His Fated Omega Burned It Down

His teeth grazed the exact spot where his mark used to be, and my entire body lit up like a circuit reconnecting after two years of dead air.

I arched beneath him, my fingers digging into the muscles of his shoulders as Ryker's mouth moved against my throat. The sensation was electric, primal—every nerve ending singing with recognition. My wolf purred deep in my chest, finally home after what felt like an eternity of emptiness.

"You're mine," he growled against my skin, his voice rough with possession and something darker I couldn't name. "Always mine, Wren."

The words sent heat spiraling through me, but there was something in his tone—a desperation that made my heart skip. His hands mapped my body like he was memorizing every curve, every hollow, pressing bruises into my hips that would fade by morning but felt permanent in this moment.

I tried to speak, to ask him what was wrong, but his mouth claimed mine again. The kiss was hungry, almost violent in its intensity. Pine and leather flooded my senses—his scent stronger than I'd ever experienced it, as if his Alpha was fighting to break free of whatever control he usually maintained.

"Ryker," I gasped when he finally let me breathe, my voice barely a whisper. "What's—"

He silenced me by rolling us over, his weight settling between my thighs. The moonlight streaming through the window cast silver shadows across his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw and the way his eyes had shifted from their usual warm brown to that predatory gold.

Every touch burned. His fingers traced the mate mark at my throat—the one he'd given me six months ago in a moment of pure instinct during my heat. But tonight, his touch wasn't reverent. It was possessive, almost painful, like he was trying to press it deeper into my skin.

"Mine," he repeated, and this time it sounded like a prayer and a curse wrapped into one.

I surrendered to him completely, my Omega instincts singing as he moved above me. But even as pleasure built between us, that nagging voice in the back of my mind whispered that something was wrong. The way he looked at me—it wasn't like he was seeing me. It was like he was trying to burn the sight of me into his memory.

When release finally crashed over us both, I collapsed against his chest, breathing hard. The room smelled like us—pine and leather mixed with my white tea scent, creating something that was uniquely ours. Something that should have felt like home.

Instead, it felt like goodbye.

I traced lazy patterns across his collarbone, my fingers following the strong line of muscle. "You prepared for tomorrow?" I asked softly, pressing a kiss to his throat. "The whole pack will be watching when we complete the Mating Moon ceremony."

Ryker's body went rigid beneath me. I felt his heartbeat spike, the steady rhythm I'd been listening to suddenly erratic. For a moment, his