Page 7 of Moonlit Fate

“Decency.” He chuckled softly. “I suppose we all have our own definitions of that.”

“Clearly,” I muttered, acutely aware of the tension that hummed between us. His scent enveloped me again, that intoxicating blend of wildness and an enigmatic, familiar quality that pulled at something deep in my core.

“Patience,” he suggested. “You might find this predicament... enlightening.”

An involuntary tremor coursed through my body, and I cursed myself inwardly for my reaction. I was not some damsel to be toyed with. And yet, as he moved even closer, his hand finally reaching up toward the knot that held my fate, I couldn’t deny the quiver of anticipation that danced through my veins.

“Enlighten me then. Free me from this trap.” My words came out more breathlessly than I’d intended, losing the illusion of the order it was meant to be.

3

ATTICUS

The dense forest dripped with the aftermath of the storm’s fury as Aria struggled against the tangled ropes and the invisible snare of pride. Her face was a canvas of emotions, anger dominating the foreground and embarrassment lurking in the background. Even in disarray, hanging by her one foot, those long, silver tresses trailing in the detritus, she was stunning, and a surge of desire caught me off-guard. Despite the situation, my body reacted to her presence with an involuntary twitch in my cock.

I clamped down on the primal urges that she unwittingly stirred within me, reminding myself that I was a rogue, packless for a reason. I had no interest in the chains and guidelines that were imposed by living in a pack. A rogue’s presence in the unclaimed territories was tolerated—barely—by the pack alphas. Fucking the daughter of the Silver Claw pack’s alpha was a major no-no. It would be a surefire way to be forcefully removed from the place I called home.

Regrouping my scattered thoughts, I prepared to address her again, but she beat me to it.

“Do you always take pleasure in others’ misfortune?”

“Only when they’re as interesting as you, Aria Winters.”

The words slipped out before I could rein them in. A flirtatious dance on the precipice of danger. What was it about this woman? I knew her only by the stories that fluttered like moths through the ranks of the rogues and packs alike. Tales of her beauty and intelligence were vast and many. It was said that in her pack, she was a force to be reckoned with, fighting with the strength and valor of a true warrior. Yet, here she hung, the embodiment of wild grace under duress, challenging me with a simple gaze.

I chastised myself once more, a mental lash for each step I took closer to the line I had drawn. My reputation wasn’t built on foolish decisions, but here I was, conversing with the one person I really should avoid. The air between us crackled with an energy I hadn’t anticipated, and I forced my focus on the leftover raindrops pattering from leaf to leaf, attempting to douse the smoldering heat that her proximity provoked.

Interesting didn’t begin to cover who Aria Winters was or what she was doing to me. There was something about her, the way she held herself amid chaos, her fiery spirit, that drew me in. But flames burned anything that got too close, and I would do well to remember that. Especially when they danced on the face of the alpha’s daughter.

Aria and I stood locked in a silent battle of wills, the world seeming to stop on its axis. Her luminescent silver eyes blazed with a defiance that was so like the wild spirit of the forest surrounding us. In that suspended moment, something primal in me acknowledged her strength even as I drew my knife from my pocket.

I stepped behind her and reached up, the blade catching the dappled light as it cut through the rope and snare that had held her captive. She landed on the compacted earth with a soft thud, the air forced from her body in a gasp. Her chest rose and fell ina desperate attempt to fill her lungs with air as she lay sprawled on the forest ground.

“Steady there.” I extended a hand, not out of chivalry but an unbidden impulse to ease the indignity of her drop.

Her fierce eyes blazing with the spirit I had glimpsed earlier, she ignored my offer and pushed herself up with the grace of a warrior. Her balance faltered slightly as she regained her footing.

“Why are you here?” The barely perceptible tremor in her tone suggested she was not as confident as she seemed.

I tilted my head slightly, considering how much to reveal, aware of the increase in my pulse that thrummed in my veins, a traitorous rhythm incited by her proximity. If I’d thought her beautiful hanging in the human snare, then she was absolutely stunning standing before me.

“I could ask you the same.” I carefully studied her face, the flush that still colored her cheeks, and the determined expression etched onto her jawline. “Rarely do I find someone from the Silver Claw pack wandering into my neck of the woods. Especially not the alpha’s daughter.”

“Yourneck of the woods?” she said. “You’re a rogue with no territory. This part of the forest belongs to no one. I belong here just as much as you do.”

A soft laugh escaped me as I stepped back, giving her the space her pride demanded. The muscles in my arms remained taut, itching for action yet restrained by an unspoken code.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Aria Winters. The forest belongs to itself. We’re mere visitors here, just passing through.”

Surveying our surroundings, she contemplated this, taking in the presence of the watchful trees that appeared to guard our encounter. With each inhale, the forest seemed to draw nearer as if it desired to reclaim its rightful territory, unmoved by our insignificant disputes.

“Instead of being preoccupied with my territorial claims, maybe you should prioritize your own safety by being vigilant and avoiding traps,” I added.

“I don’t need advice from a rogue,” she spat.

“Clearly you do, princess,” I said without missing a beat, the corner of my mouth lifting in amusement.

“Princess?” She bristled, eyes flashing a challenge that made me want to meet it head-on. “Thisprincesscan kick your ass.”

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