Captive of The Beast Alpha: Drugging the CEO Was a Mistake.-Chapter 45: Naya: The cave of silence II

Gradually, I noticed the rain was lessening. The constant drumming grew quieter.

The rain continued its steady rhythm outside the cave. I focused on the sound, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

But I was very aware of Hansel pressed against me. His heat, his scent that smelt like something wild and earthy and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Suddenly, the rain stopped, going completely still as if someone had turned off a tap. Then light began to filter into the cave, slowly at first until it lit the entire cave in silver light.

I could see Hansel now. He was staring at me with those dark eyes, but they weren’t entirely dark anymore. There were flecks of gold in them, catching the moonlight.

"Hansel, your eyes—"

"I know," he said, his voice had gone rough. "The moon is rising."

Suddenly, a loud, piercing howl split the air, and instantly, it was answered by another long, fearful howl.

Soon, the air was filled with howls layered over one another, rising and falling like waves. It felt like the forest had come alive, and thousands of creatures were moving through the forest.

I tensed immediately, pressing closer to Hansel as fear crawled up my spine.

"Wh—what is that?" I stammered.

"Wolves!" Hansel said absent-mindedly, his brows drawn into a frown. "Don’t worry, I’m here."

I pressed closer to him without thinking, clutching his shirt with trembling fingers. My heart raced as the ground outside seemed to tremble, and the pounding of hoofs filled the air. Did wolves hunt at night?

At this point, I was practically climbing into his lap. My hands were fisting his shirt, and my face was buried against his shoulder.

He continued to speak soothing words to me as he stroked my hair. The sounds outside were overwhelming. It looked like I’d stumbled into an animal documentary in the making.

I looked up at Hansel, needing to see his face to boost my hope, and that was when I noticed his eyes. ’

They weren’t dark anymore. They glowed amber in the moonlight. I should have been cared for, but I couldn’t move.

The more I stared at him, the more I felt myself pulling closer to him like he had an invisible magnet drawing me to him with a force I couldn’t resist.

The sounds of the forest suddenly changed. I could hear everything. Not just the howling and the running. I could hear leaves rustling, branches creaking—the heartbeat of the forest itself, pulsing with life.

And underneath it all, I heard something else—a rhythm, a drumbeat that matched my own pulse coming from Hansel.

It was like the forest was singing. And somehow, I could understand the song.

"Naya," Hansel breathed. His voice sounded strained.

The pull grew stronger. My whole body felt hot despite the cold cave. Every nerve was alive and tingling. I couldn’t look away from his glowing eyes.

I felt like I was losing control. Like something was taking over, guiding my movements.

My hand lifted on its own, reaching for his face. My fingers traced his jaw, feeling the rough stubble there. His skin was burning hot under my touch.

"I don’t understand," I whispered. "What’s happening to me?"

"It’s our bond, Naya," Hansel said quietly, giving me a sad smile. "You’re my mate and master. They’re strange feelings right? I don’t even know where to begin. You’re human, but my Raze wants you so bad."

I didn’t know what that meant, but I could feel it as I stroked Hansel’s face. I could feel something pulsing underneath, and then the flashbacks began to come rapidly.

The incident in the pack house, the other incident near the ravine, and the beast that had saved me. My hand paused mid-stroke as they widened with recognition and said in the calmest voice ever.

"It was you at the ravine? You saved me?"

He smiled. "It was my Raze, practically, but yes. He sensed you were in danger, I guess. I woke up to see you lying next to me. I don’t remember anything."

Hansel’s hand came up to cover mine on his cheek as his eyes searched my face, glowing brighter now. There were tears in his eyes.

"For the first time in my life, Naya, I can control my Raze during a full moon. You’re my Veylar."

I smiled back (an action I would regret several days from now). "Yes, I am your Veylar."

The pull was unbearable now. Like gravity itself was trying to bring us together. I could feel his heartbeat in my chest and the forest breathing around us. I could feel everything and nothing all at once.

I moved without thinking, leaning into him as our lips met.

The world around us stopped.

Warmth spread through me, as pictures of Hansel and me running through the rose garden and other strange pictures flitted through my mind. Every sense in my body had magnified a thousand times.

I could taste moonlight on his lips and feel the wild heartbeat of the earth beneath us. The howling outside became sweet music, and the darkness became light.

Hansel’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer. His fingers tangled in my hair. The kiss deepened, and I heard myself make a sound—something between a gasp and a moan.

Everything felt right. Perfectly, impossibly right. Like I’d been searching for this my entire life without knowing it.

My hands fisted in his shirt. My body pressed against his. The heat between us was overwhelming and intoxicating, like I wanted this man to take me here.

When we finally broke apart, both breathing hard, I stared at him in shock.

Slowly, we broke apart, our gazes still trained on each other. We moved into a kneeling position facing each other, and slowly began to shed what was left of our clothing.

Hansel didn’t have many clothes on him. I peeled off my muddied joggers, tossing them to one corner of the cave. I undid the clasp on my bra before throwing it together with the shirt I was wearing.

We faced each other naked, and without saying another word, we lounged at ourselves at the same time.