Chapter : Sleepless Night

Rain's breath hitched as Nathaniel leaned in further, his heat seeping into every inch of space between them. The Alpha wasn't touching him—not yet—but the weight of his presence was suffocating, intoxicating.

His fingers curled into fists at his sides. He had to say something. Do something.

Because if he didn't—

He wasn't sure what would happen.

Nathaniel's golden eyes burned into him, his gaze a challenge, a temptation.

"I'm waiting, cuore mio," the Alpha murmured, his lips brushing against the air just above Rain's own. "Say it."

Rain swallowed hard.

He should.

He should lie.

He should push Nathaniel away, force venom into his voice, and remind them both that this—this thing between them—was nothing but a curse.

But he couldn't.

His body betrayed him first.

A shudder ran down his spine, his pulse hammering wildly against his throat. His scent must have changed—he knew it did—because Nathaniel's smirk turned wicked.

Predatory.

Rain bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to taste blood.

"I hate you," he whispered.

Nathaniel chuckled—deep, dark, and full of amusement.

"No," he said softly, his fingers ghosting down the side of Rain's face. Just barely. Just enough to ignite. "You don't."

Rain's breath stuttered.

He should fight back. He should snarl, should spit something sharp, should rip himself from this hold—

But then Nathaniel's hand trailed lower, his fingers barely brushing the column of Rain's throat.

A whisper of contact. A featherlight tease.

And Rain burned.

Nathaniel was watching him too closely, too intently, reading every microexpression, every breath. He was waiting—testing.

Rain knew the second he hesitated, the second he faltered—

Nathaniel would devour him whole.

His lips parted, but no sound came.

Nathaniel leaned in, and this time, he did touch—his forehead pressing against Rain's, their breaths tangling.

Rain's eyes fluttered shut, just for a second—

And that was all the permission Nathaniel needed.

A slow, deliberate brush of lips against Rain's.

Not demanding. Not claiming.

Testing.

A spark—too brief, too much.

Rain inhaled sharply, his fingers jerking up to shove—

But Nathaniel had already pulled back.

His smirk was pure sin, his golden eyes molten as he whispered, "I can wait, cuore mio."

Rain's heart slammed against his ribs.

He hated this. Hated him.

Hated how his body trembled—not with rage, but with something far more dangerous.

Nathaniel stepped away, as if he hadn't just shattered Rain's entire world with a single touch.

"I'll see you soon."

And then he was gone.

Leaving Rain pressed against the cold stone wall, burning, shaking—

And aching in a way he couldn't name.

Rain stood there for a long time after Nathaniel left.

His breath was still ragged, his heart still hammering against his ribs, and his lips—damn it—still tingled from the barely-there press of Nathaniel's.

It had been nothing.

Just a whisper of contact.

A test.

A warning.

And yet, Rain's entire body still felt it. His pulse still roared in his ears, his skin still burned as though he had been marked, claimed—branded.

He should move.

He should shake this off.

But the warmth of Nathaniel's breath still lingered against his skin.

Rain clenched his fists.

He wouldn't let this happen.

He couldn't let this happen.

But even as he told himself that, his body refused to obey.

And worst of all—his wolf didn't want to resist.

The traitorous thing purred at the memory, curling deep inside him, pleased in a way that made Rain's stomach knot.

No.

He turned sharply on his heel, forcing himself to move, forcing his thoughts into order. He needed distance. Space. Time to think.

But as he stalked through the dim corridors of the Blood Moon Pack's estate, every hallway felt too small.

The shadows stretched long, flickering in the torchlight, twisting into shapes that felt almost watchful.

The bond between them pulsed—deep, steady, unrelenting.

Rain ignored it.

Or at least, he tried to.

But he was beginning to realize that resisting Nathaniel wasn't as simple as shoving him away.

It wasn't just a fight of words or actions.

It was something deeper. Something primal.

And it terrified him.

Rain inhaled sharply and quickened his pace.

He would not give in.

Not to Nathaniel.

Not to the bond.

Not to the way his body reacted, how it wanted.

He just needed to figure out how to escape before it was too late.

Before Nathaniel broke him.

And before Rain broke himself.

The night was thick with silence.

Nathaniel stood on the balcony of his chambers, staring out at the darkened forest beyond.

His golden eyes flickered with something unreadable, his fingers flexing against the cold stone railing.

He had expected resistance.

Had wanted it.

The fight in Rain only made things more exhilarating.

But what he hadn't expected—

Was the way his own body reacted.

That single, barely-there taste had been a mistake.

A miscalculation.

Because now, his hunger was worse.

Now, he wanted more.

His wolf prowled beneath his skin, restless, unsatisfied.

Rain could deny it all he wanted.

Could fight.

Could run.

But it wouldn't change the truth.

He was Nathaniel's.

And no matter how long it took—

Nathaniel would make him realize it.

Would make him accept it.

Willingly or not.

A slow smirk curved his lips as he pushed away from the balcony.

The game had only just begun.

And Nathaniel never lost.

The chase is intensifying. Rain is still fighting—but for how long? And Nathaniel is growing more relentless, more hungry.

Got it! Continuing with the slow-burn tension, the irresistible push-and-pull, and the dark allure between them.

Rain barely slept that night.

The bond pulsed deep in his chest, threading through his veins like an unrelenting poison. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt it—Nathaniel's presence. The way his wolf stirred restlessly, wanting, craving.

It made him sick.

He tossed and turned on the massive bed, but no position felt comfortable, no amount of space felt like enough.

Every breath was heavy.

Every thought was tangled.

And when dawn finally came, Rain was already awake, staring at the ceiling with gritted teeth.

He needed to do something.

Anything.

Sitting here, stewing in this thing between them—it wasn't an option.

His only choice was to keep pushing forward.

To find a way out.

To remind himself who he was.

Not Nathaniel's mate.

Not the weak, trembling omega Nathaniel wanted him to be.

Just Rain.

And Rain did not belong to anyone.

The halls of the Blood Moon estate were strangely quiet.

Guards passed by with nods, some bowing slightly, but none of them stopped him. Maybe it was because they assumed he had finally given in.

That he had submitted.

The thought made Rain's stomach churn.

He needed fresh air.

Needed to breathe.

So he made his way outside, stepping into the open courtyard where the morning chill bit against his skin.

The scent of pine and damp earth filled his lungs.

For the first time in hours, the pressure in his chest eased.

He exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand through his hair, and started walking—nowhere in particular, just away.

But just as he rounded the corner, he stopped.

Nathaniel was already there.

Leaning against the stone wall, arms crossed, watching him with those intense, unreadable golden eyes.

Waiting.

As if he had known Rain would come.

As if he had been expecting him.

Rain's breath caught.

A sharp heat curled in his stomach, unwelcome and infuriating.

He forced his body to stay still, even as every muscle screamed at him to run.

Nathaniel tilted his head slightly.

"You look restless."

Rain clenched his jaw. "You look smug."

Nathaniel's lips quirked in amusement.

"I suppose I am." He pushed off the wall, slow, deliberate. "It's fascinating, really. You keep running, but you never get far."

Rain's heart hammered. "I'm not running."

Nathaniel stepped closer.

"Then what are you doing?"

Rain swallowed hard.

He needed to be careful.

Nathaniel was testing him again.

Pushing.

Waiting for him to crack.

He took a slow breath, steadying himself.

"I just needed air."

Nathaniel's gaze flickered over him, as if assessing something deeper.

And then—

A sharp inhale.

A shift in his expression.

Something dark.

Predatory.

Rain barely had a second to react before Nathaniel moved—faster than should have been possible—closing the space between them in an instant.

A strong hand gripped Rain's chin, tilting his face upward.

Warmth ghosted over his skin.

His pulse spiked.

Nathaniel leaned in, golden eyes glowing, voice low and deliberate.

"Lie to yourself all you want, Rain." His thumb brushed against Rain's lower lip, featherlight. "But don't lie to me."

A shiver ran through Rain's spine.

His body betrayed him.

Again.

Heat curled low in his stomach, and the bond roared in approval.

Nathaniel felt it.

He knew.

And Rain hated him for it.

Hated the way he could feel his own resolve slipping, piece by piece, with every slow, measured word.

"You're playing a dangerous game," Rain whispered, forcing himself to hold Nathaniel's gaze.

Nathaniel's lips barely curved.

"I don't play, little wolf."

His grip tightened ever so slightly.

"I win."

The words sent a sharp jolt through Rain's chest.

A challenge.

A promise.

And something even more dangerous—

A warning.

Rain should pull away.

He should fight.

But for one, fleeting second, he couldn't move.

And Nathaniel knew it.

His golden eyes gleamed.

Dark.

Triumphant.

Hungry.

And Rain—

Was losing.