Chapter : Leaving So Soon?

The night was thick with tension as Rain stood at the edge of the Castellan stronghold, his body coiled with anticipation.

The Blood Moon had reached its zenith, casting its eerie crimson glow over the world, and with it came the undeniable pull of the bond. The heat between him and Nathaniel burned brighter with every passing moment.

He could feel Nathaniel's presence even now, like a fire licking at the edges of his consciousness. It was maddening. He hated it.

But as much as he fought it, he couldn't ignore it. The bond was alive, a living thing, and Rain was its unwilling prisoner.

But he couldn't stay here, bound by the walls of the stronghold and the invisible chains of the Alpha King. He needed to escape.

Soren had already made plans—plans for the pack's regrouping, for their resistance against Nathaniel. But Rain couldn't shake the feeling that Nathaniel wouldn't make it easy. Nathaniel never made anything easy.

The door behind him creaked open, and Rain didn't need to turn around to know who stood in the threshold. He could feel Nathaniel, even in the silence.

"Leaving so soon?" Nathaniel's voice was smooth, low, and far too familiar, like velvet over steel.

Rain's heart clenched, and he cursed under his breath. He hadn't even heard Nathaniel approach.

"Why are you here?" Rain asked, his voice steady but thick with restrained anger.

Nathaniel stepped forward, his presence filling the room like a storm. "I think you know why."

Rain turned to face him, his eyes flashing with a mixture of defiance and desire. "I'm not going anywhere with you."

The smirk that tugged at Nathaniel's lips was cold, but it held an undeniable edge of amusement. "You don't have a choice, Rain. Not anymore."

Rain's chest tightened at the words. The bond flared between them, and he gritted his teeth against the sharp ache in his chest. The pull was stronger now, more insistent. It was like the moon itself was coaxing him toward Nathaniel.

"I'll fight you until I die," Rain growled, though even as he spoke, he felt the familiar tug of the bond. It was irresistible.

Nathaniel's amber eyes glinted with something dangerous as he closed the distance between them. "You already are."

The tension between them was thick, crackling with the weight of their unresolved conflict, their desire, and the bond that neither of them could control. Nathaniel's hand reached out, his fingers brushing lightly against Rain's wrist where the mark glowed faintly.

Rain's breath caught, his body betraying him as the touch sent a jolt of heat coursing through him. His pulse quickened, and his skin tingled with the electric pull of the bond.

"Damn it," Rain muttered under his breath, trying to pull away, but Nathaniel's grip tightened around his wrist, keeping him in place.

"You're mine, Rain," Nathaniel said, his voice low and filled with a dark possessiveness that made Rain's heart race. "And no matter how much you fight it, I'll always have you."

Rain's mind screamed for him to fight, to break free, but his body was already betraying him. The bond was too strong, too real. Nathaniel's touch, his presence, was like fire to Rain's wolf, and Rain hated every second of it.

"I won't give in," Rain hissed, his body tense, his fists clenched.

Nathaniel's lips curled into a smirk. "You already have."

Before Rain could respond, Nathaniel surged forward, capturing his mouth in a kiss that was as fierce and unrelenting as the bond between them.

It was raw, primal—a clash of dominance and desire. Nathaniel's hand moved from Rain's wrist to the back of his neck, holding him captive as their bodies pressed together, hot and electric.

Rain fought back, though it was a fight he was losing. His hands gripped Nathaniel's shoulders, pushing, pulling, but his body betrayed him at every turn. The heat between them was overwhelming, the pull of the bond too strong to resist.

Nathaniel groaned into the kiss, his body pressing Rain harder against the wall. "You're going to break, Rain," he muttered, his voice dark and filled with desire. "And when you do... I'll be here, waiting."

Rain's heart raced, his chest heaving as he tried to break free from the kiss, but Nathaniel's hold on him only tightened. The bond flared to life, pulling him closer, urging him to give in.

Rain's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions—anger, confusion, desire—but beneath it all, something raw and unspoken was stirring. He hated this. Hated how Nathaniel made him feel. Hated the way his body responded to him, even as his mind screamed to resist.

The kiss deepened, and Rain's hands slid into Nathaniel's hair, pulling him closer as his own body responded with undeniable need. The fire between them burned hotter, and Rain could feel the bond tightening its grip on his soul.

Finally, Nathaniel pulled back, his breath ragged, his eyes filled with an intensity that made Rain's heart race. "You're mine, Rain," Nathaniel whispered again, his voice thick with desire. "And I'm not letting you go."

Rain's chest heaved, his mind spinning. He wanted to fight, wanted to push Nathaniel away and reclaim control, but the bond was too strong. Nathaniel was right. He was losing.

And somehow, somewhere deep inside him, part of him didn't want to fight anymore.

Meanwhile, in the shadows of the stronghold, Soren watched from the doorway, his gaze hard as he took in the heated scene between his Alpha and the Alpha King. His heart ached for Rain, knowing how torn his friend and leader was. But even as he stood there, he knew the choice Rain would eventually have to make.

It was no longer just about the rebellion. It was about Rain's fight for his own soul.

And Soren knew that, in the end, only Rain could decide what was worth fighting for.

To Be Continued...