Chapter 5: Marked by the Moon
1189 Words
Lila couldn’t breathe.
Kane’s words echoed in her mind, sending a chill through her that had nothing to do with the night air.
You belong to me.
The way he had said it, with absolute certainty, as if it were an undeniable truth written into the fabric of the universe—she couldn’t shake it.
She turned to Lucas, who was still watching the space where Kane had disappeared, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. His body was tense, fists clenched, eyes burning with something she couldn’t quite place.
Anger.
Fear.
Possession.
“What the hell was that?” Lila’s voice came out hoarse, her throat raw from the events of the night.
Lucas closed his eyes briefly, as if trying to compose himself, but when he opened them, they were sharp with frustration. “You should have run, Lila. You should never have seen him.”
Her pulse hammered. “Well, it’s a little late for that, don’t you think?”
Lucas let out a rough breath and ran a hand through his hair. “Damn it.” He looked at her then, truly looked at her, his jaw tight. “We need to go. Now.”
Lila hesitated. “Lucas—”
“Now.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
She swallowed hard, nodding, and let him pull her away from the clearing, away from the place where her world had just changed forever.
But as they ran, one thought stayed with her, clawing at the edges of her mind.
Why did I feel something when he touched me?
By the time they reached the small cabin at the edge of the woods, Lila was exhausted. Her limbs ached, her body covered in dirt and scratches from her reckless sprint through the trees.
Lucas had barely spoken a word since they left the clearing. His energy was restless, agitated.
As soon as they stepped inside, he slammed the door shut behind them, locking it with quick, sharp movements. Then, without warning, he turned to her, his eyes burning.
“What the hell were you thinking?”
Lila blinked, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You don’t run into the arms of a wolf like Kane,” Lucas snapped, his voice low but edged with fury. “You don’t—” He cut himself off, exhaling harshly as he raked a hand through his already-messy hair.
She crossed her arms, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. “Oh, I’m sorry. Was I supposed to just stand there and let that other wolf kill you?”
“That’s not the point.” Lucas stepped closer, his body radiating heat. “Kane isn’t someone you want to get involved with, Lila.”
Her heart pounded, her frustration boiling over. “Well, he seemed pretty involved with me already, don’t you think?”
Lucas’s jaw tightened. “That’s exactly the problem.”
Lila inhaled sharply, her mind spinning. “Lucas, just tell me the truth. Who is he?”
Lucas hesitated.
A muscle in his jaw twitched, and for the first time, she saw something in his expression that made her stomach twist.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For her.
“He’s an Alpha,” Lucas said finally, his voice lower, rougher.
The word sent a shiver down her spine. “What does that mean?”
Lucas looked at her like she was walking toward the edge of a cliff without realizing it. “It means he’s dangerous. It means he doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. And it means…” His throat bobbed. “It means he thinks you’re his mate.”
The world tilted.
Lila staggered back, gripping the edge of the table behind her. “No,” she whispered. “That’s not possible.”
Lucas exhaled, his frustration morphing into something softer, something pained. “Lila… it is.”
Her breathing became uneven. “How do you know?”
Lucas hesitated, his hands flexing at his sides. “Because I felt it too.”
The words slammed into her, knocking the air from her lungs.
Her pulse roared in her ears, her skin prickling with heat. “You—”
Lucas stepped forward, eyes searching hers. “You were supposed to be mine.”
The confession sent a violent shudder through her body.
The way he said it—raw, aching, like it was a truth he had been carrying for far too long—made something inside her c***k.
She knew there was something between them, an unspoken pull that had always drawn them together. But this… this was something deeper.
“Lucas…” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“I’ve known for years,” he said, his voice rough. “Since we were kids. But you—you never shifted. I thought maybe—maybe fate had made a mistake. Or maybe you weren’t meant to be part of this world at all.”
She shook her head, her breath uneven. “I don’t understand.”
His jaw clenched. “Neither did I. Until tonight.”
A beat of silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.
Then, Lucas stepped closer. Close enough that she could feel his warmth, smell the faint scent of pine and something uniquely him.
“But if Kane felt it too…” His voice was a whisper now, something pained and broken. “That means fate chose him over me.”
Lila’s chest ached.
Everything in her wanted to say that wasn’t true. That she felt something for Lucas, that she had always felt something.
But then she thought of Kane.
The way his voice had slid over her skin like a command written in the stars. The way his touch had burned through her like wildfire.
And the worst part?
She had wanted it.
A sharp knock at the door made her flinch.
Lucas’s head snapped toward it, his body going rigid.
Lila’s heart pounded.
No one knocked this late.
Lucas exhaled slowly, his muscles tightening, his hand inching toward the knife strapped to his belt. “Stay here.”
Her pulse roared. “Lucas—”
“Stay. Here.” His voice was firm, and then he was moving, stepping toward the door with careful, measured movements.
Lila held her breath as he reached for the handle.
The moment he turned the knob, the door burst open.
A powerful force slammed into Lucas, sending him crashing to the floor.
Lila screamed, stumbling back as the shadowy figure stepped inside, the dim light catching on dark eyes and a smirk that sent ice through her veins.
“Kane,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of her own heartbeat.
He stood there, tall and composed, his golden gaze locking onto hers with an intensity that made her knees weak.
“Did you really think I’d let you leave?” His voice was smooth, predatory.
Lila’s breath hitched, her body trembling.
She didn’t know what terrified her more—the fact that Kane had just broken into her home…
Or the fact that, deep down, some part of her wanted him to.
- Writer
