Chapter 14 CHAPTER 14
The clang of steel and guttural shouts filled the Silverpine training grounds, but to Sebastian, it all sounded like a distant storm trapped inside his head. The morning sun bore down relentlessly, burning through the thin mist that rose from the earth. Dust mixed with the scent of sweat, pine, and steel, the smell of home, of purpose - yet today, it only made his chest tighten.
He moved without rhythm, every motion heavy, sluggish, disconnected from the pulse that once guided him. Once, he commanded attention on these grounds - swift, precise, a warrior destined for the Alpha’s crown. But lately, even his shadow seemed slower.
The ground shuddered as two wolves collided nearby, their growls echoing in perfect sync. Sebastian tried to match their focus, but his vision blurred again. The sword slipped from his grasp, clattering against the dirt. His breath caught - not from exhaustion, but from frustration.
A sharp sting snapped him back. His opponent’s wooden blade cracked against his ribs, sending him staggering backward. Laughter rippled from the onlookers.
Sebastian straightened, his jaw tightening as pain flared beneath his ribs. His gaze swept over the circle of recruits - his juniors, the same ones who would one day bow to him as Alpha. The laughter faltered under the weight of his glare.
“What are you laughing at?” he snapped, his voice low but edged like steel. The murmurs died instantly, replaced by uneasy silence. A few of them looked away, suddenly fascinated by the dirt beneath their boots.
He bent down, picked up his sword, and leveled it at his opponent again - slower this time, deliberate, his pride stinging more than his ribs.
“Focus, Sebastian!” barked the trainer. His voice was gruff, steady - one Sebastian had once respected deeply.
Sebastian gritted his teeth, jaw locking as he picked up his blade again. Focus. That used to be easy. But now every sound, every breath, every flicker of movement around him felt wrong. He couldn’t find his rhythm - Even Kael felt like he had deserted him after their argument the previous night.
His wolf’s presence hovered faintly at the edge of his mind, quiet but watchful.
You’re distracted again, Kael said, his tone low and controlled.
“I’m fine,” Sebastian muttered aloud. But he wasn’t. His chest burned, and shame clawed at him more fiercely than the bruises blooming across his ribs.
His opponent - a young man, no older than seventeen whose wolf had just showed a few months earlier - lunged again. Sebastian parried weakly, stumbled, and within seconds was on the ground, the blunt end of a wooden sword pressed against his throat.
The crowd went silent.
The trainer’s boots crunched against the dirt as he approached. “That’s three losses this week,” he said flatly. “To recruits who have barely began their training. What’s the matter Sebastian?”
Sebastian wiped the sweat from his face, panting. “I’m just tired.”
“Are you sure that’s it?” The trainer folded his arms, studying him closely. “You’re losing your strength and connection to your wolf. Your instincts also seem to have dulled. That bond between Kael and you - it’s not what it was.”
Kael spoke softly, his voice carrying both regret and reproach. He’s right. You started slipping long before the Moon Festival.
Sebastian’s eyes darkened. “Don’t start with me.”
The trainer’s brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Sebastian exhaled sharply, sheathing his wooden blade. “It’s nothing. Just… noise.”
“Noise?” The trainer took a step closer. “You used to lead with your instincts, Sebastian. Now you fight like a stranger in your own body. Whatever’s going on between you and your wolf - fix it. The Alpha’s strength comes from unity.”
Sebastian looked away, jaw tightening. “That’s not the problem. The problem is this damn bond I never asked for.”
The trainer’s gaze sharpened. “The bond with your mate.”
“Don’t call her that.” The words slipped out before he could stop them. “It’s been chaos since the goddess tied me to Cindy Hale. Nightmares, exhaustion - I can’t focus, can’t sleep. Kael keeps insisting she’s our destiny, but all she’s done is make me weak.”
Kael’s tone was firm but controlled. It’s not her fault. This happened way before the moon festival. Something is wrong with us, but you rarely listen to me nowadays.
“Nothing is wrong with us, except the damn bond!” Sebastian snapped inwardly. “Just play your part and I’ll do mine!”
The trainer studied him for a long, silent moment. “You speak like a man at war with himself. Remember, Sebastian - Kael is part of you, there is no separating the two of you. It’s the will of the goddess.”
Sebastian’s fists tightened, veins pressing against his skin. “Then let the goddess live with the consequences. I’m done.”
He tossed the training sword aside and stormed off the grounds, ignoring the murmurs that followed him - whispers about their future Alpha who couldn’t even beat a recruit.
\-----------
The Hale house was quiet when he arrived, too quiet. The faint smell of stale food lingered in the air, mixed with dust and disarray. Hilda was nowhere to be seen, but Cedric sat at the table, reading the same newspaper headline for the fifth time.
Sebastian didn’t bother knocking - he pushed the door open, his temper leading him inside.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
Cedric looked up, startled. “Sebastian….”
“Don’t play dumb with me. Cindy. Where is she?”
The older man set his paper down slowly. “She hasn’t been home since the Moon Festival.”
Sebastian’s fists clenched. “Shouldn’t you be aware of where she is seeing as you’re her so-called parents?”
“I could say the same of you” Cedric said simply. “I’d assume you know where she is. After all, she’s your mate.”
“Don’t call her that,” Sebastian growled. “That bond is nothing but a curse. I came to make her accept my rejection, but how am I supposed to do that if she’s vanished? I’m losing my mind with her inside my head.”
Cedric sighed, the weight of years pressing into his shoulders. “If she comes back, I’ll send her to you, just as we promised your parents.”
Sebastian slammed his fist on the table, rattling the dishes. “If she doesn’t show up soon, I’ll hold you responsible. You were supposed to keep her here.”
The older man’s eyes hardened. “Watch your tone, boy. You may be the future Alpha, but under this roof, I am still your elder. And I will not be threatened in my own home.”
For a moment, their gazes locked - power meeting pride, youth clashing with age. Then Sebastian turned sharply and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Hilda appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. “What was all that noise?”
Cedric leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. “Sebastian came looking for Cindy.”
Her expression flickered with irritation. “And what did you tell him?”
“The truth. That she’s gone.”
“So what do we do about the bond?” she asked nervously.
Cedric turned to her, his voice sharp with restrained anger. “We? You’re the one who chased her away, Hilda. You wanted her gone - now live with the consequences.”
Her mouth opened, then closed again. For once, she had no retort.
Cedric leaned forward, his tone low. “You’ve always called her the servant girl. But maybe she was something more - something the goddess placed here for a reason. And you threw her out like trash.”
Hilda turned away, her face tightening.
Outside, the wind swept through the empty yard, carrying with it the faint echo of the howl that once haunted these woods - a sound of pain, and destiny, and the bond neither Sebastian nor Cindy could yet escape.