The air in the forest had changed. The thick scent of rain mingled with earth and pine, but beneath it all, there was something else—something primal, heavy, and dangerous. Luna couldn't shake the feeling that she was being pulled into something deeper, something she didn't understand, something she feared.
Kieran hadn't moved since he'd first touched her. His fingers, still wrapped around her throat, had loosened just enough to allow her to breathe, but his grip was unmistakable—**possessive, controlling.** His body pressed against hers in a way that left no room for escape. No room for doubt.
Her heart pounded in her chest, the rhythm of fear and confusion. She was afraid—**terrified**, even—but her body betrayed her. His proximity sparked a heat in her veins, something foreign, something dangerous that she couldn't control.
"I'm not yours," she spat, trying to twist her body, attempting to push him off with all the strength she had.
But it was useless.
Kieran's lips curled into a smirk, his golden eyes darkening with something she couldn't quite comprehend. The tension between them was thick, electrified. His hand slid from her waist, tracing her side until it gripped her hip.
"You don't get to decide that, little wolf," he said in a low, rumbling voice. "The moment your scent touched this land, you became mine."
Her stomach tightened at his words. **No,** she refused to believe it. She couldn't.
Luna forced herself to look away, trying to steady her breath. The last thing she wanted was to show him any vulnerability, but his touch was intoxicating. It felt like fire burning just beneath her skin, seeping into her bones.
"You're insane," she managed to say, her voice sharp, though there was a tremor in it she couldn't hide.
Kieran's smile widened, and she swore she saw a glint of amusement in his eyes. "I'm the least insane person you'll ever meet, Luna. But I'm a man of my word. And I always get what's mine."
With one swift motion, he spun her around, forcing her back against the trunk of the tree, his body pressed against hers. Luna gasped, her breath coming in shallow bursts. His hand moved to the back of her neck, holding her in place.
"You don't want this," she muttered, though she could feel her body betraying her once more.
"Yes, you do," Kieran responded, his voice deep, laden with authority. "You just don't realize it yet."
Before Luna could respond, a deep growl rumbled from his chest. It was raw, primal, and it sent a shiver of recognition straight to her soul. His head tilted to the side, and his nose brushed against her cheek as if memorizing every part of her scent.
"You're mine," he repeated, the words low and powerful.
Luna's heart hammered against her chest. **No,** she thought again. **This isn't possible.** But despite the denial that screamed in her mind, her body didn't respond to the protest. It responded to him.
His lips trailed down her neck, leaving a fiery path in their wake. His breath was hot against her skin, and Luna felt a wave of need she couldn't suppress, no matter how hard she tried. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the way her body reacted to him.
"You're mine," Kieran growled again, this time his voice darker, almost commanding.
With a sudden movement, he crushed his lips against hers, his kiss hard, demanding. She gasped in surprise, her mouth parting for just a moment before he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding into her mouth with the same dominance he held in every other part of their interaction.
Luna's hands shot up to push him away, but when her palms made contact with his chest, she felt the power that radiated from him—the raw, untamed energy. He didn't flinch, didn't even acknowledge her resistance. Instead, he pressed harder against her, his body a wall of muscle, warmth, and danger.
"You don't get to push me away, Luna," Kieran growled against her lips, his voice rough with desire. "You can fight it all you want, but you and I are bound by something far older than you understand."
Her breath hitched as his words sank in. **Bound?** She didn't understand. But the more he spoke, the more she felt something inside her stirring. **Something ancient. Something alive.**
His kiss softened, just for a moment, and Luna took a sharp breath, her eyes still closed. She felt his hands move from her neck to her sides, fingers gently stroking her skin, as if testing her. **Testing for weakness.**
"No," she gasped, her mind screaming for her to break free. "I won't let you do this."
"You don't have a choice," Kieran whispered, his lips brushing against her ear, sending another shiver down her spine. "You'll come to me, Luna. You'll accept what you are, what I am. And then we'll rule this world together."
She shook her head, fighting the magnetic pull that seemed to grow stronger with every passing second. "No," she repeated, though her voice faltered.
Kieran pulled back slightly, just enough to look into her eyes. His gaze was intense, dark, filled with a predatory hunger. He didn't need to say it again for her to feel it—**he was claiming her.** The weight of his words, the power in his touch, it all pointed to the same conclusion: Luna was his.
"Fight me all you want," Kieran said softly, his thumb tracing the curve of her jaw. "But in the end, you will surrender. You'll **want** this. You'll need it."
Her heart raced, her blood running hot and cold all at once. She didn't know if it was fear or desire that flooded her veins, but whatever it was, it left her breathless, weak. **No.** She had to push him away, had to make him see she was not some... prize to be won.
But he wasn't done. Kieran leaned in again, capturing her lips with a gentleness that belied the storm raging between them. His kiss was all-consuming, claiming her mouth, her breath, her very soul.
Luna's thoughts scattered. She tried to fight it, tried to push him away, but the more she resisted, the more he drew her in. Her hands—betraying her once again—clutched at the back of his shirt, pulling him closer.
**No,** she told herself. **This isn't me.**
But it was.
Kieran's hands roamed down her body, tracing the curves of her hips, the softness of her thighs, the place where she felt the heat of desire growing between them. She gasped when he pressed his body closer to hers, feeling the hardness of him against her.
Luna pulled away, breathless, her chest rising and falling with the force of her panic. She couldn't—**she couldn't let this happen.**
But Kieran wasn't finished. He'd barely given her a chance to breathe before he tilted her chin up, staring down at her with an intensity that made her stomach flip.
"You're mine," he repeated, his voice low, unwavering. "And I will make you see that. You belong to me, Luna. Forever."
Luna's body responded before her mind could. She was caught between fury and something far deeper, something that terrified her.
**This wasn't just about power.**
It was about obsession.
And she was falling into it.
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