Chapter 80 The Separatio
Amanda moved into the guest wing before dawn.
She did it quietly. Without announcement or accusation. No slammed doors. No dramatic goodbyes. Just a single trunk carried by a silent servant and a short walk down a corridor that suddenly felt much longer than it ever had before.
The guest wing smelled different. Less lived-in. Less warm.
The room she chose overlooked the eastern cliffs. Where the wind rose sharp and clean from the valley below. She stood there for a long moment after the door closed. One hand pressed flat against the wood as if expecting it to open again.
It didn't.
The mate bond pulsed faintly.
Not broken.
But muted.
Like a heartbeat heard through water.
Amanda crossed the room slowly. Each step heavier than the last. She placed her trunk at the foot of the bed and sat down. Staring at nothing. Her fingers trembled as they smoothed the fabric of her dress.
This was what distance felt like.
Not relief.
Not freedom.
Just an ache that refused to fade.
By morning, the pack knew.
They always did.
Nightfang was built on instinct. On the quiet awareness that bound wolves together even when no words were spoken. The absence between their Alpha and Luna spread through the keep like a cold draft slipping under doors.
Derek did not appear at breakfast.
Amanda didn't either.
Wolves spoke in low voices. Patrols were tense. Laughter vanished from the halls. Even the pups, usually fearless, stayed close to their mothers. Ears flicking at shadows.
Something was wrong.
And everyone felt it.
Whispers began by midday.
That the prophesied pair was fracturing.
That Julian had been right.
That power this great always came with a price.
Amanda heard the rumors without ever listening to them.
She threw herself into work.
If she stayed busy enough, she didn't have to think about the way the bond throbbed dully in her chest. Like a wound refusing to close.
She spent the morning with two young wolves whose abilities had manifested late and violently. One struggled with uncontrolled shifting. Bones cracking painfully before snapping back. The other couldn't hold human form for more than minutes at a time.
Amanda knelt with them. Hands steady. Voice calm.
"Breathe," she murmured. "Your magic isn't fighting you. It's confused. Let it settle."
Silver light bloomed beneath her skin as she worked. Gentle and precise. The birthmark at her collarbone warmed, but she welcomed the sensation. Focus dulled the pain inside her chest.
By afternoon, she'd helped three more.
By evening, she was exhausted.
Only then, when the halls emptied and the sky darkened beyond the windows, did the silence catch up to her.
She returned to the guest wing slowly.
The room felt too large.
Too empty.
Amanda sank onto the bed and curled inward. Arms wrapping around herself. The moment she stopped moving, the ache surged back. Sharp. Raw. Unforgiving.
Her breath hitched.
Tears came before she could stop them.
She pressed her fist to her mouth. Biting down hard to keep from making a sound. The mate bond pulsed weakly in response. Flickering with distant, muted distress.
He felt it.
Somewhere, Derek felt this.
And still, he stayed away.
A soft knock broke the quiet.
Amanda wiped her face quickly, though the tears kept falling. "Come in."
Clarissa stepped inside.
Her mother's eyes softened the moment she saw her. She closed the door gently behind her and crossed the room. Sitting beside Amanda without a word.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Clarissa reached out. Pulling Amanda into her arms.
The dam broke.
Amanda sobbed into her mother's shoulder. Years of buried hurt tearing free alongside fresh pain. Clarissa held her tightly. Rocking her the way she had when Amanda was a child afraid of storms.
"You love him," Clarissa said softly. "And he loves you. This is fixable."
Amanda shook her head. Tears soaking the fabric. "How? He looked at me and saw a burden. Just like everyone else always has."
Clarissa leaned back enough to cup Amanda's face. Forcing her to meet her gaze.
"No," she said firmly. "He looked at himself and saw a monster. There's a difference."
Amanda's breath shuddered.
"He's afraid," Clarissa continued. "Afraid of his power. Afraid of hurting you. Afraid that loving you makes him dangerous."
"That doesn't make it hurt less," Amanda whispered.
"I know," Clarissa said. "But don't let his fear destroy what you've built. You are not weak. You never were."
Amanda closed her eyes.
The words sank deep. Settling beside old scars and newer wounds alike.
Clarissa kissed her forehead and stood. "Rest. You can't carry everyone if you're breaking yourself."
After she left, Amanda lay back and stared at the ceiling.
The mate bond flickered again.
Fainter now.
Across the keep, Derek sat alone in the study.
The moonstone necklace lay where Amanda had left it.
He hadn't touched it.
The wolf inside him was restless. Pacing in tight circles. Snarling at the imbalance clawing through his chest. His power surged unpredictably. Flaring hot one moment, then sinking into an icy hollow the next.
He pressed his palms against his thighs. Breathing through it.
He had done the right thing.
Hadn't he?
Distance meant control.
Control meant safety.
But the emptiness was unbearable.
A sharp spike of sensation ripped through the bond.
Derek gasped. Doubling forward.
Fear.
Raw. Sudden. Terrifying.
Not his own.
"Amanda," he breathed.
The bond flared violently. Pain and panic slamming into him so hard his vision blurred. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
He was on his feet in an instant. Power surging as he tore out of the study and down the corridors. Ignoring startled guards and shouted questions.
The fear through the bond intensified.
Burning.
Screaming.
He reached the guest wing just as a shout echoed from within.
Amanda's door stood open.
Silver light poured into the hallway. Blindingly bright.
Derek skidded to a halt.
Amanda lay on the floor. Her body arched in pain. The birthmark at her collarbone blazed white-hot. Light searing through fabric and skin alike. Magic spilled from her uncontrollably. Cracking the stone beneath her. Scorching the air.
She cried out. The sound tearing at him.
"No," Derek rasped. Rushing forward.
The separation had done this.
Their imbalance.
His fear.
He dropped to his knees beside her. Hands hovering helplessly as her magic burned brighter. Wilder. Completely out of control.
"Amanda," he whispered desperately. "I'm here."
But the bond screamed louder.
And the light only grew.