Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Moonbound Secrets (Alice’s POV)
I woke to the sound of snarling.
Not wolves—voices. Low, sharp. Male. And close. My eyes refused to open all the way, but the air around me crackled with heat, tension...and something more.
“She doesn’t belong to you, Kael.”That voice. Velvet and command wrapped in one. Darius.A growl rumbled in the room. “Say that again and I’ll rip your throat out.”
Ah. Kael.
I blinked. My body ached like I'd fallen off a cliff. My mouth tasted like copper and herbs. And every inch of my skin tingled—burned, almost. I tried to sit up, but my limbs were jelly.
“Stop yelling,” I croaked.Both voices fell silent.Then footsteps. Heavy. Familiar.
Kael appeared at my side in a second, crouching, eyes wild. “Alice.”I blinked again. His face blurred at the edges. “What...happened?”“You passed out,” he said. His hand found mine. “You were glowing. Glowing, Alice.”
“I—what?”
“She stepped between two raging alphas and calmed the storm,” Darius said from the other side of the bed. I turned slightly. He leaned on the wall like he owned the place. “Like a goddess descending from the moon.”
Kael’s growl came back. “You don’t get to romanticize her.”Darius gave him a bored look. “But she is romantic.”I groaned. “Please. Can you two save the ego war for after I stop feeling like I got electrocuted?”That shut them up, thank the fates.
The room came into focus slowly. White walls. Clean sheets. The faint smell of lavender and wolf bane. The Pentagon Pack’s medical wing. A place I'd hoped never to see again.“You’ve been out for three hours,” Kael said. “Luca says your vitals are stable. But—”
“But?”
“You radiated power,” Darius interrupted, stepping closer. “Real, ancient power. You’re not just some weak wolf with a buried lineage, Alice. You're something more.”My chest tightened. “Don’t.”
“I saw it,” he said, eyes flaring. “So did your pack. That light? That wave? It made even the Omega wolves kneel.”I shook my head. “I didn’t ask for this.”“Power doesn’t care if it’s invited,” he said softly. “It comes when it’s ready.”Kael stood, tense, blocking my view of him. “Leave.”
“No.”
“You’re not her mate.”“Neither are you,” Darius fired back.“Stop it!” My voice cracked. “Please. Just stop.”
A long silence followed. Then Kael exhaled, his hands fisting at his sides. Darius stepped back, gaze lingering on me.The door creaked open. Clara slipped in like a shadow, her red hair tucked beneath a hoodie, eyes wide and darting.“I came as soon as I could.” She touched my arm, carefully. “You okay?”I nodded weakly. “What’s going on?”
She looked at the guys, then leaned in. “Rumors. Crazy ones. Half the pack thinks you’re a goddess. The other half thinks you’re a threat. They’ve started whispering about the Prophecy.”
“The what?”
Clara bit her lip. “The Moonbound One. It’s an old tale. Forgotten by most. But now…” Her voice dropped lower. “They think you’re it.”
I tried to laugh. It sounded more like a choke. “That’s insane.”She pressed a pouch into my hand. “Keep this with you. Luca said it’ll help with the dizziness.”
“Wait—Luca?”Right on cue, the healer walked in, tall and calm, as always. His long fingers glowed faintly as he touched my forehead.“Still running warm,” he murmured. “But stable. You’ll be fine.”I squinted at him. “Clara said you mentioned the Sect.”He nodded. “They’re watching. Quiet for now, but they’ve taken interest.”Dread slithered down my spine.
Luca handed me a cup. “Drink this. Wolf root and valerian. It’ll settle the magic still stirring inside you.”Magic. He said it like it wasn’t strange.I drank. Bitter. Earthy. Strong.Luca smiled faintly. “Rest. Don’t push yourself. The body needs time to catch up with power like yours.” He left without another word.
Clara gave me a worried look. “I’ll be back later, okay?”I nodded. She squeezed my hand and slipped out like a whisper.Kael and Darius stayed. Of course.
The silence was thick again. Darius walked to the side of the bed, knelt, and took my hand.“You saved me once,” he said softly. “Even when I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t understand it then.”His thumb brushed over my knuckles.
“But I do now. You’re my salvation, Alice. And I swear, I’ll fight for you—”Kael grabbed him by the collar and yanked him up with a snarl. “Get your damn hands off her.”Darius didn’t fight back. He just stared at Kael. “She’s not a prize to win.”“You think I don’t know that?” Kael growled. “I’m not fighting to own her. I’m fighting to protect her.”They stared at each other like two sides of the same storm.
“Enough!” I shouted. “Both of you—go! Just… give me five minutes without your drama.”Kael glared at Darius, then looked at me. His face softened. He let go of Darius and left without another word.Darius hesitated. “Rest, Moonbound One,” he said gently. “The next time you wake up… the world might not be so kind.”
And then he, too, was gone.I let out a shaky breath and leaned back. My skin still hummed. My head spun slowly, like I was orbiting something bigger than myself.The Prophecy. The Sect. The glowing light. I didn’t understand any of it.But I remembered Kael’s face when I collapsed. Not fear. Not anger. Something else. Something deeper.
Love?
Or something worse—obsession.I reached under the pillow, fingers brushing against the pouch Clara left me. It pulsed faintly with warmth.“You’re not normal, Alice,” I whispered to myself. “You never were.”The bed was warm. My limbs finally started to relax. I felt...safe.Then, without warning, a sudden wave of dizziness slammed into me.My vision flickered. The room blurred. My hands shook.I gritted my teeth. “No. No, not now.”
The warmth in the pouch grew stronger.My skin lit up—faintly. Barely noticeable. But it was there. A shimmer under the surface.I tried to sit up. Couldn’t. My chest tightened. Breathing turned shallow.But I forced a smile. “Just...overexerted,” I whispered.I closed my eyes, telling myself it was fine.
That I was fine.
Even though something deep inside me said I wasn’t.
Even though something was stirring again.
And this time... it didn’t feel like light.
It felt like a storm.