The Unclaimed Luna

Mine to keep

(Emma)

I froze as Darius’s lips crushed against mine. His hold was firm, his hands cradling my face like I might break apart if he let go. For a moment, my mind blanked, lost in the intensity of the kiss. But then reality slammed into me.

This wasn’t right. This wasn’t what I wanted.

I pressed my hands against his chest, trying to push him away, but he didn’t budge. The anger that had been fuming in me all day boiled over. I shoved him harder, breaking the kiss and taking a step back.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snapped, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

He didn’t answer right away, his green eyes darkening as he watched me. “You didn’t leave me any choice.”

I scoffed. “No choice? That’s your excuse for forcing yourself on me? You can’t kiss me and expect it to fix everything, Darius. It doesn’t work like that.”

His jaw clenched, his hands falling to his sides. “You’re my mate, Emma. You can’t just walk away from me.”

I laughed bitterly, the sound harsh even to my ears. “Mate? Is that what I am to you? Because it sure as hell doesn’t feel like it. You don’t love me. You don’t even like me. I’m just the woman carrying your pup, and you only care because of that.”

“That’s not true,” he said, his voice low.

“Then prove me wrong!” I yelled, my frustration spilling over. “Tell me you love me. Tell me I mean something to you. Say it, Darius.”

He opened his mouth, but no words came out. The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. I shook my head, tears burning in my eyes. “That’s what I thought.”

“You don’t understand,” he said finally, his voice rough. “It’s not that simple.”

“Of course, it’s not simple,” I shot back. “But it’s not supposed to be this hard either. I deserve better than this, Darius. I deserve better than you.”

His eyes narrowed, his body tense. “You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do,” I said firmly. “I’ve tried. God, I’ve tried so hard to make this work, but you make it impossible. You don’t trust me. You don’t respect me. And you sure as hell don’t love me. So why should I stay?”

“Because you’re mine,” he snapped.

I flinched at the possessiveness in his tone. “I’m not a piece of property, Darius. I’m a person, and I get to decide what I do with my life. And I’m deciding to leave.”

“No,” he said, taking a step toward me.

I stepped back, putting more distance between us. “You can’t stop me. You might be Alpha, but you don’t own me. I, Emma Bradford, reject you, Darius Black as my mate.”

His eyes burned with frustration, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “It doesn’t work that way, Emma. I, Darius Black, reject your rejection.”

“Excuse me?” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. Feeling the bond between us again.

“You heard me,” he said, his voice hard. “You can reject me all you want, but it doesn’t matter unless I accept it. And I won’t.”

The audacity of his words left me speechless for a moment. “You think you can control me? That you can just decide how this goes? That’s not how this works, Darius!”

“It is,” he said stubbornly. “You’re my mate. That bond doesn’t just disappear because you want it to.”

I shook my head as shock coursed through me. “You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t about the bond. This is about us. And there is no us, Darius. There never was.”

He flinched as my words had physically hit him. “That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it?” I challenged. “Tell me one time you’ve treated me like your mate, like someone you care about. Just one.”

He didn’t answer, and the silence was deafening. I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. “That’s what I thought.”

“I’m trying,” he said suddenly, his voice quiet.

I froze, caught off guard by his words. “What?”

“I’m trying,” he repeated, his gaze meeting mine. “I know I’ve screwed up. I know I’ve hurt you. But I’m trying to fix it.”

“Trying isn’t enough,” I said, my voice breaking. “Not anymore. I need more than that, Darius. I need someone who loves me, who chooses me. And that’s not you.”

“You don’t know what I feel,” he said, his voice rough.

“Because you won’t tell me!” I yelled, tears streaming down my face. “You shut me out, Darius. You push me away, and then you expect me to just stay and take it. Well, I won’t. I can’t.”

“You’re not leaving,” he said again, his tone final.

“Watch me,” I snapped, turning toward the door.

Before I could take a step, he grabbed my arm, pulling me back. “Don’t do this, Emma.”

“Let me go,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Not until you listen to me,” he said, his grip firm but not painful. “I know I’ve made mistakes. I know I’ve hurt you. But I’m not giving up on us. I can’t.”

“There is no us,” I said, my voice trembling.

“There could be,” he said softly.

I looked up at him, searching his eyes for any sign of sincerity. But all I saw was desperation. “You don’t mean that,” I said quietly.

“Yes, I do,” he said. “You and the pup—you’re my family. I’m not going to lose you.”

“It’s too late,” I said, my heart breaking. “You already have.”

He shook his head, his grip tightening. “No. I won’t let you go, Emma. I can’t.”

“You don’t have a choice,” I said, pulling my arm free. “I’m leaving, Darius. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

His eyes darkened, his expression hardening. “We’ll see about that.”

The threat in his tone sent a shiver down my spine, but I refused to back down. “You can’t control me,” I said firmly.

“Maybe not,” he said, his voice low. “But I can make sure you don’t leave.”

My heart pounded as his words sank in. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying you’re not going anywhere,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine. “Not now. Not ever.”

A chill ran through me at the finality in his voice. “You can’t keep me here, Darius.”

“Try me,” he said, a dangerous edge to his tone.

For a moment, neither of us moved, the tension between us thick and suffocating. Then, without another word, I turned and stormed toward the door.

I reached for the handle, but before I could open it, his voice stopped me cold.

“If you walk out that door, Emma, you’ll regret it.”

I froze, my hand hanging over the handle. Slowly, I turned to face him, my heart racing. “Is that a threat?”

He didn’t answer, but the look in his eyes said it all.

For the first time, I realized just how far he was willing to go to keep me here. And it terrified me.