Gasping, I try to draw a breath into my burning throat. Panic takes me as I pull a lungful of air through my battered airway.
Everything comes back to me, and I let out a strangled groan from my lips. Light from the pregnant moon filters in from the window, bathing me in its rays.
Silver pulsing eyes meet mine. Like the moon rising in the night, the tides flowing in and out on the shore, I'm drawn to him, pulled to him on a basic level. The moon's strength heightens my physical need for my mate.
I'm on fire. I squirm in my bed, thighs rubbing together, clenching against the disturbing feeling coursing through my most private places.
"My Luna." The timbre of his voice has my soul crying out to her mate.
"You defy me constantly." He stalks towards the bed, his movements fluid.
He's studying me, and gentle fingers brush the stray hairs from my face. A single finger traces my lips, lightly trails down my neck. Closing my eyes, I let the little sparks of electric heat sizzle into my spine.
Sliding his fingers back into my hair, he sighs deeply, gathering my hair into his fist and bringing my head to his. "Never challenge me in front of my pack again." The tone of his voice comes off tight.
The threat he's making is real. I won't get away with that again.
My body's starting to become uncomfortably aware of his maleness. Time seems to slow to a crawl once our eyes lock. I watch his eyes widen in desire. Brushing my hair to the side, he brings his nose to the base of my neck and inhales deeply.
"You fought better than I expected. You keep surprising me." Hot breath fans out against my face and I breathe in his masculine spicy scent.
I'm waging an internal battle, my body reacting to my mate's closeness and my mind screaming at me to get away from him.
The soft feathery touch of his lips grazing my bare shoulder, the feel of his wet tongue tracing my collarbone towards my neck, the inside of his thumb rubbing along my cheekbone have me fisting the sheets and my back arches off the bed, towards his heat.
My mind fogs as primal pleasures consumes my senses. It's nature's rhythm that my body follows, the moon's glow pulling us together, wanting us to come together as one.
I'm heating up. From somewhere deep and buried, consciousness is screaming at me to stop, but my nature has other plans.
"You make me..." He trails kisses down my bare chest, rubbing his scent into my skin. "Want you."
He acts like he's surprised by this thought, and it brings me out of my haze.
"You..." My voice comes out hoarse. "Make me not want you."
"You don't smell like it," he whispers into my ear in a teasing way. Turning my head from him, I give a whimper of pain when I move of my shoulder.
It's painful to move my body, especially my neck that feels crushed and bruised, making it difficult to speak.
"Please, just leave. Shouldn't you be with her? Your first choice, your Luna," I spit out. The more I think about that, the more upset I get. The green, sour jealousy feasting inside me is uncontrollable.
"Have you been with her?" Saying the words but holding breath afterward while waiting for an answer that I already know.
"No." His eyes never stray from mine. "I was planning on taking her at the Claiming Ceremony as it should be."
Just the thought of them together knots my stomach up in disgust. Jealousy so thick oozes out my pores, I can't hide my emotions from him.
"Stop this. Your jealousy tastes foul on my tongue. You're the true Luna, you're place won in battle. All females bow to you, as it should be." I can tell by his expression he's proud that I won, that I fought for my title. "Only the strongest can be Luna. The pack demands this. Only the strongest, Meela, can lead."
"Then why are you leading?" I spit out at him, looking for another fight.
This gets him. A deep growl rumbles in his chest. He pins my wrists to the bed with powerful fingers, bringing my arms above my head as his strong legs straddle my lower half.
"You need to accept me, Meela. I don't want to fight you."
"You make it hard for me, Northerner." I don't recognize my own voice as the sound is choked out.
His dominance over me is both disgusting and pleasurable at the time.
The covers have fallen down, revealing flesh. His eyes are glued to it and a primal surge of male musk hits my nose.
I'm given another deep growl, but it's more animalistic as his tongue tastes my neck.
"Stop, please stop." I cry it out to him, pleading with him to stop.
Pulling himself back with a shake of his head, he pulls away from me. "Meela, I'm not going to hurt you." His voice is soft, reassuring.
Bringing the covers back over my chest, covering myself. "I think you should leave before you do something you regret."
"One day, you'll beg for my touch."
"Today's not the day, Northerner. I'm still trying to heal from the last time you touched me." My voice cracks as my tight throat makes it hard to form perfect sounds.
His eyes flick to my neck. His back bends just slightly as he looks away in guilt.
"Your smart mouth is not appreciated." He's glaring like I did something wrong.
"Your heavy hand is not appreciated my....Alpha." I just can't help myself to get the last word in. With that he turns, and stomps his way out of my room.
Lying alone on the bed, the bright ray of the moons light falls into my eyes. The moon will not be happy with our refusal of one another. There is a deep perversion in going against nature, in going against a bond....there will be consequences.