All Chapters of Bound By Broken Promises: Chapter 21 - Chapter 28

Kieran POVFighting without alpha power was like fighting with one arm tied behind my back.Every instinct I'd relied on for years, the enhanced strength, the commanding presence, the pack bonds that let me coordinate with other wolves, all gone. Severed when I'd chosen Aria over my position. I was just a wolf now. Powerful, yes, but not the unstoppable force I'd been as alpha.Sebastian Thornwick was older, more experienced, and fighting with the desperate fury of a man with nothing left to lose. His claws raked across my shoulder, drawing blood, and pain exploded through my nerves. Through the mate bond, I felt Aria's answering distress, her desperate wish to help despite her own injuries.Stay back, I sent through the bond. You're hurt. Let me handle this.Her response was immediate and fierce. We're in this together, remember? No more facing things alone.Sebastian's jaws snapped toward my throat, and I barely twisted away in time. We rolled across the concrete, a tangle of fur an

KieranWatching Aria rest, feeling her presence through the mate bond, I understood what I'd lost three years ago in a way I never had before. It wasn't just her. Though losing her had nearly destroyed me. It was this feeling of completeness, of purpose beyond pack politics and alpha responsibilities.The tent flap opened, and Damien entered, his expression serious. "We need to talk about what happens next."Aria started to sit up, but I gently pressed her shoulder. "You're staying put. Doctor's orders.""The doctor said I had cracked ribs, not that I was an invalid," she protested, but settled back with a wince.Damien pulled up a chair, looking between us. "Sebastian and Logan are both secure. They'll be transferred to the Council's holding facility tomorrow for trial. The pack is safe, the territory is secure, and the immediate crisis is over.""But?" I prompted, hearing the unspoken concern."But the pack is fractured." Damien ran a hand through his hair, suddenly looking every bi

Elder Thompson, one of the few Council members who'd survived Sebastian's purge, stood as we entered. "Kieran Thorne. Aria Blackwood. You've agreed to address the pack about recent events and your... decisions."The pause before "decisions" carried judgment, but I refused to rise to it. "We have. Thank you for allowing us this opportunity.""Allowing?" A young warrior named Marcus stood, his face flushed with anger. "You don't get to thank us for allowing anything. You abandoned your pack. Turned your back on centuries of tradition. You…""I chose my mate over alpha power," I interrupted calmly. "And I understand that angers you. But I won't apologize for it."The room erupted. Voices shouting over each other, accusations flying, the pack's fracture laid bare for everyone to see. Through the bond, I felt Aria's steady presence, her quiet strength anchoring me.Damien's alpha command cracked through the chaos. "ENOUGH!" The room fell silent, wolves instinctively responding to authority

The ceremony was held at sunset in the sanctuary's main clearing, with a small gathering of people who actually mattered to us. Marcus Chen stood as witness from the hunter community. Damien represented Crescent Moon Pack, a gesture of goodwill between old and new. Sarah, the elderly omega, had insisted on attending, tears already streaming down her face. And a dozen wolves who'd committed to joining the sanctuary watched with hope and excitement.No Council. No elders who'd pressured us apart. No one who questioned our worth or our choice. Just people who believed in what we were building.I wore a simple dress; hunter practical but beautiful, in deep green that brought out my eyes. Kieran wore traditional ceremonial clothes, but without the alpha regalia. We were just two wolves, choosing to complete the most sacred bond our kind could experience.Patricia, the Council member who'd supported us from the beginning, agreed to officiate. She stood before us as the sun painted the sky i