Chapter 17: Interference

The bond didn’t snap.

That was the cruel part.

It thinned—like a voice heard through water. Present, distorted, unreachable.

Iria stood in the center of her quarters, palm pressed to her chest, breathing carefully. Panic would make it worse. Panic always did.

This wasn’t absence.

This was interference.

“They didn’t sever it,” she murmured. “They muted it.”

The realization settled cold and precise.

Someone had prepared for this.

Across the territory, Kael felt the change like static under his skin.

Not pain.

Resistance.

He tried to reach through the bond—nothing answered back cleanly. Just an echo, dulled and delayed.

Containment.

His jaw tightened.

They hadn’t just crossed a line.

They’d mapped it first.

By midmorning, the effects became visible.

Iria was stopped twice in corridors she’d walked freely the day before.

“Council order,” the guard said stiffly. “You’re to remain within the inner wing.”

“Since when?” she asked calmly.

“Effective immediately.”

She didn’t argue.

She noted faces. Voices. Who looked away. Who looked relieved.

Restriction works best when it pretends to be protection.

Mara found her an hour later, breathless, eyes sharp with fear.

“They’re circulating rumors,” she whispered. “That you’re unstable. That the bond’s affecting your judgment.”

Iria laughed once, softly. “Of course it is.”

“They’re laying groundwork,” Mara continued. “If they move against you, they want the pack to believe it’s mercy.”

Iria’s gaze hardened. “And Kael?”

“They’re keeping him busy. Meetings. False crises.”

Isolation, then.

Classic.

“Good,” Iria said.

Mara blinked. “Good?”

“Yes,” Iria replied quietly. “Because now I know exactly what they’re afraid of.”

The council chamber filled that afternoon—not with shouting, but with performance.

Concerned faces. Measured tones.

“We need to discuss Iria’s wellbeing,” Eldric said carefully.

Kael stood at the far end of the room, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

“She’s a destabilizing influence,” Lorien added. “The bond is amplifying her behavior.”

Kael’s gaze cut to him. “You’re speculating.”

“We’re observing,” Lorien countered smoothly. “You know what unbalanced bonds can do.”

Kael took a step forward. “You engineered this imbalance.”

Silence flickered—but didn’t hold.

Eldric sighed. “Alpha, your judgment is compromised.”

That did it.

Kael smiled.

Not warmth.

Recognition.

“So this is the angle,” he said. “Paint her as fragile. Paint me as reckless.”

Lorien inclined his head. “We’re protecting the pack.”

“No,” Kael replied. “You’re protecting yourselves.”

He leaned forward. “Undo what you did.”

“That’s not possible,” Lorien said smoothly.

“It is,” Kael said. “You just won’t like the cost.”

They moved that night.

Not publicly.

Not loudly.

Iria sensed it before the knock came—something tightening in the air, intention pressing against instinct.

Three council guards stood outside her door.

“Come with us,” one said.

She didn’t resist.

She didn’t need to.

The holding chamber was small. Stone-walled. Meant to feel temporary.

“Just until things settle,” Eldric said, avoiding her eyes. “For your own safety.”

Iria looked at him calmly. “You’re afraid I’ll speak.”

Eldric’s silence was answer enough.

Kael felt the bond shudder.

Not pain.

Warning.

He didn’t ask permission this time.

By the time he reached the holding wing, two guards were already unconscious on the floor.

The third didn’t fight.

Kael opened the door.

Iria looked up slowly.

They stared at each other across the small space—bond humming weakly, stubbornly alive.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she said quietly.

“I know,” Kael replied. “That’s why I am.”

He stepped inside.

The door slammed open behind him.

Lorien’s voice followed. “This confirms everything.”

Kael didn’t turn.

“You wanted proof I was compromised,” he said calmly. “Here it is.”

He placed himself between Iria and the council.

Again.

Only this time, it wasn’t symbolic.

“You don’t get to cage her,” Kael said. “Not for convenience. Not for fear.”

Lorien’s face hardened. “Then you force our hand.”

Kael met his gaze, eyes cold and steady. “You already did.”

Iria stood, heart pounding—not with fear, but clarity.

This wasn’t about bonds or instability.

This was about control.

And control was slipping.

As Kael led her out, the pack watched.

Not all with approval.

Not all with fear.

But all with awareness.

The interference had failed.

And now the conflict was no longer quiet.