Chapter 7

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The moon hung low in the night sky, bathing the pack’s secluded garden in a silver glow. My heart pounded as Kieran held me aloft, his arm firm beneath my hips. My body pressed against his unyielding frame.

My fingers gripped his shoulders, the hard planes of muscle grounding me even as my mind spiraled. A few of my hair strands brushing against his cheeks. His dark burning eyes burned into mine, a smirk playing on his lips, and the mark on my chest pulsed, a traitor to my resolve.

“P-put me down,”

I stammered, my voice low and soft, barely a murmur against the night air. The words felt fragile, swallowed by the weight of his presence. I could not seem to do anything. I wanted to resist but I also did not want to push him away.

Kieran’s smirk widened, a glint of mischief dancing in his gaze.

“What’s that, little Luna?” he teased, his voice a deep rumble that sent a shiver down my spine.

“You’re trembling. Is it me… or something else?” He tilted his head, his breath grazing my cheek, and my cheeks flushed with heat. His hot breath drove me crazy and my veins pulsed.

“Someone might see,” I insisted, my voice firmer now, though it wavered under his scrutiny. “Put me down.”

I was scared. Worried. That kael might see us like this and get a wrong idea but what was even right ? If Kael caught us, what was going to be my excuse?

He chuckled, the sound low and wicked, but after a moment, he relented. His arm loosened, and he set me gently on the ground, his hands lingering on my hips before he stepped back.

I exhaled a shaky sigh of relief, my legs unsteady as I smoothed my silver gown. The cool night air kissed my skin, grounding me, but the weight of Kieran’s gaze kept me tethered to him, a moth drawn to a flame.

“I knew you’d come,” Kieran said, his voice smooth as velvet, laced with a certainty that made my stomach twist.

He stood tall, his broad shoulders casting a shadow across the rose-lined path, his black shirt clinging to his powerful frame. His dark hairs were slightly disheveled and he looked nothing but …… beautiful.

I swallowed hard, my eyes meeting his for a fleeting moment before darting away. I could not even hold an eye contact with him. My nerves weren’t just because of Kieran—though his dominating aura, the sheer force of his alpha presence, made me feel small and exposed.

No, it was Kael. My so-called mate, who had sent me here with a cryptic smirk and a promise of a dinner Kieran “would never imagine.”

Kael was no fool. He was a mastermind, always three steps ahead, his emerald eyes calculating even when they burned with jealousy. He wasn’t just letting me meet Kieran—he was plotting something.

Watching, perhaps, from the shadows of the packhouse. The thought sent a chill through me, and I wrapped my arms around herself, suddenly hyper-aware of the garden’s silence.

“You wanted to have dinner?” I asked, forcing confidence into my voice as I met Kieran’s gaze again. But the words sounded weak, drowned by the intensity of his aura.

Standing before him, his towering figure looming like a storm cloud, I felt like prey, not a Luna.

Kieran’s chuckle rumbled through the air, deep and resonant, shaking me to the core. He crossed his arms, the movement drawing my eyes to the corded muscles beneath his shirt, and leaned closer, his hot breath fanning my face.

“Dinner?” he murmured, his tone dripping with amusement. “No, Selene. I don’t want to have dinner.”

No dinner? Then why did he even call me? My frown was immediate, confusion flickering in my blue eyes as I looked up at him.

“Then why—”

My words faltered as his finger traced my jaw, a slow, deliberate caress that sent tingles racing down my spine. My breath hitched, and when he tucked a strand of my long hair behind my ear.

His touch lingered, warm and possessive. The mark on my chest burned, a silent reminder of the night he’d claimed me. His touch was intense and made my skin to crave him more.

Instinctively, I took a step back, my heart hammering. I couldn’t let him unravel me—not again. I was a Luna, a woman with my own strength, and I wouldn’t crumble under his touch.

I could not bear another man like Kael. I could not bear anything anymore. I had no strength left and for that, I had to take a step, for myself.

Straightening, my met his eyes directly, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands.

“Alpha,” I said, my tone formal, “you’ll be leaving our territory tomorrow. I wish you’d respect that.”

Kieran’s eyes darkened instantly, a storm brewing in their amber depths. His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought she saw a flicker of something—hurt, perhaps, or rage.

“Respect?” he repeated, his voice low and dangerous. “You think you can push me away, Selene?”

My pulse quickened, but I held my ground, even as his dominance pressed against me like a physical weight. He stepped closer, and before I could retreat, his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist.

My eyes widened at his sudden action and my heart trembled. His grip was firm but not painful, his eyes boring into mine as if he could peel back my thoughts.

I felt the tug of his mind-link, a probing presence seeking entry, but I’d shut him out, my mental walls slammed tight. I did not want him to take over me completely. My body was already craving him but I could not let him get inside of my mind too.

Kieran’s growl was immediate, a frustrated snarl that vibrated through the garden.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my voice trembling but resolute.

“Whatever happened was an accident,” I said, my words rushed. “We both know it wasn’t meant to be. It’s best if you reject me as your mate.”

The air stilled, the garden holding its breath. It felt like the whole world stopped. Not a leaf moved. Kieran’s expression twisted, his fists clenching as he released my wrist.

I blinked rapidly, my heart hammering as his silence stretched, heavy and oppressive. When he finally spoke, his voice was a low, dangerous growl.

“I’ve marked you, Selene. You belong to me now.”

I shook my head, desperation clawing at my chest.

“I don’t want to,” I whispered, my own voice breaking. “I don’t belong to you. I’ll reject you—”

Before I could finish, Kieran’s hand shot to the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair as he pulled me into a searing kiss.

My gasp was swallowed by his lips, fierce and unrelenting, his dominance pouring into me like a tidal wave. My eyes widened in shock and my small fists pressed against his chest, feeling the hard planes of muscle beneath his shirt, but my resistance faltered as his scent—cedar, storm, and something uniquely him—filled my senses, drowning me.

His lips moved with purpose, claiming me, and when he tugged my hair lightly, a soft whimper escaped my throat.

He pulled back, leaving me breathless, my chest heaving as I struggled to anchor myself. His lips brushed my jaw, soft and deliberate, trailing a path that sent shivers through me.

“Sweetheart,” he murmured against my skin, his voice a dark promise, “you can’t reject me. It’s the curse.”

My eyes widened, my breath catching as his words sank in. The curse. Whispers of the Shadow Claw pack’s dark legacy flooded my mind—tales of a bloodline bound by an ancient magic, their marks unbreakable, their mates fated to be consumed.

My hands trembled against his chest, and I pushed weakly, my voice barely a whisper. “What… what do you mean?”

Kieran’s smirk returned, but it was laced with something darker—regret, perhaps, or inevitability. He didn’t release me, his hand still in my hair, his other arm sliding around my waist to keep me close.

“The mark isn’t just a claim,” he said, his voice low and rough. “It’s a bond forged by my pack’s curse. You feel it, don’t you? The pull. The need.”

His thumb brushed my lower lip, and my breath hitched, my body betraying her with a surge of heat. “You can fight it, Selene, but you can’t break it. Not without breaking yourself.”

My heart pounded, fear and defiance warring within me as I took in his words.

“I don’t want this,” I said, her voice stronger now, though it shook with emotion.

“I don’t want you.”

His eyes narrowed, a flicker of pain crossing his features before his expression hardened.

“You say that,” he murmured, “but your body tells a different story.” He leaned closer, his lips brushing my ear, his voice a velvet growl.

“Your heart races for me. Your wolf calls to me. You can’t lie to the mark.”

My knees buckled, and his arm tightened around me, holding me upright. I wanted to scream, to shove him away, but the mark pulsed, a living thing that wove his essence into me. I did not know what to do now. If Kael found out, he’d go mad and my pack would suffer.

Tears pricked my eyes, and I shook my head, my voice barely audible.

“This isn’t fair.”

Kieran’s gaze softened, just for a moment, and he loosened his grip, letting me step back.

“Fair?” he echoed, his voice quieter now, almost bitter.

“The curse doesn’t care about fair, Selene. It chose you. And I…” He paused, his jaw clenching as if the words cost him. “I can’t let you go.”

The garden seemed to close in around us, the roses and ivy whispering secrets in the moonlight. My mind raced, Kael’s smirking promise echoing in my ears. He’d sent me here, knowing something—planning something.

Was he watching now, his emerald eyes glinting from the shadows? Or was this Kieran’s game, the curse twisting my fate into his hands? I didn’t know who to fear more—the calculating alpha I’d once called my mate, or the cursed beast who’d marked me as his own.

Before I could speak, a rustle in the bushes snapped my attention to the garden’s edge. Kieran’s head whipped toward the sound, his body tensing, a low growl rumbling in his chest.

My heart lurched, my senses straining.

Someone was there—watching, waiting. And then, a shadow moved, too deliberate to be the wind.

“ Lucas “

My body relaxed and my heart clenched at the sight of him. It scared me.

“ Alpha, we have something to discuss “

I looked at Alpha Kieran and without sparing a second glance, I quickly walked out of there. I needed to be alone. I needed to clear my mind and find a way to get myself out of this curse.

I had to before Kael finds out.