Chapter 31 Chapter 31
Anya’s POV
"Maybe," I challenged, my voice trembling slightly. I took a step backward, the current tugging at my legs as the riverbed dropped away into the darker, deeper channel.
"Don't you dare."
The growl ripped from his throat. He didn't waste a second with buttons or laces. In a blur of motion, he stripped, shedding his tunic and trousers as if they were on fire.
My eyes went wide, my breath hitching in my throat. He strode into the water, a titan of muscle and intent, completely unashamed. I had seen him naked before, but this felt... different.
Out here, under the open sky, with the river swirling around his hips, he looked less like a man and more like a pagan god of war.
I was paralyzed by the rare sight of him coming for me.
He closed the distance in three powerful strides. His large hands clamped onto my waist, burning hot even in the freezing water, and he yanked me flush against his hard, wet body.
The contact was electric. I gasped, suddenly realizing I was completely exposed.
The water did nothing to hide me. I instinctively crossed my arms, frantically trying to cup my breasts and shield myself from his burning gaze.
He smirked, a dark, hungry expression. "Too late," he murmured, his voice thick with desire. "I've already seen everything."
He leaned down, his intent clear, his lips aiming for the sensitive column of my throat.
But just before his mouth could graze my skin, I slammed my hand over his mouth, stopping him cold.
He froze, his golden eyes narrowing dangerous at my defiance.
"Wait," I breathed, my heart beating against his chest. "I... I will let you kiss me. I will let you taste my blood. I'll let you... do anything you want."
I looked him dead in the eye, playing the only card I had left.
"Just promise me... if Carla ever comes back to your territory... you will not hurt her."
A dark, victorious smirk curled his lips. "Fine by me."
Before I could utter another syllable, he claimed me.
His mouth crashed down on mine, powerful and all-consuming. It wasn't a request; it was a takeover. He kissed me with a starving passion that stole the very air from my lungs.
I clutched his wet shoulders, trying to push him back, to find a moment to breathe, but he was relentless.
His tongue invaded my mouth, swirling and tasting, dominating me completely before trailing hot, wet fire down the column of my throat.
I gasped, tilting my head back to catch a ragged breath, but his hands were already moving.
They slid down through the water and cupped my breasts. He squeezed, his thumbs brushing over me with maddening precision.
Damn it. My knees went weak. I had never done this before. I had never let a man touch me like this—only him.
"How..." I gasped, my voice trembling as I tried to distract him, tried to focus on anything other than the havoc he was wreaking on my body. "How did you track me?"
"You have no idea," he murmured against my skin, his voice rough with desire.
He captured my lips again, swallowing my moan, before pulling back just enough to look into my eyes. The golden fire in them was blazing.
"Wrap your legs around me," he commanded.
Panic spiked in my chest. "I don't want—"
"You said," he cut in, in a binding whisper, "that you would do everything."
"But it's not the full moon yet," I stammered, my hands pressing against his chest, desperate for a reprieve. "This... this goes against the ritual. It's forbidden."
He let out a rough, incredulous breath, his forehead resting against mine.
"That's just it," he whispered, the realization crashing over him even as he spoke. "Don't you understand? You are my mate."
My eyes widened.
"Do you realize now how I tracked you?" he hissed, "How I found you when the trail was cold? How I found you across the ocean?"
He shook his head, his eyes burning into mine. "Only I could see you. Only I could track you, Anya. Because you are tethered to me."
He pulled back just enough to look at my face, searching for the truth he knew was there. "You are the only cure to my curse. And in time... I will prove them all wrong. You aren't just a human, Anya. You are something more."
"No!" I choked out, "That's impossible! It's not true."
I glared at him, masking my terror with a sharp, bitter laugh. "How could a human like me be mated to a ruthless Alpha like you?"
I pushed against his chest, trying to put space between us, needing to deny the pull I felt.
"Or maybe," I mocked, "your Moon Goddess sent me to you for a different reason? Maybe I was chosen just so you could sacrifice a living soul to free yourself from your curse? Is that it?"