The fire crackled low as Luna sat curled on the fur-lined chaise, her eyes locked on the pages of the Grimoire. The ancient language came more easily now, symbols unfolding like whispers in her mind. The deeper she read, the more her skin burned with energy. Something inside her was shifting, awakening.
She could feel her wolf now—pacing, restless beneath her skin.
Kieran sat nearby, leaned against the stone hearth, shirtless again, his golden eyes tracking her movements with quiet intensity. The way he watched her made it hard to breathe. His presence was like a storm just off the coast—wild, dangerous, impossible to ignore.
"You're absorbing the book fast," he murmured.
"It feels like I've read it before," she admitted. "Like it's already inside me."
"It is," he said. "Your blood knows. The Moon-Blessed aren't just seers—they're vessels. You were born to carry this power."
Luna lowered the book and looked at him. "But why now? Why me?"
Kieran's jaw tightened. He stood slowly and crossed the room, stopping just in front of her. The energy between them crackled like lightning before a storm.
"Because the blood moon is coming again," he said. "And when it rises, the curse reaches its apex. You're the only one who can either unleash it—or stop it."
His voice dropped an octave. "And because the moment I saw you, I knew you were mine."
Luna's breath caught as he knelt in front of her. His large hands braced on either side of her thighs, caging her in place without touching her. His eyes glowed molten gold.
"I can feel your wolf now," he said huskily. "She wants out."
"She's... angry," Luna whispered.
"She should be," he replied. "She's been caged her whole life. But she's not alone anymore."
Their faces were inches apart. Her pulse pounded in her ears. Kieran's gaze dipped to her lips, then back to her eyes.
"If I kiss you again," he murmured, "I won't stop."
Her skin ignited at the promise in his tone. Her wolf surged forward, clawing at the surface.
Luna's voice was barely a whisper. "Then don't."
Kieran growled low in his throat, and his mouth crashed into hers.
The kiss was nothing like the last time. This was primal. Fierce. Consuming. His hands fisted in her hair as he dragged her against him, her legs straddling his hips before she even realized she'd moved.
Her fingers clawed down his back, feeling the raw power in his muscles. His body was heat and stone beneath her, trembling with restraint.
"You don't know what you're doing to me," he growled against her mouth.
"Then show me," she dared, grinding down on him.
He let out a strangled groan, his control snapping like brittle glass.
Kieran lifted her in one fluid motion and laid her out on the furs near the fire, his massive frame hovering above hers. Lips on her throat, his teeth grazing the mark he'd made days ago.
Luna arched beneath him, a moan escaping her lips. Her entire body vibrated with the need for more—more of him, more of the power that pulsed between them.
Then—
**BOOM.**
The cabin door exploded inward in a burst of splinters.
Kieran's head snapped up, a snarl ripping from his chest. He leapt over Luna, shifting midair, his massive black wolf landing with a thunderous growl.
Luna scrambled up, her eyes wide.
Figures cloaked in obsidian armor surged into the cabin—hunters. Not human. Their eyes glowed silver, and their blades shimmered with runes.
Kieran lunged, tearing into the first attacker with savage fury. Blood sprayed across the stone wall.
Luna backed toward the Grimoire, but one of the figures darted in front of her. His hand shot out—crackling with dark magic.
She raised her hand without thinking.
A pulse of *light* erupted from her palm, slamming into the attacker and sending him flying across the room. He hit the wall and crumpled.
Luna stared at her glowing hand, breathless.
Kieran tore through another enemy, then shifted back mid-fight, grabbing a fallen blade and running it through the last attacker with lethal precision.
Silence fell again—except for the labored breathing of the two of them.
The cabin was in ruins. Blood smeared the walls. Smoke curled from the shattered door.
Kieran turned to Luna, chest heaving, his body slick with sweat and blood.
"You used magic," he said.
"I didn't mean to," Luna gasped, her hand still faintly glowing. "It just... happened."
"You're awakening," Kieran said, awe and fear mingling in his expression.
Luna's body trembled with adrenaline. The power in her veins felt alive, almost sentient. Her wolf was howling inside her now—not in pain, but in triumph.
"What the hell were those things?" she asked.
"Rogue hunters. Warlocks bound to the Bloodfang cult," Kieran said grimly. "And if they're here, it means Silas isn't just watching anymore—he's making his move."
Luna knelt beside one of the fallen, studying the runes on his blade. "They were after me."
Kieran nodded. "To corrupt the Moon-Blessed power. If they can twist your wolf, they can use your magic to *awaken the curse fully.*"
"And if they succeed?" she asked.
He didn't answer. He didn't have to.
The look in his eyes told her everything—total destruction. Not just of their world. Of everything.
"I need to train," Luna said, straightening. "I need to learn to fight. To control this."
Kieran nodded once, approval flaring in his gaze. "Then tomorrow, we begin."
She met his eyes, something steel-hard settling inside her.
No more fear. No more running.
If the curse was awakening, so was she.
And Luna Everleigh would not go down without a fight.