THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN FLAME.

Talia's POV

Do you want me to stop?" His voice was low, tense, but there was something in the way he looked at me that made my stomach flip.

I hesitated. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it. "Stop... what?" I asked, though part of me already knew.

"This," he said, leaning just a fraction closer. His eyes darkened, and the air between us felt thick, almost suffocating. "This... whatever this is, Talia. Do you want me to stop?"

I swallowed hard. The words I wanted to say tangled in my throat. My pride shouted yes, I shouldn't let him see me like this, but another part of me whispered no. That part was loud and urgent. No. Don't stop.

"I... I don't know," I admitted finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

He studied me for a long moment, as if trying to read every hidden thought. Then, slowly, he nodded. "Good."

I blinked. "Good?"

"Yes," he said simply, his gaze intense.

"Because I'm not stopping. Not unless you tell me to. Not unless it's what you want."

I shook my head, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. "I-don't... I..." My words fell apart. I hated how flustered I felt, hated that my heart was hammering like I'd run a mile, hated that I wanted to melt under his stare.

He smiled then, a slow, almost cruel smile. "You don't have to say anything," he murmured. "Just... feel."

And suddenly, Ramon sprang up quickly, leaving me on the floor.

I was still trembling when Ramon stepped back, the air between us thick with the fire of what had just happened. My chest was pounding, my lips tingling, my mind spinning. For a moment, I thought I could catch my breath. Maybe even forgive the heat that had built between us.

But then he pulled his eyes away, looking past me as if I wasn't there.

"Get dressed," he said quietly.

I froze.

"Excuse me?"

He didn't answer me. His jaw was tight, his body tense, and I realized, it wasn't anger or disappointment I was seeing. It was... focus. Sharp, controlled, dangerous focus.

"Get dressed, Now," he repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

My hands shook as I smoothed down my clothes, my brain struggling to catch up.

"Why... why the sudden order?" I asked, though I already knew better than to expect a straight answer.

He moved closer, his presence pressing down on me. "Because it's not safe."

I laughed bitterly, though it sounded more like a sob. "Not safe? Nothing about this place has been safe since the moment I arrived, and now suddenly, now suddenly, I have to get dressed because... what? You feel nervous?"

Ramon didn't answer. He simply gestured toward the door. "Move."

I bit my lips, my pride flaring. "Move? That's all you can say? You drag me into your world, kiss me like I matter, and now you tell me to move?"

His eyes, dark and stormy, finally met mine. "I said move because danger is here. And I won't explain further."

I stared at him, my chest tight. For a second, the room seemed to shrink. My mind raced. Danger? What kind of danger? And why now, after... after that?.

Before I could speak again, the hairs on the back of my neck rose. I heard it first, the faint snap of a branch outside my window. Then, the soft rustle of leaves. My stomach dropped.

"Someone's there," I whispered.

Ramon's head snapped toward the sound. He didn't speak. He moved like a shadow, swift and silent. I followed, trying to steady my breathing.

He scanned the tree line, his stance rigid. Every muscle in his body tensed. "They're close," he muttered, more to himself than to me.

I swallowed hard, my pulse spiking. "Who... who?"

"Rogues," he said simply, without turning to face me. "I can smell them."

My throat went dry. "Here?" I asked, disbelief lacing my voice.

"Yes," he replied. "They're inside the borders. And they know you're here."

A chill ran down my spine. "They... know me?"

Ramon's jaw clenched. "They know who matters to me. And that's you."

"So.. so am I a bait to get to you?"

"No," he said sharply, spinning to face me.

"You're not bait. You're my responsibility. And I will not let anyone take you."

I laughed bitterly, though it was shaky and hollow. "Responsibility? That's what I am to you? A responsibility?"

His eyes darkened. "You're more than that. But right now, I can only keep you alive."

I stared at him, speechless for a moment. Alive... that's supposed to be comforting?

He reached for me, just slightly, and I flinched. "Don't touch me," I whispered.

He froze. His hand hovered in the air, just inches from me. "I won't," he said softly, his voice barely more than a breath. "But you need to understand... if I hesitate, if I falter, I can't protect you. Not from this."

I shivered, though I wasn't sure if it was fear or frustration or something else entirely. "Why does everything in this place feel like it's trying to break me?"

"Rogues," he said, tone low and sharp. "They want you alive. They want leverage. They want me to fail."

I stared at him, trying to process. "So... you kissed me because you wanted me safe, not because..." My voice trailed off.

"Not just that," he said quickly. "Because I wanted you safe and because... because I care. That doesn't mean I'm blind to the threat. And it doesn't mean I can ignore it."

My chest ached. "I hate you," I whispered, though it wasn't pure hatred.

"Suit yourself," he said sharply.

"You stay close," he said, glancing at the woods again. "You move with me. You don't leave my sight. And you learn to survive."

I bit my lip. "And if I refuse?"

He didn't answer immediately. His eyes softened, but the tension never left his body. "You won't. You can't. Because if you do... they'll get you before I do."

Ramon's gaze didn't waver. "Come on," he said finally. "We move. Now."

I nodded slowly, still trembling. My pride and anger warring with the raw, undeniable fear in my chest. I followed through the forest, my shoes in my hands.

Ramon moved like a predator, alert, scanning every corner, every shadow. He didn't speak unless necessary, but I could feel his presence like a shield around me.

Every step he took, every motion, spoke of skill and danger I had only seen glimpses of before.

Ramon stopped in front of me. "Stay behind me," he ordered.

I nodded, gripping the strap of my shoes tightly. My heart hammered in my chest, my mind racing a thousand miles a minute.

Suddenly, a branch snapped. A gust of wind carried an unfamiliar scent to us. I froze.

Ramon's head snapped toward the sound, nostrils flaring. "They're close," he muttered.

I swallowed hard. "And if they come?"

"They won't get through me," he said, jaw tight, eyes blazing. "Not today."

The words should have calmed me, but all I felt was a twisting in my chest. Fear mixed with anger, frustration, and a confusing pull toward him I couldn't name.

I blinked, tears threatening to spill. "And you think I can trust you?"

"I think you'll have to," he said simply. "Because the only way you survive what's coming... is if you do."

My stomach twisted. I wanted to argue, to run, to push him away. But I couldn't. Not fully. My body, my instincts, even the small, stubborn part of my mind that wanted freedom, all screamed that I needed him.

I hated that.

We got back to the house.

Ramon turned, signaling to the guards to open the gate.

"Move," he said.

We stepped inside. The night was alive with sounds, the rustle of the wind, the distant call of an owl. Every sense was heightened. Every shadow could hide danger.

I stayed close, just as he had instructed. My hands were shaking, my chest tight, but I kept moving. Every step, every glance at him, reminded me that I was no longer just Talia. I was his mate. His responsibility. His weakness. And perhaps... his strength.

We stopped in front of my room, the shadows pressing around us. I wanted to ask him questions, to demand answers, to yell at him for taking control of my life.

But I couldn't.

Because even though I wanted to hate him, even though I wanted to run, part of me knew this:

I wasn't safe without him.

And the rogues were already inside the borders.