Chapter 96
Aelin sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers absently tracing where the mate mark had once glowed so strongly. Now, it was faint, almost a whisper of the bond they had shared, but she still felt it—broken, weak, but undeniably there. Beside her, Arsen’s presence was a steady warmth, grounding her, even as her heart raced with worry and frustration.
She looked up at him, and his eyes softened as he met her gaze, his hand coming to rest over hers. “We’ll fix this, Aelin,” he murmured, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Whatever it takes, I promise you. We’re going to get through this.”
Aelin nodded, though a shiver still crept down her spine, the memory of last night’s pain, the feeling of the bond slipping away. “You think Forrest will help?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Arsen’s jaw clenched, his gaze hardening. “Forrest knows Ascian better than anyone. And Ascian is still under his watch. I’m going to make sure he does everything in his power to get answers from him. I won’t let Ascian get away with this.”
Aelin nodded, gripping his hand tighter. The thought of Arsen confronting Forrest and whatever Ascian had done filled her with a quiet dread, but she knew it had to be done. They couldn’t let this stand.
Arsen bent down, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be back soon. You don’t have to face any of this alone.”
“Just… be careful,” she murmured, her voice trembling. She hated the idea of him leaving, even for a moment, but she knew he needed to do this. “Come back quickly.”
“I will,” he promised, his voice steady, his gaze fierce. With one last look, he released her hand and strode to the door, his presence filling the room until the very last second before he disappeared.
The emptiness that followed left her feeling cold, vulnerable, but she took a deep breath, reminding herself that Arsen was doing this for them, to protect what Ascian had tried to destroy.
Arsen’s steps were quick and silent as he made his way to Forrest’s quarters. Forrest kept Ascian locked beneath his estate, an arrangement that had always made Arsen uneasy. Ascian was no ordinary prisoner—he was a son of the Vampire Kingdom, and his capture was a fragile political line. But after last night, Arsen couldn’t care less about diplomacy or whatever fragile treaties held the peace between vampires and werewolves.
When he reached Forrest’s study, Forrest was already waiting for him, leaning against his desk, his expression dark and unreadable. He straightened as Arsen entered, crossing his arms as he took in the werewolf’s tense stance.
“To what do I owe the visit, Arsen?” Forrest asked, his voice as calm as ever, though his eyes sharpened as he noted the fire in Arsen’s gaze.
“It’s Ascian,” Arsen bit out, his voice tight. “That bastard put a spell on Aelin. On us. A bond-breaking spell. I need you to find out everything he did, every detail of that spell. I don’t care what it takes.”
Forrest’s gaze turned cold, and he raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback. “A bond-breaking spell? That’s ancient magic, even for vampires. Are you certain?”
Arsen’s fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tightening as he struggled to contain the fury that burned within him. “I felt it, Forrest. I felt our bond start to tear apart in front of my own eyes. Aelin… she was in agony. And I won’t let that happen again.”
Forrest held his gaze for a long moment, the tension between them thickening. Arsen could feel the calculating look in the vampire’s eyes, could see Forrest weighing the risks and implications of what Arsen was demanding. But Arsen’s patience was frayed, worn thin by the night’s events.
“I don’t care what it takes,” Arsen said, his voice a low growl. “If he dies in the process of you questioning him, so be it. I don’t care what the Vampire Kingdom thinks or does. If they want a war over this, then let them come. But Ascian is going to pay for what he’s done, and you’re going to make sure of it.”
Forrest’s gaze narrowed, his lips pressing into a thin line. “Do you understand what you’re asking, Arsen? The Vampire Kingdom is already on edge, and Ascian is their prince. If he dies under my watch—”
“Then we’ll deal with it,” Arsen interrupted, his voice hard as steel. “But I’ll make one thing clear: if they start a war over him, I won’t hesitate to finish it. Werewolves and vampires have lived in tension for centuries, and the peace has always been fragile. But Ascian crossed a line that can’t be ignored.”
Forrest considered him in silence, the weight of the situation settling heavily over them. Finally, he gave a curt nod, his face set in grim determination. “Very well. I’ll question him. And if he resists…” His gaze darkened, a glint of something dangerous flashing in his eyes. “Then he’ll face the consequences.”
Without another word, Arsen turned on his heel, his mind already on Aelin, his steps quick as he left Forrest to his task. As he made his way back to the packhouse, he could feel the tension easing slightly, though the dread still sat heavy in his chest. They would get answers, one way or another.
When he returned, Aelin was sitting by the window, her gaze distant, lost in thought. The soft morning light framed her face, and for a moment, the sight filled him with a fierce protectiveness, a need to shield her from everything Ascian had done, everything he’d tried to take from them.
She looked up as he entered, her expression softening with relief as he approached, taking her hand in his.
“Did you talk to him?” she asked quietly.
Arsen nodded, squeezing her hand. “Forrest is questioning him now. He’ll do whatever it takes to get answers. Ascian won’t escape this.”
Aelin nodded, a flicker of gratitude in her eyes, though he could see the worry that still lingered, the weight of uncertainty that pressed down on them both. He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close, and she rested her head against his shoulder, her hand slipping into his.
They stayed like that for a while, wrapped in each other’s presence, drawing strength from the quiet closeness that still lingered between them. Even with the bond weakened, even with the mark fading, they were still connected, still bound by a love that Ascian’s magic couldn’t touch.
“We’ll stay close,” he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Until we know more, we’ll stay right here, together.”
Aelin closed her eyes, her fingers tightening around his. “I don’t want you to leave,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“You’re not alone,” he replied, his voice firm. “I’m here, Aelin. I’ll always be here.”
They lay back on the bed, her head resting on his chest, his arms wrapped around her as they waited in silence, a fragile peace settling over them. And though the shadows of what had happened still loomed, there was a strength in their closeness, a reminder that their bond, even frayed, was still unbreakable.
Meanwhile, deep beneath Forrest’s estate, Ascian sat in his cell, his expression cold and unrepentant as Forrest entered, his footsteps echoing off the stone walls. Forrest’s face was a mask of calm, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes, a darkness that sent a chill through the room.
Forrest crossed his arms, his gaze sharp as he studied Ascian, his voice low and laced with steel. “You’ve gone too far this time, Ascian.”
Ascian smirked, leaning back against the wall, his eyes gleaming with a dark amusement. “Have I? I thought I’d only just begun.”
Forrest’s expression hardened, his jaw tightening. “You’ve put a bond-breaking spell on a werewolf pair. Do you understand the gravity of what you’ve done? This isn’t just politics—this is an act of war.”
Ascian chuckled, his gaze unfazed, even as Forrest stepped closer, the intensity in his eyes promising consequences. “War, you say?” he murmured, his tone mocking. “Is that what this is about? Or is it simply that your little pet wolf is upset?”
Forrest’s hand shot out, gripping Ascian’s collar, his eyes blazing with a barely-contained fury. “You may be a prince in the Vampire Kingdom, but here, in my territory, you are nothing but a prisoner. And if I have to make you pay for what you’ve done, then so be it.”