Page 21 of Hunter's Moon

I nodded, scanning the room for any potential threats. “The mine’s been abandoned for at least a century. No more miners here.”

We explored the dormitory, checking each bunk for signs of recent use. Finding none, I turned to Lina.

“We should rest here for a while. Those insects, whatever they were, shouldn’t be able to follow us.”

She nodded, exhaustion clear on her face. I walked back to the office and locked the door, just in case.

When I returned, Lina was sitting on one of the lower bunks, her head in her hands. I knelt in front of her, concern washing over me.

“Hey,” I said softly, placing a hand on her knee. “You alright?”

She looked up, her green eyes meeting my red ones. “Yeah, just... processing, I guess. This has been one hell of a day.”

I chuckled, the sound low in my throat. “That’s an understatement.”

Lina smiled, and something inside me shifted. The urge to protect her, to claim her, surged through me with an intensity that left me breathless.

The tension that had been building since I first laid eyes on her in that dingy cantina finally broke free. I surged forward, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

This was madness. She was human, fragile, breakable. And yet... every fiber of my being screamed that she was mine. My mate.

With a growl, I broke away, panting heavily. Lina’s eyes were wide, her lips swollen from our kiss.

“Tharion,” she whispered, her voice husky.

I stood abruptly, putting distance between us. “Tell me no,” I pleaded. “Tell me to stop.”

Confusion flickered across her face. “What? Why?”

I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. “Because I’m a bad man, Lina. I’ve done terrible things. You should run as far from me as you can.”

She stood, approaching me slowly. “I don’t have a problem with that.”

I backed away, my back hitting the wall. “You should. I’m dangerous. I’m not... I’m not good for you.”

Lina stopped in front of me, her eyes searching mine. “I think I can decide that for myself.”

She reached up, her hand cupping my cheek. I leaned into her touch, unable to resist.

“I don’t care about your past, Tharion,” she said softly. “I care about who you are now. The man who’s protected me, who’s risked his life for me.”

I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by her words, by her touch, by her very presence. When I opened them again, I saw determination in her gaze.

“Kiss me again,” she whispered.

LINA

Tharion’s eyes gleamed with both hunger and hesitation. My heart raced, torn between desire and caution. His struggle for control intrigued me, stirred something deep within.

“Would you stop if I told you to?” The words tumbled out before I could think better of them.

His gaze locked onto mine, intense and unwavering. “Even if it killed me. You’re the only one who could control me, the only one who’s safe from me.”

A shiver ran down my spine, not entirely from fear. “Then what do I have to worry about?”

I leaned forward, my tongue darting out to trace his lips. The taste of him - alien, dangerous, intoxicating - flooded my senses. Tharion growled, a low rumble that vibrated through me.

His hands gripped my waist, fingers digging into my flesh. Not painful, but firm. Possessive. “Lina,” he rasped, “you don’t know what you’re doing to me.”

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