Chapter 71: The Alpha’s Claim

Isla didn’t remember how she made it back to their tent, only the way Damian carried her, strong and unrelenting, his grip possessive in a way that made her tremble.

The air inside was thick with heat, the remnants of their shared hunger from the night before still clinging to her skin. Every touch, every kiss, every whispered growl had branded her, leaving her aching for more.

Now, as she lay beneath him, her body still thrumming with pleasure, Damian traced slow, lazy circles over her bare hip. His silver eyes burned into hers, unreadable but knowing.

She swallowed hard, pressing her palm against his chest. “You’re watching me like I’m about to disappear.”

Damian’s fingers tightened slightly. “Because I feel like I am.”

A shiver coursed through her, not from fear, but from the weight of his words.

His voice was raw. “You’re changing, Isla. Every day, I feel it more. You think I don’t notice the way your scent shifts? The way your energy moves differently?”

She opened her mouth, but he wasn’t finished.

“The bond between us, it’s stronger than it should be and I don’t know if it’s because of what Vincent did, or something else entirely.” His jaw tensed. “But I can’t shake the feeling that you’re slipping away from me.”

Isla sat up, brushing her fingers against his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere.”

His hand slid down to rest against her stomach. The same spot he’d lingered over before. The same place where a quiet, terrifying possibility had begun to form in her mind.

Her breath hitched.

Damian noticed.

His thumb traced over her skin, his expression darkening. “Isla…”

She shook her head, not ready to say the words out loud. Not yet. Instead, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his in a slow, deep kiss. A distraction. A plea.

Damian groaned against her mouth, his control slipping as he pulled her beneath him once more. His touch was urgent this time, a silent demand to anchor her here, to remind them both that no matter what was coming, she was his and gods, she wanted to be his because there was no escaping what was already growing between them.

What had always been there.

Even if it was more than either of them had bargained for.

The camp stirred long before dawn.

Scouts returned with new reports, Vincent was still ahead of them, leading them deeper into the ruins of the First Bloodline’s stronghold.

As Isla stood beside Damian, fastening the last of her armor, she felt it again.

The hum beneath her skin. The pull. Something ancient was waking and soon, she would have no choice but to face it.