TALIA'S POV

I followed him through the forest, every step a struggle. My muscles ached from exhaustion, my legs trembling under the strain, and every crack of a twig or rustle of leaves made my heart leap into my throat. Crickets chirped incessantly, blending with the distant calls of nocturnal creatures, making the night feel alive and watchful.

I kept my satchel close, my fingers brushing over the bottles inside, as if their contents could somehow protect me.

I tried to calm myself. "Um... this place that we're headed to... how safe is it, huh? On a scale of one to ten?" I asked, my voice barely rising above the whispers of the forest.

He grunted. That was all.

I swallowed hard, my stomach tightening. "Does it have... some human connection? Will I be able to reach out to my people from there?"

Still no answer.

"You know," I muttered, frustration bubbling up, "if I hadn't heard you talk back there, I'd swear you were dumb... because you're not even social at all."

No response.

I tried to force a smile, or at least a distraction for myself. "You know what? I'm just gonna keep talking till you say something, anything."

I rambled on, describing the forest, the way the leaves shimmered in the moonlight, the life of the village I had left behind, and the herbs I usually gathered for my potions.

My voice broke occasionally, strained and tense, but it was better than the deafening silence.

I didn't notice that he had stopped walking until I collided with him.

"What the fuck? I told you to keep your mouth shut, didn't I?" His voice was sharp, commanding, and dangerous. "We have a long way to go, and you better reserve your strength for the journey."

I stumbled back, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I... I'm sorry," I mumbled, trying to regain my balance.

He didn't reply, simply gesturing sharply for me to continue walking beside him. My legs screamed in protest, fatigue pressing down like a heavy weight. Every step felt laborious, as though I were dragging my own body through quicksand.

"Here, let me help you," he said, calm but firm.

Before I could respond, he lifted me with effortless strength and flung me over his shoulders.

I was surprised that he noticed that I was tire

My stomach fluttered in shock, and I pressed my face into the crook of his neck. Fuck... he smelled good. Musky and warm, with an undercurrent of something utterly intoxicating. Even covered in blood, the scent of him was overwhelming, a mix of danger and... seduction.

I clutched his shoulders, my mind swimming. Every movement he made was precise, deliberate, and somehow graceful.

Even in darkness, I could see the sharp angles of his jaw, the tension in his arms, the steady rhythm of his steps. My pulse quickened, not entirely from fear.

The forest around us blurred. Shadows danced in the moonlight, and the distant calls of animals filled the silence. Yet carried on his shoulders, I felt a flicker of safety, as if his strength could shield me from the unknown lurking in the trees.

Despite the fear, exhaustion began to claim me. My eyelids drooped, and the ache in my muscles softened under the constant motion.

I realized I could do nothing but let him carry me. I surrendered to the rhythm of his steps, the scent of him, and to a very deep sleep.

******

I opened my eyes to the comfort of a very soft bed and a room that screamed modern.

For a moment, confusion overtook me.

Where was I? Wasn't I just walking through the forest, following a total stranger?

And now... I was here, lying on sheets that smelled faintly of lavender and cleanliness, in a place far from my home.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, careful not to make too much noise, and moved toward the window.

Outside, I saw him standing by a fountain, his whole form reflecting off the water. His wounds were already bandaged, and he looked... better. Healthier. Almost human again. My pulse quickened at the sight of him-strong, imposing, yet undeniably attractive.

I approached the door, intending to leave, only to find it locked.

What the fuck? Who gave him permission to lock the door? Who the hell did he think he was?

Panic surged, and I began banging on the door, calling for someone-anyone-to let me out.

"Hello? Anybody? Please! Somebody open this door!".

My heart raced. This didn't feel like protection anymore; it felt like captivity.

And yet, even as I pounded on the door and shouted, there was a strange pull in my chest, a lingering awareness of him standing just outside the window. His presence was intimidating, dominant, yet... undeniably magnetic.

I sank onto the bed, leaning back against the soft pillows, frustration and fear warring inside me. My mind replayed every moment from the forest-the growls, the struggle, the fight, how he tore that thing to shreds, how he transformed into something I had never seen before, and the way he carried me effortlessly.

He wasn't an ordinary human being, and panic began to well up inside me.

I began banging on the door with ferocity. I wasn't going to die like this. I didn't even know who he was.

Just then, the door opened, and a small woman entered, smiling.

"Hello, my dear. I can see you're awake."

"Now, we're going to give you a bath and dress you properly. Ramon has ordered you to come down for breakfast with him."

"Huh? Who the fuck was Ramon, and who the hell was ordering me around? Where the hell was that stranger who got me into this confusion?" These were the thoughts running through my mind.

My voice trembled with a mix of anger and frustration as I spoke

"Excuse me, ma'am," I said.

"Oh... it's Ingrid." She replied to me kindly.

"Yes, Miss Ingrid. Where am I? And where is the man who brought me here?

"Tell him that I want to see him or else I'm going to bring down this building," I said, my eyes narrowing, irritated by the arrogance and ready for whatever comes next.

TALIA'S POV

I was still shaking when the door opened.

"Heard you were looking for me," a deep voice said calmly. "I heard your shouting."

He stepped inside like he owned the air, the room, the world itself. Tall. Composed. Unbothered. As if I hadn't been locked inside like a prisoner.

"Don't you understand the concept of silence?" he added coolly.

Oh, that did it.

Who the fuck did he think he was talking to?

Something inside me snapped.

I wasn't going to sit quietly and have a stranger tell me how to behave. I wasn't going to let some stranger drag me out of my life and treat me like a property.

I reached for the flower vase beside the bed and flung it at him with everything I had.

He dodged easily.

"Are you insane?" he snapped. "Will you come off it?"

I didn't answer.

I grabbed my shoe and hurled it at his head.

Why the hell was I missing?

Before I could grab the glass figurine next, he was suddenly in front of me-too fast, too close. His hand wrapped around my wrist, stopping me mid‑motion.

"Will you stop this madness?" he growled, pulling me against him, his grip iron‑strong.

I struggled, panic and fury colliding in my chest. "What is going on?" I demanded.

"Why did you bring me here? Who are you? Who were those people last night? I saw you-" My voice cracked. "I saw you transform into something. What was that?"

My chest rose and fell rapidly. "I demand answers. Now."

He stared at me, his eyes dark and unreadable, his grip still firm around me.

"You demand answers?" he repeated quietly.

His gaze dropped to my lips. Then back to my eyes.

And suddenly, my thoughts scattered.

Before I could react-before I could even breathe-his mouth crashed onto mine.

It wasn't gentle. It wasn't slow. It was consuming.

My legs betrayed me instantly.

His lips moved against mine with a hunger that stole the air from my lungs. His tongue teased my lips open, demanding entry, and when I gasped, he took advantage, his tongue sliding against mine.

Fuck.

The kiss was overwhelming-heated, intense, I felt heat surge through me. My hands curled instinctively into his shirt, my body responding despite my mind screaming in protest. A soft sigh escaped me before I could stop it.

And then, just as suddenly as it began, he pulled away.

He was still holding me, his breath uneven, his eyes burning.

"You're not going anywhere anymore," he said slowly. "You're bound to me. Till eternity."

The words crashed into me like cold water.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

I snapped, shoving him away from me.

I wiped my mouth, my heart pounding wildly. "Who are you? And what are you talking about?"

I pointed at him. "I demand answers-and I want them now."

Something shifted in his expression.

His eyes darkened, something dangerous flickering beneath the surface.

"Watch your mouth," he warned. "No one-" his voice dropped into something lethal, "-and I repeat, no one controls or commands me."

I froze.

Not from fear alone-but from the sheer weight of his presence.

I felt like I was unraveling, like reality was tilting sideways.

Then his tone changed.

"Yesterday's events bound you to me," he said. "You are my Luna. And you cannot leave."

My breath hitched. This would have made for a good laugh if at all I wasn't tense.

"My... what?"

"Your Luna?" I echoed weakly. "What does that even mean?"

My mind raced. Was this some kind of royal title? A priestly position? Some twisted fantasy he'd created?

"I don't understand," I whispered. "Is this some kind of a sick joke?"

His gaze softened-just a fraction.

Then he spoke again.

"My name is Ramon Sincarra," he said. "I am a werewolf."

My heart stopped.

"The Alpha of the Sincarra Claw Pack." he said.

The room felt like it was spinning.

"And you," he continued, stepping closer, his voice lowering, "became my mate last night."

I staggered back until my legs hit the bed.

"No," I breathed. "No, that's not possible."

"As of yesterday," he finished calmly, "you are bound to me for life."

I shook my head, disbelief flooding my veins. "That's insane. Werewolves aren't real. This isn't real."

His eyes glowed a bright green in the dim light.

"You saw me transform," he said quietly. "i know you felt the pull. You touched my blood. You survived what no human should."

My throat tightened.

"You're alive because fate chose you," he said. "Because you're mine."

Tears burned my eyes-not from weakness, but from fear, shock, and the weight of something far bigger than me.

"I didn't choose this, I don't want this" I whispered.

He stepped closer. "Neither do I."

Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating.

"What happens now?" I asked softly.

Ramon looked at me like the answer was inevitable.

"Now," he said, "you learn what it means to be the Alpha's mate."

My heart thundered in my chest.

And in that moment, I realized my life,my freedom, my future,had just been rewritten by an unknown force without my consent.

TALIA'S POV

I just stood there, frozen, like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

Ramon's voice was calm as he gave instructions to Ingrid, as though my world hadn't just been torn apart and reshaped without my consent.

"Have her ready," he said. "She'll meet the elders and a few important members of the clan."

Clan.

The word alone made my knees feel weak.

"These people are very close to me," he added, turning his gaze to me. "I'd like for you to meet them."

I nodded numbly, though none of it made sense. My body felt distant, disconnected, as though I were watching everything unfold from outside myself. I felt weak from my head to my toes. None of these made sense. I kept pinching myself in the hope that I'd wake up.

Nothing changed.

Another woman entered shortly after-quiet, respectful. She didn't look at me the way Ingrid did. Ingrid's gaze held curiosity, assessment... understanding.

The woman led me to the bathroom, where warm water steamed gently in a large tub. I washed mechanically, my thoughts spiraling as I scrubbed away the dirt, the mud, the fear. When I emerged, a gown lay waiting-soft fabric, deep in color, nothing like the clothes I owned.

It felt like a costume.

"You should eat something, Miss," Ingrid said gently when I returned.

Food?

I almost laughed.

That was the last thing on my mind. I didn't trust this place, didn't trust the people, and certainly didn't trust the man who had decided my fate without asking.

I sat on the edge of the bed and waited.

When Ramon returned, the air in the room shifted.

He was dressed in a black suit-tailored, regal, unmistakably powerful. The fabric hugged his broad frame, and for a moment, my anger faltered beneath something treacherous and unwanted.

He looked devastatingly handsome.

"Come," he said. "It's a long drive."

That was when I knew.

If I didn't try now, I never would.

Outside, the car waited. The gates were open.

Opportunity stood right in front of me.

Ramon unlocked the door for me, then turned to his side of the car.

I didn't hesitate.

I bolted.

The world blurred as I ran, adrenaline screaming through my veins. I didn't know where I was going. I didn't care. Anywhere was better than here.

My lungs burned. My legs ached. And then-

I tripped.

I fell hard into something wet and cold. Mud. Thick and clinging. As I pushed myself up, humiliation burning hotter than fear, I felt it.

Eyes.

Watching.

I froze.

Three-no, four figures stood a few feet away. Wolves. Shifters. Whatever they were, their gazes raked over me with open curiosity... and disdain.

And Ramon stood among them.

Arms crossed. A slow, infuriating smirk on his face.

"Who is she?" one of them asked.

"She's not from around here."

"I haven't seen her before."

Another wrinkled his nose. "She smells like human blood."

I wished the ground would open and swallow me whole.

Ramon stepped forward and yanked me roughly to my feet.

"Alpha Ramon," one of them said cautiously. "Do you know her?"

"Yes," he replied coolly. "She's my guest.

I'm taking her back."

There was a pause.

"No trouble, then," another muttered.

"Carry on," Ramon said.

His grip tightened as he dragged me away, pulling me like a lamb about to be slaughtered.

***

I sat on the floor while he tended to my cuts, his movements efficient but not gentle.

"Why did you run?" he snapped. "What the hell was going through your thick skull?"

I flinched.

"Do you want to get yourself killed?" he continued. "Those rogues are still out there. You are no match for them."

That broke me.

"Who are they?" I demanded, tears spilling over. "What do they want from you? Why were they attacking you?"

My voice cracked. "If you weren't wounded, I wouldn't have even come close to you."

Silence fell.

Then he spoke.

"They're rogues. Former members of my pack."

I let out a weary breath. "There we go again."

"They want my position," he continued.

"My title. The Alpha."

None of it made sense.

"So what does that have to do with me?" I asked. "Why can't you just let me go?"

I looked up at him. "What do you mean when you say I'm bound to you?"

He met my gaze fully this time.

"Don't you feel it?" he asked quietly. "The pull. The spark."

My heart betrayed me by pounding harder.

"Your pulse quickens near me," he continued. "Your blood responds. When you touched my blood last night, my wolf connected to you."

His voice dropped.

"There's heat. Intensity. A need to claim what's mine."

My breath hitched.

"Tell me you don't feel it," he murmured. "Tell me it doesn't feel like fire under your bones."

I couldn't lie.

The air between us thickened, heavy with awareness. My body reacted before my mind could catch up-heat curling low in my belly, breath shallow, pulse racing.

Then his lips were on mine.

Not gentle.

Not tentative.

The kiss was consuming, stealing my balance and my reason. My hands clenched in his clothing as the world narrowed to heat and sensation.

Everything inside me responded.

The more his lips crushed mine, the more I hungered for something more and then his lips journeyed from my lips to my neck,I let out a soft cry.

I wanted him, all of him.

His hand found its way into my clothes and cupped my breast and I arched my body closer to him.

His mouth settled on my breast, so hot and demanding like it had been his even before now.

His lips circled my breast, teasing, stroking just driving me crazy and when I felt like I was going to explode he stopped and drew himself away.

He stopped.

Abruptly.

I reached out to draw him back to me but he held my hands.

He pulled away, holding my wrists firmly.

"Luna," he said softly. "We can't."

I stared at him, dazed and furious. "Why not?"

"You're not ready."

Anger flared. "I didn't stop you."

"I can't just make love to you now when you haven't even given yourself fully to me." He responded.

"What the fuck do you mean by that, I didn't protest, did I?"

A humorless smile touched his lips.

"When I claim you," he said, stepping back, "it will be because you choose me, because you want me. Not because fate cornered you."

He turned away.

"Ingrid will attend to you."

And just like that, he was gone-leaving me breathless, shaken, and painfully aware of what he'd awakened inside me.