Chapter 9 : BOUND BY CHAINS
The moon was swollen that night, glowing silver through the fortress windows as if it watched with sorrowful eyes. Amanda tossed restlessly in her bed, her breaths shallow, her body slick with cold sweat. She dreamt of fire and chains, of shadows pulling at her limbs, dragging her into darkness she could not escape.
In her nightmare she saw Andrew reaching for her, his eyes glowing like molten silver, but before his hand could touch hers, Angela's laughter echoed, and she was ripped away, swallowed by a black mist.
Amanda jerked awake with a cry, clutching her chest. Her skin felt feverish, her heartbeat erratic. She stumbled to the window, throwing it open, gulping in the night air as though she had been drowning.
What is happening to me?
Her hands trembled as she pressed them to her temples, fighting to steady her breathing. But the unease in her spirit did not fade.
Far from her chamber, deep within the hidden passages of the fortress, Angela knelt before an altar carved of stone. It was ancient, a relic from a time before the packs were bound to law and order, when raw magic ruled. The walls glowed faintly with strange symbols drawn in ash and blood.
Angela's voice was low and sharp as she chanted words forbidden to most wolves. Shadows stirred in the corners, and the air grew thick with power. In her hand she clutched a small vial, a drop of Amanda's blood within it - stolen from a wound Amanda had taken days ago in training.
"Blood of the lost," Angela whispered, her eyes burning with malice. "Bond of the cursed. Sever the ties, unmake the fire. Let her be torn from him."
The vial pulsed with light, and the shadows deepened.
From the darkness came a whisper, inhuman and cold. The price is not yet paid.
Angela's lips curled in a vicious smile. "The price will be hers. Amanda will bear it."
The shadows recoiled as though satisfied, and the air fell still. Angela rose, her gown swirling like liquid night. Soon, Amanda would weaken. Soon, Andrew's bond would falter. And soon, the pack would belong to her once more.
Meanwhile, Ethan paced in his chamber, his heart heavy with guilt. He had agreed to Angela's plan, but now the weight of it gnawed at him. His wolf snarled restlessly, torn between loyalty and love.
He could still see Amanda's face in the library, her eyes wide with confusion when he asked if she would break the bond. He could still hear the fear in her voice when she spoke of Angela's venom.
And now, knowing Angela was already setting things into motion, his chest felt tight with dread.
"What have I done?" he muttered to himself, his fists slamming against the wooden table.
His wolf growled inside him. You chose her. But at what cost?
Ethan's throat burned. He wanted Amanda free, yes. But not like this. Not if it meant harming her.
Yet Angela's words haunted him. She will thank you.
Would she? Or would she hate him forever if she discovered the truth?
Ethan buried his face in his hands, his heart caught in a war he could not win.
The next day, Amanda tried to mask her exhaustion, but her body betrayed her. Dark circles marked her eyes, her movements sluggish as though invisible weights dragged her down.
In the training yard, Andrew watched her closely as she sparred with one of the younger warriors. She stumbled more than once, her reflexes slow. Concern tightened his chest, and his wolf bristled with unease.
When she finally collapsed to one knee, gasping for breath, Andrew was at her side instantly. He pulled her to her feet, his touch firm but careful.
"What is wrong?" His voice was low, urgent.
Amanda shook her head weakly. "I... I do not know. I feel as if something is draining me."
Andrew's eyes narrowed, silver flames flickering. His wolf raged at the thought of her being in pain. He scanned her aura, reaching for the bond that tied them.
And that was when he felt it.
The bond flickered.
It should have been a steady flame, burning bright between them, undeniable. But now it pulsed unevenly, as if shadows gnawed at its edges.
Andrew's blood ran cold.
He turned sharply to the warriors around them. "Training ends now. Everyone out."
The yard emptied in silence, the warriors sensing the Alpha's fury.
Andrew turned back to Amanda, cupping her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "Something is wrong with the bond. Who has touched you? Who has been near you?"
Amanda blinked in confusion. "No one... only Ethan, sometimes, when he helps me. And-" she paused, dread creeping into her voice- "Angela."
Andrew's jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached. His wolf snarled, a sound that made even the air tremble.
"Angela," he spat.
Amanda flinched at his tone, and he softened only slightly, brushing his thumb across her cheek. "Do not fear. I will find the cause. I will not let anyone hurt you."
Amanda wanted to believe him, wanted to let his fire shield her. But deep inside, fear gnawed at her. Something was already hurting her, and she could feel it tightening like chains around her soul.
That evening, Andrew summoned the elders to the council chamber. His voice thundered with fury as he described the flickering bond, Amanda's weakness, and his suspicions.
"This is no sickness. This is dark magic," he growled. "And I will have the truth before the next moon rises."
The elders exchanged troubled glances. One of them, an older wolf named Darius, spoke gravely. "There are whispers, Alpha, of forbidden rituals that can sever bonds. Such magic was banished generations ago. If it has returned..."
Andrew slammed his fist on the table. "Then I will burn it out of existence. Whoever dares touch my mate with such filth will pay in blood."
His wolf snarled inside him, barely restrained. The urge to rip apart anyone who had laid a hand on Amanda consumed him.
But somewhere in the shadows of the chamber, Ethan stood silent, his face pale, his heart pounding with guilt.
He wanted to speak. He wanted to confess. But the words caught in his throat.
If Andrew knew, if the pack knew, he would be branded a traitor. Worse, Amanda would look at him not with gentleness, but with horror.
And so he stayed silent, the weight of his betrayal pressing down like chains.
That night, Amanda once again tossed in her bed, her body wracked with fever. She dreamt of wolves circling her, their eyes glowing red, their jaws dripping shadow. She tried to run, but her legs would not move.
Andrew's voice called her name, distant and desperate. She reached for him, but the shadows yanked her back, and Angela's laughter echoed louder than before.
Amanda awoke screaming, tears streaking down her face.
Andrew was there instantly, storming into her chamber, his wolf half-surfaced, his eyes glowing silver. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she sobbed against his chest.
"I have you," he whispered fiercely. "No one will take you from me. No one."
But as he held her, his wolf whispered the truth he could not deny.
Someone was already taking her.
The fortress seemed heavier that night, its halls shrouded in silence. Amanda wandered the corridors, her body trembling though the air was warm. Every flicker of torchlight made her flinch, every shadow seemed alive. She pressed her hand to her chest, praying for calm, but instead of peace, she felt only the bond pulsing weakly inside her like a fading heartbeat.
Her wolf whimpered within her. Something is wrong... so wrong...
Amanda stumbled into the courtyard, desperate for fresh air. The moonlight bathed her pale face, but even the moon that once soothed her now seemed distant. She sank to her knees, pressing her palms into the grass, tears brimming.
Behind her, unseen, Angela watched from the shadows of an archway, her lips curving into a cruel smile. The ritual was working. Amanda was weakening with each passing night, and soon Andrew's fire for her would burn out. Soon, the bond would shatter.
Angela whispered softly, her voice curling into the air like smoke. "Break, little flame. Break."
Ethan found himself unable to sleep. He stormed out of his chamber, running through the halls until he reached the library. He slammed the door shut and leaned against it, gasping. His wolf paced angrily inside him.
You are destroying her.
"No," Ethan rasped, gripping his hair. "I am saving her. I am saving her from a bond she never chose."
But the words rang hollow. He thought of Amanda's laughter when she trained with the younger wolves. He thought of her shy smile when Andrew brushed her hair away from her face. Those moments were pure, untouchable.
And what had he done? He had given Angela permission to poison that purity.
His wolf snarled. You love her. And you betray her.
Ethan slammed his fist against the table until his knuckles bled. His heart was tearing itself apart. He could not undo what Angela had begun, but perhaps-just perhaps-he could find a way to shield Amanda from the worst of it.
Or maybe he was lying to himself, just as Angela had whispered.
Andrew could not rest either. He sat at Amanda's bedside, his gaze fixed on her fragile form as she tossed and whimpered in her sleep. Sweat beaded her brow, and her lips moved soundlessly, as if she were speaking to someone in her dreams.
Andrew reached for her hand, his thumb brushing against her soft skin. He closed his eyes and pushed into the bond, searching, probing, desperate. But instead of the blazing warmth he expected, he felt something jagged and cold. A shadow slithered through the connection, biting at his essence.
His eyes snapped open, his jaw tightening.
This was no sickness. This was an attack.
He rose swiftly, his cloak swirling around him as he stormed from the chamber. His footsteps echoed through the halls as he made his way to the council chamber once more. He would summon the elders again, he would demand answers-
But a scent caught his nose.
Angela.
Andrew froze, his wolf bristling. Her scent lingered near Amanda's door, faint but undeniable. He turned, his eyes glowing silver, fury boiling in his chest.
Angela. Always Angela.
Meanwhile, in the hidden chamber where the ritual altar stood, Angela poured the last of the vial's contents onto the stone. The blood shimmered and hissed, releasing a foul smoke that twisted upward.
Her chant grew louder, her voice carrying with unnatural weight.
"By bond and bane, by shadow and flame, I sever what was not meant. Let her weaken, let him stray. Break the Luna, break the Alpha."
The shadows around her writhed, and the altar pulsed with light.
But she was not alone.
Ethan had followed her, drawn by dread and guilt. He stood in the doorway, his face pale as he watched her.
"What are you doing?" His voice cracked.
Angela turned, her smile sharp as a blade. "What must be done. If Amanda falls, Andrew will turn to me. He will have no choice. And you-" her eyes glittered- "you will finally be free of your brother's shadow."
Ethan shook his head violently. "This is not what I wanted! I wanted her free, not broken. Stop this!"
Angela's laughter cut through the chamber. "Fool. It is too late. The bond is unraveling even as we speak."
Ethan's wolf snarled, his claws lengthening. "If you hurt her-"
Angela's smile vanished, replaced by a snarl of her own. "If I hurt her? She was never meant for you, Ethan. She was meant for power. And power, I will claim."
The altar flared, and Amanda, miles away, let out a strangled cry.
Amanda collapsed in the courtyard, her body convulsing. Her vision blurred as the world spun, her ears ringing with whispers. Her hands clawed at the grass, desperate to hold on, but she felt herself slipping away.
"Andrew..." she gasped, her voice breaking.
Within moments, Andrew was there. He swept her into his arms, his heart pounding in terror. He felt her aura flickering like a dying flame, and rage unlike any he had ever known surged through him.
"Hold on, my Luna," he growled, his wolf surging to the surface. "I will not let them take you."
He carried her inside, summoning the healers, summoning the elders, summoning anyone who might help. But deep inside, he knew the truth. This was no sickness. This was deliberate.
And the one name that burned in his mind was Angela.
Back in the ritual chamber, Ethan lunged forward, shoving Angela away from the altar. "Stop this now!" he roared.
Angela slammed into the wall but rose with a snarl, her eyes wild. "You dare touch me?"
"Yes!" Ethan's chest heaved. "Because you are killing her!"
Angela's laugh returned, shrill and mocking. "And yet you came to me. You begged me for help. Do not forget that, Ethan. You set this in motion. Without you, none of this would be possible."
Her words hit him like a blade. Ethan staggered, his heart clenching.
It was true.
He had handed Amanda's fate into Angela's hands.
And now Amanda was paying the price.
Andrew stood at the foot of Amanda's bed, his fists clenched, his eyes burning like silver fire. The healers whispered of curses, of dark magic beyond their reach. The elders muttered of old rituals.
But Andrew heard none of it. His wolf was roaring too loudly.
Someone had dared to touch his Luna. Someone had dared to weaken their bond.
And he would tear the fortress apart stone by stone until he found them.
He turned, his gaze sweeping the room, and his eyes landed on Ethan, who stood in the corner, pale and silent.
Andrew's wolf growled deep in his chest. For a heartbeat, suspicion flickered.
But Ethan lowered his gaze, hiding the storm within him.
Amanda stirred weakly, her voice faint. "Andrew..."
He was at her side instantly, taking her hand. "I am here."
Her lips trembled. "Something... is wrong. I can feel it. Like chains... pulling me."
Andrew kissed her hand fiercely, his voice a vow. "I will break those chains. I will destroy whoever dares bind you."
Amanda's eyes fluttered shut again, tears slipping down her cheeks.
And in the shadows beyond the chamber, Angela smiled to herself, whispering words that only she could hear.
"The chains are only beginning."