The moonlight followed me like a curse, silver beams chasing my every step as I stormed back to the cabin. My chest still burned where Ronan's hands had held me, where his voice had carved promises into the hollow of my soul.
Stay away, Ronan, I had told him. Words spoken like steel, but my heart… my heart was molten, betraying me with every beat.
Inside, I collapsed onto the edge of the bed, burying my face in my palms. My wolf prowled restlessly within, her voice a low growl in my head.
He is ours. You know it. You feel it.
"No," I whispered fiercely, digging my nails into my palms. "He's dangerous. This bond will destroy me."
My wolf snarled in defiance, pacing, shaking against the chains I tried to bind her with.
You lie to yourself. You crave him. His touch, his scent, his fire—it is the truth you run from.
Tears stung my eyes, hot and unrelenting. Because she was right.
Every time he was near, my world spun out of control. He broke past my walls with just a look, and when he'd pulled me against him tonight, the ache to surrender nearly unraveled me completely.
And then there was her. Lyra. Standing too close, her hands on him, her voice cutting into me like knives. I hated the way it hurt, hated that it mattered.
I didn't want to need him. Didn't want to be another weak woman orbiting an Alpha's sun.
A knock startled me. I wiped quickly at my face, schooling my voice. "Come in."
The door opened, and Elara slipped inside, her eyes sharp, curious, always seeing more than I wanted her to. "I thought I'd find you here."
I forced a smile. "What gave me away?"
"Maybe the storm cloud over your head," she teased, sinking onto the bed beside me.
"Or maybe the way you practically stomped through the whole camp like a raging goddess."
Despite myself, a shaky laugh escaped.
"Subtle, wasn't I?"
"About as subtle as a wolf howling in church." She nudged me with her shoulder.
"Want to tell me what's wrong, or should I start guessing?"
I shook my head, staring at my hands. "It's nothing."
Elara arched a brow. "Nothing usually doesn't look like tear-streaked cheeks and a heart that's about to burst."
Her words made the tears threaten again, but I swallowed them back. "It's Ronan."
"Ah," she said, drawing the word out like she'd already known. "The big, brooding Alpha who makes your voice catch every time you say his name."
"Elara," I groaned, shoving her lightly.
She grinned, unrepentant. "Don't deny it. I see the way you look at him. And tonight? The entire camp probably felt that heat from here."
Heat flared in my cheeks. "It's not like that. It can't be like that."
"Why not?"
"Because he's the Alpha. Because boundaries matter. Because—" I broke off, twisting my fingers together. "Because I don't trust him not to break me."
Elara grew quiet for a moment, her teasing slipping into something softer. "Raven… you're the strongest person I know. Maybe it's not about him breaking you. Maybe it's about you being terrified that you want him enough to let him in."
Her words pierced straight through me, raw and true.
"I saw him with Lyra," I whispered. "She was standing so close, touching him, and it… it felt like I was being ripped apart inside. I hated it. I hated that I cared."
"Of course you cared," Elara said gently.
"Because he matters to you. And I'll bet my last drop of blood that you matter to him too. Lyra? She's smoke. You're fire."
I shook my head, the ache tightening in my chest. "He says it's only me. But how can I believe him? He's powerful, he could have anyone. And me? I'm just—"
"Don't finish that," Elara cut in firmly. "You're not just anything. You're Raven. You're fierce, stubborn, smart, and maddeningly hard to argue with. If Ronan's smart—and he is—he knows exactly what he stands to lose if he ever lets you slip away."
Her conviction stole the air from my lungs.
Silence stretched between us, filled only by the faint howl of a wolf in the distance. My own wolf stirred, pressing against me with a growl of agreement. He is ours. Stop denying it.
"I don't know if I can survive it," I confessed in a whisper. "Wanting him feels like drowning."
"Then maybe," Elara said softly, squeezing my hand, "you need to decide if it's the kind of drowning that kills you… or the kind that finally teaches you how to breathe."
Her words lodged deep in me, a thorn and a balm all at once.
I leaned into her, resting my head against her shoulder. "You always know what to say."
"Of course I do. I'm brilliant," she teased, though her tone was tender. "But seriously, Raven—don't keep running from this forever. Because one day, you'll run out of places to hide. And if Ronan really is your mate… the bond won't let you go."
The bond. The word alone made my heart stutter.
I closed my eyes, exhaustion pulling at me.
Elara's presence steadied me, but the storm inside still raged.
Between fire and fear, desire and denial, I stood on a knife's edge.
And I knew, sooner or later, I would fall.