Talia's POV

"You didn't treat that wound?" I asked.

The words slipped out before I could stop myself.

Ramon didn't answer. He didn't even look at me. He just turned his back and began removing his shirt like the question didn't matter.

That was when I saw it.

That same wound.

The one at his side.

The one that started all of this. The blood. The chase. The rogues. Me.

My chest tightened.

"This wound doesn't look treated," I said again, quieter this time.

He shrugged off the shirt and tossed it aside. "Don't worry about me. Just go to sleep."

Sleep?

I laughed softly, without humor. "Do I look like I can sleep?"

He didn't respond.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his back to me, shoulders tense. I stared at the wound, my heart beating faster. It was healing, but not the way it should have.

Not the way a wound should heal if it had been properly treated.

I moved before he could stop me.

"Let me see," I said.

"It's fine," he replied immediately. "I'm fine."

"I didn't say you weren't," I said, stepping closer. "Just... let me."

He turned his head slightly, just enough to look at me. Our eyes met.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Something passed between us. I didn't know what it was. A challenge. A question. Maybe trust.

Slowly, he sighed.

Then he let the shirt fall completely from his hand.

I swallowed.

The wound was ugly. Not terrifying, but deep enough that it should have closed more by now. Angry red lines crossed his skin, faint but stubborn.

"Where's your first aid kit?" I asked.

"Over there," he said, nodding toward the wardrobe.

I walked to it, my legs feeling strangely heavy. I found the kit easily and brought it back, kneeling in front of him without thinking.

As I cleaned the wound, my heart pounded so loudly I was sure he could hear it. I focused on my hands, on the careful movements, on not letting my fingers shake.

I prayed silently that he wouldn't comment on how nervous I was.

"You should have treated this," I murmured.

"I didn't have time," he replied.

"That's not an excuse."

A corner of his mouth twitched. "So you're really worried about me,eh?"

"I'm not," I said. "I just... care."

The word slipped out before I could stop it.

My hands paused.

I waited for him to say something. Anything.

Instead, I felt it.

His fingers.

Warm. Gentle.

They touched my face, brushing my cheek with the back of his knuckles. My breath caught. I froze, afraid that if I moved, the moment would break.

I didn't look up.

I couldn't.

I finished cleaning the wound, wrapped it carefully, and sat back on my heels. But I didn't move away. His hands were still on my face, thumbs resting just below my cheekbones.

"Thank you," he said softly.

The sound of his voice like that, low, sincere, sent a strange ache through my chest.

"Look at me, Talia," he said.

I hesitated.

Then, slowly, he lifted my chin with his fingers.

Our eyes met.

And I felt it.

Not just attraction. Not just desire.

Something deeper.

Like a pull. Like a spark. Like being seen and pulled closer at the same time.

I didn't even have a name for it.

He leaned in, giving me time to pull away.

I didn't.

His lips touched mine slowly. No rush. No hunger. Just warmth. Just presence.

He kissed me like the world outside didn't exist. Like there were no rogues, no threats, no fear. Just this moment.

My hands moved on their own, gripping his shoulders, feeling the strength there. His hand slid to my waist, steadying me.

Then he lifted me effortlessly and sat me on his lap.

I gasped softly, breaking the kiss, my forehead resting against his.

"We shouldn't," I whispered.

"I know," he replied.

Neither of us moved.

The room felt quiet in a way that wasn't empty. His arms around me were firm but gentle, like he was holding something precious instead of dangerous.

My heart was still racing.

But for the first time since I came here...

I wasn't afraid.

His lips found mine again, this time,no rush, just taking it in.

Then his hands began to unbutton my shirt, and unhook my brassiere.

I couldn't resist, didn't want to resist.

His mouth wrapped around my nipples, circling it, teasing, tantalizing.

I arched myself closer to him,willing our bodies to join.

Then his hands began going down, sliding into my pants, touching me.

I gasped.

His name on my lips.

"Ramon, don't stop," I said.

"Didn't plan on that," he replied.

Very slowly, without breaking the kiss, he laid me on the bed and began kissing me again, my neck, my shoulders, down to my breast,his hands circling one while his lips closing in on the other nipple.

Gently, he peeled off my shirt and removed my trousers, leaving me vulnerable.

I wrapped my hands over my chest.

He didn't say anything but began to take off his shirt.

His shoulders were broad, very sculpted.

Very unconsciously, I licked my lips.

"Like what you see, eh?" He asked.

He began to unbuckle his trousers and then he stopped and asked me; "Want to help me?"

And just then, a knock came in.

Talia's POV

Fuck.

Why did this have to happen now?

The knock on the door felt like a gunshot in the middle of my chest. Everything froze. The air, the moment, my breath.

Ramon's body went stiff above me, his jaw tightening as if he were barely holding back a growl.

"Who the hell is that?" he shouted.

Anger and frustration flashed openly across his face, and something twisted painfully in my chest.

That meant he wanted this too.

As badly as I did.

"Alpha," a voice called from outside. One of the guards. "There's something you should see."

Ramon didn't even look away from me. His hands were still warm and steady, still on my breast, while his weight grounding me to the bed like the world outside didn't exist.

"Let it wait," he snapped. "I'm busy."

My heart jumped.

Without thinking, I reached up and placed my hands over his, silently begging whoever was at the door to leave. Just go away. Just five more minutes. Five more seconds.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," the guard said again, his voice strained. "But this is urgent."

Ramon swore under his breath.

"Fuck."

The word came out low and angry, like it was torn from him. He pulled back slowly, his expression hardening as the moment shattered between us.

"Go," I said quietly. "I'll be here. Waiting."

He huffed a short laugh, arrogance slipping back over him like armor as he stood and reached for his clothes.

"Like you have a choice," he said. "You're not leaving this room. I already told you that."

There it was. That shift.

Just seconds ago, he'd looked at me like I mattered. Like I was something fragile and wanted. Now he sounded like the arrogant Alpha again. Cold. Commanding.

I hated how fast he could switch.

I watched him dress in silence, my chest tight with emotions I didn't want to name.

Desire. Anger. Confusion. All tangled together.

He didn't say anything else.

He just turned and walked out, leaving me alone on the bed, staring at the ceiling, my heart still racing for reasons that had nothing to do with fear.

And everything to do with him.

Ramon's POV

Mache had better have a damn good reason for interrupting me.

I stalked down the hallway, irritation simmering under my skin, my thoughts still tangled in the warmth of Talia's body and the way her eyes had looked at me just moments ago.

Fuck.

That woman was dangerous in ways she didn't even understand.

Talia could be very sweet when she wasn't vomiting venom from her mouth.

Turns out her mouth could be very distracting when it wasn't trying to tear me apart.

Sweet one second. Sharp-tongued the next. And somehow... still capable of getting under my skin.

I shook my head, forcing my focus back where it belonged.

"Yes," I demanded the moment I stepped outside my room. "What is going on?"

Mache stood there with two other guards. My head of security looked tense, his shoulders stiff, his eyes darting like he was bracing for impact.

"Alpha," he said carefully, "there's something you need to see."

The tone in his voice made my irritation spike into unease.

"What is it?" I asked sharply.

He hesitated.

"It's... Talia."

My blood went cold.

"What about her?" I snapped.

Mache stepped aside. "Please, Alpha. Follow us."

Every instinct in my body screamed as we moved down the corridor toward her room.

The closer we got, the stronger the metallic scent in the air became.

The door was open.

The room was chaotic.

Furniture overturned. Glass shattered across the floor. Curtains torn. The window wide open, night air pouring in like a wound that refused to close.

My chest tightened painfully.

"Who the fuck did this?" I muttered.

One of the guards swallowed hard.

"Alpha... someone broke in through the window."

Rage surged through me, hot and violent.

"Alpha," Mache said again, pointing toward the bathroom. "Someone left this."

I moved toward it slowly, dread crawling up my spine.

The smell hit me first.

Blood. Fresh. Thick.

On the bathroom floor lay a dead deer, its throat slit open, blood pooling beneath it and streaking the tiles like some twisted message.

And beside it...

A note.

Written in blood.

My hands curled into fists as I read the words.

NEXT IS YOUR FUCKING LUNA.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

Those rogue bastards.

Zara's people.

My jaw clenched so hard it ached. Every kill. Every warning. Every attempt to end this; only made them bolder.

"What the fuck did I get myself into?" I whispered.

It was never ending. Cut one head off and two more appeared.

I dragged a hand down my face, forcing myself to breathe, to think.

Then Mache spoke again.

"Alpha..." His voice shook. "I'm sorry. Please forgive us, but...."

My heart slammed violently against my ribs.

"But what?" I demanded.

"We... we can't find Talia."

My blood went cold.

"We... we couldn't find Talia," Mache said, his voice shaking. "She was not in here when we came."

That was when the weight of this hit me.

They actually came for her.

So if I hadn't carried her to my room, those bastards would have taken her.

"She's not missing," I said slowly.

Mache frowned. "Alpha?"

"She's with me," I growled. "She's in my room."

Relief flooded their faces instantly.

But mine stayed hard.

I turned back toward the bathroom, staring at the bloodied deer, the shattered glass, the message written in blood.

NEXT IS YOUR FUCKING LUNA.

They were close.

Close enough to enter my home.

Close enough to leave a message.

Close enough to test my defenses.

"They didn't come for her tonight," I said quietly.

Mache stiffened. "Then why...."

"This was a warning," I snapped. "A reminder."

I clenched my fists.

They're watching us," I said quietly.

"And this time... the mistake would be letting them get close to her."

Talia's POV

I couldn't breathe.

The walls of Ramon's room felt closer than before, like they were inching in slowly, quietly, determined to crush me under the weight of everything I'd just learned, everything I hadn't learned yet.

Rogues.

A warning.

A message written in blood.

And me.

They referred to me as....

Your fucking Luna.

The words echoed in my head like a curse.

I sat on the edge of Ramon's bed, my arms wrapped tightly around myself, trying to stop the shaking that refused to leave.

The sheets still smelled like him...warm, masculine, faintly dangerous....and it only made my heart pound harder.

If I hadn't been here...

If I had gone back to my room...

I swallowed hard.

The image my mind painted was too vivid. Too terrifying.

A shattered window. There would have been hands grabbing me in the dark. And the blood on the floor...would have been my blood.

I stood up abruptly, pacing the room.

This was real now. Not just words. Not just threats whispered in the hallway or warnings spoken in hushed voices.

Someone had been close enough to enter this place. Close enough to leave a message.

Close enough to hurt me.

Or worse.

The door opened, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Ramon walked in, his presence filling the room instantly. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark with something fierce and barely restrained. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it for a moment, like he needed the support.

We stared at each other in silence.

Something had shifted.

The desire from earlier still lingered, heavy and unspoken, but now it was tangled with fear and anger and something deeper...something dangerous.

"They broke into my room," I said finally, my voice quiet but steady.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"I followed you," I replied.

"Yes," he replied.

"And left a message."

"Yes."

I exhaled sharply. "I want to know exactly what's going on."

He pushed off the door and crossed the room slowly. "You don't need to know everything."

"That's not your decision to make," I snapped.

His eyes flickered. Surprise. Then irritation.

"You're safer not knowing."

"I'm not safe either way!" I shot back. "They wrote that message because of me, Ramon. I deserve to know why."

He stopped a few feet away from me, running a hand through his hair.

"Sit down," he said.

"No."

His jaw clenched. "Talia..."

"No," I repeated. "I'm done being ordered around like I don't matter."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to challenge my words," he growled.

Silence stretched between us.

"Do not challenge my word," he said sharply. "Now, sit". He said.

I couldn't even argue, not with the look on his face.

Then, quietly, "They're rogues."

I already knew that, but hearing it out loud made my chest tighten.

"They're Zara's people," he continued. "A broken faction of my pack, who didn't like hearing the word no."

"What did you do to her?" I asked.

His eyes hardened. "What I had to."

That answer sent a chill through me.

"And now they're after you," he said, voice low. "Not because of who you are.....but because of what you mean to me."

I laughed bitterly. "That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"No," he admitted. "It's supposed to make you stay alive."

I turned away, walking toward the window.

"They called me your Luna," I said quietly.

He didn't respond.

"Why?" I pressed. "Why me?"

Because you're my mate.

I didn't say it. Neither did he. But it hung between us, heavy and unavoidable.

"I don't want to be a weapon," I whispered. "Or leverage. Or bait."

"You're not," he said immediately. "You're protected."

By him?

And that terrified me more than the rogues ever could.

A knock sounded at the door again, softer this time.

"Alpha," Mache's voice came through. "We have updates."

Ramon hesitated, then looked at me. "Stay here."

I didn't argue.

This time.

He opened the door, but not fully. Their voices dropped instantly, low and urgent. I tried not to listen.

I failed.

"...inner perimeter," Mache was saying.

"No signs of forced entry beyond the window. Someone knew the patrol routes."

My heart skipped.

"Meaning?" Ramon asked.

"Meaning it might be someone on the inside."

My blood turned to ice.

"There's more," Mache added. "We found a scent trail. It doesn't belong to any rogue we know."

Ramon cursed softly.

"What does that mean?" I whispered to myself.

"...and Alpha," Mache continued, "it's recent. Very recent."

Ramon went still.

"How recent?"

"Tonight."

I took a step back, my legs suddenly weak.

Someone inside this pack had helped them.

Someone who saw me every day. Smiled at me. Watched me.

The door shut.

Ramon turned slowly, his eyes finding mine instantly. He knew. He could probably smell my fear.

"You weren't supposed to hear that," he said.

"That was too late."

He sighed. "Talia...."

"There's a traitor," I said. "In your pack."

"Yes."

"What does that mean now?"

"It means that you'll always be in my room because of that."

The room felt unbearably small.

"I don't like this," I said. "I don't like being watched. Or hidden. Or treated like glass."

"I know."

"And I don't trust everyone here," I added.

His gaze sharpened. "You shouldn't."

My chest ached at that.

I turned toward the bed, exhaustion crashing into me all at once. Fear had a way of draining everything from you.

"I'm tired," I murmured.

"I'll be right here," he said.

I hesitated, then lay down, facing the wall. The mattress dipped slightly as he sat on the edge of the bed, but he didn't touch me.

That restraint felt louder than any embrace.

As my eyes slowly closed, one thought burned bright in my mind.

Someone close wanted me dead.

And until we found out who...

No one was safe.