The council chamber still burned in my memory hours later. Their stares, Mira's venom, Ronan's declaration—it all lingered like smoke clinging to my skin. I paced the small room they'd given me, restless, my wolf snarling at the walls that felt too tight, too confining.
He had no right.
Those words circled in my head, sharper than the pain in my ribs. Yes, I had defended myself before the elders. Yes, I had claimed equality instead of submission. But I hadn't chosen him. The bond may have whispered its pull, but my heart—my heart wasn't ready.
The door opened without warning. Ronan stepped inside, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud. He didn't speak at first, just studied me with that unreadable intensity, the faint glow of the moonlight highlighting the tattoos curling along his arm.
"You shouldn't be alone." His tone was final, not a suggestion.
I crossed my arms. "I've been alone my entire life. I think I can manage a few more hours."
His jaw flexed, but he didn't rise to the bait. Instead, he moved closer, slow and deliberate, like a predator stalking prey. My pulse jumped.
"Do you understand what happened in there?" he asked quietly.
"I understand you claimed me without asking," I snapped.
His eyes flashed silver. "I didn't need to ask.
The bond is already written into our blood. You feel it, Raven. Stop denying it."
I hated that my body reacted, hated that his nearness made heat coil in my stomach, hated that his voice tugged at something primal inside me. My wolf leaned toward him even as my mind screamed to push him away.
"You think this bond gives you ownership?" I whispered fiercely. "It doesn't. I won't be your prize, Ronan. I won't be another jewel in your Alpha crown."
His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my wrist. His grip was firm but not painful, his heat searing into my skin. The bond pulsed violently, a spark leaping between us that made my breath hitch.
"You're not a prize," he said, voice rough.
"You're fire. And fire doesn't bow—it consumes. That's why they fear you."
My lips parted, stunned. Of all the words I expected, those weren't it.
He stepped closer, close enough that his breath mingled with mine. His tattoos flexed over his muscles as his hold tightened slightly. My wolf growled inside me, not in warning, but in recognition.
"They want me to tame you," he continued, his gaze burning into mine. "But I don't want a tame mate. I want the wild in you. I want the wolf that bites back."
Heat spread through me, betraying my anger. I hated how his words struck a chord, how they sounded dangerously close to truth. I yanked my wrist free, though the loss of contact ached more than I wanted to admit.
"You think saying pretty words will make me submit?" I hissed. "You don't know me at all."
His lips curved, not in a smile, but in something darker, more dangerous. "Oh, I know enough. Enough to know you'll fight me with everything you have. And enough to know you'll burn for me anyway."
My breath caught. The silence between us was thick, thrumming with tension, with hunger neither of us wanted to name.
I turned away, trying to steady myself, but his voice followed, low and unyielding.
"You stood in front of the council and claimed equality," he said. "So prove it. Train with me. Stand with me. Show them you're not afraid."
I froze. Training with him meant more contact, more battles, more chances for this maddening pull to consume me. But it also meant strength. Power. A chance to show the pack I was no fragile pawn.
Slowly, I faced him. "Fine. But don't expect me to play the obedient mate. I'll train on my terms."
His gaze gleamed with approval, sharp and hungry. "Good. I wouldn't want it any other way."
The room felt smaller suddenly, the air charged like lightning before a storm. My heart thundered as our eyes locked, neither of us willing to break first.
Then, without warning, he stepped closer and pressed his forehead against mine.
The bond roared to life, a wildfire consuming every inch of me. My wolf howled in triumph, while my mind screamed in denial. His scent—smoke, pine, danger—wrapped around me until it was all I could breathe.
"Fight me," he whispered, his breath hot against my lips. "Hate me. Desire me. But don't you dare run from this."
I shoved him back, though my hands trembled. "Careful, Ronan. One day, you might find my hatred burns hotter than my love."
His eyes darkened, voice dropping to a growl. "Then I'll take both."
The door slammed shut behind him as he left, leaving me gasping, trembling, torn between fury and a fire I couldn't extinguish.
And for the first time, I wondered if I'd already lost the battle I swore I'd never fight.