Bound by Midnight blood

"Raging Storms"

The world outside feels like it’s collapsing, but right here, with Kael’s body pressed against mine, everything else falls away. The hunter’s shots are distant now, but my pulse doesn’t slow. Every second that passes is filled with the tension between us, thick and undeniable.

Kael’s eyes never leave me. They’re dark with a mix of something dangerous, something primal. He doesn’t even flinch at the distant crack of gunfire, his senses alert, every muscle in his body poised like a predator.

But I’m not looking at the gunshots anymore. I’m looking at him. Every inch of him. His broad shoulders, his chest rising and falling, the muscles in his arms flexing as he grips the tree in front of us for balance. His presence is overwhelming, and I can feel the heat radiating off him, pulling me in, leaving me hungry for more.

“Ivy,” he says, his voice low, almost a growl, like he's fighting something inside himself. He steps closer, his boots crunching in the dry leaves underfoot. “You have to understand... this... between us...”

My breath catches, heart hammering, as his face draws nearer. His lips are mere inches from mine, but the distance feels endless. I feel the weight of everything he hasn’t said hanging in the air.

“I know what it is,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “I feel it too.”

His fingers graze my jaw, his touch sending a jolt of heat through my body. He pauses, his lips hovering just above mine. He’s breathing hard, like he’s fighting every instinct inside of him.

“Ivy,” he repeats, but this time his voice is hoarse, raw with desire. “We need to stop. Before we—”

But I don’t let him finish. I push myself up onto my tiptoes, my fingers gripping the back of his neck, and I kiss him.

The world shatters.

It’s no longer just the desperate, aching need that pulls me closer to him. It’s everything—everything I’ve wanted, everything that’s been bubbling between us since that first touch. I melt into him as his hands slide to my hips, pulling me closer, the hardness of his body pressing against me, matching the frantic beat of my heart.

Kael groans, deep and dark, his hands moving, sliding up my spine and under the hem of my shirt. I shiver as his fingers trace the skin of my back, his touch like fire, leaving trails of heat everywhere it touches. I want more. I want all of it.

His lips move against mine with the same urgency, like he can’t get enough, like he’s been waiting for this moment just as much as I have. I feel the tension coil tighter, harder inside of me, and I know we can’t stop now.

Kael’s hands are everywhere—on my waist, my back, my skin—his fingers pressing into me like he can’t believe I’m really here. He slides his hand lower, his fingers brushing the curve of my ass, and I gasp, pressing my body harder into his.

I can feel his pulse against mine, and it’s like nothing else matters. The gunshots, the forest, the world—they all blur into nothing.

“Stop,” Kael growls, pulling back just enough to look at me. His hand still rests against my lower back, his fingers digging into the fabric of my jeans. “This is dangerous.”

But I don’t care. I won’t care.

“I’m not stopping,” I breathe, my chest heaving as I pull him back to me, capturing his lips again. “I want you, Kael. Right now.”

His breath hitches, and for a moment, I see something flicker in his eyes—something darker, wilder—and it makes my heart race even faster. He pulls me tighter against him, his hands sliding under my shirt, lifting it off of me in one swift motion. My skin prickles with the cool air, but I’m burning up inside.

Kael’s eyes rake over my exposed body, and I can’t help but feel exposed—vulnerable—but it’s not a bad feeling. Not with him. Not like this. His gaze is intense, possessive, and it makes me shiver as his hand moves to trace the curve of my waist, his thumb brushing against the sensitive skin of my ribs.

He leans in, his lips trailing hot, possessive kisses along my neck, sending waves of heat coursing through me. My hands are on him now—gripping the hard muscles of his chest, feeling the strength beneath his skin. I want to feel more, touch more, but I don’t know how much longer I can hold back.

“Kael…” My voice trembles, and I don’t know if it’s from the cold or the anticipation, but either way, it’s not enough. “Please…”

He pauses, his lips hovering just above mine, his chest rising and falling with every breath. I can see the internal battle on his face, the war between desire and restraint.

And then, just as I think he’s going to kiss me again, a twig snaps behind us. Kael’s head snaps up, his body immediately going rigid, his eyes scanning the forest.

“Ivy, stay low,” he orders, his voice sharp with authority. He pushes me down to the ground, his body covering mine as he drops beside me, shielding me with his own.

I hear the rustling again, closer this time. Footsteps crunching through the leaves, and Kael is ready—his body tense, his hands gripping mine, his senses alert. The desire is still burning between us, but the threat is real now.

“I told you to stay down,” Kael murmurs, his lips brushing my ear as he presses me against the ground, his body blocking mine from view. His hand still rests on my hip, but it’s not the same now. There’s no tenderness, no burning desire. There’s only danger, and I feel it in every bone of my body.

But the fire isn’t gone. Not even close.