Chapter 16: Surrender to the Moon
1257words
Night fell over the estate, bringing with it a restlessness I couldn't shake. My skin felt too tight, my senses overwhelmed by every subtle stimulus—the whisper of wind through trees, the distant heartbeats of animals in the forest, the lingering scent of Damian on my skin from our embrace earlier.
I paced my room like a caged animal, unable to settle. The partial transformation I'd experienced had awakened something inside me that refused to be silenced. My blood hummed with energy, demanding release.
A soft knock interrupted my agitated movements. I knew who it was before opening the door—Damian's scent had become as familiar to me as my own.
He stood in the hallway, watching me with knowing eyes. "You can't sleep."
"How did you—" I began, then realized. "The bond."
"I can feel your restlessness," he confirmed, stepping inside when I moved aside. "Your wolf is stirring, demanding acknowledgment."
"It feels like I'm going to crawl out of my skin." I wrapped my arms around myself. "Is this normal?"
"For someone fighting their nature? Yes." He moved closer, his presence both calming and exciting the storm inside me. "Stop resisting it, Elena. Let it flow through you."
"I'm afraid," I admitted. "What if I lose control? What if I hurt someone?"
"You won't." His certainty was absolute. "Your wolf is part of you, not separate. It wants what you want—protection, connection, belonging."
His hand reached for mine, our fingers intertwining. The simple contact sent electricity up my arm, intensifying the restlessness.
"Come with me," he said softly. "There's something I want to show you."
Curiosity overcame my agitation. I followed him through the silent house and out onto the grounds. The night was clear, stars scattered across the velvet sky like diamonds. The moon—nearly full now—bathed everything in silver light.
Damian led me to a secluded garden I hadn't seen before, enclosed by high hedges and centered around a small reflecting pool. The water mirrored the moon perfectly, creating the illusion of two moons—one above, one below.
"My mother created this space," he said, his voice quiet with memory. "A sanctuary for controlling the change, for finding balance between human and wolf."
"It's beautiful," I whispered, feeling some of my restlessness ease in the tranquil setting.
"Sit," he instructed, guiding me to the pool's edge. "Look into the water."
I obeyed, staring at my reflection in the moonlit water. For a moment, I saw only myself—then my eyes flashed amber, my features subtly shifting to something wilder, more primal.
"That's your wolf," Damian said, kneeling behind me. "Not separate from you, but a deeper part of you. The part that's been sleeping until now."
His hands settled on my shoulders, warm and steady. "Close your eyes. Feel the moon on your skin. Let it call to your blood."
I did as he asked, tilting my face to the moonlight. Immediately, the restlessness inside me responded, surging toward the surface. My breath quickened, heart racing.
"Don't fight it," Damian murmured, his lips close to my ear. "Surrender to it. Control comes through acceptance, not resistance."
His hands slid down my arms, leaving trails of heat in their wake. The dual sensations—moonlight on my skin, Damian's touch—broke something loose inside me. Power flooded through my veins, not painful this time but exhilarating.
When I opened my eyes, my reflection showed the partial transformation again—amber eyes, slightly elongated canines, fingernails hardened into points. But this time, I wasn't afraid. It felt right, natural.
"Beautiful," Damian whispered, his own eyes glowing blue in response.
I turned to face him, this man who was both my captor and my liberator. "Is this what you wanted all along? To awaken this in me?"
"I wanted you," he said simply. "All of you—human and wolf. I recognized what you could be from the moment we met."
"And if I choose you at the blood moon ritual? What happens then?"
His hand cupped my face, thumb tracing my lower lip. "Then we complete the bond. Your power joins with mine. The pact shifts in my favor."
"Giving you dominance over Jackson and Victor," I said, understanding at last.
"Yes." His honesty was stark. "Power I would use to protect what's mine—including you."
"And if I choose neither you nor Victor nor Jackson? If I break the pact entirely?"
Pain flickered across his features. "Then we lose what makes us more than ordinary werewolves. We become vulnerable—to hunters, to time itself."
"To my father," I realized.
"Yes." His eyes held mine. "But the choice must be yours, Elena. Freely given."
The intensity between us built, fed by moonlight and proximity and the bond that hummed with increasing strength. My newly awakened senses detected his desire—in his quickened heartbeat, the dilation of his pupils, the subtle change in his scent.
My body responded instinctively, leaning toward him like a flower seeking sun. "And if I choose you now? Tonight?"
His breath caught, desire flaring through our bond. "That would be separate from the ritual. Personal, not magical."
"Just us," I whispered. "No pacts, no rituals, no politics."
"Just us," he agreed, his voice rough with restraint.
I made my decision, reaching for him with hands that still bore traces of my wolf. His control snapped, arms pulling me against him as his mouth claimed mine in a kiss that was anything but gentle. I matched his intensity, my heightened senses making every touch, every taste exponentially more powerful.
We sank to the soft grass beside the pool, moonlight bathing our entwined forms. Clothing became an unwelcome barrier, discarded with growing urgency. When skin finally met skin, the sensation was overwhelming—electric, primal, perfect.
"Mine," he growled against my throat, teeth grazing the claiming bite that marked me as his.
"Prove it," I challenged, my wolf rising to meet his.
His eyes flashed blue, accepting the challenge. What followed was neither fully human nor fully wolf—a joining that transcended both, where control and surrender traded places with each heartbeat. My claws left marks on his back that healed almost instantly. His teeth found my claiming mark, renewing it with a bite that sent pleasure spiraling through me.
Under the watching moon, I surrendered not just to Damian but to my own nature—the dual heritage I'd denied for so long. Human and wolf, merged into something new, something powerful.
Afterward, wrapped in his arms beneath the stars, I felt a peace I hadn't experienced since waking in that blood-soaked wedding dress. For the first time, all parts of me were aligned—mind, body, and the newly awakened wolf.
"Three days until the blood moon," Damian murmured against my hair.
"Three days to decide the fate of three alphas," I replied, reality intruding on our momentary sanctuary.
His arms tightened around me. "Whatever you choose, Elena, know this—what happened between us tonight was real. Not manipulation, not magic. Just us."
I believed him. Despite everything—the secrets, the manipulations, the supernatural politics—what had grown between us was genuine. The question remaining was whether love alone was enough reason to grant one man dominance over others of his kind.
As if sensing my thoughts, Damian said quietly, "Power corrupts, Elena. Even me. Choose wisely."
The warning, coming from the very man who stood to gain the most from my choice, gave me pause. What kind of alpha admits the dangers of his own potential power?
Perhaps one worthy of receiving it.
