BENEATH THE MOON'S BITE

Luca

I should've known something was weird the moment I woke up, with the scent of burnt pine and damp earth filling the scent of my bed sheets. The kind of smell that only means one thing: something's coming, not something good or something ordinary, just heavy enough to stir the wolf in me that never used to speak.

The morning was quiet, my house was as quiet as a grave yard. My aunt had left early, like she always did on full moon days. She never said why, and I stopped asking after my thirteenth birthday. I just knew not to follow, peek or even question.

The shift wasn't supposed to happen until sundown and everyone knew that....at least, that's what the elders preached, you wake with the moon, then shift with the stars and afterwards find your place under the sky and accept it. But my skin was already itching, and my muscles were twitching. Like underneath my skin, my new wolf was waking, it felt early-uninvited and impatient.

I pushed the blanket off and sat up slowly, my shirt stuck to me and I was damp with sweat. My heart was thudding like I had run a mile in my dreams or maybe I had, maybe I was running from something I couldn't name or maybe I already knew and I just didn't want to admit it.

By midday, I couldn't breathe.

I avoided the training fields, where boys our age tried to guess what rank they would shift into tonight, boasting about bloodlines they didn't earn, and laughing about how weak Omegas were, how they should be culled, controlled and used. I said nothing, I just listened with my head down, but my heart was pounding unusually.

Because I didn't feel like a Beta today, at least not like I used to.

When I found Rafe behind the stables, he was sitting on that crooked fence we carved our initials into years ago. His back was to me, but I could feel him, his warmth and breath.

He always looked like he belonged to the land, his eyes were wild, golden, and somewhat beautiful, with an aura that screamed 'born to command', but I never said that out loud, because it would probably get to his head.

He turned before I spoke, "You okay?"

I wasn't.

But I nodded anyway and climbed up beside him, trying not to wince as the heat under my skin grew worse again.

He gave me a long look, like he could see through the smile I forced, like he could hear my thoughts, but Rafe being Rafe, he didn't press, he let me carry my silence.

He didn't hold for long.

"Luca," His voice dropped, and it felt unusually light, "Something's not right with you."

I tensed up a bit, "Oh it's nothing.... just my nerves."

His eyes narrowed, "No it's more".

I couldn't hold the lie any longer, "I feel like I'm burning from the inside."

He went still.

I braced myself for the worst, maybe fear or disgust to how he'll react, but Rafe didn't flinch, he leaned in closer, and I could smell him...cedar and storm winds, it felt familiar and safe. We lay in silence, letting our unspoken thoughts dance through the tension between us and somehow that felt comforting to me.

Then sunset arrived, the sun went behind the trees of the forest giving way to a new dawn, for me, then the moon emerged to sky as if in a hurry to confirm my fears...it was too soon.

My bones snapped first and my hands hit the ground, I screamed in pain, Rafe was shouting my name, holding me down, and trying to stop what couldn't be stopped.

It was too soon!....this was too fast for me.

My skin tore, and reshaped, my vision became blurry and all I saw was silver light, then last thing I heard was my own howl, it sounded weak and....wrong?.

Then silence.

When I woke, it was totally dark. The moon was full and high, casting shadows across the clearing, my clothes were shredded and my limbs hurt, but that wasn't what scared me, it was what struck my nose first.

The scent.....my scent.

It wasn't Beta or Alpha

It was Omega!.

Rafe was crouched nearby, his eyes glowing faint gold, his wolf felt just beneath the surface and he was staring at me like I was prey or worse.

He opened his mouth to speak, but a branch snapped behind us, we weren't alone.

Then air around changed, it now felt cold and electric, Rafe stood instantly, growling low.

I didn't even get the chance to ask what he saw.

Because something lunged from the trees and everything went black again.

..................................

I could sense the shift in my atmosphere even before I opened my eyes.

It wasn't the cold sweat clinging to my skin, or the way my heart slammed against my ribs like it was trying to escape.

It was the silence of the woods behind the pack house, it was never this quiet, even in the dead of night, I should've heard owls or the wind or someone sneaking a smoke behind the training sheds. But now....there was nothing.

It was just me, the moon, and this strange... stillness.

I sat up, my limbs were still trembling. My back was damp against the forest floor, leaves sticking to my bare skin and my breath felt foggy in the chilly air. I couldn't remember how I got here, but the last thing I recalled was Rafe and I leaning into each other, no talk just sky gazing and then suddenly the moon had been so bright it hurt to look at, my skin had itched and my bones.....god, my bones had felt like they were breaking from the inside out.

Then...blackness.

I staggered to my feet, naked and trembling, every nerve in my body was screaming, something had changed, I could feel it in my blood. My body felt a little too sensitive, like even the breeze made me shiver like a fevered animal.

That's when I smelled it again or rather....me.

My scent.

It was different now, it was softer and mild, like crushed violets and wild flowers underneath. I knew that scent, I'd smelled it on the others, on the ones we weren't supposed to talk about, the ones who walked with their heads bowed, and forced into silence, used and discarded.

Omegas.

"No," I choked, "No, no, no-"

My knees buckled.

This couldn't be happening, I was supposed to be a beta or worse yet and Alpha, nothing special, just... average and safe.

But now I could feel the truth in every beat of my traitorous heart.

I was an Omega and in our pack, Omegas didn't survive long, then I heard a snap behind me, I turned sharply, and my heart lodged in my throat.

Rafe.

He stood at the edge of the clearing, he was shirtless, and breathing hard, his eyes were glowing in the moonlight like a storm about to break. His wolf was close to the surface and I could feel it, I could feel him.

Then I felt a twist in my chest, not out of fear, but worse. It was need.

His eyes locked onto mine, and suddenly I couldn't breathe, not because I was scared, but because everything inside me went still. My skin felt like it was buzzing and I could smell his now rich, and earthy scent spiced with a deeper feeling. My body swayed toward him before my mind caught up.

He stepped forward and I stepped back.

"Don't," I whispered.

His voice was hoarse, "Luca... what are you?"

I wanted to lie, to probably run, to scream, but the words got caught in my throat, and tangled with the anger in my veins.

Then, without warning, I doubled over with a cry-agony.

Like fire under my skin, my nails clawed the earth as a heat surged through me, centered low and burning. My wolf-new, confused, and terrified howled inside me.

"Luca!" Rafe rushed to me, dropping to his knees, his hands gripped my shoulders, "What's happening?"

"I don't....god, I don't know!" I gasped. My whole body convulsed, "It hurts....Rafe....it hurts"

I looked up, and that's when I saw it, there was a change in his eyes, recognition and bond?!

But how??

"Shit," Rafe breathed, his hands were trembling on my skin, "No...this isn't....we can't..."

I arched off the ground with a cry, heat surging so violently through me I thought I'd explode, my back bowed, and every nerve screamed for something....or someone....to ease the ache.

His scent was everywhere now, and it was drowning me.

His body pressed closer.

"You're burning up," he muttered. "Luca, this isn't normal, You're...your scent....", and then his lips were at my neck and it felt like a bond between us, one I couldn't understand.

I winced, "Please..."

He stilled, "Do you know what you're asking for?"

I didn't, heck I didn't even understand what was going on, but one thing was for sure my wolf did and it wanted him.

RAFE

Luca was burning up, I could feel it even before I reached him, his scent was thick in the air, and more potent than anything I'd ever experienced. It wasn't just sweat or heat. It was need, a raw and overwhelming need and it was coming from him.

One second, I was fighting the urge to rip off any form of clothing I had left and drag him into my arms, and then the next, I was battling every instinct I had not to claim him right there on the grass.

Fuck, what was happening to us?

"Luca," I whispered, kneeling beside him, but he didn't look up. His face was pressed to the dirt, and his entire was body trembling.

I touched his shoulder and flinched, he was burning up.

I knew what this was, well at least I'd heard whispers about it from the older wolves, about the Omega Heat. The stories were mostly jokes or horror tales told during late-night runs to scare young wolves off, I never paid them much attention, until now.

Because Luca was going through it and I was the reason why.

The memory of last night hit me like a punch to the gut, the way I had lost control, how my wolf surged to the surface during the rogue attack, and how I'd bitten Luca. I told myself it was to protect him, to scare the rogue off, but deep down, I knew better.

My wolf knew what he was doing, he marked him....I marked him.

I hadn't just protected Luca, I had started a bond, a fucking mate bond.

My chest tightened as Luca let out a soft moan, his hips were twitching against the earth and I cursed under my breath and forced myself to breathe through my mouth. His scent was doing something to me, It was like being drugged, and my body was responding without my consent.

I leaned closer to him, "I need you to breathe, okay? In through your nose, out through your mouth."

He nodded weakly, but when I tried to pull away, his fingers curled around my wrist.

"Don't go."

His sounded voice cracked, needy and vulnerable, that was all it took for my resolve to waver, I laid down beside him, keeping a sliver of space between our bodies. We were close, but not touching, because If I touched him again, I know I wouldn't stop.

"I'm not going anywhere," I said.

He rolled halfway toward me, his eyes glassy, like he held tears in them, "Why do I feel like this? Why does it hurt?"

I could lie, and tell him it was just a side effect of the shift, but he deserved the truth.

"I'm sorry, it's because of me, I bit you last night, I promise I didn't mean to... not like that. But I dunno my wolf recognized something in you and now.....now we're bonded."

His eyes widened, "Wait, what?"

"Not fully...just partially, the bite triggered the bond, but we're not fully bonded, and now your body is stuck, it wants to finish what we started."

Luca looked like I had punched him. Then, as if broken from the inside, he pushed up and scrambled to his feet, backing away.

"You bit me? Rafe, you knew what that would do!"

I stood up slowly, hands raised. "I didn't mean to! I didn't even know what I was doing, the rogue was coming for you, and I just....I lost control."

His breathing hitched. "So what does this mean? That I'm yours now? Is that it? You know damn well bonding between male wolves is forbidden"

I swallowed hard, well the bond said yes, but I couldn't tell him that.

"It means we're connected, but we don't have to do anything about it, we can fight it."

He let out a bitter laugh, "You think I can fight this? You touched me and I nearly begged you to... to..."

His voice broke off, then he turned away, but not before I saw the tears brimming in his eyes.

"I can't do this," he whispered.

I took a step toward him, but he flinched, so I stopped.

"You don't have to, we'll figure it out, okay? No one has to know, we'll keep it between us, we'll stay away from each other until the bond fades."

But even as I said it, I knew it was a lie, the bond didn't fade, not really. Not unless it was broken and to do that...

Luca looked over his shoulder, with an unreadable expression, "Do you think they'll find out? About me?"

He didn't say it out loud, but I knew what he meant, about being an Omega.

I hesitated, then shook my head. "Not if we're careful, but your scent... it's different now, it's stronger and we'll need to mask it."

"How?"

"I'll get you some scent blockers, just... don't shift again not until we figure this out."

His shoulders sagged with relief, then tensed again almost in unison, and both turned at the sound of twigs snapping behind us.

Voices, multiple voices!

Pack members.

Luca's eyes locked with mine, and they were wide with fear.

"Act normal," I hissed, "And let me do the talking."

He gave a shaky nod.

A second later, Alpha Cain's son Caleb, stepped through the brush, flanked by two others, his eyes landed on Luca, narrowing almost immediately.

"What the hell are you two doing out here alone?"

Luca stiffened beside me and I met his gaze, but my heart was hammering, I put up a stern look and responded.

"We were training and lost track of time."

He didn't look convinced, his nostrils flared slightly. Then his gaze landed on Luca, and he smiled.

"You smell different, Luca, did something... change?"

Luca went pale and I stepped in front of him before I even realized I had moved.

"Back off."

Caleb raised a brow, "Relax, Rafe, I'm just making conversation."

But we both knew it wasn't just that.

Caleb lingered a second longer, his gaze flicking between me and Luca like he was piecing something together, and it was too sharp for comfort, then he smirked.

"I'll be sure to mention this little training session to my father and you know how much he hates secrets."

Then they disappeared into the trees, their footsteps crunching under the leaves, but the tension didn't leave with them.

Luca stood frozen, his breathing was shallow and I reached for him, but he flinched again.

My hand dropped, this bond was already costing us more than I expected, and as the last of their footsteps faded, a low growl built at the base of my throat.

Because I knew something now, they were watching him and if I didn't act fast, I was going to lose him.

Luca

I kept stealing glances at him as we walked towards my front porch, my heartbeat wasn't in any way trying to calm down, It hadn't since we left the forest, and Rafe, he looked unnerved then, and even now, he looked like anything but relaxed.

His eyes moved to me as I reached for the door.

"Are you sure you're okay?" His voice was as low as a murmur, and I nodded, even though I knew wasn't. I wasn't entirely sure of what the hell had just happened back there, but one second he was being his usual moody self, and the next, he was pressed against me.

I pushed open the front door and stepped inside, "Yeah, I'm fine," I muttered, "Come in."

He hesitated for half a second before following me in, I didn't bother turning on the lights, the moon through the windows was enough, and besides, there was an odd comfort in the dimness.

I tossed my keys on the counter and kicked off my shoes, "Hey you want anything to drink?"

"No."

His voice was rough, and tense, he hadn't even sat down, he was just standing in the middle of the living room, like he didn't know what to do with himself or maybe like he was trying hard not to do something.

I turned to face him, "Ok look, if you're gonna freak out over what happened, just say it, I can handle it."

His jaw flexed, "I'm not freaking out."

"Well you're pacing, so yes, you are freaking out"

He stopped instantly, and started glaring at me, but this time the glare didn't have its usual bite. Instead, it looked desperate, "This isn't as easy as I thought," he said quietly. "I can feel it, around you, it's like... I lose sense of everything else."

I should have been scared, backed up and put some space between us. But instead, I stepped closer, "Maybe it's not wrong....Maybe it's just new". I honestly did not know what came over me, but whatever was going on in his mind was exactly what I wanted.

He looked at me like I'd spoken in tongues and then, without warning, he reached out and gripped the back of my neck, like he was grounding himself, "You smell like roses Luca and it's driving me insane."

I blinked, "Well that's... oddly flattering."

His mouth twitched in slight annoyance, "It's not funny."

"I wasn't trying to be."

There was a bit of silence and it felt thick and full of weight. Then he moved, slowly, like he was testing a boundary. His hand lifted, barely brushing against my arm, but I didn't move, I couldn't.

His touch felt like electric and I felt it in my spine, my heart was beating loudly in my chest like a war drum, his fingers wrapped loosely around my wrist.

"I shouldn't," he murmured.

"Then don't."

He stilled for a moment, but he didn't let go.

Instead, he took another step and then another, until I could feel the heat from his body pouring into mine and god it felt drowning.

"Luca..."

"Yeah?"

His breath hitched and then his mouth was on mine.

I didn't even hesitate, I kissed him back like my life depended on it, like the fire in my blood had finally found its match, his lips were soft, and demanding. His hands slid up my arms, cupping my jaw gently, the way he caressed me like an egg, didn't match the storm building between us.

We stumbled backward, and I hit the edge of the couch, he caught me with one arm around my waist, and the other hand gripping the back of my neck as if he couldn't stand the idea of space between us.

I gasped when he bit down on my bottom lip.

"You sure about this?" he asked.

"Ask me again and I'll break your nose."

He chuckled, letting out a deep rumble that did made my mind dance with sinful thoughts, and then he kissed me again, deeper this time. My hands found their way under his shirt, tracing the lines of muscle that flexed beneath my fingers.

He hissed through his teeth, "Luca..."

"Bedroom," I managed to whisper against his mouth.

He didn't need to be told twice.

We didn't bother with lights, I just let him lead me by the hand, but it felt like I was the one pulling him. My heartbeat could be heard in my ears and my skin tingled with anticipation.

When we reached the room, he paused.

"We can stop."

"Do you want to stop",

He looked at me, his eyes burning into mine, "No."

"You drive me crazy, Luca."

"You're not exactly easy to ignore either."

He laughed, and it was the softest thing I'd ever heard from him, it felt like he was surprised by his own happiness and he carried me into the room and laid me on the bed.

His fingers slipped under the waistband of my jeans, dragging them down, agonizingly slow. I lifted my hips giving him silent permission, and held my breath as the cool air kissed my heated skin. His gaze dropped, and for a moment, he just stared at me, his lips were parted, and the look in his eyes made me feel like I was a sacred item he was scared to ruin.

"You're driving me insane," he muttered, "You don't even realize what you do to me."

"Then show me," I whispered.

Rafe leaned down again, kissing my stomach, and my hips, going lower, teasing and worshiping my body all at once. My hands tangled in the sheets, and my legs trembling as he pressed open-mouthed kisses along my thighs.

When he finally, finally, cupped my dick through my briefs, I choked on a gasp. His palm was warm, slow, and possessive, like he wanted to memorize every line and inch. He rubbed me gently, watching my face like it was his favorite movie.

"Sensitive," he murmured with a smirk, "You're so responsive."

"Rafe..." I groaned, barely able to form words as his hand moved again.

"Shhh," he hushed, licking his lips before pressing a soft kiss to the spot just above the waistband. "Let me take care of you."

I nodded, and came completely undone.

Then, with delicate care, he pulled down the last barrier between us, tossing it aside like it offended him. He didn't hesitate, he wrapped his hand around my dick, warm and sure, stroking slowly while his mouth claimed mine again. I moaned into the kiss, gripping his shoulders like I'd fall apart without him.

His pace picked up, and the heat coiling in my stomach snapped tight. He knew exactly what he was doing, he knew how to draw every sound from me, how to build it up until I was shaking. I buried my face in his neck, breathless and on the edge.

"I....Rafe, I'm gonna...."

"I know," he whispered, "Let go, Luca. I've got you."

And I did.

I came with a muffled cry, clinging to him like he was the only real thing in the world. My body trembled as waves of release crashed over me, and through it all, he held me steady.

He finally settled against me, his hand covered with cum and his body molded to mine, inside me it felt like everything clicked into place.

We lay tangled in the sheets afterward, our breathing slowing, then he brushed his fingers across my chest and I honestly couldn't believe this was real.

"You good?" I asked softly.

He nodded, "I'm better than good. But... this doesn't make things easier."

"No, but it makes them real."

He didn't answer, but the way he pulled me closer spoke volumes and in the silence, for the first time in a long while, I felt safe.

Until a knock shattered it.

Three high raps, urgent and....familiar.

Rafe tensed immediately, every muscle in his body locking like he'd just heard a threat.

I sat up, my heart was racing again, wait, that knock....it couldn't be....

"Don't move," Rafe growled, already out of bed.

He was halfway to the door when I heard it.

A voice....one I hadn't heard in over a year.

"Luca, open up! We need to talk. It's your brother."

My blood ran cold, because my brother was dead, or at least, he was supposed to be.