Bound by the Moon

Chapter 46

The heavy door closed behind Astrid with a dull thud, leaving her in the small, dimly lit room that served as Marcus's temporary prison. The air was cold, stagnant, and the faint smell of damp stone clung to her senses. Marcus sat in the center of the room, his wrists bound by silver chains that kept his wolf suppressed. His head hung low, his greasy hair falling into his face, masking his features in shadow. But the moment Astrid stepped inside, his head jerked up, eyes sharp and full of malice.

"So," he sneered, "you've come to gloat, little sister?"

Astrid's jaw tightened at the sight of him, the same familiar knot of dread settling in her stomach. No matter how many times she faced Marcus, the trauma he had inflicted on her in the past still echoed through her bones. But she pushed it down, focusing on the task at hand.

"I didn't come here to gloat, Marcus," she said, her voice steady, though it took everything in her to maintain her composure. "I came to ask you what you know about the rogues."

He smirked, his lips curling into something close to a snarl. "The rogues? Is that what you're worried about now? Not that savage Alpha of yours?"

"Lucien isn't the one I need to worry about right now," Astrid replied, her tone calm, but laced with warning. "The rogues are becoming more organized, more dangerous. You knew something, didn't you? That's why you tried to use it against Darius."

Marcus's smirk faded slightly, and for a moment, his eyes flickered with something like calculation. It was a brief, subtle shift, but Astrid caught it. He knew something, she was sure of it.

"Maybe I do," Marcus said, leaning back in his chair, the chains rattling with the movement. "Maybe I know a lot more than you think. But why should I help you? You've already taken everything from me. My power, my place in the pack—everything."

"You lost everything because of your own choices," Astrid shot back, her voice hardening. "You manipulated, abused, and betrayed the pack, Marcus. And now we're all paying the price. If you don't help us now, those rogues will tear Silverclaw apart."

Marcus's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, they glinted with a cruel amusement. "And what if that's exactly what I want?"

The words hit Astrid like a punch to the gut, her breath catching in her throat. There was no remorse in Marcus's eyes, no regret for the harm he'd caused. He was willing to let the pack fall, all out of spite.

"You'd let the rogues destroy everything?" she asked, disbelief coloring her voice. "Even your own brother?"

Marcus's smirk returned, this time colder. "Darius is no brother of mine. He's weak, just like our father. He doesn't deserve to lead the pack. I should have been Alpha. This was always supposed to be my pack, Astrid."

Astrid shook her head, disgust rising in her throat. "You'll never be Alpha, Marcus. Not after what you've done."

"And you'll never be free of me," Marcus hissed, his eyes narrowing to slits. "You think you've escaped, but you haven't. Not really. I can still see it in your eyes—the fear. I'll always be there, lurking in the shadows."

Astrid's hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her emotions in check. Marcus was trying to get under her skin, trying to make her doubt herself, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore," she said firmly, meeting his gaze head-on. "You don't control me."

Marcus's eyes flashed with fury, his smirk vanishing as his face twisted into a sneer. "You'll always be the scared little girl, Astrid. No matter how strong you think you've become, you'll never be rid of me."