The lake water drips from my naked skin as I emerge, every droplet catching the moonlight like liquid silver. Knox stands frozen at the water's edge, his tall frame silhouetted against the star-scattered sky. Even in the dim light, I can see the way his jaw clenches, the rigid tension in his shoulders that screams barely-contained fury.

"What the hell are you doing out here this late?" His voice cuts through the night air like a blade, sharp with worry. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

My heart hammers against my ribs as panic floods my system. Think, Aubrey. Think. There's no plausible explanation for being in forbidden territory at midnight, naked and alone. I can't tell him about Jax's message or my desperate search through the Ancient Heart for evidence that apparently wasn't there.

Knox's green eyes burn into mine, and I know he won't accept weak lies. The concern etched across his features is shifting into something more determined - he's not going to let this go until he understands what's wrong.

But then I notice something else—the way his gaze drops to my bare skin despite his anger, how his breathing changes when moonlight illuminates the curve of my breasts. Even furious and suspicious, his body responds to the sight of his mate. The mate bond pulls at him like gravity, and suddenly, I know exactly how to escape this interrogation.

I hate myself for what I'm about to do.

"I needed to get away," I whisper, moving closer to where he stands on the rocky shore. Water streams down my legs, pooling at my feet as I use my nakedness as a weapon. "Clear my head. The nightmares, the ceremony preparations—everything felt suffocating."

Knox's eyes narrow, clearly not buying the explanation. "So you decided to take a midnight swim naked in forbidden territory? Aubrey, this area is off-limits for a reason."

"I know," I say softly, taking another step toward him. Close enough now that his scent—cedar and storm rain—mingles with the lake's mineral tang. "I wasn't thinking clearly. I just... I needed to feel free for a moment."

His gaze flickers between my face and my body, suspicion warring with desire as the mate bond wreaks havoc on his self-control. I can see the exact moment his resolve begins to crack, the way his pupils dilate as I move even closer.

"Aubrey," he says, my name rough on his tongue. "You can't just disappear like that. Especially not to come here alone."

"I'm sorry," I breathe, closing the last bit of distance between us. My wet skin presses against his clothed chest, soaking through the fabric of his shirt. The contact sends sparks racing through every nerve ending, the mate bond singing with satisfaction at our proximity. Even knowing what I'm doing—how I'm manipulating him—my body responds with shameful hunger.

Knox's hands come up automatically to steady me, his palms burning against my chilled skin. The contact is electric, sending shockwaves through my system that have nothing to do with the cold. I can feel his pulse racing beneath my fingertips where they rest against his chest, matching the wild rhythm of my own heart.

"Jesus, you're freezing," he mutters, but his hands don't move away. Instead, they slide up my arms, generating friction and heat that makes me shiver for entirely different reasons. The warmth of his touch spreads through me like liquid fire, chasing away the lake's chill and replacing it with something far more dangerous.

"Does it matter?" I breathe, letting my vulnerability show. "You found me." I whisper, tilting my face up toward his. This close, I can see the gold flecks in his green eyes, the way his jaw works as he fights against what he wants to do. His breath ghosts across my lips, warm and inviting.

Part of him knows something's off about my explanation. I can see it in the way he studies my face, searching for tells, for cracks in my story. But the mate bond is a powerful thing, and right now I'm using every weapon in my arsenal to cloud his judgment.

My hands flatten against his chest, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his breathing. Through the damp fabric of his shirt, I can trace the defined muscles I've memorized. When my fingers find the buttons, he doesn't stop me.

"Knox," I breathe, letting vulnerability creep into my voice as I work the first button free. "I'm sorry, I scared you." The apology seems to shatter what's left of his resistance.

His mouth crashes down on mine with desperate hunger, all questions temporarily forgotten in the face of primal need. I respond with equal fervor, hating myself even as I lose myself in the sensation of his lips moving against mine.

Knox's hands roam my wet skin with reverent desperation, fingers tracing patterns of fire along my spine, my ribs, the curve of my waist. Every touch sends electricity crackling through my nervous system. When his palms cup my face, thumbs brushing across my cheekbones with devastating tenderness, I nearly break apart from the sheer intensity of sensation.

"You drive me insane," he murmurs against my lips, his voice rough with desire and frustration. "Disappearing like that... I thought I'd lost you."

The raw emotion in his voice makes guilt twist in my stomach, but then his mouth finds the sensitive spot just below my ear, and coherent thought becomes impossible. His teeth graze my skin, just enough pressure to make me gasp, before his tongue soothes the sting. The combination of pain and pleasure sends heat pooling between my thighs.

When he lifts me easily, my legs automatically wrap around his waist, pulling us closer together. I can feel the evidence of his arousal against me, hard and demanding, making my core clench with want. He carries me to a soft patch of moss beneath the trees, laying me down with a gentleness that contrasts sharply with the hunger burning in his eyes.

"Mine," he growls, the word vibrating against my throat as he maps every inch of my skin with his mouth. "You're mine, Aubrey. Don't ever disappear on me like that again."

The possessive declaration should feel like chains, but instead, it sends liquid fire racing through my veins. When his lips find my collarbone, pressing open-mouthed kisses along the delicate line, I arch beneath him with a soft cry that echoes through the sacred grove.

Knox takes his time, worshipping my body with a devotion that feels almost religious. His hands and mouth work in perfect synchrony, driving me to the edge of madness with skillful precision. Every caress feels like both salvation and damnation, pleasure so intense it borders on pain.

"This is wrong," Aria whispers in my mind, her voice thick with shame. "Using our bond like this—it's a betrayal of everything sacred."

But I silence her, pushing her voice away as Knox's touch sets my very soul on fire. His fingers trace patterns of ownership across my skin, mapping territory that belongs entirely to him, whether I want to admit it or not. When his mouth follows the path his hands have blazed, I lose myself completely in sensation.

The mate bond amplifies everything—every touch, every kiss, every whispered endearment feels magnified beyond reason. By the time he thrust into me, moving with a tenderness that makes my heart ache, I forget everything except the feeling of being whole.