Bound by the Moon

Chapter 35

The fire crackled low in the hearth, casting long, flickering shadows across the stone walls of the room. The tension between Lucien and Astrid was palpable, an invisible weight that had settled over them like a thick fog. Lucien's frustration simmered just beneath the surface, and Astrid could feel the sharp edge of his emotions, even without the full strength of the bond. It was like standing at the edge of a storm, waiting for the first thunderclap to break the silence.

Astrid sat cross-legged on the floor, her breathing shallow as she tried to focus on the faint hum of the pack bond at the edge of her consciousness. The air around her felt thick, heavy with expectation, but no matter how much she tried to reach for it, the connection was dim. It was there, like a whisper she couldn't quite hear. But nothing more.

It wasn't enough. She knew that. And so did Lucien.

His voice broke the silence, soft but laced with frustration. "Can you feel it now? The pack?"

Astrid hesitated, nodding slowly. "It's there... barely. Like a thread, but not strong enough. It's like I'm connected but not fully."

Lucien stood by the wall, his arms crossed tightly across his chest. His golden eyes, which were usually so warm and steady, now held a flicker of something else—something darker. His frown deepened as he stared at her, clearly displeased with her response.

"You should be feeling more than that," he said, his tone sharp. "The bond with the pack should be stronger after a shift. Especially now that your wolf has been unbound. You should feel grounded, tethered to us."

"I don't know what's wrong," Astrid admitted, her voice small. "Maybe it's because I've been bound for so long. My wolf is only just waking up. Maybe... maybe it just takes time."

Lucien sighed heavily, his frustration finally spilling over. "It shouldn't take this long, Astrid. You shifted. You're part of the pack. The bond should be there. It's not just the pack bond—it's everything. You should feel... more."

Astrid could hear the unspoken words behind his frustration. You should feel me. There was a part of her that had expected something too—a deeper connection, an unspoken link between her and Lucien. But all she felt was the faint vibration of the pack, distant and incomplete. Nothing more.

Lucien pushed off the wall and walked toward her, his steps slow but purposeful. He crouched down in front of her, his golden eyes searching hers. "There's something blocking you," he said softly, though the tension in his voice remained. "It has to be that shadow Kael mentioned."

Astrid's heart sank at the mention of Kael. The memory of his cold, intense gaze unsettled her still, but his words had lingered in her mind. You have a shadow. He had said it with such certainty, as if he knew more about her than she did herself.

"I don't trust him," Lucien continued, his jaw tightening. "The timing is too convenient. He shows up right when you're about to shift, tells you things no one else could know, and then offers to train you? It feels like manipulation."

"I don't trust him either," Astrid said quietly. "But he knew things, Lucien. He knew about the unbinding, about my wolf. And now this shadow... What if he's right? What if that's why I can't feel the bond fully? What if that's why I've always felt so... disconnected?"

Lucien's eyes darkened, his frustration mounting. He stood abruptly, running a hand through his hair in a gesture that was both exasperated and worried. "And what if it's a trap? What if he's playing you, Astrid? Using this shadow to get close to you, to manipulate you into something dangerous?"

Astrid swallowed, her chest tightening with the weight of his words. She didn't want to believe that Kael had ulterior motives, but she couldn't ignore the nagging feeling that something was very wrong. But how could she know? Kael had offered her answers—answers she desperately needed—but at what cost?