Bound by the Moon

Chapter 40

The forest felt both familiar and foreign as Astrid stood at its edge, the scent of pine and damp earth rising in the evening air. She hadn't been here in years—hadn't dared to return since the night she'd fled. Now, though, it loomed ahead of her, an unavoidable reminder of everything she'd left behind. Astrid had always felt that if she stepped back into these woods, her old self would come rushing back, as though her escape had never happened.

But things had changed. She was no longer the scared girl running from her past. She had power now, the unbound strength of her wolf and her shadow—a force she was still learning to control. Yet, for all her newfound power, her heart felt heavy. The conversation with Lucien from earlier haunted her.

The mate bond.

Astrid still couldn't feel it, couldn't sense the pull that everyone spoke of. She had expected something undeniable, something that would tie her and Lucien together so completely it would become as much a part of her as her wolf. But no matter how hard she searched for it, no matter how deeply she tried to connect to him, there was nothing.

That absence gnawed at her, especially now. Lucien stood just a few steps behind her, his presence a silent force of comfort and protection. She didn't need the mate bond to know how much he cared for her. His actions—his unwavering support, his protectiveness—spoke louder than any magical bond ever could. Still, she felt hollow.

Her hand clenched into a fist, and she closed her eyes, willing the doubts to leave her mind, even if only for a moment. There were more pressing matters now.

"Astrid," Lucien's deep voice broke through her thoughts, gentle but firm. "We need to talk."

She turned to face him, his tall frame standing strong amidst the swaying trees. His expression was serious, more so than usual. Lucien rarely showed his tension openly, but she could see it now in the hard line of his jaw and the way his dark eyes held hers with an intensity that made her chest tighten.

"What is it?" she asked, already sensing that whatever he had to say would be something she didn't want to hear.

"We've received a message," Lucien began, his voice steady, though there was an underlying tension in his words. "From Marcus."

The name sent a sharp pang through Astrid's heart. Marcus. Her brother. The Beta of her old pack. The brother who had been both her protector and her betrayer, bound by his loyalty to their cruel Alpha—Darius, their eldest brother.

Astrid's body went rigid, memories flashing unbidden through her mind. Marcus had always walked a thin line between protector and enabler. He had known about Darius's cruelty, about the abuse that Kieran—their Beta—had inflicted on her, yet he had stayed silent, too afraid to defy Darius openly. It had been Marcus who had helped her escape, though, and in doing so, he had made her promise something she had always dreaded—he would protect her secret, but if he ever needed her, she would return.

"Marcus is calling in the bargain," Lucien said, and the weight of his words settled like a stone in Astrid's chest.

Her breath caught. "He's calling in the bargain," she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lucien nodded, watching her closely. "There's trouble in Darius's pack. Rogues. Marcus says they're getting organized, becoming more dangerous. They've been losing warriors, and now they need help. He's asking for us—specifically, for you."

The anger rose in her, swift and hot. She had made that promise to Marcus because she'd felt she had no choice—because despite everything, he was still her brother. But the idea of going back to that pack, to face Darius and Kieran again... It was too much.