Nightfall's wards screamed.
Not aloud—but through bone and blood.
Elara felt it first.
She was standing near the outer terraces when the silver beneath her skin flared violently, heat rushing through her veins like molten moonlight. Her breath hitched, fingers curling against the stone railing as the bond snapped tight.
Too tight.
"He's here," she whispered.
Around her, Nightfall warriors stiffened as the mountain itself seemed to groan. The protective sigils etched into the cliffs pulsed brighter, reacting to an intrusion they recognized as dangerous.
Lucien appeared at her side instantly, his presence grounding even as the air thickened with Alpha pressure.
"Stay behind me," he said.
"I won't," Elara replied, surprising herself with the steadiness of her voice.
Lucien studied her for a heartbeat—then nodded once.
"Then don't break."
The gates of Nightfall opened slowly, stone grinding against stone.
And Alpha Kael Blackthorn stepped through.
He was not alone.
A dozen Blackthorn warriors flanked him, their expressions hard, their stances openly aggressive. But it was Kael who commanded the space—his presence slamming into the courtyard like a storm.
Elara's lungs burned.
He looked… wrong.
Not unhinged—but stripped bare. His eyes were too bright, his jaw clenched as if he were holding himself together by sheer will alone. The bond between them screamed, stretching painfully as his gaze locked onto her.
There she is.
She hated that her heart answered before her mind could stop it.
"Alpha Lucien," Kael said, voice controlled, deadly calm. "You harbor what belongs to my pack."
The temperature dropped.
Nightfall warriors bristled.
Lucien stepped forward. "Careful," he warned softly. "You are a guest."
Kael's gaze never left Elara. "Guests don't hide behind wards."
Elara took a step forward.
Lucien's hand shot out—but stopped just short of touching her.
"Don't," he murmured.
She met his eyes. "I need this."
Then she faced Kael fully.
"I don't belong to you," she said.
The words landed like a blade.
Kael's wolf roared.
"You are bound to me," he replied, the bond flaring violently in response. "You can feel it."
"I feel pain," Elara shot back. "That's all you ever gave me."
A ripple of unease moved through both packs.
Kael exhaled slowly, as if restraining something feral. "You should never have left Blackthorn."
Her laugh was brittle. "You made sure of that."
The memory rose between them—her kneeling under the full moon, his voice cold and final.
Rejecting her.
Kael's jaw tightened. "I was wrong."
The courtyard froze.
Lucien's eyes narrowed.
Elara's heart stuttered.
Wrong.
"You don't get to say that now," she whispered.
Kael took a step closer.
Nightfall warriors instantly shifted, weapons half-raised. Lucien lifted one hand, stopping them.
"Another step," Lucien warned, "and you test our hospitality."
Kael finally looked at him, eyes flashing.
"You're protecting her," Kael said flatly. "Why?"
Lucien's answer was simple. "Because she deserves choice."
Kael's gaze snapped back to Elara.
"Is that what you want?" he demanded. "To hide behind another Alpha?"
Her chest burned.
"I'm not hiding," she said. "I'm surviving."
The bond pulsed, sharp and accusing.
Kael staggered half a step before catching himself.
"You're stronger," he said hoarsely. "What did you do to her?"
Lucien's smile was thin. "Nothing. She awakened."
That did it.
Kael's control cracked.
Alpha pressure exploded outward, slamming into the courtyard with brutal force. Nightfall warriors snarled, some forced to one knee. Elara gasped as the weight pressed down on her chest.
Lucien moved instantly, his own power rising to meet Kael's—older, steadier. The air between them trembled, stone cracking beneath their feet.
"This is your last warning," Lucien growled.
Kael ignored him.
"Elara," he said, voice rough, layered with command. "Come to me."
The bond surged.
Pain ripped through her ribs, stealing her breath. Her knees buckled—but she did not move toward him.
Instead, something inside her snapped.
Silver light erupted from her skin.
The ground shook violently, forcing both packs to stumble back. The Alpha pressures shattered under the wave of resonance rolling outward—calm, vast, unstoppable.
Kael froze.
Lucien stared.
The moonlight bent toward her.
"I am not yours," Elara said, voice echoing with something ancient. "And I will not be commanded."
The bond screamed.
Kael dropped to one knee.
Not in submission—but in shock.
His wolf howled in agony as the connection between them stretched thinner than it ever had before.
"Elara," he whispered, fear finally breaking through. "Stop."
She stared at him—this powerful Alpha brought low, eyes wild with regret.
And for the first time…
She felt nothing but clarity.
"I warned you," she said softly. "I won't break for you again."
The silver light receded.
Kael collapsed forward, catching himself with one hand, breathing hard.
Lucien stepped in front of Elara protectively.
"This meeting is over," he declared. "Leave. Or be removed."
Kael pushed himself to his feet slowly, every movement heavy.
His gaze burned into Elara.
"This isn't finished," he said quietly. "The bond still exists."
Elara's hands clenched.
"For now," Lucien replied coldly.
Kael turned away at last, signaling his warriors. They retreated—but every step felt like a promise of war.
As the gates closed behind them, Elara's strength vanished.
She swayed.
Lucien caught her.
"You did well," he murmured.
Her breath shook. "It still hurts."
"Yes," he said gently. "Because he's not done."
That night, as Elara slept restlessly, the Moon Goddess watched in silence.
The bond had been wounded.
Not severed.
And wounded things, when cornered, became dangerous.