Chapter 84: Bond Of The Second Fated Mate
The walls of Blood Moon trembled like the heartbeat of a dying beast. Every roar from behind Aldus’ sealed chamber rattled the very foundation of the fortress. The thick iron doors — etched with ancient runes and bound by centuries-old spells — groaned as if they were seconds from shattering.
Florita’s knees nearly buckled under the weight of the magic she was trying to hold. Her once-bright aura flickered weakly, sweat streaking down her face as she forced every ounce of power she had into the binding circle beneath Aldus’ feet. But it wasn’t enough.
It’s not enough.
His power was monstrous now — Alaric’s savage fury fused with Aldus’ desperation. Every snarl he unleashed shook the air, every lunge against his restraints echoed like thunder through the halls.
And across the compound, Livia’s cries answered his, the pull of their bond defying every barrier and every spell.
“Florita!” Sebastian shouted over the chaos, bracing his body against the heavy door. “The chains won’t hold him much longer!”
“They’re not meant to hold this!” she cried back, panic rising in her chest. “Not this kind of bond — not this strong!”
Then… the air shifted.
The temperature dropped.
And the hall fell into a reverent silence.
A surge of power — ancient, overwhelming, and almost suffocating — swept through the corridor. Florita froze mid-chant, her breath catching as five figures materialized in a halo of violet mist before her.
The Five Ancient Elders.
They were living legends — beings whose bloodline stretched back to the first moon-born wolves. Their presence alone bent the air around them, heavy with wisdom, dominance, and something that felt dangerously close to divinity.
Cloaked in ceremonial black, their eyes glowed with power older than the packs themselves.
“By the Goddess…” Dominick whispered, immediately lowering his head in respect. “The Council of Five…”
Florita stumbled back a step as Elder Caelum, the eldest among them, stepped forward. His silver hair shimmered faintly under the torchlight, and his gaze — cold and unyielding — locked onto the chamber where Aldus raged. Even if they are outside the chamber, it seems like his eyes could see him from inside.
“The bond has manifested faster than we anticipated,” Caelum said, his voice low and resonant, echoing as if carried on the wind itself. “And far stronger than most.”
“He’s losing control,” Florita rasped, still shaking from the weight of her failing spell. “We can’t hold him much longer. If he breaks free—”
“He will break free,” Caelum interrupted calmly, as if it were fact. “And when he does, nothing in this place will survive his wrath… or his desire.”
The other Elders nodded silently, their gazes dark and unreadable.
Then Caelum turned toward Florita with an expression so grave it made her blood run cold.
“We will take the girl,” he said.
For a heartbeat, no one spoke.
Then all at once —
“What?!” Florita gasped.
“You can’t be serious!” Sebastian barked, his fists tightening at his sides. “Aldus will surely lose himself even more if he finds out you're gonna take her away”.
“Bring her where?” Dominick demanded.
“To our sanctuary,” Caelum replied without hesitation. “The Temple of Moira, deep within the Forbidden Forest.”
Shock painted all their faces pale. Even Florita, who had seen things most wolves considered impossible, felt her breath stop.
The Forbidden Forest.
No wolf — not alpha, not king, not even Lycan — dared step foot there. It was a place older than the packs, older than the bloodlines themselves. The forest devoured those who entered without permission.
“Elder Caelum…” Florita’s voice trembled. “No one can enter that place and return alive.”
“No one,” Caelum agreed, his eyes narrowing slightly. “But we can. And so can she.”
“She—?” Sebastian’s voice was laced with disbelief. “You mean to hide her there? That’s madness! Aldus will—”
“Aldus will never find her there,” Caelum said, cutting him off once more. “Not even Alaric’s rage can pierce the veil of that place. It is the only way to break the frenzy before it consumes them both.”
Florita’s stomach knotted painfully. The thought of separating them — of tearing apart two souls that the Moon Goddess herself had bound — felt wrong. Cruel. But as Aldus’ next roar shook the stone walls, she realized there might truly be no other choice.
“Florita,” Caelum said quietly, his ancient gaze softening just slightly. “If we do not act now, his wolf will destroy everything — including her. We must intervene before the bond turns fatal.”
The room fell silent, save for the relentless sound of Aldus’ chains straining and Livia’s distant cries. Florita closed her eyes, fighting back the swell of emotion threatening to overtake her.
She didn’t want to agree.
She hated the idea.
But deep down, she knew the Elders were right.
“Do it,” she whispered hoarsely. “Save them both… before it’s too late.”
Caelum inclined his head once, and the Elders raised their hands. Ancient words — older than any known language — rolled from their tongues, weaving power so potent the air itself began to tremble.
Shadows gathered at their feet, and a swirling rift opened, revealing a glimpse of a forest that breathed like it was alive.
“Prepare the Luna,” Caelum commanded. “Before the moon sets, she will be beyond his reach.”
And as the pack scrambled to obey, the primal howls of Aldus — of Alaric — shook the walls once more, each one dripping with the agony of a bond about to be torn apart.
The sound of boots pounding down the corridor reached Livia’s chamber before the door swung open. Her body jerked against the silver-forged chains that bound her wrists to the bedpost, muscles trembling with the same feverish hunger that had been burning her alive for hours.
Every breath dragged in the scent of him — Aldus — lingering faintly in the air, and every heartbeat screamed for him to come closer.
But the door that opened wasn’t his.
A current of power — ancient, cold, and terrifying — swept into the room as five robed figures appeared, their presence so heavy it nearly drove the pack healers to their knees.