BOUND BY THE MOON

Selene's breath came in shallow gasps as her feet pounded against the forest floor, the thick underbrush brushing against her legs with each desperate stride. Her heart hammered against her ribcage, its frantic beat syncing with the pull of the moon-a curse that had haunted her since birth. The blood in her veins burned with its relentless call, demanding that she surrender to its will. But she wouldn't. Not yet.

The curse in her blood wasn't just a part of her-it was her prison. The moon had branded her a weapon, something to be feared and hunted. And that's exactly what was happening now.

Lucian Blackwood.

His name was a shadow that haunted every corner of her mind, every thought. The most dangerous Alpha in the world. The man who could never be outrun. She had been fleeing for days now, through forests, over mountains, across rivers-anything to distance herself from him. But he was too close. He always was. His scent was in the air, an intoxicating mix of pine and something darker, something that made her skin prickle in warning.

And with each step she took, each breath she drew, the weight of their connection pressed harder against her chest. It was a bond neither of them could escape, no matter how far or fast she ran. The moon had chosen. And fate had already set its course.

Her feet skidded across the mossy ground, her eyes scanning the trees, trying to find a way out. But there was no escape, not now. She could feel him drawing near, feel the intensity of his presence like a storm on the horizon, rolling closer, promising destruction.

"Selene!" The growl of her name echoed through the trees, a command, a warning.

Her heart skipped a beat, a wave of cold dread washing over her. He was close, too close, and it would only be a matter of time before his long stride would be at her back. She pushed harder, the branches scratching at her skin, but it wasn't enough. Nothing was enough.

There were no more options. No more escape.

Ahead, she saw the edge of the forest-a cliff, a steep drop to the jagged rocks below. The moon above bathed the world in silver light, making the drop look like a chasm of shadows. For a moment, panic gripped her chest. She couldn't go that way, couldn't jump. The fall would surely kill her. But the alternative? There was no alternative.

Her breathing became erratic, and her pulse thudded in her ears. She was trapped. But no matter how much her mind screamed at her to turn back, to face him, her instincts told her to do the one thing she'd been avoiding all her life-accept the bond, embrace the power, and become what the moon had designed her to be.

"No," she muttered to herself. "I will not."

Her fists clenched. Her mind raced for a way out, but every avenue seemed blocked, every option futile.

And then she heard him-his footsteps crushing the leaves beneath his boots, his heavy presence forcing the air to crackle with tension. Selene stopped, her breath ragged, eyes darting between the cliff and the forest behind her.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be," Lucian's voice purred from the darkness, soft and lethal.

She spun around, her eyes locking onto him, the sight of him striking terror into her very soul. Lucian Blackwood stood there, towering and imposing, his dark features illuminated by the pale moonlight. His silver eyes gleamed with something primal, something ancient, a hunger that sent a jolt of fear through her chest.

He stepped closer, each movement calculated, predatory. He wore his dominance like a cloak, a thing of sheer power and control. His black leather jacket clung to his broad shoulders, his every muscle defined beneath it, and his dark hair, wild and untamed, seemed to match the chaos within him.

Lucian was every bit the monster she had been warned about. The Alpha of Alphas, feared and revered by all. And now, he had found her.

Selene's heart raced, her pulse quickening with every step he took toward her. "You're too late," she managed to say, though her voice was shaky. "You'll never control me."

His lips twitched into a mocking smile. "I already do, Selene. You're mine."

"No." The word came out as a growl, and she forced herself to stand tall, despite the fear clawing at her insides. "You'll never have me."

Lucian's gaze darkened, and for a brief moment, something cold flickered in his silver eyes. "You don't have a choice."

He was close now, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body, his energy radiating like a storm. She could feel it in the air-his power, his dominance over her. The bond between them was like a thread, tugging at her, pulling her toward him, and despite every ounce of resistance in her body, she felt the pull. The moon's call, relentless and demanding.

"No," she whispered, her voice barely audible, but filled with defiance. "I won't let you use me."

Lucian stopped just a few feet away, his gaze never leaving hers. He was studying her, waiting for the moment when she would break, when she would submit to him and the bond that had already been set in motion.

"You think you have a choice, but you don't," Lucian said softly, his voice laced with both amusement and danger. "The moon has already chosen you. And it chose me, too."

His words were like a heavy weight settling in her chest. The truth of it, the reality that she couldn't escape, was a bitter pill to swallow. She had always known, deep down, that there was no escaping this fate. The moon had marked her for him, had tied their destinies together in a way that neither of them could sever. But that didn't mean she had to accept it.

"I'd rather die than be bound to you," she said through gritted teeth, her fists clenching at her sides.

Lucian chuckled darkly, and for a moment, the sound seemed to echo through the forest, filling the space between them with an eerie chill. He stepped closer, his presence almost overwhelming. "You'll have your chance," he said. "But don't mistake your defiance for strength. You're not as strong as you think, Selene. The bond is already there, and I'll make you embrace it."

His hands shot out, gripping her arms with a force that made her body tense with resistance. His touch burned, sending jolts of electricity through her skin, but Selene fought against it, her nails digging into his wrists, trying to break free.

"Let go of me!" she hissed, trying to twist out of his hold, but it was useless. Lucian was too strong, too fast.

"You think I'm the enemy?" Lucian's voice was a low rumble in her ear. "You're wrong. I'm your salvation."

She recoiled at his words, her heart lurching. "Salvation?" she repeated, her voice cracking with anger. "You're the reason I'm running. You're the reason my life is in ruins. You're the one who hunts my kind, who destroyed everything I ever loved."

His grip tightened, but not painfully. It was possessive, controlling. And though he was still speaking softly, there was a fury simmering beneath the surface. "I didn't choose this either, Selene. But I won't let you destroy yourself trying to avoid it."

For a moment, their eyes locked, the connection between them crackling with an undeniable energy. The bond-the curse-was pulling at her, tugging at the very fabric of her being.

"I'd rather die," she whispered, her voice raw.

Lucian's expression softened, though the hardness in his eyes never wavered. "Then you'll die trying."

In a single, fluid motion, he pulled her closer, his lips brushing against her ear. "But I won't let you go, Selene. Not now. Not ever."

And as he held her in his arms, the darkness closed in around them, and Selene knew, with a cold certainty, that there would be no escaping the storm that was coming.

---