My fingers tug at his shirt, the fabric tearing under my grip, and I feel Eric’s hands on my shoulders, his lips moving lower, trailing fire across my skin. It’s raw, consuming, the kind of heat that could burn this whole pack house down. 

I want more—more of Rick, more of Eric, more of this bond that makes us whole, even without her.

“What the hell are you guys doing?” a voice snaps, sharp and raw, cutting through the haze.

I freeze, my lips still on Rick’s, my hands gripping his hair. I turn my head, slow and deliberate, and there she is—Lia, standing in the doorway, her eyes wide with shock, her face a storm of fury and something else, something that makes my wolf howl. 

My smirk widens, slow and deliberate, as I meet her gaze, letting her see every bit of the monster she hates.

### Chapter 19: Defiance in the Dark 🐺🔥🌙


I watch Rick walk away, his present fading into the shadows of the pack house, his shoulders slumped like he's carrying my defiance as a weight. 


My heart pounds, the knife in my hand trembling as I turn to face Dorian, his smirk creeping across his face like a predator stalking prey. 


The moonlight slices through the trees, creating a jagged lighted shadows on the ground, making his eyes glint with something cold, something cruel. 


The air felt filled with the scent of my own fear, but I shove it down, gripping the knife tighter, my resolve hardening like steel.


He takes a step closer, his boots crunching on the dirt, his voice low, mocking. "When will you give up, Lia?"


I yell, my voice raw, cutting through the night. "Stay back, Dorian!"


He tilts his head, his gaze creepy, like he's savoring my anger, his voice dripping with disdain. "Give up? You think you can keep running forever?"


Chapter 20 - chapter 19