Bound by the Moon

Chapter 9

The morning sun cast long shadows across the packhouse, but the light brought no warmth. Tension lingered in the air like a ghost, an echo of yesterday's confrontation with Alpha Lucian. Astrid woke before dawn, her sleep fragmented by disjointed dreams of dominance, power, and Lucian's unnerving gaze. Her arm throbbed where Marcus had grabbed her, the bruise already blooming across her skin. It wasn't the physical pain that weighed on her, though—it was the burden of everything else. Her wolf was bound, her place in the pack a fragile, hollow shell, and now Lucian had taken notice of her. Why hadn't he just ignored her, like everyone else?

As Astrid pulled on her simple gray dress, she felt exposed in a way she hadn't in years. Lucian had sensed something yesterday, something even Darius had tried to keep hidden. But what?

Moving through the quiet halls of the packhouse, Astrid's steps slowed as she overheard voices. They were hushed, urgent.

"I'm telling you, Lucian is suspicious," one voice whispered.

"He's more than suspicious," Marcus replied. "He kept watching her during the negotiations. If Darius doesn't get control, this whole thing could blow up."

Astrid's pulse quickened.

"There's no way Lucian could know the full story," Marcus continued, his tone sharp. "But he's smart. If he figures out who she is, what she is, he'll use it against us."

The first voice dropped even lower. "Does she know? Does she understand what's inside her?"

"No," Marcus said, frustration threading his words. "She has no idea. And it needs to stay that way."

Astrid's stomach twisted as she stepped back from the door. What she really is? Her father's decision to bind her wolf hadn't been about protection—it had been about control. About hiding something dangerous. But why? Why had they taken her wolf, her strength, away?

She hurried down the hallway, her mind racing with questions that had no answers. Lucian had been the first person to see through the binding, the first to recognize that something was wrong. His expression had softened momentarily when she couldn't submit, a flicker of understanding in his eyes before he'd masked it with his usual icy demeanor. What did he know?

The kitchen bustled with the morning's activity, the smells of roasted meat and fresh bread filling the air. Astrid moved through the space, setting out trays and quietly blending into the background. Her role was small, unimportant—a stark contrast to the tension that radiated from the pack members as the second day of negotiations loomed.

By the time the meeting began, the main hall was filled with both packs, their presence palpable as they settled in for another round of talks. Astrid quietly placed trays of food and drink around the room, keeping her head down, her hands steady despite the growing anxiety knotting her chest. The Crescent Moon Pack sat across from Lucian and his Bloodmoon Pack, the tension between the two groups simmering just beneath the surface.

Lucian's presence was unmistakable, cold and oppressive, like a storm gathering on the horizon. Even without looking at him, Astrid could feel his eyes on her. She felt like prey under his gaze, a puzzle he was determined to solve.

Darius was speaking, trying to regain control of the negotiations, but Lucian remained unmoved. His dismissive silence only deepened the tension, and when he finally spoke, it was with an edge of contempt that made everyone at the table shift uncomfortably.

"We've offered the northern territories," Darius said, his voice tight. "They're rich in resources, and the trade routes—"

Lucian cut him off, his voice calm, yet lethal. "The northern territories are of little interest to me. You're asking for more than they're worth. What I want is strength."

The subtle insult hung in the air. Astrid's hands shook as she placed a goblet in front of Marcus. The Crescent Moon Pack was offering everything they had, but Lucian wasn't interested in land or alliances. He wanted power.

And he saw none here.

As the argument grew more heated, Lucian's gaze flicked toward Astrid, a brief but sharp look that made her stomach drop. He knew something was wrong with her—he had known since yesterday.

Her hand brushed against her bruised arm as she stepped back from the table. It was an accident, but the sharp pain sent a shudder through her, and Marcus noticed.

In a flash of fury, Marcus grabbed her arm again, his fingers digging into the fresh bruise with such force that her knees nearly buckled. The room fell silent.

"You're a liability," Marcus hissed under his breath. "Do you understand what you've done?"

Before she could respond, Marcus shoved her back, sending her stumbling into the side of the table. Pain shot up her side as she hit the corner, but she bit her lip, refusing to cry out.

Lucian stood slowly, his gaze fixed on Marcus's hand still gripping Astrid's arm. The room, already tense, seemed to freeze.

"Let. Her. Go."

Lucian's voice was a low growl, barely above a whisper, but the authority in it was absolute. Marcus hesitated, his grip loosening slightly as Lucian's command reverberated through the room.

When Marcus finally released her, Astrid rubbed her bruised arm, her heart hammering in her chest. The air had grown thick and cold, a byproduct of Lucian's simmering rage.

"What happened to her?" Lucian asked, his tone deceptively calm as his eyes darkened with fury. "Why is she treated this way?"

The question hung in the air like a death sentence. Darius shifted uneasily in his seat but said nothing. The pack had long since stopped defending Astrid, treating her as if she were nothing more than an outcast. But now, with Lucian demanding answers, the silence felt damning.

"She's not your concern," Darius finally said, his voice strained.

Lucian's gaze flicked to Astrid's bruised arm, his expression hardening. "You're bound," he said, his voice low, but it wasn't a question.

Astrid nodded, her throat too tight to speak.

Lucian's eyes narrowed. "Why? What are they afraid of?"

The question made the room go still again, every member of the Crescent Moon Pack holding their breath. Astrid swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. She didn't know the answer herself.

Lucian took a step closer to her, his presence overwhelming. His voice dropped to a near-whisper. "You're more than they've allowed you to be. And I will find out why."

Astrid's pulse quickened. Lucian wasn't just interested in her binding—he was determined to uncover whatever it was her father and Darius had hidden. And now, with his attention locked on her, she feared the consequences of what he might find.

Without another word, Lucian turned and left the room, his exit leaving a cold emptiness in his wake. The weight of his promise lingered in the air, as heavy as the bruise still throbbing on Astrid's arm.

For the first time in years, someone had seen her. But that realization filled her with more fear than hope. Because now, Alpha Lucian wanted to know what had been bound inside her—and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out.