Chapter 35 The Pull Across The Distance
Alberto knelt in the small garden attached to the east wing, cutting stems of starpetals and silverthorn with a pair of shears. The basket beside him held a careful arrangement of the flowers Fernando preferred. Footsteps approached from the main path, and he looked up to see Darius walking toward him, carrying a wooden tray with a clay pot and a single cup.
Darius set the tray on a nearby bench and poured tea into the cup. “Drink this.”
Alberto set the shears aside and took the cup. “Thank you.”
Darius watched him take a sip, then spoke. “You have been moved to the east wing for a reason. Fernando’s wolf is trying to break the soul bond. There is a barrier between his spirit and yours that prevents a complete connection. The distance weakens the bond just enough to stop his wolf from tearing it apart.”
Alberto lowered the cup. “Will the separation hold the bond together?”
“For now,” Darius said. “But you cannot be too far apart, or the poison will overwhelm him. Mira believes the barrier comes from a curse or suppression that keeps you from having a wolf spirit. Until that is resolved, the bond remains unstable.”
“What do I need to do?” Alberto asked.
“When Fernando wakes, say nothing about the separation or the reason for your relocation,” Darius said. “Do not tell him about the barrier or why you were moved. If you want to repay him for what he has done, keep this secret.”
Alberto nodded. “I will not tell him.”
Darius turned and left without another word.
That night, in the north tower chamber, Fernando’s eyes opened. He pushed himself upright and spoke into the darkness. “Where is Alberto?”
The guard stationed at the door stepped inside. “He has been moved to the east wing, my lord.”
Fernando’s voice sharpened. “Why?”
“The decision was made to relocate him there for his recovery,” the guard replied. “His presence in the main keep was considered disruptive to your rest.”
Fernando swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “Bring me to him.”
“My lord, you are still weak,” the guard said. “It is a long walk.”
Fernando stood, gripping the bedpost. “I will see him.”
In the east wing, Alberto sat on the edge of his cot, folding a blanket. A sudden awareness struck him without warning: Fernando’s intent to leave his room and come to the east wing. The thought formed clearly in his mind, separate from his own, carrying the unmistakable presence of the Alpha’s will.
Alberto froze. He had never experienced anything like it. For years, he had been empty of wolf instincts, confined to purely human senses. Now, across the distance of locked doors and corridors, he heard Fernando’s thoughts as plainly as spoken words.
Fernando would come looking for him. The separation that kept the bond from breaking would fail if they met.
Alberto dropped the blanket, left his room, and hurried into the corridors leading toward the main pack house.
He turned a corner and saw Fernando ahead, leaning heavily against the wall. The Alpha took a faltering step, then stumbled, his knee buckling. He caught himself with one hand braced on the stone, breath coming in ragged bursts.
Alberto stopped, heart pounding. Tears welled in his eyes and spilled over. Every part of him wanted to run forward, to support Fernando and keep him from falling again.
But he could not. To help would end the separation Mira and Darius had imposed.
He pressed himself against the shadowed wall, out of Fernando’s line of sight, and watched as the Alpha struggled to stand. Fresh tears rolled down his cheeks.
“Do not come here,” Alberto whispered to himself, voice breaking. “Please. You cannot.”
Fernando dragged in a breath and took another step, hand scraping the wall for support. “Where is he?” he growled to the empty corridor.
Alberto clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms. The bond carried the sharp pain of Fernando’s strained muscles and the disorientation of his weakened state. Still, Alberto remained motionless, hidden in shadow.
Fernando paused, head lifting as though listening to something beyond sound. “Alberto,” he said, voice low and commanding. “I know you are near.”
Alberto’s breath caught. He pressed his back harder against the wall, willing himself to stay silent and unseen.
Fernando took another unsteady step, then stopped, hand pressed to his chest. “Show yourself.”
Alberto did not move. Tears continued to fall, hot and silent. “I cannot,” he whispered, the words barely audible even to himself. “If I do, it will destroy you.”
Fernando stood motionless for a long moment, breath ragged in the quiet corridor. Then, slowly, he pushed himself upright and began to retrace his steps, one painful stride at a time.
Alberto remained where he was, hidden in the shadows, tears streaming unchecked down his face. The bond pulsed with Fernando’s exhaustion and confusion, but he forced himself to stay still, knowing that any attempt to help would unravel the fragile balance holding the Alpha’s life together.
“I will not let you break yourself for me,” Alberto murmured into the empty air. “Even if it tears me apart.”
Fernando’s retreating footsteps echoed faintly down the corridor, each one carrying the weight of a bond that refused to release its hold.