The Beast Tamer's Awakening: Amaya and the White Tiger King-Chapter 13: The Pull Between Them

The Lunar Sanctuary was silent, save for the soft ripple of the Moonwell. Moonlight glowed faintly across the surface of the water, casting pale silver highlights across Leo’s hair and the sleeping girl in his arms.

Amaya breathed softly against his chest, her body still weak from the surge of power she’d unleashed. Leo held her as if she were something fragile and irreplaceable because to him, she was.

He should have laid her down on the smooth stone bedding near the Moonwell.

He should have stepped away.

Given her space.

But his arms refused to let go.

His instincts wouldn’t let him.

The beast inside him wild, ancient, territorial growled softly whenever he tried to loosen his hold.

Keep her close.

Don’t leave her.

She’s yours to protect.

Leo clenched his teeth, trying to drown out the instinctual whispers.

"She’s not mine," he murmured to himself.

But his heart knew he was lying.

Amaya shifted slightly, fingers brushing his chest unconsciously. His breath hitched. His tail tightened protectively around her waist before he even realized what he was doing.

He cursed under his breath.

This wasn’t just instinct.

This was something deeper.

Older.

Dangerous.

He carefully laid Amaya down, but the moment her warmth left his arms, he felt cold seep into his bones.

He stood and raked a hand through his hair. His reflection in the glowing pool looked nothing like the calm, composed White Tiger King he projected to the world. His eyes glowed faint gold uncontrolled. His stripes shimmered faintly beneath his skin.

A sign of an awakening bond.

No.

No, this couldn’t happen.

Not now.

Not when the Shadow Priestess was hunting Amaya.

Not when Amaya herself was struggling to understand her own power.

Not when he was supposed to be her protector, not her burden.

Leo turned away from the water.

But Amaya’s voice sliced through the quiet.

"Leo...?"

He froze.

She had pushed herself up a little, hair tumbling around her shoulders, eyes hazy with exhaustion but seeking him immediately.

Always looking for him.

Always trusting him.

"Leo... where did you go?"

His heart clenched painfully.

"I’m here," he said, and stepped back toward her.

She relaxed the moment he was close. "You left for a second. I... didn’t like it."

Leo swallowed.

Hard.

"That’s because you’re still recovering," he said, kneeling beside her. "Your senses are oversensitive. You feel everything more intensely."

She shook her head weakly. "No. It’s not that."

Her gaze softened too soft.

Too honest.

"It’s you."

Leo felt heat surge to his face embarrassing, considering how rarely he ever lost control of his emotions.

He looked away immediately. "Amaya..."

She reached out and grasped his hand.

Heat shot through him like lightning.

He stiffened.

"Don’t pull away," she whispered.

Leo turned his face toward her slowly.

She was watching him with a small, fragile smile. One that told him she remembered everything every moment he held her, every time he shielded her, the kiss, the way he trembled in fear when she collapsed.

"Why are you acting like you’re afraid to touch me?" she asked quietly.

Leo’s throat felt tight. "Because I am."

Amaya blinked. "Why?"

He stared at their hands, at the way her smaller fingers curled around his.

"Because if I touch you too much..." His voice dropped. "I won’t be able to stop."

Her cheeks flushed. "Leo..."

He gently pulled his hand free before he did something he couldn’t take back, but Amaya caught his wrist instead.

"I’m not afraid of you." Her voice was steady. Confident. "And I don’t want you to hold back."

Leo let out a slow, shaky breath. "If you knew how hard it is how much I want" He shut his mouth before he said too much.

Amaya tilted her head. "How much you want... what?"

He didn’t answer.

Because if he did, he wouldn’t be able to stop.

But Amaya lifted her other hand, placing it over his heart. Her palm was warm. His heartbeat immediately jumped beneath her touch.

"You saved me," she whispered. "You carried me here. You stayed with me when I was scared. You didn’t leave even when you could have."

He tried to pull back again.

She held on tighter.

"Leo... I don’t want distance between us."

Leo stared at her, breath caught in his throat.

"You’re too important to me," she said softly.

That broke him.

He grabbed her hand and pressed it harder against his heart, squeezing his eyes shut as emotion surged through him.

"Amaya, don’t say things like that," he whispered, voice cracked with longing. "I don’t know how to control myself when you talk like that."

She blinked. "Control...?"

Leo exhaled shakily and leaned toward her, foreheads nearly touching.

"You don’t understand," he breathed. "When you’re near me... I can barely hold myself back."

Amaya’s lips parted.

His scent enveloped her warm, wild, comforting.

"Hold yourself back from what?" she whispered.

He opened his eyes.

Slowly.

Painfully.

Wanting her.

"From wanting you," he said, voice low and rough. "From reaching for you. From claiming you. From losing myself completely."

She inhaled sharply.

Her heart beat faster he could hear it, feel it.

It matched his.

"Leo..." she breathed.

He reached out slowly, brushing a strand of hair from her face with trembling fingers. He didn’t realize his hand lingered until he felt her lean into the touch.

Her eyes softened.

He swallowed.

"You don’t know what you’re doing to me," he whispered.

"I think I do," she whispered back.

His breath caught.

Her hand slid up to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing just under his glowing eye.

The beast inside him practically roared in approval.

He lowered his head slowly painfully slowly drawn to her like gravity.

Their lips hovered inches apart.

Her breath mingled with his.

Her eyes fluttered.

"Leo..." she whispered.

He almost kissed her.

Almost.

But something stopped him at the very last second.

He pulled back sharply.

Amaya blinked, startled. "Leo?"

His chest rose and fell heavily, as if he’d just fought a losing battle.

"We can’t," he said, voice rough. "Not while you’re vulnerable. Not while you’re still discovering who you are. Not with danger hunting you at every turn."

Her heart sank.

"Is that the only reason?" she whispered. "Because of danger?"

He met her gaze.

And for the first time, she saw real fear in his eyes.

"Amaya... I’m afraid I won’t be able to let you go once I cross that line."

Her breath caught.

He looked away, jaw clenched. "Beastlords don’t love lightly. We don’t bond lightly. When we choose someone, we choose them with everything. Our soul, our instinct, our life."

He touched his chest.

"It would tie me to you. Permanently."

Amaya’s heartbeat thundered.

"And if I bonded with you," Leo continued softly, "I would kill anything that tried to take you away. And I don’t know if that’s fair to you."

Her eyes softened.

Slowly, she took his hand again.

"It’s my choice too, Leo."

He froze.

She moved closer, leaning her forehead against his. "You’re not the only one who feels this."

He inhaled sharply, breath trembling.

"Amaya..."

"You don’t have to protect me from your feelings."

Her fingers slid into his.

"You’re the one I trust most."

Leo’s tail curled around her automatically protective, tender, instinctual.

He cursed softly under his breath. "Amaya... don’t say that..."

But he didn’t pull away.

He couldn’t.

His heart was too full, too raw.

And she kept looking at him like he was something good.

Something worthy.

Something she wanted.

It destroyed him.

He lifted her chin gently with one hand, tilting her face up toward his.

His voice dropped to a reverent whisper.

"You have no idea how much I want you."

Amaya’s breath shook.

"Then stop running," she whispered.

Silence.

Thick.

Heavy.

Electric.

Leo exhaled painfully and pressed his forehead to hers again closer this time, their noses brushing, breaths mingling.

He didn’t kiss her.

Not fully.

But he brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth soft, trembling, barely a touch, but enough to make her gasp.

A promise.

A warning.

A confession.

He pulled back slowly, eyes glowing bright gold.

"Not tonight," he whispered. "But soon."

Amaya shivered.

And Leo stood reluctantly, forcing himself to put space between them.

"Rest," he commanded gently, though his voice shook. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

She lay back down slowly, eyes never leaving him.

And Leo sat beside her through the whole night, guarding her, watching her, loving her in silence.

He didn’t sleep once.

Not because he couldn’t.

But because he was afraid.

Afraid that if he closed his eyes even for a moment...

She would disappear.

---

Far away, the Shadow Priestess watched droplets of moonlight fall from the Sanctuary’s dome.

Her lips curled into a sharp, knowing smile.

"The bond is forming already," she whispered.

She tapped a finger against her lips.

"Good."

Because it meant the heir’s power would grow even faster.

And faster meant—

The seal would break sooner.

To be continued

END OF Chapter 13