21. Kali

21

KALI

I zip up my sparkly top and give myself a final once-over in the mirror. My dark hair falls in soft waves around my shoulders, and a touch of smoky eyeshadow makes my brown eyes pop.

"You look hot," Luna says, appearing behind me. She's rocking a slinky blue dress that hugs her curves.

I grin. "So do you. Thanks for suggesting this, by the way. I need a night out."

Luna links her arm through mine. "That's what besties are for. Now let's go party!"

We head out of our apartment, the cool night air a refreshing change from being cooped up inside since Matias found me at the cafe, I've stayed at the apartment most of the time except for school. As we walk toward campus, the music and laughter grow louder.

"I'm a little nervous," I admit. "It's been so long since we've done anything normal."

Luna squeezes my hand. "Me too. But we deserve this, Kali. A chance to be regular college students again after the shit we went through."

I nod. "You're right. There's no heavy stuff tonight. It's just fun."

We reach the frat house pulsing with music and flashing lights. Luna smiles at the guy at the door, and we're waved inside.

The party is in full swing—a sea of dancing bodies and red solo cups everywhere. The bass thumps through my chest as we reach the drinks table.

"To freedom," Luna says, raising her cup.

I knock mine against hers. "To being normal boring students."

We down our drinks and hit the dance floor. For a blissful moment, I lose myself in the music. There's no cartel, no captivity, no complicated feelings—just me and my best friend dancing like nobody's watching.

I'm swaying to the music, feeling lighter than I have in months, when I spot a cute guy eyeing me from across the room. He's tall with tousled brown hair that falls over his eyes and a charming smile. Before I can overthink it, I flash him a flirtatious grin.

He makes his way over, introducing himself as Carter. We chat and laugh, the alcohol warming my veins and lowering my guard. Flirting with a cute college guy feels so normal and refreshingly ordinary.

But then I feel it—that prickle on the back of my neck. I scan the room, and my stomach drops. Matias is here, his dark eyes locked on me with predatory intensity .

Before I can react, he's striding over, his face a mask of barely contained rage. He grabs my arm roughly, yanking me away from Carter.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Matias snarls.

Carter steps forward, confusion and concern on his face. "Hey man, take it easy-"

Matias grabs Carter by the shirt and drags us out of the party. My heart races as we stumble into the cool night air and then into the shadows of the nearby woods.

"Matias, stop!" I plead, but he's not listening.

He throws Carter to the ground and starts raining down blows. Carter tries to defend himself, but he's no match for Matias's raw fury.

"She's mine," Matias growls between punches. "Don't you ever fucking touch her again!"

I watch in horror as Carter's face becomes a bloody mess. This has gone too far. I have to stop this before Matias kills him.

"Matias, please!" I grab his arm, trying to pull him back. "You're going to kill him! It's not his fault. I was the one flirting. Please, stop!"

I know I should be scared, but a part of me stirs when Matias turns his ferocious gaze on me. Carter crawls away, bloodied and battered, and I feel a rush of guilt. I shakily stand as Matias steps toward me, his eyes burning with unhinged desire.

"You belong to me," he snarls. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

I take a cautious step back, my heart hammering in my chest. "You can't just do this. We're not in Mexico anymore. People will hear, they'll see?—"

He grabs me by the waist and pulls me roughly against him, his lips crushing mine in a bruising kiss. I struggle at first, but it's not long before I respond to his touch with a treacherous spark of desire. His hands roam aggressively, claiming me as his own.

"You're right, we're not in Mexico," he says, his voice a low growl. "But you're still mine, and no one will take you from me."

His hands tighten on my hips, lifting me as if I weigh nothing. I release a startled cry, my heart pounding like a snare drum. Matias carries me deep into the woods surrounding the campus, the moon casting an eerie light on the path ahead.

I know what's coming. Matias sets me down beside a large oak tree and pushes me against it, his lips finding my neck. His hands move urgently, exploring, possessing.

"Matias, someone might see," I whisper, even as I angle my head to give him better access.

He chuckles darkly, his breath hot against my skin. "Let them watch, rabbit. Let them see what happens when someone tries to take what's mine."

I bite my lip as his fingers dig into my hips, his mouth trailing lower. Despite the wrongness of it all, I find myself arching into him, my body alive.

He stops abruptly and turns me to face him, his eyes feverish. "Run, Rabbit. Run as fast as you can."

Shit. Not this again.

I turn and sprint through the woods, branches scratching at my skin and tangling in my hair. Darting between trees, my breath comes in ragged gasps. But no matter how fast I run, I can't shake him.

A twig snaps behind me, and my heart leaps into my throat. I force my legs to move faster, my lungs burning with the effort.

But it's no use. I sense him closing in, a dark, relentless force of nature. I stumble, my foot catching on a root, and I go down hard, the air whooshing from my lungs.

"Running a little slow there, baby." Matias's voice is silken.

I scramble to my feet, fear spiking through me. I'm out of options, out of breath, and out of time.

A low branch catches my hair, tugging painfully as I try to run. The ground is uneven here, roots and rocks jutting like traps set out just for me. Suddenly, he strikes.

Matias's arms wrap around my waist, tackling me to the forest floor. I let out a startled cry, struggling against him.

"Stop fighting me," he grunts, his lips finding my neck. "You know you don't want to."

I should keep fighting—scream, kick, bite—but my body has a traitorous mind of its own. The more I struggle, the more I feel that spark igniting within me, that damnable desire that flares to life whenever he's near.

His mouth is everywhere, leaving a trail of fire along my skin. My protests weaken as he drowns me in pleasure and wrestles me into submission.

He drags me to my feet and backs me against a tree, his lips bruising mine in a savage kiss. Grabbing my thighs, he lifts me, and I wrap my legs around his waist. The kiss deepens, our tongues tangling in a frenzied dance.

I gasp for air as he tears his mouth from mine, trailing kisses down my throat. "You're mine, baby."

The night air is chill on my skin, but my body burns with a fever only he can satisfy. I'm keenly aware of the hardness of his cock pressed against me, and I grind my hips shamelessly, seeking friction.

A savage grin stretches his lips. "Eager little bunny."

He reaches between us, tearing at my panties with a roughness that sets me on edge. I whimper as he exposes me, the night breeze teasing my most sensitive spots.

Then his hands are on my ass, squeezing and kneading possessively. He pulls my hips back, the tip of his cock teasing my entrance.

"Say it," he growls.

"Say what?" I choke out, anticipation coiling tight in my belly.

"Say you're mine." He rubs his dick over my clit.

My voice comes out breathless and desperate. "I'm yours, Matias. Always."

He slams into me then, filling me so completely I can barely breathe. My head falls back against the rough tree bark, my fingers digging into his shoulders.

His thrusts are primal and savage. He claims me with a ferocity that should scare me, but I meet his urgency with my own, bucking my hips to take him deeper.

Matias buries his face in my neck, his breath hot and ragged. "Feel that? That's me marking you. Mating with you."

My body tightens around him. He groans, his fingers digging into my skin as he drives into me with relentless force.

"Fuck, you're close already. You've missed my dick, haven't you, baby?"

"Oh fuck," I moan, my nails raking down his back. My body sings with the fullness, the rightness of this primal mating.

"Good girl, come for me," he growls, his teeth sinking into my shoulder.

I shatter, crying out his name as my body convulses around him. My release triggers his. With a final, brutal thrust, he spills himself inside me with a roar of satisfaction.

He lowers me to the ground and nuzzles my neck. "Mine," he murmurs possessively.

I should feel ashamed. I should push him away and run back to the party, back to normalcy. But instead, I lean into his touch, into the darkness, my fingers tangling in his dark hair.

"Yours," I whisper, my voice thick with conflicting emotions. "Always."