All Chapters of Bound to the moon: Chapter 121 - Chapter 130

My mother said the forest would make me stronger. I wasn’t sure I believed her.Every morning, she led me out beneath the old trees where the sunlight broke in silver shafts, where the air itself felt older, heavier, as though it carried whispers only she could understand.“Close your eyes,” she told me now, pressing her hands against my shoulders. “Listen to the Gate inside you. It is not your enemy.”I clenched my jaw. “It doesn’t feel like a friend either.”Her grip tightened. “That’s because you’ve been running from it. Stop running, Rory.”I drew a shaky breath and obeyed. The darkness behind my eyelids pulsed. At first, it was only the sound of wind and birdsong. But beneath it, deeper, a rhythm. Steady. Vast. Like a heartbeat that wasn’t mine.The Gate.The energy surged through me, silver fire licking at my skin. My wolf stirred, restless, stretching under its pull.“Good,” my mother whispered. “Now focus it. Don’t let it scatter.”I tried, gods, I tried, but the moment I push

Riven came to me in dreams.It was always the river. Clear water moving slow, silver light glimmering against its surface like scattered stars. He stood at the edge, taller than the memory I carried, his eyes crinkling the way they used to when he teased me.But this time there was no teasing. Only warmth.“You’re stronger than you think, little wolf,” he murmured, his voice as soft as the water itself.“Don’t break, Rory. Not for me. Not for anyone. Live.”I reached for him, but my hand only caught mist. He smiled once more, fading like smoke at dawn.I woke with tears on my face. My chest ached so badly I thought my ribs might crack. The emptiness of the bed mocked me, reminding me that he would never truly come back.And yet, the ache was not the only thing I felt. My stomach stirred, not with hunger, but with something deeper. Stronger.A pulse.I pressed my palms against myself, breath catching. My baby. The movement was faint but steady, like a heartbeat answering my grief.I co

The morning came far too quickly.For hours, I had sat curled on the floor of Riven’s chamber, clutching the blanket that still carrieda faint trace of him. When sleep finally stole me, it was restless, filled with flashes of hisface—his smile, his voice calling my name, the way he had once pulled me close as thoughnothing could ever pry me from his arms.Now the light seeping through the shutters was warm and golden, but it only reminded me thatthe world kept moving, even though he no longer did.I rose slowly, my legs heavy, my chest still sore from sobbing. My hand instinctively went to mystomach. The heartbeat inside me wasn’t one I could hear, but I swore I could feel it—steady,defiant, alive.That was my reason. My anchor.“I’ll protect you,” I whispered softly to the life growing inside me. “I’ll never fail you like Ifailed him.”The grief twisted in my gut, but it didn’t drag me under this time. It sharpened me, solidifiedsomething inside me that had been breaking sinc

I woke with a scream lodged in my throat. My body shot upright, drenched in sweat, my heartthundering as though it might claw its way out of my chest. The image was still there, paintedacross the inside of my eyelids—Riven, covered in blood, his hand reaching for me as hewhispered, “You let me die.”“Rory—!” Kael’s voice was rough, panicked. He was already by my side, his hands gripping myshoulders as though to keep me from shattering. His eyes searched mine, wide with worry.But all I could see was Riven’s face, accusing, broken, vanishing into the dark.I pushed Kael away, my breath trembling. “Don’t—don’t touch me.”He froze. For a heartbeat, hurt flickered in his eyes, but it was gone as fast as it came. “You weredreaming,” he said softly, as if that made it better.“I wasn’t.” My voice cracked. My

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I felt was pain — the kind that lingered deep in mybones, reminding me of every rough, desperate touch from last night. Kael’s arm was heavyacross my waist, his breathing steady against my neck. For a moment, I just lay there, staring atthe ceiling, feeling both sore and whole at the same time.I hadn’t felt this close to him in so long. It was as if the distance, the anger, and the weight ofeverything had melted away in the dark when he held me like I was his only anchor.He stirred and pressed a kiss against my shoulder.“You’re awake,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.I swallowed, my throat tight. “How could I not be? After the way you—” I broke off, blushingdespite myself.Kael shifted, rolling to face me. His eyes softened as he cupped my face. “Rory,” he said, hisvoice low but steady, &ld