connection threading between their souls—it was more than desire, more than instinct. It was claiming.

His lips left hers only to trail fire along her jaw, down the curve of her throat. She gasped as he reached the mark on her collarbone—the crescent moon glowing faintly against her skin. Kieran’s tongue flicked over it, and a sharp jolt of pleasure shot through her, making her knees buckle.

He caught her effortlessly, growling against her skin. “Sensitive here, aren’t you?”

Elena could only whimper in response, her body pressing against his as if trying to chase the sensation.

Kieran lifted her effortlessly, pinning her against the rough bark of a nearby tree. The contrast of the cool night air against the heat of his body sent another wave of need crashing through her.

He leaned in, lips brushing her ear. “You’re mine, Elena,” he murmured. “And I’m going to make sure you never forget it.”

Her wolf howled in agreement, and as Kieran’s teeth grazed her skin, the last remnants of restraint melted away.

The night stretched on, their connection deepening beyond flesh—beyond instinct. The bond between them solidified, their souls entwining in ways neither of them could have imagined.

When dawn finally broke over the horizon, Elena lay in Kieran’s arms, her body pleasantly sore, her mind still spinning from the night’s events.

She traced idle patterns across his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heart beneath her fingertips. “So… what now?” she murmured.

Kieran’s fingers brushed through her hair, his touch gentler now, though no less possessive. “Now, you are truly one of us,” he said. “My mate. My equal.”

Elena felt something warm bloom in her chest at his words. This was no longer just about survival. It was something deeper. Something permanent.

Kieran shifted, pressing a lingering kiss to her temple. “And now,” he added, a smirk curling his lips, “we figure out how to rule together.”

Elena laughed softly, the sound free, unburdened. For the first time in what felt like forever, she knew exactly where she belonged.

And she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.