chapter 10

Chapter 10: "Claimed"

Kieran's POV…

She stood there, pressed against me, her body tense, her eyes wide. She stared up at me like she wasn’t sure if she wanted to run away or move closer. I held her tighter, feeling how small she was against me. So soft. So real.

For a second, her hand lifted, like she was about to touch my face. I stayed still, my heart beating harder than it should’ve, but she hesitated.

Instead, she whispered, “Why… why did you call me here?”

I didn’t answer with words. I leaned in, brushing my mouth lightly against her neck, just below her ear, where her pulse jumped. I let my voice fall into a low whisper.

“You’re my wife,” I said. “Why are you acting scared of me?”

She pulled back quick, her hand on my chest like she needed space. Her voice was defensive, stubborn. “I’m not scared. I just… I didn’t know why I was called.”

I chuckled under my breath, stepping away and dropping onto the couch like I wasn’t losing my mind just being near her. I picked up my drink, swirling it lazily as I looked up at her.

“Come sit,” I said, patting the empty space beside me.

She stayed frozen, standing there like she didn’t trust me one bit. Which, honestly, was fair. She had no idea who I really was.

When she didn’t move, I smirked. “You know, your dad’s throwing a gala soon. Some big event for business partners and also to hand the company ober to you,” I said. “I figured it’s the perfect time to make an announcement.”

She blinked. “What announcement?”

I set my glass down carefully. “That you’re mine. My wife.”

Her mouth opened like she was about to argue but nothing came out. I watched her brain short-circuit in real time.

“We’re not even married yet,” she finally said, voice sharp with disbelief.

I leaned back, arms sprawled across the couch. “Technicalities.”

She crossed her arms, glaring. “You don’t have to do that. It’d be better if we just… kept this thing private for now.”

The words hit harder than I expected. Hard enough that the glass in my hand cracked without warning. A sharp snap filled the room. Shards cut into my palm and a thin line of blood trickled out.

Ava gasped. “Oh my God—” She rushed toward me, reaching out, but I pulled my hand away from her touch.

Instead, I grabbed her with my other hand and tugged her down onto my lap. She landed awkwardly, wide-eyed, her hands against my chest to steady herself.

I pressed her closer, resting her hand flat over my heartbeat.

“You’re mine,” I said, voice low and firm. “And nobody can undo that. Not even you.”

For a moment, she didn’t move. She just stared at me like she could see something inside me no one else had ever bothered to look for.

Then, her voice broke the silence, just a whisper. “Why me?”

I leaned in until our faces were barely an inch apart. “Because you were made for me.”

It wasn’t just a line. It was the truth. Every cell in my body knew it. Every breath I took screamed her name.

I could feel her heartbeat hammering under her skin. She swallowed hard, and for a second, I thought she was gonna bolt. But she didn’t. She stayed.

Finally, I let her slide off my lap, but before she could get too far, I said, “You’re not going back to your father’s place.”

She froze, half-standing.

“Your stuff’s already here,” I added, standing up too. “You’re staying with me now.”

Ava turned slowly, staring at me like I’d just rewritten her entire life and expected her to thank me for it.

She didn’t argue, though. She didn’t say a word. Just this stunned silence.

She walked over to the table where I had some first aid supplies. She grabbed a cloth and came back to me. Carefully, she pulled my injured hand onto her lap, holding it with gentle fingers, and started cleaning the blood.

Neither of us said anything. It was weirdly quiet, but not in a bad way. More like... something was building between us.

Her hand trembled a little. I didn’t call her out on it.

When I looked up, her eyes locked with mine—and everything stopped.

It was like gravity pulled us closer without either of us making the first move. One second we were just staring, and the next—

I was kissing her.

Not the way I thought I would. It wasn’t rough or fast. It was slow, like I had all the time in the world. Her lips were soft, hesitant at first, like she wasn’t sure if this was real.

I deepened the kiss, one hand tangling in her hair, the other sliding around her waist. She made a small sound in the back of her throat that went straight to my head.

Without even thinking, I lifted her, carrying her toward the bed like she weighed nothing.

Clothes started disappearing—hers, mine. We were clumsy, a little breathless, bumping into each other and laughing once under our breath, but neither of us stopped.

By the time I laid her down, my heart was hammering against my ribs so loud I was sure she could hear it.

I kissed her again, deeper this time. She kissed me back, her fingers digging into my shoulders like she was holding on for dear life.

There wasn’t anything rushed about it. It wasn’t just about needing her—it was about claiming her, about showing her she wasn’t alone anymore.

Her body fit against mine like it was meant to, and when I finally moved inside her, I caught her hand and laced our fingers together.

She gasped, squeezing my hand tighter, and I slowed down, giving her time to adjust.

“Okay?” I whispered against her ear.

She nodded, a little breathless. “Yeah.”

Everything after that blurred into something soft and overwhelming and so real it scared me a little.

I didn’t rush. I wanted her to remember this. Us.

By the time we collapsed together, tangled up in each other, I didn’t want to move. I just wanted to stay like that forever, breathing the same air.

Hours later, night had fully fallen outside.

Ava was half-asleep, curled into my side, wearing nothing but the sheets. I stared at the ceiling, feeling like I could actually breathe for the first time in forever.

That’s when my phone buzzed on the nightstand.

I slid out carefully from under her, trying not to wake her up. She murmured something but didn’t stir.

Grabbing the phone, I answered in a low voice, “What?”

Lucas’s voice was tense. “It’s Demon. We picked up chatter. He’s planning something. He’s gonna try to kiddnap Ava.”

I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw hurt.

“I’ll handle it,” I said coldly, ending the call.

I stood there for a second, staring at her sleeping face, feeling something deep and primal twist inside me.

If Demon even touched her—if he even breathed near her—

I growled under my breath, a low, dangerous sound.

“If he lays a hand on my Luna,” I whispered to the empty room, “he’s dead.”