All Chapters of Moonbound Hearts: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The air after battle always smelled the same—smoke, rain, and loss.Silverveil was quiet. The bodies had been buried, the wounded tended, the fires put out. But the scars ran deeper than any wound could show.Baylee woke to the soft light of dawn slipping through her window. Her body still ached from the fight, her magic drained to the bone. Every breath hurt, but the silence hurt more.Collin sat in a chair beside her bed, head bowed, half asleep. His hand rested over hers, thumb tracing slow circles even in his dreams.She smiled faintly, whispering, “You should sleep, Alpha.”His eyes flickered open. “You first, Bee.”She groaned. “You’re doing it again.”“What?”“Calling me that.”He grinned tiredly. “Bay sounds better when you’re pretending not to smile.”She rolled her eyes, but her heart softened. “You’re impossible.”“Maybe,” he said, leaning forward, “but you love me anyway.”She was about to argue—but the way he said it, gentle and sure, silenced her.---Days passed. Silver

The sun had barely risen when Baylee stepped into the training circle. The air was sharp with frost, and her breath puffed in small clouds. Around her, ancient symbols glimmered faintly in the dirt—protective runes drawn by Melody at dawn.Jessica and Melody stood opposite her, both calm, both powerful. Between them lay a bowl of silver water that reflected the sky like a mirror.“Your power isn’t the problem,” Melody said gently. “It’s your fear of it.”Baylee tightened her fists. “It nearly killed me.”Jessica shook her head. “It nearly saved you. You can’t separate the light from the fire that fuels it.”Baylee glanced toward the trees where Collin stood, arms crossed, watching. He’d promised to let her train, but his wolf paced restlessly under his skin.“I can feel her,” Baylee whispered. “Like a heartbeat under my own. Every time I use the magic, she pulls harder.”“Then we teach you to pull back,” Jessica said. “Begin.”---Baylee closed her eyes. The mark on her wrist pulsed o

The nights after the revelation blurred together.Silverveil moved as if under water — slower, quieter, heavy with a tension that never quite broke. The Moon hung high every night, full and pale, as though watching Baylee in silence.She could feel it: the weight of her new name.Moon-Touched. Shield. Weapon. Chosen.She hated every one of those words.Collin never left her side, but even his presence couldn’t erase the unease that had settled into her bones. The air tasted wrong; the wolves whispered when they thought she couldn’t hear. She knew they didn’t mean harm — fear just changed people.She understood that too well.---By the fourth night, Baylee found herself wandering the perimeter of camp. She liked the quiet out there, away from the whispers and the pity. The forest still smelled like rain, damp and clean.She was so lost in thought she didn’t sense the figure until a branch cracked behind her.She spun — claws half-formed — only to see Heather standing a few paces away,

Silverveil hadn’t known peace in weeks, but the forest looked calm again. The fog had lifted, the trees swayed gently in the morning wind, and the air smelled of wet pine and new life.For once, Baylee let herself believe the stillness might be real.She walked beside Collin along the riverbank, their hands brushing occasionally but never parting completely. The early sun filtered through the branches, painting gold into his hair. He looked different when he laughed—lighter, freer.“You’re staring again,” he teased without looking at her.She smirked. “Maybe I like the view.”“Hmm.” He grinned. “Or maybe you’re just making sure I don’t fall in the river.”“Wouldn’t be the worst thing,” she said, nudging him playfully. “You could use a bath.”He gasped in mock offense. “You wound me, Bay.”She laughed, and the sound echoed through the trees, bright and alive. For the first time in what felt like forever, laughter didn’t feel like a luxury. It felt normal.But beneath that peace, both o

The days after the Moon Games felt golden. Silverveil buzzed with laughter and renewal. Even the trees seemed to breathe easier — their leaves whispering soft approval as wolves worked and played in harmony.Baylee felt it in her bones. For the first time in so long, peace didn’t feel like a trick. It felt real.But peace was fragile, and destiny was patient.---A Plan in the MakingCollin hadn’t slept properly in two nights — not because of nightmares, but because of nerves.He’d asked Melody for advice.That was his first mistake.She’d clasped his hands dramatically and said, “Proposing to a Moon-Touched wolf isn’t just romantic, it’s symbolic. The Moon will expect a spectacle.”“I’m not proposing to the Moon,” Collin had said, deadpan.Melody had smiled serenely. “You are if you want her blessing.”His second mistake was asking Heather.“You’re overthinking it,” she’d said, kicking her boots up on his desk. “Just say, ‘Baylee, you’re my everything, let’s make it official before J