Page 51 of The Blood Moon Oath

I let out a short, rumbling laugh, moving past her and into the snow.“What, you think I was gonna walk across like a human? Nah, this is the fun part.”

She follows me, though I can tell she’s still processing the fact that I just shifted right in front of her. And the way her eyes flick over my massive form, the way she looks at me—damn, it makes me want to play a lot more than I’m already planning.

I glance over my shoulder, watching her as she steps closer.“You coming, kitten?”I ask.“Or are you gonna stand there all night?”

She nods, determination lighting up her eyes, that spark in her that I know too well. “I’m coming. Just don’t leave me behind.”

I chuckle low, feeling the heat of her challenge like a flame licking at my skin. “You’ll be fine, kitten. Just don’t get too cocky. This place... it’s not as safe as it looks.”

Before I can even process it, she moves. One moment she’s standing there, and the next, she’s vaulted onto my back, her legs wrapping around my waist with surprising ease. I feel her fingers dig into the fur on the back of my neck, gripping it like she’s ready to ride me through hell.

She’s pressed so close, I can feel the heat of her body all along mine. Her breath is hot on my ear, and I can’t stop the growl that rumbles through me. She’s not just testing me anymore. She’s fucking challenging me.

“Guess you’re not so afraid of a little danger after all, huh?” she teases, her voice breathless, but her grip on me is tight.

I close my eyes for a second, trying to keep my cool, but she’s making it damn hard. My paws flex, claws digging into the snow beneath me as the familiar, dangerous pull of lust roars in my chest. The wild part of me, the one that never plays by the rules, wakes up, and I can’t hold it back.

I smirk, my thoughts dripping with something dark.“You’re playing a dangerous game, kitten,”I voice.“And I’m gonna fuck you up so good, you won’t even know your own name by the time I’m done with you.”

Her breath catches in her throat, and I know she feels it too—the damn spark that’s about to explode between us.

But for now, I turn back toward the path, forcing myself to take the lead, my every step heavier with the weight of the need building inside me. She’s got me on edge, and I know I’m barely keeping it together. But I’m not about to let her know that.

I keep walking, keeping my control, even as I feel the pull of her body on mine, knowing this is just the beginning.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

SABLE

The wind rushes past me, colder than it’s ever felt before, and yet all I can focus on is the sheer power of Torin beneath me. I’m clinging to the fur on the back of his neck, feeling the muscle ripple and flex with every leap, every bound. His body moves beneath me like a force of nature, unstoppable and wild, and I’ve never felt anything like this.

The sensation of his sabertooth form moving through the forest is unlike anything I’ve experienced. It’s a rush—one that gets under my skin and makes me laugh, the sound echoing in the night. His paws hit the earth with a thundering force, the power of them vibrating through my legs, my spine, my very core. I feel everything. Every muscle in his body. Every powerful movement. Every pulse of energy that surges through him.

You feel it, don’t you?Torin’s voice comes to me, a low, thrilling whisper in my mind.The power in the forest? It’s alive,Sable. It’s in the trees, the ground, the air we’re breathing. You’re not just on my back—you're part of it now.

The wind is rushing past us in a blur, but his words cut through it, slow and deliberate. I feel the hum of his voice deep inside me, vibrating in my chest, as if his words are an extension of the rhythm of his heartbeat.

The trees blur past us, the moonlight flickering through the canopy above like a pulse of light that can’t keep up with the pace. The rush is almost intoxicating, and for the first time in so long, I feel something other than the constant weight of the past. I feel… free.

You’ve never felt anything like this before, have you?

His words tease me, but there’s something deeper behind them. He’s right. I’ve never felt this alive. Not like this. There’s an electric charge in the air, a sense of wild abandon that makes everything else seem distant and insignificant. The pull of the earth beneath us, the sky above—it’s all wrapped up in this singular moment, this bond between us.

“No,” I say out loud, my voice almost breathless, as if the wind has stolen my words. “I haven’t. I’ve never felt like this.”

It’s the rush,Torin says, his voice a low, feral growl that vibrates against my skin.The rawness of the forest. The hunt. The power. It gets in your blood. Makes you feel alive. And when you're alive like this, nothing else matters. No rules. No cages. Just freedom.

I laugh, the sound escaping me before I can stop it, loud and unrestrained. I can’t remember the last time I laughed like this. Not a hollow laugh, not one born out of frustration or anger. This is real. This is pure joy, and I feel it spilling out of me with every leap he takes. The sensation of his muscles stretching, his body moving with a fluidity I’ve never felt before, is exhilarating.

It’s like a dam breaking.

I can’t help but laugh again, my fingers grippingthe fur of his neck tighter as we move faster, faster, like we’re both chasing something impossible. Every breath I take is filled with exhilaration, the night air sharp against my skin, but it’s nothing compared to the rush of being on his back, the pounding of his feet like thunder beneath us.

You like it, don’t you?Torin’s voice is teasing now, but there’s an edge of satisfaction in it.You can feel it. The freedom. The power. You’re not bound to anything anymore.

I let out a breathless, almost reckless laugh, my voice loud in the silence of the forest. “Yes,” I say, the word tumbling from my lips. “I feel it. I feel it all, Torin.”

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