Chapter 4 Fire beneath his skin

The journey to the mountain shrine tested them in ways Elira hadn't imagined. By day, they rode through forests and cliffs, silent but tethered. By night, their bodies sought each other like breath-desperate, healing, unspoken.

But Kael's curse was growing restless.

Each time she touched him, it eased. Each time they came together, it softened. But it wasn't enough-not yet. The bond between them needed more than heat.

It needed surrender.

At the shrine, they were met by witches older than the stones themselves. One, her eyes clouded with time, ran a finger over Elira's palm.

"You've already chosen," the crone murmured. "But the fire inside you isn't just love-it's power."

That night, the blood moon rose early.

Kael's body shook with the coming shift. His skin burned hot, bones cracking beneath his skin. The beast-closer than ever-fought to break free.

Elira climbed into his lap, straddling him, cupping his face.

"Stay with me," she whispered.

Kael groaned, trembling. "I can't-"

"Yes," she breathed, guiding him into her, "you can."

Their bodies met in fierce rhythm, magic bursting between them with every movement. Her cries echoed through the shrine as her pleasure surged, weaving around him like a spell.

Kael roared-but it wasn't pain. It was release.

The fire beneath his skin calmed.

Her body had tamed him again-but now she knew:

Next time, it would take more than lust.

It would take everything.