Bound by the Moon

Chapter 28

The next morning dawned gray and heavy, the sky overcast with thick clouds that threatened rain. It mirrored Astrid's mood perfectly. She hadn't slept. Every time she closed her eyes, the power inside her stirred—restless, hungry, and uncontrollable—scratching at the edges of her mind like a caged animal desperate for release. The more she tried to suppress it, the more violently it pushed back. It was as though something deep within her was fighting her control, defying the very laws of her nature.

Lucien had called a pack meeting this morning. There was no avoiding him now. She had to face him, the pack, and, most terrifying of all, herself. The thought of walking into that room, of standing before the eyes that had been watching her with suspicion since her outburst with Ryker, made her stomach churn. What had happened that night shouldn't have been possible. Not for her. Not for a wolf bound as tightly as she was.

Steeling herself, Astrid pushed through the heavy wooden doors of the pack's main hall. The room was grand, with high ceilings and thick wooden beams that gave the space an imposing sense of age and history. Wolves were already gathered, their voices low and tense, the room buzzing with anticipation. She hadn't even crossed the threshold before she felt their attention shift toward her. The whispering followed her like shadows, growing louder as she stepped further inside.

Lucien stood at the head of the table, commanding as ever, though there was a tension in his posture that hadn't been there before. His arms were crossed, his gaze sharp, and his expression unreadable. The moment she entered, his eyes found hers. For a fleeting second, something passed between them—a flicker of emotion she couldn't quite place—concern, maybe, or something deeper. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only the sharp intensity of his focus on her.

Astrid tried to slip into a seat near the back, away from the pack's inner circle, but it was impossible to escape the weight of their stares. She could feel it pressing down on her, the silent judgment, the fear. She was no longer one of them. She was something else—something they didn't understand.

Lucien's voice cut through the room like a blade, silencing the murmurs. "We have a lot to discuss today," he began, his voice steady, though the tension in his body betrayed his unease. "Last night's incident has raised questions, and we can't afford to ignore them."

His words hung in the air, heavy with implication. He didn't need to name her directly; everyone knew who he was talking about. Astrid felt her pulse quicken, her breath catching in her throat. Her power was a problem. She was a problem. And whatever was happening to her, it was only getting worse.

Lucien's gaze flicked back to her, his eyes narrowing slightly as though he were still trying to puzzle out what had happened. "Astrid has been bound," he said, his voice firm but edged with frustration. "Her wolf is suppressed. That much is fact. But despite the binding, she was able to channel something last night—something dangerous."

A ripple of confusion and disbelief moved through the pack. Garrick, one of the older, more experienced wolves, was the first to speak. "That shouldn't be possible," he growled, his brow furrowing deeply. "If she's bound, she shouldn't be able to access any power at all. The bindings are meant to suppress her wolf completely."

Lucien's jaw clenched, the muscle ticking as he struggled to keep his frustration in check. "Exactly. But she did. She accessed power that should be impossible for her, considering the state of her binding. And yet..." He paused, his gaze locking with Astrid's, and his next words sent a shiver down her spine. "And yet, she doesn't feel the bond. The pull toward her Alpha. Toward me."

The room fell silent. Astrid's heart pounded in her chest. The bond? Her mind raced, struggling to process what he was saying. The pack was bound to Lucien, connected to him through the intricate and unbreakable ties of the Alpha's bond. It was a force that drew them together, that gave Lucien the ability to command, to protect, to lead. Every wolf in the pack felt it, a primal pull toward their Alpha.