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"Where are we going?" she asked, her scientist's curiosity never far from the surface.

"You'll see." The corners of his mouth lifted in that half-smile he knew drove her crazy.

He guided her through the trees until they reached a small clearing bathed in moonlight. Here, away from watchful eyes and hushed prophecies, Kieran could finally breathe. Could finally be just a man with his woman, not an heir or a rebel or a symbol.

Maya's copper hair gleamed like a living flame in the silvery light. Kieran reached out, wrapping a strand around his finger, savoring its silken texture and the way her pulse quickened at his touch.

"You saved my life today," he said, stepping closer until barely an inch separated their bodies. His voice dropped lower and rougher. "Drew poison from my veins with your own hands."

Maya tilted her chin up, that stubborn defiance he adored flashing in her eyes. "I wasn't about to let you die when I just figured out what to do with you."

Kieran laughed, the sound rusty and genuine. Her scientific mind, always cataloging and analyzing, was one of countless things he loved about her. Loved. The realization wasn't new, but its intensity knocked the breath from his lungs.

"I don't know who I'd be without you," he admitted, vulnerability raw in his throat. "Or where I'd be. Lost in tradition, blind to possibilities. Alone even surrounded by pack." His thumb traced the delicate line of her jaw. "I love you, Maya. Not because of prophecies or politics or rebellions. Just you."

Her green eyes widened, luminous with unshed tears. The tough, analytical scientist who'd faced down captors and hunters suddenly looked as vulnerable as he felt.

"You know, for someone who kidnapped me and ruined my research, you've become surprisingly essential to my existence," she whispered, her voice catching. "I've spent my life studying connection without experiencing it. Until you." Her fingers traced the long scar on his jaw. "I can't imagine my life without you, Kieran Silvercrest, and that terrifies me more than any shifter or hunter ever could."

Something primal and possessive surged through him. Kieran tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her mouth to his in a kiss that began tender but quickly ignited into something hungrier. She melted against him, her body fitting perfectly against his larger frame as if created solely for this purpose.

"You're mine," he growled against her lips, his other arm banding around her waist to eliminate any remaining space between them.

"Is that your eloquent way of saying you feel the same?" Maya murmured, nipping at his bottom lip with newfound boldness.

"Scientists require evidence, don't they?" Kieran backed her toward a massive oak at the clearing's edge, caging her between his body and the ancient trunk. "Let me show you exactly how I feel."

His mouth found the spot on her neck where he'd left a small bite mark a week ago, a claiming that had been accidental then but would be absolute tonight. His lips brushed over thesensitive skin, trailing kisses down her neck as he lifted her oversized white t-shirt and pulled it over her head, tossing it aside.

The cool night air kissed her skin, but his hands were fire as they roamed her body, pulling her leggings off her next. His mouth soon found her breasts, alternating between them. His tongue flicked over her hardened nipples, teasing and drawing out soft moans from her as her fingers tangled in his dark hair, pulling him closer.

"Kieran," she breathed, her voice trembling with desire.

He grinned against her skin, the Alpha in him reveling in the way her body responded to him. "You have no idea how much I've wanted this," he murmured, his voice husky with need. "How much I've wanted you. Forever, Maya. Not just tonight."

Her hands slid down his chest, fumbling with the hem of his black t-shirt. He stepped back just long enough to yank it off, revealing the hard planes of his muscular torso. His jeans followed, discarded in a heap on the mossy ground, leaving them both bare under the moonlight.

He guided her to the soft patch of moss in the clearing, laying her down with a gentleness that belied the hunger in his eyes. She arched beneath him, her bare skin glowing like moonlight against the dark green moss.

"Kieran," she whispered again, her eyes locked on his. "Are you sure?"

He paused, his hands resting on her hips, his gaze softening. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. You're my mate, Maya. My partner. My equal." He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers. "But I need to hear it from you. Are you ready? Are you ready to be mine, completely?"

Her answer came without hesitation, her voice steady and sure. "Yes. I've never been more ready for anything in my life."

He kissed her deeply, his tongue tangling with hers as he positioned himself between her legs. His cock, hard and thick, pressed against her wet entrance, and he paused for a moment, savoring the feel of her warmth against him. He pushed forward slowly, inch by inch, filling her completely, stretching her in such a way that made her gasp and arch into him.

"You're so tight," he groaned, his voice strained as he fought to keep control. "So perfect for me."

Her inner walls clenched tight around him, drawing a deep moan from his chest. He began to move, his thrusts slow and deliberate, each one drawing out her pleasure and sending sparks of ecstasy through her body. His hands roamed her curves, worshiping every inch of her as if she were the most sacred thing he'd ever touched.

As the pleasure built inside him, his thrusts grew harder, deeper, and faster, a primal rhythm that she matched with equal intensity. Her nails dug into his shoulders, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she neared the edge.

"Maya," he breathed. "Are you ready for my bite? Are you ready to be mine forever?"

She nodded, her eyes dark with desire. "Yes. Please, Kieran. I'm ready."

With a growl of possession, he thrust into her with even more force, driving her over the edge into an earth-shattering orgasm. Her body convulsed beneath him, her inner walls clenching around him as she cried out his name. The sensation tore through him. With one final, deep thrust, his powerful release ripped through him, and he spilled his seed into her as he sank his teeth into her neck, fully claiming her as his mate.