Chapter Eight: Bound by the moon
The night air was thick with tension, and the moon above shone brighter than ever — full, bold, and unrelenting.
Faith sat in the corner of David’s private den, the oversized hoodie she wore doing little to stop the shivers that had nothing to do with the cold.
She wasn’t afraid.
Not of the dark.
Not of David.
But of the bond pulsing in her blood like a second heartbeat.
She could still feel his presence, lingering like heat long after he’d stepped away from her. That raw intensity in his eyes after he confronted Divine. The protective edge in his voice. The power that made even the most seasoned warriors step aside.
David hadn’t said much since then, but he didn’t need to. Everything about him — his rigid posture, his clenched jaw, the storm in his eyes — told her enough.
Faith wrapped her arms around her knees, watching him as he stood by the open balcony. He was shirtless again, his broad shoulders catching the glow of the moonlight. The muscles along his back shifted every time he moved, like a beast prowling just beneath the surface.
“Say something,” she said quietly.
David didn’t turn. “If I do, I might lose control.”
Her throat tightened. “Because of me?”
“Because of what’s building between us.” His voice was low, guttural, like it came from somewhere deeper than his chest. “The pull… it’s stronger under the full moon. Every instinct in me is howling to finish the bond.”
She stood, bare feet padding across the floor as she approached him from behind. “You’re holding back.”
“I have to.” He exhaled sharply. “If I touch you now, I won’t be able to stop — although I have touched you before.”
Faith stepped beside him, her gaze following his out into the woods. “You think I don’t feel it too?”
He looked at her then, and the fire in his eyes nearly made her stumble. There was hunger there — yes — but also something more. Something protective. Almost reverent.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said.
“You haven’t, not after our first.”
“You don’t know what I’m capable of when the beast takes over.”
She stared at him for a moment before reaching out, placing her palm on his chest directly over his heart.
“Then let me remind you who you are.”
David froze, his breath hitching under her touch.
“You told me the moon changes things,” she whispered. “That it brings clarity. So let me be clear too. I choose you. Not because fate decided. But because I did.”
His hand covered hers, large and trembling.
“I’ve never felt anything like this,” he said. “Not with Divine. Not with anyone.”
“You don’t have to be afraid of what’s between us.”
He gave her a long look before he finally spoke.
“I’m not afraid of the bond,” he said, voice low. “I’m afraid of what it’ll cost you.”
Before she could respond, the wind picked up, and in the distance, the first drop of rain hit the wooden railing of the balcony. Then another. Then more.
Faith stepped forward, letting the rain touch her face. She tilted her head to the sky, letting the cold droplets wash away the weight of the past few days. Behind her, David watched — silent, captivated.
She turned to him with a small smile. “Come on. Let’s stand in it.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”
“You need to feel something real right now. So do I.”
And to her surprise, he followed her into the storm.
The rain soaked through her hoodie within seconds, but she didn’t care. She laughed — truly laughed — for the first time since entering Rainfall territory. Her wolf stirred inside her, not with fear, but joy.
David watched her spin in the rain, dark hair plastered to her cheeks, lips parted in something like wonder.
She was radiant.
He stepped behind her slowly, wrapping his arms around her waist. His bare chest pressed to her back as the rain poured over them both.
“I’ve never done this before,” he said.
“Got soaked in the rain?”
“No,” he murmured, brushing his lips against her temple. “Trusted someone like this.”
Faith leaned into him. “You don’t have to say anything. I feel it.”
The rain masked everything else — the world, the tension, the threat of Divine’s fury. For a moment, it was just them and the moon and the bond threading itself silently between their souls.
David turned her in his arms, cradling her face in both hands. He kissed her — not with lust, but with purpose. It wasn’t urgent. It wasn’t frantic.
It was a vow.
When they broke apart, his forehead rested against hers.
“When the full moon crests,” he said softly, “our wolves will either reject the bond or seal it.”
“And if they seal it?”
His voice dropped to a whisper. “There’s no turning back.”
Faith nodded. “Then let it be done.”