Bound by the Moon

Chapter 26

The silence between Astrid and Lucien was heavy, almost suffocating. The weight of unspoken words pressed against her chest, and she could feel Lucien's eyes on her even though she refused to meet his gaze. His presence, which had once been a source of comfort, now only deepened the tension in the air.

After the sparring match with Ryker, Astrid had done everything in her power to avoid this conversation. She didn't want to admit how much she was struggling, didn't want to expose her fear of the power surging through her, especially not to Lucien. He was supposed to be her Alpha, her guide—and in so many ways, her tether to this pack—but she didn't know if she could trust him with this.

She couldn't even trust herself.

Lucien's hand reached out, gently touching her arm, his fingers lingering as if unsure whether she'd pull away. "Astrid, we need to talk about what happened back there," he said, his voice low, calm, but laced with concern.

Astrid finally lifted her eyes to meet his. His face, usually so composed, showed faint traces of worry, a tension in his brow that made her stomach twist. He hadn't been the same with her since the incident—distant, like he didn't know how to approach her anymore. She could sense him holding back, but she wasn't sure if it was because he was afraid of her or if he was afraid of what she'd say.

"There's nothing to talk about," Astrid muttered, pulling her arm away. "I just got carried away in the sparring match. It happens."

Lucien narrowed his eyes slightly, not buying her dismissal. "Astrid, it wasn't just a sparring match. Something was wrong. You know that, I know that. Everyone saw it."

The words stung more than she expected, and she turned away, pacing toward the window. The late afternoon sun filtered through the trees outside, casting long shadows across the floor. She wished she could disappear into those shadows, escape the scrutiny.

"I handled it," she said, her voice tight. "Ryker's fine. No one got hurt."

Lucien's tone sharpened, the worry giving way to a hint of frustration. "This isn't about Ryker. It's about you. Something happened to you out there, and I need to know what's going on."

Astrid's hands clenched into fists at her sides. She could feel the simmering power just beneath the surface, a constant reminder that she wasn't in control. "You think I don't know that?!" she snapped, spinning to face him. "You think I'm not aware that something's wrong?"

Lucien blinked, surprised by the venom in her voice, but he didn't back down. His eyes softened slightly, but his posture remained firm. "Then tell me, Astrid. Help me understand. I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

Help. The word felt hollow. How could he help her when she didn't even know what was happening to her? The power inside her wasn't something that could be fixed with a few words or a training session. It was something darker, something that had been lying dormant inside her for years, and now it was clawing its way to the surface.

She let out a shaky breath, running a hand through her hair as the weight of it all pressed down on her. "I don't know what's happening," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's like... there's this energy inside me, this power, and I can't control it. It's getting stronger, and I don't know how to stop it."

Lucien took a step closer, his expression softening further. "How long has this been going on?"

Astrid swallowed hard, looking away. She didn't want to tell him, didn't want to admit that this wasn't a recent development. "It started before I left my old pack," she confessed. "Back when Marcus was training me. I always thought it was just adrenaline, you know? Just me pushing myself harder than the others. But then... it started getting worse. There were moments where I'd black out, and when I came to, things would be... different."