Fated By Moonlight

Erica POV

I didn't sleep that night. Not because of the stitches-though those throbbed like tiny knives were digging into my arm-but because of him.

Tyler Wood.

The alpha who'd fallen into my life with enough force to leave bruises on both my body and my mind.

I kept replaying the moment over and over. The sound of the plexiglass shattering. His wide green eyes when he realized I was beneath him. That voice-low, rough, stunned.

"I'm so sorry."

He looked at me like he'd just broken the only thing in the world that mattered. And the wild part was... that mattered to me.

I wasn't used to people caring that much, especially not alphas. Most alphas at uni either ignored me or treated me like a prize to be won. Tyler? He looked like he wanted to glue the shards of me back together himself.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand, making me flinch. Alexis rolled over on her air mattress and groaned.

"Who the hell is texting you at two in the morning?"

I reached for the phone. One new message.

Unknown Number: Let me know if you're okay. I didn't sleep. I keep thinking about you bleeding. I'm sorry again. -Tyler

I stared at the screen, thumb hovering over the reply button.

Should I respond? Should I ignore it? Did he expect something from me?

Alexis sat up, hair like a bird's nest. "Is that him?"

I nodded, unable to say anything.

She snatched the phone out of my hand, read the message, then looked at me like I'd just declared I wanted to date a serial killer. "You're not gonna reply?"

"I don't know what to say."

"Start with, 'Thanks for not letting me bleed out on the floor,' and end with, 'Sure, you can kiss me sometime.'" She grinned, tossing the phone back.

I rolled my eyes but typed out a reply.

Me: I'm okay. Arm hurts, but it's manageable. Thanks for checking in. Try to sleep. You've got practice tomorrow, right?

His response came within seconds.

Tyler: I'll sleep better knowing you're alright. Text me tomorrow?

I didn't reply. I couldn't. My heart was hammering too hard, and my brain was already imagining things I shouldn't let it.

The next morning, Alexis dragged me to the corner café for the "best chai in the city" and insisted I not wear my oversized flannel.

"Something cute," she said. "Like that cream sweater I bought you that you never wear because you're afraid of standing out."

"I don't want to stand out," I grumbled. "I want to blend in and disappear."

"Too late. You're the omega Tyler lWood crashed into in front of five thousand people. You're already a legend." She winked. "Might as well look hot while you're at it."

Against my better judgment, I wore the sweater.

We grabbed our drinks and found a seat near the back. I was nursing my chai when Alexis leaned in with a smirk.

"Are you going to tell me what you actually think of him?"

"Who?"

"Don't play dumb."

I sighed. "He's... different. Intense. But also soft? I don't know. It's confusing. Every time he looks at me, it's like he sees something I don't even see in myself."

"That," Alexis said, pointing her spoon at me, "is either the start of a romance novel or the beginning of a life-altering disaster."

I laughed. "Probably both."

By early afternoon, I was curled up on my bed with Potato sniffing the bandage on my arm like she was considering chewing through it.

"I'm fine," I muttered, gently nudging her with a cushion. "I didn't die. Chill."

She flopped dramatically beside me, thumping her feet once before settling in.

My phone buzzed again.

Tyler: Still want that ride to the clinic for your follow-up? I'm free in thirty.

I stared at the message. I hadn't asked for a ride. He remembered.

Alexis, who was folding laundry in the corner, spotted the expression on my face and smirked.

"You're going," she said, before I even opened my mouth. "Don't argue."

Tyler's car wasn't what I expected.

I figured he'd have something flashy-black and shiny and aggressively masculine. Instead, it was a silver SUV with a faint scent of leather and coffee. He held the door open for me, waited until I buckled, then slid in behind the wheel.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

I nodded. "Arm still aches. But it's better."

His hands clenched the steering wheel. "I couldn't stop thinking about it. You. The blood. I've been in fights, Erica. Bad ones. But I've never felt sick afterward. Until that night."

I glanced at him, heart skipping. "You didn't mean to hurt me."

"That's the worst part," he muttered. "If it had been intentional, I'd know how to hate myself. But this? This just feels like fate being cruel."

I didn't know what to say to that. So I stayed quiet, watching the city blur past the window until we reached the clinic.

He insisted on walking me in. Waited in the hallway while the nurse changed my bandages and scolded me for not taking the painkillers as regularly as prescribed.

When I came back out, he stood. "Hungry?"

"I could eat."

We ended up at a little burger joint tucked into a quiet corner street. He held the door open, ordered for both of us when I couldn't decide, and somehow picked the exact burger I would've chosen myself.

"Lex says I should stay away from alphas," I said between bites.

"She's not wrong," Tyler replied, setting his drink down. "Most alphas are assholes."

I blinked. "You included?"

He smirked. "I'm working on it."

Something about the way he said it half-sincere, half-broken made my chest ache.

"You're not what I expected," I said. "When you hit me, I thought you were just some jock with anger issues. But you're..."

"Still a jock with anger issues?" he offered.

I smiled. "Maybe. But also someone who's trying."

His eyes lingered on me for a moment. "You make it easier."

We were walking back to the car when I felt it an unmistakable flutter low in my belly. My step faltered, and I grabbed his arm to steady myself.

"Erica?" he asked, instantly alert. "You okay?"

"I I think..." I swallowed. "It might be starting."

His jaw tightened. "Your heat?"

I nodded, cheeks burning.

"Shit. I'll get you home."

But I didn't want to go home.

Not yet.

"I don't know if I can make it back without" I trailed off, breathing shallow. The world was tilting. His scent peppermint, musk, everything Alpha was suddenly overwhelming.

He guided me into the passenger seat, hands careful, voice low and calm.

"I'll take you to my place. It's closer. You can rest. I swear, I won't touch you unless you ask me to."

The thought terrified me.

The thought thrilled me.

I couldn't speak. I just nodded.

By the time we reached his flat, my skin felt like it was burning. I could barely walk straight. He half-carried me up the stairs and onto his sofa, grabbing blankets, a cold drink, and everything else within reach.

He crouched in front of me, brow furrowed. "Do you want me to leave the room?"

I shook my head.

He exhaled, slow. "Okay."

I leaned back, every nerve ending on fire, scent glands flaring.

"I don't know what's happening," I whispered.

His gaze softened. "I do."

"Is this...?"

Tyler's voice dropped. "You're reacting to me. My scent. It's strong because we're bonded. Or starting to be."

I froze. "Bonded?"

"We're not fated, not fully. Not yet. But Erica... this thing between us? It's real."

I stared at him, heart pounding.

And then, softly, I said, "Kiss me."

He leaned in, breath warm against my skin but just before our lips met, someone pounded on the door. Loud. Aggressive. Tyler stiffened, every muscle in his body going tense.

"Erica," he whispered, jaw clenched. "Stay behind me."

I sat up, pulse skyrocketing. "Who is it?"

"I don't know," he growled.

But I saw it in his eyes.

Whoever was at that door wasn't here by accident.

And this night our moment was about to be shattered.