Chapter 13: The Bond Revealed

The autumn wind carried dying leaves through the sacred grove as Lucian knelt before the ancient altar. He had come here every night for a week, seeking clarity through the maze of his failures. The cold stone beneath his knees had become familiar, a constant reminder of the penance he felt he deserved.

"You cannot find peace through punishment alone, young Alpha."

Elder Moira stepped from the shadows between the standing stones, her weathered face serene in moonlight. She was the oldest of the council, ancient even by werewolf standards, her knowledge of the old ways deeper than any living wolf.

"Elder Moira." Lucian rose respectfully, though his body protested the movement after hours of kneeling.

"I have watched you torture yourself with guilt when you should be acting," she said softly, her voice carrying the weight of centuries. "Tell me, when the Luna's power awakened, what did you feel?"

The question brought back memories that still made his pulse race. "Everything. Power beyond imagining, like lightning in my veins. The forest itself seemed to sing, and for a moment, I felt... complete."

"And since she left?"

Lucian's breath hitched, his hand instinctively moving to his chest where the ache lived like a permanent wound. "Like something's been torn from my soul. An ache that never stops, never fades. Sometimes I wake thinking I can still feel her presence, only to remember..."

Elder Moira nodded, her expression filled with ancient understanding. "The bond between true Alpha and Luna is not merely political, child. It is written in blood and magic, forged in the deepest parts of your souls. When her power awakened in your arms, you became connected beyond physical distance."

"What are you saying?" But even as he asked, Lucian felt a flicker of hope in his chest, dangerous and fragile.

"You already know how to find her. The bond still exists, wounded but not broken. You feel it every moment—that pull, that ache, that sense of direction you cannot quite name." She stepped closer, her ancient hands surprisingly strong as they gripped his shoulders. "But you cannot access it while your heart is divided."

"Selene," he breathed, understanding flooding through him like cold water.

"The false bond blocks the true connection. It clouds your ability to sense where she is, to feel the call of your genuine mate." Elder Moira's voice grew stern. "You cannot serve two masters, Lucian. You cannot hold a political marriage while your soul belongs to another."

"The pack will never understand. They'll see it as weakness, as failure—"

"The pack remains unaware for good reason," Elder Moira said firmly. "The fewer who know of her true nature, the safer she remains until you can bring her home. Let them think this is about pride or lost love—not about the most powerful Luna bloodline in generations."

"But our scouts found no trace. It's like she vanished—"

"She was clever. Stayed in the streams, let the water wash away her scent." Elder Moira's eyes glinted with approval. "You taught her well. But other Alphas are organizing their own searches, and they have resources we lack."

Her voice grew urgent. "Word spreads of a rogue Luna, pregnant and unprotected. My sources tell me other Alphas are already moving, seeking to claim her power for themselves. If another Alpha bonds with her—takes her as mate—the connection between you will be severed forever. Her power will belong to him, and your child..." She let the implications hang in the cold night air.

The thought of another Alpha touching Mira, claiming her, sent a surge of possessive rage through Lucian that nearly brought him to his knees. His hands shifted to claws, eyes blazing gold, a growl rumbling deep in his chest.

"How long do I have?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"Days, perhaps a week at most. The Silverpine territory has been mentioned in reports—if she's there, she won't remain hidden much longer." Elder Moira released him, stepping back to study his face. "But first, the rejection ritual. It must be witnessed, formal, complete."

"Then I know what I must do."

Footsteps echoed through the grove, deliberate and measured. Selene emerged from between the trees, her face set in determined lines, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. She had clearly been listening for some time, her expression unreadable in the moonlight.

"So," she said, her voice cold as winter wind but steady as stone. "It's finally come to this."

Lucian turned to face her fully, seeing in her eyes not anger but a weary resignation that spoke of her own understanding of their hollow bond.

Selene looked between them, her jaw tightening. "I've felt it too, you know. The emptiness where a true bond should be. Every day, I've watched you become more distant, more hollow." Her voice carried years of suppressed frustration. "I've tried everything—patience, understanding, even attempting to care for you genuinely. But you can't manufacture what was never meant to be."

She stepped closer, moonlight catching the tears she refused to shed. "I felt the exact moment your heart truly left. It was like a door slamming shut, leaving me outside in the cold. I knew then that whatever connection we'd pretended to build was finished."

Elder Moira watched them both with ancient eyes. "The bond with Selene must be severed entirely before the connection to your true mate can be restored. But remember—this requires clarity and complete dedication, not desperation or guilt."

"What if she doesn't want me back? What if I've destroyed whatever we had?"

The elder's expression softened. "Then you fight for her. You prove you are no longer the man who drove her away but have become the man who will protect her and your child forever."

The moment of reckoning had arrived. The moon hung overhead like a silent witness, casting silver light on three wolves whose decisions would reshape the fate of two packs.