The training ground had emptied, but the battle inside me still raged. My wolf clawed at my chest, demanding more—more of the fight, more of the fire, more of him. Every nerve buzzed as though Ronan's hands still lingered on my skin.
I thought I was done for the day. Wrong.
"Again," his voice cut through the silence, rough and commanding. He stood at the far edge of the ring, stripped of his shirt, the tattoos scrawled across his chest and arms catching the torchlight like dark fire. His muscles gleamed with sweat, his eyes fixed on me like prey.
I scoffed, though my breath caught. "You've already proven your point in front of your warriors."
"This isn't for them," he said, stepping closer. His body moved with predatory grace, every inch of him dangerous and devastatingly male. "This is for us."
The air thickened, heavy with challenge. My wolf stirred, claws itching to test him again.
But beneath the urge to fight simmered another hunger, hotter, more reckless.
"Fine," I growled, squaring my shoulders.
"But I won't go easy."
"Good." His lips curved, not in a smile, but in something darker. "Neither will I."
We clashed.
This time there were no eyes watching, no whispers of the pack judging every move.
Just him and me. Fury and heat. Claws and hunger. Our strikes landed faster, harder. My palm slammed against his chest; he caught my wrist and twisted me into his hold. I shoved back, flipping him over my shoulder, but he landed like a cat, already surging toward me.
Every movement was a spark. Every touch was gasoline.
He pinned me against the wall, his hand braced beside my head, his breath hot against my ear. "You're stronger when you stop fighting yourself," he murmured, his voice low and rough.
I snarled, baring my teeth. "And you're arrogant enough to think you know me."
"Not enough," he admitted, his gaze burning down into mine. "But I want to."
Our lips were a breath apart. The bond between us thrummed, wild and insistent, pulling tighter until the air itself felt ready to shatter.
I shoved him back, but instead of distance, it only sent us crashing to the floor, tangled in heat and fury. His body hovered over mine, heavy and unyielding, muscles flexing under my touch.
I should have pushed him away. Instead, my fingers dug into his inked skin.
"You infuriate me," I whispered, breathless.
His lips brushed mine, dangerous, devastating. "Then hate me harder."
The dam broke.
His mouth crushed against mine, fierce and claiming, and my world ignited. The kiss wasn't soft—it was war, teeth and tongue, fire and fury. My wolf howled in triumph, clawing free until silver light burned in my eyes. His power surged to meet it, Alpha strength colliding with mine in a storm that set the bond ablaze.
His hands roamed my body, tracing curves like he owned them. My nails dragged across his shoulders, leaving red trails he didn't flinch from. Every clash of touch was a battle, every gasp a surrender.
He pulled back just enough to growl against my lips, "Say it. Say you feel this."
I refused, shaking my head, but my body betrayed me—arching into his, burning for more. His smile was feral, victorious.
"Your wolf doesn't lie," he whispered, dragging his mouth down my throat. Heat pooled low in my belly, a fire I couldn't extinguish no matter how much I wanted to resist.
"Damn you," I gasped, though my hands fisted in his hair, pulling him closer instead of pushing him away.
"Damn us both," he rasped, pressing his body harder against mine.
The world outside ceased to exist. No council. No pack. Just the two of us locked in a war where desire was both weapon and surrender.
For one dangerous, glorious heartbeat, I let go. I let the fire consume me, let the bond drag me under, let the Alpha's touch brand me as his.
But as his lips claimed mine again, fierce and unyielding, a single thought burned through the haze:
If I surrendered fully, I might never escape him.
And maybe—I didn't want to.
…
The world outside ceased to exist. No council. No pack. Just the two of us locked in a war where desire was both weapon and surrender.
For one dangerous, glorious heartbeat, I let go. I let the fire consume me, let the bond drag me under, let the Alpha's touch brand me as his.
But then—clarity struck like ice water.
This wasn't just hunger. It wasn't just a fight turning reckless. It was the bond pulling me into something I wasn't ready for, something that could destroy me.
My chest heaved. My wolf clawed at me to yield, but I forced control back, shoving at his chest with all the strength I had left. He froze, confusion flashing across his eyes as I tore myself free.
"No," I gasped, stumbling back until the cold wall pressed against my spine. "This—this isn't supposed to happen."
Ronan's gaze burned, jaw tight, muscles coiled like he was holding himself back with chains. "You feel it," he said, his voice hoarse. "Don't deny it."
"I'm not denying it," I shot back, my voice trembling with both anger and something more fragile. "But feeling it doesn't mean I want it. Not like this. Not now."
His chest rose and fell with ragged breaths. For once, the commanding Alpha looked… restrained. Barely.
I straightened, forcing steel into my tone.
"Stay away from me, Ronan. You don't get to break down my walls just because your wolf wants me. Watch your boundaries, or I'll make you regret it."
The silence between us crackled, heavy and dangerous. His eyes darkened, something wild sparking in their depths, but he didn't move closer. He didn't touch me again.
Instead, his lips curved in the faintest, most infuriating smirk. "You can run from me all you want, Raven. But you know as well as I do—you can't run from this."
I turned away before he could see the truth in my eyes. My pulse still thundered, my lips still burned from his kiss, but I forced myself to walk, each step away from him a battle.
I had to keep my distance. I had to protect myself.
Because if I didn't, Ronan wouldn't just consume my body.
He'd consume my soul.