My body reacted before my mind could catch up.
Shadows exploded from my skin, surging toward Marcus's blade like a wall of living darkness. His silver weapon hissed on contact, cutting through my defense, but slowing just enough for Valen to move.
And fuck, did he move.
One moment he was beside me, the next he had Marcus by the throat, slamming him against the wall with enough force to crack the plaster. The silver blade clattered to the floor.
"I told you not to come here," Valen growled, his voice barely human. His forearm pressed against Marcus's windpipe.
Marcus's eyes bulged, but he managed a strangled laugh. "You're... betraying... everything."
Pain ripped through me again, driving me to my knees. Without Valen's touch, my shadows were going wild, lashing at the walls, the furniture, anything they could reach. I could feel them tearing at my insides too, desperate for an anchor.
"Valen," I gasped, hating the weakness in my voice. "I can't—"
He glanced back at me, and something in his face shifted. Concern. Hunger. Decision.
"Fuck," he muttered, then drove his fist into Marcus's temple with brutal precision.
The hunter's eyes rolled back, and he slumped to the floor. Not dead. Just unconscious.
Valen was at my side in an instant, his hands on my face, my neck, my arms. The moment his skin touched mine, relief flooded through me. My shadows calmed, wrapping around his wrists like needy pets.
"I've got you," he murmured, pulling me against his chest.
His heartbeat thundered under my ear. Strong. Steady. Alive in a way I hadn't felt in months.
"We don't have much time," he said, his voice tight with urgency. "The Council will have sent others."
"What the fuck is happening?" I managed to ask, clinging to him as another wave of pain receded.
His fingers stroked through my hair, an oddly tender gesture from a man who'd just knocked someone unconscious with his bare hands. "Your shadows are choosing me. Fighting it is killing you."
"And the Council?"
"Wants to drain your power and add it to their collection." His voice hardened. "They've been hunting shadow walkers for centuries."
"For what?"
"Power. Control." His hand tightened in my hair. "The usual shit men want."
Another surge of pain made me gasp. My vision darkened at the edges.
"Kai," Valen said, his voice suddenly urgent. "We need to start the binding now or you won't make it through the night."
I tried to focus on his face through the haze of pain. "What exactly does that involve?"
His eyes met mine, pupils dilated with something that wasn't just concern. "Blood. Sex. Complete surrender."
My cock twitched at his words, responding even through the agony. Fucking traitor.
"And after?"
"If it works, you live. Your shadows stabilize. And we're connected."
"Connected how?"
His thumb brushed my lower lip, sending a shiver through me that wasn't entirely pain. "In every way that matters."
Before I could respond, the sound of car engines rumbled in the distance.
"Shit," Valen hissed, rising and pulling me to my feet. "We're out of time."
He dragged me toward the back of the cabin, down a hallway to a bedroom. Inside, he slammed the door and locked it, then moved to a bookcase against the far wall. With practiced efficiency, he pulled on three books in sequence, and the entire case slid aside, revealing a hidden passage.
"Underground bunker," he explained, propelling me forward. "Warded against everything I could think of."
We descended a narrow staircase, the walls rough-hewn stone that gleamed with embedded sigils. At the bottom, a heavy metal door stood sealed with more arcane markings.
Valen pressed his palm to a central sigil. It flared with blue light, and the door swung open.
The space beyond was unexpected—warm, almost luxurious. A large bed dominated one side of the room, covered in dark blue sheets. The other held weapons, books, and what looked like medical supplies. A survival space designed for long stays.
"You were prepared," I observed, leaning against the wall as another wave of pain hit, less intense this time with Valen so close.
"I've been tracking you for months." He sealed the door behind us, the lock engaging with a heavy thunk. "I knew what was happening to you before you did."
That should have pissed me off. Instead, I found myself oddly comforted. At least one of us knew what the fuck was going on.
"Why?" I asked, watching as he moved around the space, lighting candles, gathering supplies. "Why save me instead of killing me?"
He paused, his back to me. "Because you're the last." His voice was quiet. "The last pure-blooded shadow walker. And because when I first saw you six months ago, something in me recognized something in you."
He turned, and the raw honesty in his eyes hit me harder than any physical blow.
"I've spent my life hunting your kind," he continued. "But I've never wanted to save one before."
Footsteps sounded overhead, muffled by the layers of earth and stone between us and the cabin.
"They're here," he said unnecessarily.
I nodded, another spike of pain making me grimace. "So what now?"
Valen approached, stopping just inches from me. "Now you decide. Full commitment to the binding, or..." He let the alternative hang between us.
Death. That was the alternative.
"The binding," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Show me what to do."
Relief flashed across his face before he masked it with determination. "Take off your clothes."
I raised an eyebrow despite the pain. "Moving a bit fast, aren't we?"
His mouth twitched, almost a smile. "The sigils need to be drawn on bare skin. But yes, eventually we'll fuck. That's part of it too."
Heat pooled in my groin, my cock hardening at the casual way he said it. Like it was inevitable. Like he'd already claimed me.
"Fine," I muttered, pulling my t-shirt over my head.
I heard his sharp intake of breath and looked down. The shadow markings had spread across my chest, dark veins branching out from my heart like a twisted tree. They pulsed with my heartbeat, beautiful and terrifying.
"How long?" Valen asked, his voice tight.
"A week for these," I admitted, tracing one line that curved around my ribs. "They're spreading faster now."
His eyes darkened. "Finish undressing."
I kicked off my shoes and socks, then unbuttoned my jeans. I hesitated for just a moment before pushing them down along with my underwear. My cock sprang free, already half-hard despite everything. I stepped out of the pooled fabric, standing naked before my sworn enemy.
Valen's gaze traveled slowly over my body, lingering on the shadows that curled around my hips, my thighs, and especially on my cock, which twitched under his scrutiny.
"Your power is beautiful," he said softly, and I wasn't prepared for how those words would affect me.
No one had ever called my darkness beautiful before.
He moved away, retrieving a small wooden box from a shelf. From it, he withdrew a silver knife with strange symbols etched into the blade. The sight of it should have alarmed me, but the pain was building again, making it hard to focus on anything but survival.
"Lie on the bed," he instructed, his voice gentle but leaving no room for argument.
I obeyed, the soft sheets cool against my overheated skin. My shadows reached out, touching the fabric, searching for something.
Searching for him.
Valen shed his jacket, then his shirt, revealing a torso covered in scars and tattoos. Ritual markings, protective sigils, and battle wounds—a map of his life as a hunter. He kept his pants on as he approached the bed, the knife gleaming in his hand.
"This will hurt," he warned, sitting beside me. "But it's nothing compared to what you're already feeling."
"Just do it," I gritted out as another wave of pain crested.
He nodded, then pressed the flat of the blade against my chest. It burned like ice, making me hiss.
"Silver purifies," he explained, drawing the blade down to my stomach in a straight line. "It cleanses the corruption before we bind."
Then he turned the knife, and the sharp edge bit into my skin just below my collarbone. I gasped as blood welled up, bright red against my pale skin.
"Blood to blood," Valen murmured, setting the knife aside.
Without hesitation, he dragged his thumb through my blood, then brought it to his mouth and sucked it clean.
"Fuck," I whispered, my cock hardening fully at the sight.
Something changed in the air between us—heavier, charged with more than just the pain of my condition. My shadows responded, reaching toward him with renewed purpose.
Valen picked up the knife again and made a similar cut on his own chest. "Your turn."
I understood. Blood to blood. I reached up with a shaking hand and touched his wound, gathering his blood on my fingers. It was warmer than I expected, almost hot. When I brought it to my mouth, the taste exploded on my tongue—copper and power and something else, something uniquely him.
The moment I swallowed, a shock ran through my entire body. My back arched off the bed, a cry tearing from my throat that was equal parts agony and ecstasy. My shadows erupted, surrounding us both in a cocoon of darkness.
"That's it," Valen encouraged, his voice rough. "Let it happen."
He placed his palm over the cut on my chest, and I did the same to his. Our blood mingled, and with each heartbeat, I felt something new forming between us—a bridge, a bond, a tether.
"The first step is complete," he said, his eyes now glowing faintly blue in the darkness of my shadows. "How do you feel?"
I took stock of my body. The pain had receded to a dull ache, but in its place was a different kind of need—sharper, more focused, centered lower in my body.
"Better," I admitted. "But still... fuck, I need something."
Valen's smile was knowing. "The blood binding eases the symptoms, but the shadows need more. They need to be claimed."
His hand trailed down my chest, over my stomach, stopping just shy of my cock, which was now fully hard and leaking pre-come onto my stomach.
"This is the part where you surrender," he said, his voice dropping to a tone that made my entire body shiver with anticipation.
"And if I don't want to?" I challenged, even as my hips shifted, trying to make contact with his hand.
His eyes met mine, serious despite the desire evident in them. "Then the binding fails. The blood ritual buys you time—days, maybe a week—but eventually, the shadows will consume you."
"And if I do surrender?"
"Then I claim you. All of you." His fingers finally brushed my cock, a feather-light touch that made me gasp. "Your body. Your shadows. Everything."
I should have been repulsed by the idea. Should have fought against it with every fiber of my being. I was Kai Chen, one of the most powerful shadow walkers alive. I bowed to no one.
But as his fingers wrapped around my length, as pleasure shot through me like lightning, all I could think was yes.
"Do it," I rasped. "Claim me. Make it stop."
Something fierce and triumphant flashed in his eyes. "Say it properly, Kai. I need to hear the words."
I knew what he wanted. The ultimate submission. My pride warred with my survival instinct, with the growing need coiling in my gut.
Another surge of pain made the decision for me.
"I surrender," I said, the words burning my throat. "My shadows. My body. Take it. Take me."
Valen's control seemed to snap. He surged forward, claiming my mouth in a kiss that was more possession than affection. His tongue pushed past my lips, tasting me, owning me. I yielded, letting him take what he wanted, and found myself responding with equal hunger.
When he pulled back, his eyes were nearly black with desire. "Mine," he growled.
"Prove it," I challenged, my last act of defiance.
He stood, removing his remaining clothes with efficient movements. When he was finally naked, I couldn't help but stare. His body was a weapon—honed, scarred, powerful. And his cock... fuck. Thick and long, already fully hard, curving slightly upward.
He returned to the bed, positioning himself between my spread legs. "Last chance to back out," he said, but we both knew I was past the point of no return.
"Just fucking do it," I growled.
Instead of answering, he leaned down and took my cock into his mouth.
"Shit!" I cried out, my back arching off the bed.
The wet heat of his mouth was overwhelming, made more intense by whatever was happening between us. My shadows swirled around us, caressing his skin, reaching for every part of him they could touch.
He worked me with devastating skill, his tongue swirling around the head before he took me deep again. One of his hands wrapped around the base, the other pressed firmly on my hip, holding me down.
I was close embarrassingly fast, the pleasure building like a storm. "Valen, fuck, I'm going to—"
He pulled off with a wet pop, his hand squeezing the base of my cock. "Not yet. The claiming isn't complete."
From somewhere beside the bed, he produced a small vial of oil. He coated his fingers liberally, then moved his hand between my legs.
"I've never—" I started, then cut myself off, unwilling to admit my inexperience.
But he knew. "I'll be careful," he promised, his voice gentler than I'd ever heard it. "But this is necessary for the binding."
The first press of his finger against my entrance made me tense. "Relax," he murmured, his other hand stroking my thigh. "Let me in."
I forced myself to breathe, to relax, and his finger slipped inside. The sensation was strange, intrusive, but not painful. He worked me slowly, adding a second finger when I was ready, stretching me with careful patience I wouldn't have expected from a man like him.
When his fingers curled and hit something inside me, pleasure shot up my spine like fire. "Fuck!" I gasped, my cock jerking against my stomach.
"There it is," Valen said, satisfaction evident in his voice. He struck that spot again, and again, until I was writhing beneath him, all pride forgotten.
"Please," I begged, not caring how I sounded. "I need—"
"What do you need, Kai?" His fingers continued their relentless assault on that spot inside me. "Tell me."
"You," I gasped. "Inside me. Fuck me. Please."
The raw need in my voice seemed to break the last of his restraint. He withdrew his fingers, positioned himself at my entrance, and began to push inside.
The stretch was intense, burning despite his preparation. I groaned, my body fighting the intrusion even as my shadows welcomed him, wrapping around his hips, urging him deeper.
"So tight," he hissed, his control visibly slipping. "So perfect."
Inch by inch, he filled me, until he was fully seated inside. We both paused, breathing hard, adjusting to the overwhelming sensation.
"Move," I finally demanded, unable to stand the stillness.
He obeyed, drawing out slowly before pushing back in. Each stroke grew more confident, more powerful, until he was fucking me with abandon. The pain had transformed completely into pleasure, each thrust striking that spot inside me that made stars explode behind my eyes.
My shadows went wild, engulfing us both, caressing every inch of skin they could reach. I felt them enter Valen too, through his mouth, his nose, his very pores—merging with whatever power lived inside him.
"Kai," he groaned, his rhythm faltering. "I feel you everywhere."
I knew what he meant. The boundaries between us were dissolving. I could feel his pleasure as he felt mine, a feedback loop of sensation that intensified with each thrust.
"Valen," I gasped, as my orgasm built. "Something's happening—"
"Let it," he commanded, driving into me harder. "Let go. Give in."
My shadows condensed around us, growing darker, more solid. They seemed to sink into both our skins, binding us together in a way that transcended the physical.
"I'm close," I warned, my cock throbbing between us, untouched but leaking steadily.
"Come for me," Valen demanded, his voice rough with exertion. "Show me you're mine."
Those possessive words pushed me over the edge. I came with a shout, my body clenching around him as pleasure tore through me like a tsunami. My shadows exploded outward, then crashed back in, sinking into both our bodies like ink into paper.
Valen followed moments later, his hips stuttering as he buried himself deep inside me. I felt his release like it was my own—hot and powerful and somehow more significant than a normal orgasm.
As he collapsed on top of me, both of us panting, I became aware of something new—a connection, a tether between us that hadn't existed before. I could feel him in my mind, not thoughts exactly, but emotions, sensations. And I knew he could feel me too.
"Did it work?" I asked, once I could speak again.
He raised his head, studying my face, my chest, my arms. "Look," he said, nodding toward my skin.
The shadow markings had changed. They were still there, but instead of the chaotic, painful patterns from before, they had rearranged into deliberate designs—beautiful, intricate whorls that matched some of the tattoos on Valen's skin.
"What does it mean?" I asked, tracing one of the new patterns on my forearm.
"It means the binding took," Valen said, something like awe in his voice. "Your shadows accepted me as their anchor."
He rolled to the side, but kept one arm draped across my chest, as if he couldn't bear to break contact completely. I understood the feeling—being separated from him now seemed wrong somehow.
"So what happens now?" I asked, staring at the ceiling, trying to process everything that had just occurred.
"Now we rest," he said, his fingers tracing the new shadow patterns on my chest. "And then we run."
"Run? From what?"
"The Council," he said grimly. "They'll never stop hunting us now. What we've done... it's forbidden. Has been for centuries."
"Why?"
His eyes met mine, serious despite the lingering pleasure between us. "Because a shadow walker bound to a Nightfell becomes something new. Something powerful. Something they can't control."
Before I could ask more questions, a loud boom shook the ceiling above us. Dust and small chunks of stone rained down.
"They're trying to break through the wards," Valen said, sitting up. "We have less time than I thought."
He rose from the bed, his naked body gleaming with sweat and the remnants of our joining. New markings covered his skin too—shadow patterns that mirrored my own, but in reverse, like photographic negatives.
"Get dressed," he ordered, tossing my clothes toward me. "We need to move."
As I pulled on my jeans, I noticed something else—the pain was completely gone. In its place was a steady hum of power, more controlled than before, more focused. And something else... a sense of Valen's presence, even when I wasn't looking at him. Like a compass always pointing north.
"I can feel you," I said, pulling my shirt over my head. "In my mind."
He nodded, buckling his belt. "The bond. It links us. Makes us stronger together than apart."
"Is that why the Council forbids it? Because it makes us too powerful?"
"Partly." He moved to a hidden panel in the wall and retrieved two packed bags. "But mostly because it means neither of us can be controlled by them anymore."
Another boom shook the room, louder this time. Small cracks appeared in the ceiling.
"The wards won't hold much longer," Valen said, handing me one of the bags. "There's a tunnel that leads out to the forest, about half a mile from here. If we move fast, we might make it before they realize we're gone."
I slung the bag over my shoulder, newfound strength flowing through my veins. "And then what?"
Valen approached me, cupping my face in his hands. "Then we complete the rest of the binding ritual. This was just the first step, Kai. There's so much more your shadows can do... so much more we can become together."
The intensity in his eyes should have frightened me. Instead, it awakened something primal inside me, something that recognized its match.
"Let's go," I said, following him toward another hidden door at the back of the room.
As we slipped into the dark tunnel beyond, I heard the bunker door finally give way behind us, hunters po