All Chapters of Breathless Ties: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Elara woke the next morning with the taste of Kael still on her lips, her body aching from the memory of his hands, his mouth, his confession. She pressed her fingers to her lips as though she could hold it there, as though the bond itself hadn’t already carved it into her soul. But reality was waiting. When she stepped outside the small cottage she’d been given, as if she sensed it Selene was already there. The Luna leaned against the fence as though she owned the air itself, her crimson gown sweeping across the grass, her smile all sharp edges and shadows. A wolf lingered behind her—one of her loyal guards, eyes cold and unblinking. Elara froze. “What do you want?” Selene tilted her head, studying her like prey caught in the open. “Such hostility,” she purred. “I only came to talk.” moving closer “I don’t have anything to say to you.” Elara stepped back “Oh, I think you do,” Selene replied smoothly, pushing off the fence and circling Elara. “Because I saw the way he

The council chamber smelled of smoke and iron, a place where centuries of decrees had been carved into the lives of wolves—decisions that had ended wars, toppled Alphas, and bound lovers who had no choice in the matter. The torches along the stone walls hissed with each flicker, shadows writhing like restless spirits. Kael sat at the head of the long wooden table. His shoulders squared, his eyes hard, yet beneath the surface his wolf prowled—snarling, pacing, desperate to tear free. It hated this place, hated the stench of old power and the press of eyes that judged every breath he took. Elders lined the benches on either side, their silver hair and weathered faces carved with centuries of loyalty… but not necessarily to him. Their loyalty was to the laws, to tradition, to the whispers of the moon. Old eyes. Old debts. And all of them, tonight, demanded something he wasn’t ready to give. Across from them, Selene sat draped in crimson silk, as if the chamber were her throne room and

The ruins seemed to hold their breath as Kael stepped forward, placing himself between Elara and Selene. His golden eyes blazed, the Alpha radiating raw power, and the bond thrummed violently through Elara’s veins, a wildfire she couldn’t contain. Selene’s smile was dangerous, curling like a blade. “Such loyalty,” she said, her voice sweet but lethal. “Does he always protect the one who isn’t meant to be his?” Elara’s pulse spiked, chest tightening with a mix of fear and something darker—desire. Every instinct screamed that Kael’s closeness was survival and sin wrapped into one. “You’ll leave,” Kael said, voice low, a growl buried deep in the syllables. “Now.” Selene laughed, stepping closer, red gown whispering over the stone floor. “Or what, Alpha? You’ll fight me? You’ll show everyone that you care for *her* over tradition?” The wolf inside Kael howled. The thought of Selene laying a hand on Elara, of daring to challenge the bond, ignited something primal. He didn’t answer wit

The night air smelled of smoke and tension. The pack’s settlement was unusually quiet, wolves huddled in their dens, sensing the storm before it arrived. Kael patrolled the perimeter, every muscle taut, every sense alert. The bond throbbed against his chest—Elara’s pulse mirrored his own, sharp and erratic, warning him that she was near yet in danger. And danger had come. Selene struck just as the moon reached its apex. Shadows twisted unnaturally, fireflies scattering in frantic bursts. Wolves yelped, startled by the sudden, sharp cries echoing across the forest. Elara ran through the trees, silver pulses of energy sparking from her hands as her emerging powers responded to the threat. Her chest burned, the bond screaming, dragging her toward Kael. “Kael!” she called, voice sharp and panicked. He appeared like a phantom, golden eyes blazing, the wolf beneath his skin snarling with fury. “Elara! Stay close!” The threat materialized—Selene had unleashed her loyal wolves, trained

The moon hung high, silver and cold, casting long shadows over the pack’s territory. Elara’s senses were alive, every leaf, every rustle, every whisper in the wind amplified by the bond. She could feel Kael before she even saw him—his presence a low, constant roar against the edges of her mind. Selene had chosen her moment. The Luna’s challenge was coming, and the pack would be forced to witness it. The first sign was subtle—a shadow moving unnaturally among the trees. Then another, until figures emerged, wolves trained not by instinct, but by Selene’s command. Their eyes glowed, fangs bared, muscles coiled like springs. “Elara!” Kael’s voice tore through the night. She ran, heart hammering, bond screaming. He met her at the edge of the clearing, hands gripping hers, energy thrumming between them. “Together,” he growled. The attackers surged forward. Elara felt her powers flare, silver sparks dancing across her skin, shadows bending to shield her, energy arcs knocking back wo