BOUND BY CONTRACT, CLAIMED BY THE ALPHA

Forbidden Heat

The fire in Ember’s veins refused to quiet.

No matter how far she tried to bury it, no matter how fiercely she cursed the Moon Goddess, the mate bond clawed at her skin like it wanted to tear free. Every heartbeat was a war. Her wolf whimpered one moment, raged the next, torn between longing and hatred for the Alpha King who denied her.

Sleep became impossible. Nights were an endless torment, her body burning, her mind replaying the moment Lucian’s eyes had glowed gold, his control stretched to its limit. He hated her, yes, but he was not immune. She felt it in the way the bond pulled, desperate to close the distance.

And the cruelest part? So did he.

⸻

It began with a dream.

Ember woke with her body slick with sweat, her heart pounding as though she’d run for miles. She clutched at the furs, her breath shallow, her wolf’s howls still echoing in her head. The dream had been a blur of fire and hands, of Lucian’s mouth against her throat, his growl filling her ears.

Shame burned hotter than the heat in her body. She pushed it down, rising from the bed to pace the chamber.

But no matter how many steps she took, the fire followed. Her skin ached as though the bond were branding her from the inside. She pressed her palm to her chest, gasping softly.

I will not give in, she swore silently. I will not surrender to him.

Yet when the door to the adjoining chamber opened, her resolve wavered.

Lucian filled the doorway, half-dressed in nothing but dark trousers, his chest bare, muscles taut with restrained power. His hair was tousled from restless sleep, his eyes burning faintly gold in the dim light.

He didn’t speak at first. His gaze swept over her—her flushed skin, her trembling hands, the fire that even now threatened to consume her. Something dangerous flickered in his eyes.

“You’re burning,” he said finally, his voice low, almost taunting.

Ember stiffened. “Stay away.”

Lucian stepped forward anyway, slow, deliberate, as though savoring each inch of ground between them. “You think I don’t feel it too? The bond?” His mouth curved into something sharp, cruel. “You’re trembling for me, Ember, whether you admit it or not.”

Her breath caught, fury warring with the heat clawing through her veins. “I would rather die in these flames than give myself to you.”

He tilted his head, wolf glinting in his gaze. “Bold words. But your body betrays you.”

Her cheeks flushed, shame cutting deeper than his mockery. She forced her chin higher. “If you think this weakness makes me yours, you’re wrong.”

Lucian was before her now, close enough that the heat of him pressed against her skin, close enough that the bond screamed in triumph. He leaned down, his lips brushing her ear though he didn’t touch her.

“You’re already mine,” he murmured darkly. “Every tremor, every gasp—proof of what fate has done.”

Ember’s hand shot out before she could stop herself, pressing flat against his chest to push him away. But the contact only worsened the fire. Her wolf keened, claws scraping inside her skin, desperate to bridge the gap.

Lucian’s breath hitched—so slight she might have missed it. His eyes darkened, his control fraying at the edges.

For one long, dangerous moment, neither of them moved. The bond flared between them like a live wire, snapping and crackling in the silence.

Ember swallowed hard, forcing the words out through clenched teeth. “Let me go.”

Lucian’s mouth twisted into something between a smirk and a snarl. “Do you think I want this?” His voice was rough now, ragged with restraint. “This curse? Do you think I asked for you, Ember Hale?”

The cruel edge in his tone should have cut her, but beneath it she heard something else. Desperation.

Her wolf went still, listening.

Lucian closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, his chest heaving under her palm. When he opened them again, the gold was brighter, the wolf clawing to the surface.

“Every moment you breathe in my presence, the bond drags me closer to the edge,” he admitted hoarsely. “I want nothing more than to hate you. To keep you at arm’s length. But this—” He broke off with a growl, slamming his hand against the wall beside her head. “This bond mocks me.”

Ember’s heart thundered, her fury battling the treacherous heat rising inside her. “Then fight it,” she whispered. “As I do.”

Lucian’s eyes burned into hers. “And what happens, little wolf, when fighting no longer works?”

Before she could answer, before she could step back, he moved.

His hand caught her chin, tilting her face up. His mouth crashed down on hers, harsh, unyielding, a kiss born of fury and fire.

The bond roared to life, a tidal wave of heat surging through her veins. Ember gasped against his lips, her body betraying her, trembling not from fear but from the overwhelming pull of him.

Lucian deepened the kiss for one reckless heartbeat, his wolf snarling in triumph, his grip tightening as though he would devour her whole.

Then he tore himself away with a guttural growl, stumbling back as though burned. His chest rose and fell with ragged breaths, his fists clenched at his sides.

Ember stood frozen, her lips tingling, her body ablaze. Her wolf howled inside her, furious that he had stopped.

Lucian’s gaze locked onto hers, wild and conflicted. “This changes nothing,” he snarled, though his voice cracked with the lie.

And before she could speak, he turned and stormed from the chamber, the door slamming shut behind him.

Ember’s knees buckled, and she gripped the edge of the table to steady herself. Her heart raced, her chest tight, the bond screaming for what had just been denied.

Her lips still burned with the memory of him.

And Ember Hale realized with horror that fate had just won its first victory.