Luna could still feel the heat of Kieran's touch lingering on her skin, despite the cold night air biting at her exposed arms. The forest around her was dense, the shadows stretching long as they moved deeper into the wilderness. Her breath came in shallow gasps, her heart racing, though she tried her best to control it. The woods felt oppressive, like the earth itself was watching her, waiting for her to make a choice.
But what choice did she have?
Kieran led her, a silent force guiding her through the thick underbrush. His presence, heavy and unyielding, was like a shadow that hovered just over her shoulder. She could hear the rustle of his footsteps behind her, the low growl of his breathing that seemed to vibrate through the ground itself.
"Where are we going?" she finally demanded, her voice sharp, desperate for answers.
Kieran didn't immediately respond. His silence only made her more uneasy. But after what felt like an eternity of trudging through the dark, he spoke.
"Somewhere safe," he said, his tone clipped, as though he weren't entirely focused on her. "You need to understand the situation, Luna. You need to accept what's happening."
Luna's throat tightened at the mention of "acceptance." There was nothing about this that she could ever accept. Nothing that made sense. She was a detective. She had built her life on logic, on facts, not on supernatural myths or ancient curses. She refused to be sucked into whatever madness Kieran was dragging her into.
"I don't need your protection," she snapped, her eyes narrowing. "I'm perfectly capable of handling myself. And I don't need some insane wolf to tell me what I need."
Kieran stopped in his tracks, turning to face her so suddenly that Luna barely had time to react. He was so close now that she could feel the heat of his body, the raw power that radiated off him. His golden eyes flashed in the moonlight, full of something dangerous, something primal.
"I'm not your enemy, Luna," he growled, his voice low, dangerous. "But if you keep fighting me like this, you'll make me one."
Luna stepped back, a rush of adrenaline making her pulse spike. She'd heard of packs, of wolves with incredible power, but she hadn't ever truly believed it. Now, standing face-to-face with Kieran, she was beginning to wonder if there was any truth to the folklore she'd dismissed as nonsense.
His presence was overwhelming, suffocating. And yet, part of her couldn't look away. Something inside her was pulling her toward him. Something wild.
"Why?" she managed, the word escaping her throat almost as a whisper. "Why me? Why now?"
Kieran's expression softened slightly, but his gaze remained intense, like he could see through every wall she'd built around herself.
"Because it's always been you," he said simply. "You just don't remember yet."
Luna's head spun. What the hell was he talking about? She didn't believe in fate, not the kind he was talking about. She had no memories of a past with him. She hadn't even known his name until the night they met.
"Stop saying that," she whispered fiercely, her voice trembling. "I don't remember you. I don't know you. And I don't believe in this fate bullshit."
Kieran's eyes darkened, the amber glow seeming to intensify, almost like an animal watching its prey. "You don't have to believe it now. But the wolf inside you knows. It's waking up."
Luna blinked, taken aback by his words. The wolf inside her? Was he suggesting…?
Her thoughts were cut short when Kieran stepped forward again, his movements so fluid and graceful that she hardly saw him coming. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her close, his hand sliding to the back of her neck, fingers threading through her hair. His lips were a breath away from hers, and Luna's heart skipped a beat. The magnetic pull between them was undeniable.
"You don't have to accept it now," he murmured against her ear, his voice raw, hungry. "But in time, you will. Your wolf wants me, Luna. It's only a matter of time before you realize it."
Luna's breath caught in her throat. The way he said it—the confidence in his voice—sent a shiver down her spine. He couldn't know what she felt. He couldn't know what was happening inside her. But then again, why was she standing here, unable to break free from his hold? Why did her body respond to him the way it did?
Kieran's lips brushed against her earlobe, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin, and Luna's stomach tightened in a strange, unfamiliar way. Her pulse pounded in her ears, and she fought the urge to close the distance between them.
"No," she breathed, her words barely audible. "I won't… I won't let you control me."
Kieran's smile was slow, predatory, as he drew back slightly, his fingers still tangled in her hair. "Control you?" he asked softly. "I'm not here to control you, Luna. I'm here to free you."
"Free me?" she asked, incredulous. "From what? From myself?"
"From the lies," Kieran answered, his voice so serious that it sent a ripple of unease through her. "You've been lied to your whole life. About who you are, about your heritage, your destiny. You were never meant to be this weak, this vulnerable. You were meant to be strong, to stand beside me."
Luna shook her head. "No," she said again, her voice trembling with more fear than she cared to admit. "I don't want any part of this."
Kieran's eyes softened, but the intensity in them didn't waver. "You already have. You're already a part of me, Luna. And whether you like it or not, I will make you understand."
The wind howled through the trees, rustling the leaves around them, but the noise felt distant now, muffled by the storm raging inside Luna's chest. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, the pull between them almost unbearable.
For a moment, she wanted to close her eyes, to let herself sink into his touch, to give in to the overwhelming desire that throbbed through her veins. But then, just as quickly, the clarity returned. **No.** She would not let him win.
"Let me go," she demanded, pulling her wrist free from his grip. Her voice wavered slightly, but she didn't care. She had to get away, had to stop this.
Kieran's lips pressed into a thin line, his gaze hardening. He stood there for a long moment, watching her, his chest rising and falling with his breath. Finally, he nodded, releasing her.
"You will run, Luna," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "But know this: You can run all you want, but you will never escape me. Not ever."
Luna didn't wait for him to say anything more. She spun on her heel and fled, her footsteps echoing in the silence of the forest.
But even as she ran, she could feel him behind her, watching, waiting. And deep down, a voice whispered that she wasn't running from him.
She was running from herself.
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