Bound by the Moon

Chapter 47

The mood in the Silverclaw Pack house was tense, the air thick with unease. Wolves moved with a sense of urgency, their ears pricked, eyes constantly scanning the territory as if an attack could come at any moment. The knowledge that hundreds of rogues were gathering, possibly under the control of someone far more dangerous, left the pack on edge. Astrid could feel it too—the thick, oppressive tension that clung to every interaction, every glance exchanged between the wolves. But her thoughts were elsewhere, preoccupied by something far more personal.

She sat across from Darius in his office, a room she had known all too well during her time in the pack. It was still the same, dark wooden walls lined with bookshelves and old maps of their territory, the scent of pine and leather heavy in the air. Darius, her brother and Alpha of Silverclaw, leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowed with concern. He looked tired, the weight of leadership pressing heavily on his shoulders.

Astrid took a breath, trying to organize her thoughts. She had avoided talking about this for as long as she could, but with the situation growing more dangerous by the day, she couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Darius," she started, her voice quieter than usual. "We need to talk about the mate bond."

Her brother's sharp blue eyes flicked up to meet hers, narrowing slightly in confusion. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the desk between them. "What about it?"

Astrid hesitated, unsure how to articulate what had been bothering her for weeks now. "I don't feel it," she finally said, her voice low but steady. "I don't feel the mate bond with Lucien."

Darius's eyes widened, surprise flashing across his face. "What do you mean you don't feel it? You two are bonded. It's undeniable."

She shook her head, frustration bubbling up inside her. "I know everyone thinks we're mates, but I just... don't feel it. I don't feel that pull, that connection everyone always talks about. When I'm around him, I don't feel any different than when I'm around anyone else."

As Astrid stood in her brother's office, the conversation they had just had continued to weigh heavily on her. Darius was pacing now, a familiar habit when he was deep in thought. His brow was furrowed as he mulled over the complexities of what Astrid had confessed—the fact that she didn't feel the mate bond with Lucien. The weight of the silence between them was palpable, thick with uncertainty and tension.

"Astrid," Darius began, his voice slow and measured, "there's one thing we haven't considered."

She looked up at him, her eyes still distant with confusion and frustration. "What do you mean?"

Darius stopped pacing, folding his arms across his chest as he turned to face her. "It's possible that you didn't feel the mate bond with Lucien because your wolf was bound for so long."

Astrid's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat. Of course. Her wolf—her very essence—had been bound for years, locked away beneath layers of control that had kept her from accessing her full strength. When Kael had unbound her wolf, it had been like a floodgate opening. The sheer power that had rushed through her had been overwhelming, intoxicating even, but it had also left her with questions. Questions like this.

"That makes sense," she whispered, her eyes narrowing as she considered the possibility. "I was bound for so long... it would explain why I never felt it. My wolf was trapped, suppressed. I didn't even know who I really was."

Darius nodded slowly, but his expression didn't lighten. "But that raises another issue, Astrid."

She raised an eyebrow, her mind still turning over the implications of what he had said. "What issue?"