Kael’s jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle ticking. “You think I wanted that? You think I’d risk Rory’s place for her?”“You already have,” Thorne growled, stepping closer. “You gave her ammunition against Rory. You gave her a way to claim the Luna seat and you’ve done nothing to take it back.”Kael spun on him, his voice sharp. “And what would you have me do, Thorne? Drag her out by the hair? Tell the entire pack that the Luna is unfit because,”“Because she is,” Thorne snarled, his control fraying.They were inches from each other now, shoulders squared, the air between them charged with barely restrained violence.“Stop.” My voice came out harder than I expected.They both turned to me, their breathing heavy.“You want to argue about Celina? Fine. Do it after I’m gone. But right now, we’re talking about me, and
The air didn’t move.It felt like the walls themselves were holding their breath, waiting for someone to shatter the stillness. My own heartbeat was a drumbeat in my ears, matching the rise and fall of my chest.Thorne’s eyes were the first to move, narrowing, assessing me like I’d just drawn a blade and pointed it at the three of us. Kael didn’t move at all. His gaze stayed locked on me, unreadable, as if he was trying to decide if I’d gone mad or if I’d just handed him the most dangerous weapon he’d ever seen.I didn’t look away. I couldn’t. My words still hung between us like smoke,thick, impossible to ignore.“All three of you. At once. Tonight.”Thorne spoke first, his voice low but sharp. “You’re not joking, are you?”My jaw tightened. “Do I look like I’m joking?”He studied me for a beat longer, then gave a short, humorless huf
The air between us feels heavy enough to suffocate me. I want him to leave, but I also don’t want to be alone in this suffocating silence.Instead of walking away, Kael leans his shoulder against the doorframe, watching me with that unyielding focus that makes me feel both exposed and grounded. “If you’re serious about taking back your position, there are other ways. Ways that won’t tear the bond apart.”I almost laugh, but it comes out bitter. “The bond’s already torn, Kael. You and I barely talk. Riven won’t touch me. Thorne… I don’t even know where to start with him.”Something unreadable flashes in his eyes at the mention of Thorne, but he lets it pass. “Maybe the bond isn’t broken,” he says. “Maybe it’s just waiting for you to stop running from it.”My chest tightens. “You think I’m running?”“I think you’re hurting,” he says simply. “And I think you’re about to make a decision that’ll trap you in that hurt for the rest of your life.”I hate that part of me wants to believe him.
The rain didn’t sting until he was gone.At first, I was too numb to feel it, just standing there, letting the words replay in my head like a cruel echo.You’re not the only one they’ve bound me to.Bound.Not just to me.The storm rolled low over the mountains, a distant rumble that seemed to crawl through the ground and into my bones. My fingers curled into fists at my sides. My breath came shallow, shaky. I wanted to move, but my body was rooted to the spot, as if the truth he’d just dropped had nailed me into the earth.I already knew it, didn’t I? I’d lived through the Binding Trial. I’d felt the magic weave itself between me and all three of them, Riven, Thorne, and Kael. I’d stood there as the pack gasped and whispered, as if I’d turned into some kind of anomaly overnight.And I’d shared myself with each of them.Once.Twice.Enough for the bond to deepen, enough for a life to spark inside me, a life I couldn’t keep.My stomach clenched, as if the rain itself had seeped under m
The silence that followed was heavy. The kind that presses against your ribs and steals the air from your lungs.For a long moment, he didn’t move. He didn’t speak. His eyes were fixed on me, unblinking, as if he was trying to decide whether he’d actually heard me say the words or if his mind was playing tricks on him.“Rory…” His voice was hoarse, almost broken, like gravel underfoot. “Do you even understand what you’re asking me?”“Yes.” My answer came fast and steady, even though my heart was slamming in my chest. “I know exactly what I’m asking; besides, we’ve done it before.”His jaw tightened, the muscle ticking as he took a step back, putting a sliver of distance between us. “You’re asking me to cross a line I can’t uncross.”“I’m asking you to help me survive.” The words tumbled out before I could stop them. &
The words were out before I could stop them. Sharp. Clipped. Laced with every ounce of venom I’d been swallowing for weeks.Celina froze, her painted lips parting in mock surprise. Around us, the room went so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. My pulse was a war drum, a thundering echo in my chest.“I’m sorry, was that too hard for you to hear?” I added, unable to stop myself. My voice trembled, not with fear, but with the adrenaline surging through me.Her eyes narrowed, the perfect curve of her brow twitching just enough for me to see I’d hit a nerve. That small victory lit a spark in my gut.“You forget your place, Rory,” she said softly, but the steel in her tone was unmistakable.“No,” I shot back, taking a step toward her. “You’ve forgotten mine.”Gasps rippled through the small crowd gathered in the council chamber. Servants exchanged uneasy