Bound by the Moon

Chapter 29

The morning after the pack meeting, Astrid found herself standing at the edge of the forest, staring into the dense thicket of trees as if they held the answers to the questions that haunted her. The air was thick with the remnants of last night's rain, and a heavy mist clung to the ground, wrapping around her ankles like ghostly tendrils. Each step she took sank into the damp earth, and the crisp, clean scent of pine and damp leaves filled the air. The forest was silent, save for the occasional rustling of leaves overhead as a soft breeze blew through, yet Astrid couldn't find any peace here. Not today.

Her mind was a storm of chaos, her emotions a tangled mess of confusion and fear. Lucien's words from the pack meeting echoed relentlessly in her head. What are you, Astrid? How much power do you truly have? His questions had struck a chord deep within her, a chord she wasn't sure she was ready to confront. The truth was, she didn't know the answer to those questions. She didn't know who—or what—she truly was anymore.

For as long as she could remember, her wolf had been bound, her abilities dampened and her connection to the primal side of herself muted. She had lived her entire life in the shadow of what she could have been, always feeling like something was missing, something vital and wild. And now, that missing piece was stirring, clawing its way to the surface in ways she couldn't explain or control.

She didn't know how long she'd been walking when she heard the soft rustle of leaves behind her, the sound unmistakable to her heightened senses. She stiffened, her body going tense as she instinctively prepared for what she knew was coming. The presence behind her was impossible to mistake—Lucien. She could feel him before he even spoke, a subtle hum of energy that seemed to connect them on some level she couldn't quite understand.

"You've been avoiding me," Lucien said, his deep voice breaking through the stillness of the forest.

Astrid didn't turn around immediately. She kept her gaze fixed on the trees ahead, her hands curling into fists at her sides as she braced herself for the conversation she had been dreading. His tone wasn't harsh, but it carried an edge of something—frustration, maybe. Or was it something else?

"I needed space," she replied quietly, still not facing him. Her voice sounded fragile to her own ears, a stark contrast to the turmoil swirling within her.

"I understand," Lucien said, his voice softening, though there was a tension beneath his words that he couldn't quite hide. "But we need to talk, Astrid. We can't keep pretending like this isn't happening."

Astrid closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to stay calm, to keep the flood of emotions in check. She knew he was right. She had been avoiding him, avoiding the questions he'd asked at the meeting, and avoiding the truth she didn't want to face. But how could she talk about something she didn't even understand?

Finally, she turned to face him. Lucien stood a few feet away, his tall, imposing figure casting a shadow over her in the dim light of the forest. He was every bit the Alpha, his presence commanding, yet there was something different in his expression today. His dark eyes, always so intense, held a flicker of something she hadn't seen before. Vulnerability, perhaps? Concern?

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The weight of unspoken words hung heavy between them, and Astrid felt her chest tighten with the pressure of it. She didn't want to talk about this, but she knew she had no choice. Not anymore.

"I don't know what's happening to me, Lucien," she finally admitted, her voice barely more than a whisper. "None of this makes sense. I shouldn't be able to do the things I did with Ryker. My wolf is bound—there shouldn't be any power for me to channel. But there is. And I don't know why."