Rain didn't know how long they lay tangled together, the heat between them burning away his thoughts, his resistance, his reason.
But when Nathaniel finally pulled away, his golden eyes glowed like embers in the darkness, watching Rain with a hunger that was almost unbearable.
"You always fight me," Nathaniel murmured, his thumb tracing the curve of Rain's swollen lips. "Yet you always end up beneath me."
Rain's chest heaved, his breaths uneven. "Maybe I let you win."
Nathaniel's smirk was slow, dark, dangerous. "Then let's see how much you're willing to lose."
Before Rain could process the meaning of his words, Nathaniel flipped him over, his body pressing down hard, unyielding.
"Nathaniel—"
"Shh, Little Moon." His voice was like a dark caress, threading into the very marrow of Rain's bones. "I'm not done with you yet."
The heat between them intensified, melting away every ounce of logic Rain had left.
It was intoxicating.
It was dangerous.
And yet, Rain didn't pull away.
He couldn't.
But deep beneath the overwhelming pull of desire, a whisper of doubt lingered, curling like smoke in the back of his mind.
Something wasn't right.
Even as Nathaniel's lips ghosted along his skin, even as pleasure curled low in his stomach—something in Rain's soul screamed that he was missing a piece of himself.
Something important.
But right now, in Nathaniel's grasp, he couldn't remember what it was.
Or maybe, deep down—
He didn't want to.
Rain woke up tangled in silk sheets, the lingering scent of musk and warmth wrapping around him like an invisible chain. His body ached in places he didn't dare acknowledge, and the imprint of Nathaniel's touch still burned on his skin.
But the bed beside him was empty.
The space where Nathaniel had lain only hours ago was cold, as if he had vanished long before dawn. Rain stared at the vacant spot, his chest tightening with something he refused to name.
Why do I care?
Shaking off the unwanted thoughts, he pushed himself up. His limbs felt heavy, his senses dulled. The Blood Moon bond still pulsed between them, a tether he could never break.
But today… something felt different.
As Rain stood, the world tilted—his vision blurring for a second before steadying again. He gritted his teeth. He hated this—hated how his body betrayed him, how his mind was no longer his own.
He needed to get away.
A knock at the door shattered the silence.
"Come in," Rain called, his voice hoarse.
The door opened, revealing Althea. Dressed in her usual dark robes, her sharp eyes swept over him, taking in his disheveled state. Her lips curved slightly, amusement flickering across her features.
"You look like you've been thoroughly ruined," she mused. "I take it the Alpha King kept you occupied last night?"
Rain glared at her. "What do you want?"
Althea stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "You," she said simply. "It's time, Rain. You need to know the truth about the Blood Moon bond."
His breath caught. "What truth?"
She exhaled, folding her arms. "The bond isn't what Nathaniel told you. It's not just about possession or fate. It's something far more dangerous. And if you don't fight it soon…" She paused, her expression darkening. "You'll lose yourself completely."
A chill ran down Rain's spine.
For the first time in weeks, true fear gripped him.
Because deep inside, he already knew—
He was starting to forget who he was.
Rain's fingers curled into the sheets, the weight of Althea's words sinking deep into his bones.
"Lose myself?" His voice came out quieter than he intended, but there was an undeniable sharpness to it. "What the hell does that mean?"
Althea stepped closer, her gaze scrutinizing. "You've felt it, haven't you?" she said. "The way your emotions shift, how your thoughts become… twisted. As if something inside you is no longer your own."
Rain clenched his jaw. He had felt it. The overwhelming desire that surged whenever Nathaniel touched him, the way his body surrendered despite his mind screaming to fight. The need that wasn't his own.
"The Blood Moon bond isn't just a mating bond, Rain." Althea's voice was steady, but there was an underlying urgency. "It's a curse, a chain forged in ancient bloodlines. And the longer you remain under it, the less of yourself you'll have left."
A sharp chill spread through his veins. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Althea tilted her head. "Tell me, when was the last time you thought about escaping?"
Rain flinched.
His throat went dry, his pulse quickening.
He had thought about it constantly. The moment Nathaniel first dragged him to this place, his every waking thought had been about running, about fighting, about resisting.
But now…
Now, the idea of leaving felt—
Distant.
Blurred at the edges.
As if a part of him had forgotten why he even wanted to.
Althea's eyes softened. "It's already happening."
"Shut up." Rain forced himself to stand, his legs unsteady. "I don't believe you."
"You don't have to." She turned toward the door. "But I can prove it."
He didn't follow. He didn't move.
Because deep inside—
A horrifying part of him didn't want the proof.
Because if she was right—
Then it meant…
He was already falling.
Rain's breath came in shallow pants as Althea's words echoed in his mind.
It's already happening.
No. He refused to accept it.
He wasn't losing himself. He wasn't surrendering to the bond.
Yet, as he sat there, his body still thrumming with the remnants of Nathaniel's touch, doubt coiled around his thoughts like a noose.
"I can prove it."
Rain's fists clenched. He didn't want to believe Althea, but he couldn't ignore the unease festering in his chest.
"How?" His voice was low, barely above a whisper.
Althea turned her piercing gaze back to him. "I can sever the bond—temporarily. Just for a few minutes."
The room seemed to constrict around him. "That's impossible."
"Nothing is impossible." Her tone was steady, confident. "The Blood Moon bond is powerful, but even the strongest magic has cracks."
A shiver ran down Rain's spine. The very idea of being free from the bond, even for a moment, sent a strange pulse of both longing and fear through him.
Because if the bond was severed—if only for a few minutes—what if he realized he wanted Nathaniel?
What if the emotions he felt weren't just a product of the Blood Moon's power, but his own?
He swallowed hard. "And if it works?"
Althea's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Then you'll know the truth. And you'll have to decide—" She took a step closer, her presence almost suffocating. "—whether you want to run, or if you're already too far gone to try."
The words hit him like a punch to the gut.
Too far gone.
He shook his head. No. He wouldn't allow himself to be controlled.
"Do it," he said before he could think twice. "Sever it."
Althea didn't hesitate. She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small, obsidian dagger. The blade shimmered with an eerie glow, runes flickering along its edge.
"This will hurt."
Rain didn't flinch. "I don't care."
Althea's eyes held something unreadable. "Then brace yourself."
She moved swiftly. The blade sliced across her own palm, and as her blood dripped onto the floor, a dark energy rippled through the room.
A sharp, invisible force slammed into Rain's chest.
And then—
The bond snapped.
A violent, breath-stealing sensation tore through his soul. The world around him dimmed, sound muffling as if he were submerged in water.
And for the first time since Nathaniel claimed him—
The weight of the Blood Moon bond was gone.
Rain gasped.
His mind was his own. His body, his thoughts, his emotions—
All his own.
His heart pounded as realization sank in.
And then, a new kind of terror clawed at him.
Because the moment the bond was gone—
His first thought wasn't of escape.
It was of him.
Nathaniel.
His scent. His touch. His absence.
The aching void left behind was unbearable.
Rain's knees buckled, a choked sound escaping his lips.
No.
This wasn't right.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
But the truth was undeniable.
Even without the bond—
Rain still craved him.