Chapter 59: The Pull of the Bond
Chapter 59: The Pull of the Bond
Fianna’s POV
The walls were too close.
No matter how wide the chamber stretched, I couldn’t breathe. The stone pressed in on me, heavy, smothering, like the fortress itself wanted me caged. The torchlight guttered against the damp air, shadows stretching long and thin across the floor, but I couldn’t take comfort in them. Shadows here belonged to him.
I sat on the edge of the bed, fingers trembling against the coarse blanket. My breaths came too shallow, too fast, my chest heaving like I’d just run a battlefield. My wolf paced within me, restless, snarling, her claws scraping against my ribs, demanding I move.
Because we had heard it.
That howl.
Kael’s howl.
It wasn’t just sound—it was fire, thunder, blood, and heartbeat, all crashing through me in a single pulse. My wolf had nearly broken free at the sound, her answering cry rising up my throat before I choked it back.
But it didn’t stop. It still throbbed in my veins.
Kael.
My chest ached so fiercely it felt like it might split open. That call had been full of rage and grief, and something else—something that nearly undid me. It was him reaching across the miles, through every wall, through every lie, pulling me back to him.
I buried my face in my hands, fighting the tears burning my eyes. I can’t. Not yet.
I had left him. I had chosen to walk into Derek’s shadow, chosen chains over the bond, because if I didn’t… Kael would have died. Derek would have razed the Moonstone Pack to ash. This was the price of keeping them safe.
But my wolf didn’t care about reason.
She clawed, howling inside me, Go to him. Run. Run now. Our mate is calling. We belong with him.
“I can’t,” I whispered aloud, the words breaking against my teeth. My nails dug into my scalp, desperate for an anchor. “If I go to him, I lead Derek straight to him.”
The truth tasted like poison.
I pushed to my feet, pacing the room, each step harder to control than the last. My wolf slammed against me, snarling in protest. Every breath carried Kael’s scent in memory—cedar and storm, the grounding warmth that had always been his. Every heartbeat reminded me of nights when I had slept in his arms, even if his heart had been locked in ice. Every shadow made me remember the way his gaze had finally softened, just once, when I thought maybe… just maybe… he was starting to see me.
I pressed my hand against the cold stone wall, gasping. “Don’t come for me, Kael,” I begged the night. “Please… not yet.”
But deep inside, I knew. He would come.
Because the bond didn’t bend to fear. It didn’t vanish in death. It only burned hotter.
A shiver raked down my spine. The chamber felt colder, darker. My wolf stiffened inside me, ears pricking. I turned, heart slamming against my ribs.
The door creaked open.
For one impossible second, hope roared through me. My breath caught, my chest opened—Kael. It has to be Kael.
But the scent hit me, thick and sharp, dousing my hope like water on flame.
Smoke. Iron. Dominance.
Derek.
He stepped into the room as if it belonged to him, as if I belonged to him. The torchlight caught on his pale eyes, gleaming like frost, unblinking. He closed the door behind him with slow deliberation, the sound echoing like a lock sealing shut.
I forced myself still. My wolf bristled, snarling, but I held her back, even as rage and terror tangled inside me.
“Your wolf is loud tonight,” Derek said, voice smooth and dangerous, cutting through the silence. He prowled closer, each step measured, his gaze never leaving mine. “I can feel her clawing at you. Tell me, Fianna… is she calling for him?”
My throat burned. My lips trembled, but I lifted my chin, forcing the truth out. “She always will.”
For a moment, silence stretched between us. Then his mouth curved—not in amusement, but in something sharper, hungrier.
“That bond,” he murmured, circling me now, his presence wrapping tighter, “it chains you to him. But chains can be broken.”
“No,” I whispered. My nails dug into my palms. “Not this one.”
He stopped behind me, his breath grazing my ear. “Then I’ll make you forget.”
A snarl tore through me before I could stop it. My wolf surged up, white-hot fury exploding inside my chest. She slammed against my control, snapping her teeth, demanding we fight. My vision shimmered silver for a heartbeat, my claws pressing at the tips of my fingers.
Derek chuckled low, dark. “There she is,” he said softly. “The wolf who thinks she belongs to another. I wonder how long until she learns a new song.”
He reached for me.
And this time, I didn’t
flinch back.
My wolf roared inside, not with submission
But with defiance.