The night was thick with tension, the air heavy with the scent of pine and damp earth as Harald prowled the perimeter of the estate in his Lycan form. His golden eyes scanned the darkness, every muscle coiled with predatory readiness. Sorin's presence lingered like a poison in the wind, a taunt that set Ingolf on edge. The vampire was close—too close. Harald's claws dug into the soil, his growl a low, vibrating warning. He wouldn't let Sorin near her again. Not after what had happened in the woods.
Inside the mansion, Asis stood by the window of her room, her fingers tracing the cool glass as she stared into the abyss of the forest. The moonlight painted silver streaks across her skin, highlighting the exhaustion in her eyes. She hadn't slept properly in days. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it—the monstrous shift of Harald's form, the feral glow of his eyes, the way his body had moved with lethal grace as he tore into Sorin. It should have terrified her. And yet, something deeper, something primal, had stirred in her chest. A recognition. A pull. She hated it.
Hated how her body reacted to him, even when her mind screamed warnings. Hated how, despite everything, she found herself listening for his footsteps outside her door, waiting for the low timbre of his voice. She had spent her life believing in control, in logic, in carving her path. But this—this-this bond, this world—defied reason. And it terrified her more than any beast ever could.
A knock at the door startled her. She didn't need to ask who it was. The energy in the room shifted before he even stepped inside, the air thickening with his presence. Harald stood in the doorway, back in his human form, his dark hair tousled from the night's hunt, his shirt clinging to the sweat-dampened planes of his chest. His eyes, still flecked with remnants of gold, locked onto hers.
"You're awake," he murmured, his voice rough. "Couldn't sleep," she admitted, turning back to the window. He stepped inside, closing the door softly behind him. The silence stretched between them, taut and charged. She could feel his gaze on her, heavy and unrelenting. "He was out there again," Harald said finally. "Sorin."Her fingers tightened around the windowsill. "Did you catch him?"No. But he's getting bolder. Testing the wards."She exhaled sharply. "Why? What does he want with me?"
Harald moved closer, his footsteps silent. "Power. Leverage. To break me." His voice dropped, the words laced with something dark. "But he won't touch you. I'll tear him apart before he gets the chance."
She turned then, meeting his gaze. The intensity in his eyes stole her breath. There was no lie there, no deception—only raw, unfiltered protectiveness. And something else. Something that made her pulse stutter.
"You can't keep me locked away forever," she whispered."I know." His hand lifted, hovering near her face before he seemed to think better of it and let it fall. "But I can't let you go, either."The admission hung between them, a truth neither could deny. Asis swallowed hard. "What happens now?" Harald's jaw clenched. "Now, you decide."
"Decide what?"
"Whether you'll keep fighting this… or whether you'll let me show you what it means to be mine."The words should have sent her running. Instead, a shiver raced down her spine.
She had spent weeks resisting, denying, pushing him away. But the truth was, she was tired. Tired of the fear, the anger, the loneliness. And when she looked at him now, she didn't see a monster. She saw a man—flawed, possessive, dangerous—but a man who had stood between her and death without hesitation. Her fingers trembled as she reached out, brushing against the back of his hand. A tentative touch. A question.
Harald's breath hitched. His fingers twined with hers, his grip firm but gentle. "Asis…"She didn't let him finish. Rising onto her toes, she pressed her lips to his. The kiss was soft at first, hesitant. But the moment their mouths met, something ignited. Harald's control snapped. His arms banded around her, crushing her against him as his mouth claimed hers with a hunger that bordered on desperation. She gasped into the kiss, her hands fisting in his shirt as he backed her against the wall, his body pinning hers.
This wasn't gentle. Wasn't sweet. It was fire and teeth and possession, a claiming that seared her to the core. And she welcomed it. When they finally broke apart, both breathless, Harald rested his forehead against hers, his voice a ragged whisper. "Is this your choice?"Asis didn't hesitate. "Yes." The word was a surrender. A beginning. Harald's lips curved into a slow, predatory smile. "Then let me show you what you've been denying."
He lifted her into his arms, carrying her to the bed with a reverence that belied the ferocity of his kiss. The world outside—the threats, the fears, the uncertainties—faded away. There was only this. Only him. And for the first time since she'd stepped into this nightmare, Asis stopped fighting. Because maybe, just maybe, the monster wasn't the one she needed to fear. Maybe it was the way he made her feel alive.
The moment Harald's lips met hers, Asis felt the world tilt on its axis. His kiss was a wildfire, consuming every rational thought, every lingering doubt. His hands—rough yet achingly tender—traced the curve of her waist, pulling her closer until there was no space left between them. She gasped as his teeth grazed her lower lip, a sharp contrast to the soothing sweep of his tongue. The mate bond, once a distant hum, now roared to life, a golden thread weaving through her veins, stitching her soul to his.
Harald broke the kiss only to trail his mouth down her throat, nipping at the sensitive skin where her pulse fluttered. "You have no idea," he murmured against her collarbone, his voice thick with need, "how long I've waited to taste you." His words sent a shiver down her spine, but it was the raw vulnerability in his eyes that undid her. The Alpha King, feared by Lycans and vampires alike, looked at her as if she were the only light in his shadowed world. Asis tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging him back to her lips. "Then stop waiting," she challenged, her voice breathless.
A growl rumbled in his chest, and in one fluid motion, he pinned her beneath him on the bed, his body a solid weight that anchored her to the present. His hands roamed with deliberate slowness, mapping every dip and curve as if committing her to memory. When his fingers brushed the hem of her nightgown, she arched into his touch, her breath hitching. "Harald—"
"Say it again," he demanded, his voice a dark caress. "My name."
"Dyre," she whispered, and the sound of it—his true name, not the human alias—sent a thrill through them both. His eyes flashed wolf-gold, the beast within him surging forward. Ingolf's voice echoed in Harald's mind, triumphant. "She accepts us."
Harald didn't answer. He was too consumed by the woman beneath him, by the way her breath quickened as he peeled away the layers separating them. The nightgown slipped to the floor, leaving her bare save for the moonlight painting her skin in silver. His gaze burned with reverence. "You're beautiful," he said, the words rough with emotion.
Asis reached for him, her fingers trembling as she unbuttoned his shirt. The scars beneath—jagged lines from battles she couldn't fathom—made her heart clench. She traced one with her thumb, her voice soft. "You've been hurt."He caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. "And I'd endure it all again if it led me to you."
Then his mouth was on hers once more, his touch igniting a fire that blazed hotter with every passing second. When he finally sheathed himself inside her, their shared gasp filled the room. The bond between them flared, a brilliant burst of light that seared away the last of her resistance. She clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulders as he moved with a rhythm that felt fated, as if their bodies had been designed to fit together."Look at me," Harald commanded, his voice strained.
Asis opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. In that moment, she saw not just the warrior, the king, but the man who had waited lifetimes for her. The realization shattered her. A sob escaped her lips as pleasure crested, her body convulsing around his until his teeth grazed her neck, a jolt of clarity tore through the haze. She stiffened, her fingers tightening in his hair. "No," she whispered, turning her face away. "Not that." Harald stilled, his breath ragged against her skin. "Asis," he growled, the word thick with frustration. "The mark would protect you. It would bind you to me, to the pack. Sorin wouldn't dare—"
"I said no." She pushed against his chest, her voice trembling but firm. "I won't be claimed like some prize. Not now. Maybe not ever." His golden eyes flickered with something raw—hurt, anger, desperation—before he exhaled sharply and rolled onto his back beside her. The silence between them was heavy, charged with unspoken tension. Asis stared at the canopy above the bed, her heartbeat erratic. She had crossed a line tonight, one she couldn't uncross. But surrendering to desire wasn't the same as surrendering her autonomy.
Harald's voice, when it came, was low and rough. "You're making this harder than it needs to be."
"Good," she shot back, sitting up and pulling the sheets around her. "If it were easy, it wouldn't be worth it."He turned his head to look at her, his gaze piercing. "You still don't trust me."
"Trust isn't given. It's earned." She met his stare, unflinching. "And you, Harald Dyre, have a long way to go."
Harald's chest burned as Asis turned her face away, her rejection slicing deeper than any blade. "She still fears me", he thought, the wolf within him snarling in frustration. Ingolf raged against his restraint, claws scraping at the edges of his control, "She is ours! The bond demands completion!" But Harald clenched his jaw, forcing the beast back. He had waited years for his mate; he could wait longer. Yet the hollow ache in his gut festered—what if she never accepted them? What if her defiance wasn't just fear, but the truth he refused to face: that the Moon Goddess had bound him to a woman who would never truly be his? Ingolf growled, "Then we prove we're worthy." But for the first time, doubt slithered between them, venomous and cold.
The next morning, Asis avoided the mansion's main halls, retreating to the gardens where the scent of jasmine and damp earth offered a fleeting sense of normalcy. She was kneeling by a rosebush, pruning dead blooms with more force than necessary, when a familiar voice broke the silence."You're murdering those poor flowers."
Asis glanced up to see Berit standing a few feet away, her auburn curls tied in a loose braid, her hands clasped behind her back. There was a tentative smile on her lips, but her eyes were wary."They'll survive," Asis muttered, tossing a withered petal onto the pile beside her.
Berit hesitated before crouching beside her, plucking a fallen rose from the grass. "I owe you an apology. A real one."Asis paused, her fingers stilling around the shears. "For which part? The lying? The hiding? Or for being part of the reason I'm trapped here?"
"All of it." Berit twirled the rose between her fingers. "But mostly for not fighting harder to tell you the truth myself. I was scared of the rules, of losing your friendship. But that's no excuse."Asis sighed, setting the shears aside. "I'm not blameless either. I've been… unfair to you. You didn't ask for this mess any more than I did."
Berit's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Does this mean you'll stop glaring at me like I've personally offended your ancestors?" A reluctant smile tugged at Asis's lips. "I'll consider it."They lapsed into silence, the tension between them easing with each passing second. Finally, Berit nudged her shoulder. "So. You and His Majesty." Asis groaned. "Don't."Oh, come on! The whole pack can smell the tension. It's like walking through a thunderstorm every time you two are in the same room."
"That's disgusting."
"It's biology." Berit grinned. "And for the record? I'm on Team Asis. Marking should be your choice. Luna Queen or not."Asis blinked, surprised. "You're not on his side?"
"I'm on the side that doesn't end with you resenting us forever." Berit's smile faded. "But, Asis… you should know what you're rejecting. The mark isn't just about ownership. It's protection. Power. A connection that goes deeper than anything humans experience."
Asis clenched her fists in her lap. "I know. But I won't be forced into it. Not when I'm still figuring out if I even want this life."Berit nodded. "Fair enough. Just… don't wait too long. Sorin isn't the only threat out there."
That evening, Harald found Asis in the library, curled in an armchair with a book on Lycan history propped open in her lap. He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "You've been avoiding me."She didn't look up. "I've been busy."
"Liar." He pushed off the doorframe and strode toward her, stopping just short of the chair. "We need to talk."She snapped the book shut. "About what? The fact that you still think you can dictate my choices?"His jaw tightened. "About the fact that Sorin isn't the only vampire circling our borders. His allies are gathering. And they're coming for you."A chill crept down her spine. "Why?"
"Because you're unmarked. Vulnerable. A human tied to an Alpha King is a weapon waiting to be used." He crouched in front of her, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I won't force the mark on you, Asis. But I need you to understand what's at stake."
For the first time, she saw the fear beneath his anger—the raw, primal terror of losing her. It unsettled her more than any command or threat ever could. She reached out, her fingers brushing his. "Then help me fight back. On my terms."Harald's eyes darkened. "How?"
"Train me. Teach me to defend myself—not as your Luna, but as someone who refuses to be a pawn in anyone's game." The silence stretched between them, thick with tension. Then, slowly, Harald nodded. Starting tomorrow. But make no mistake, Asis Sinha—I will earn your trust. And when I do, you'll choose me as fiercely as I've chosen you." Asis held his gaze, her pulse racing. "We'll see." The game had changed. And for the first time, she was ready to play.
*****