Lira didn't sleep that night.
Even after the trial, even after the
whispers began to shift from scorn to reluctant acceptance, her body refused to
rest.
She lay on the narrow bed inside the
guest den, her gaze locked on the wooden beams above her. Every creak of the
old floorboards, every rustle outside the window, set her nerves on edge.
The bond between her and Zane still
simmered under her skin—quiet now, but present. Like a thread stretched taut,
waiting to snap or tighten.
She didn't know what scared her more.
Outside, the moon hung low, a sliver
of light behind thick clouds. The wind carried the scent of pine, smoke, and
something faintly metallic—like blood that hadn't yet dried.
Her fingers curled around the edge of
the blanket. She didn't want to be here, not really. But she didn't want to be
anywhere else either.
This place… these people… they were
tied to her fate now.
And that terrified her more than any
curse.
By morning, the camp was stirring.
Wolves moved in and out of the main
square, their voices hushed, glances still sharp. Though no one dared say it
out loud, the pack was waiting—for Zane's next move, for Seraphina's
retaliation, for Lira to slip up.
Lira stood by the well, filling a jug
with cold water. The wind bit at her skin through her cloak. Her bandaged ribs
ached.
Cassian approached, his limp barely
noticeable.
"You alright?" he asked, his tone
neutral but kind.
She gave him a sideways glance.
"Define 'alright.'"
He smirked. "Fair enough."
They walked in silence for a moment,
until Cassian said, "You earned some respect yesterday. Not everyone could've
passed that trial. You surprised them."
Lira sighed. "Seems to be a theme
lately."
"You're still not one of them," he
warned. "Not yet. But you're closer than you were."
She nodded. "And Seraphina?"
Cassian's eyes darkened. "She's not
happy. She never loses gracefully."
"I noticed."
He stopped walking and looked at her
seriously. "Watch your back. She might be quiet now, but she's not done. And
with the way the bond between you and Zane is flaring…" He trailed off.
"What about it?"
Cassian hesitated. "The pack sees it.
Smells it. Feels it. You can't hide a bond like that—not for long."
Lira's heart thumped harder. "We
haven't… nothing's happened."
"Doesn't matter. The connection is
there. And some wolves don't like change. Or weakness."
"Is that what they think I am?" she
asked, lifting a brow.
Cassian's expression softened. "No.
That's what they're hoping you are."
Zane stood in the training ring later
that morning, stripped to the waist, sweat glistening on his chest as he
slammed into a sparring partner.
The fight was brutal. Raw.
It was how he cleared his head.
Lira watched from the edge, arms
crossed, her eyes trailing every precise movement he made. The way he
moved—fast, controlled, powerful—it was impossible not to admire.
Even if he was a pain in her ass.
After the third takedown, his opponent
groaned and tapped out.
Zane grabbed a towel and turned to
find Lira watching.
He froze.
Their eyes locked.
For a moment, nothing moved between
them. Not the wind. Not the world.
Just breath. Just tension.
She walked toward him slowly. "Trying
to blow off steam?"
He wiped his face. "Trying not to
think."
"About?"
"Everything."
Lira stopped a few feet away. "You're
not the only one."
Zane studied her. "You look tired."
"Didn't sleep."
"Nightmares?"
"Not exactly. Just… thoughts. Fears."
He nodded, understanding.
She hesitated, then asked, "Do you
regret it?"
"Bringing you here?"
"Everything that came after."
Zane's jaw tightened. "It's
complicated."
She nodded. "Seems like everything is
lately."
Later that afternoon, the pack council
met again. This time, without Zane.
Seraphina sat at the head of the
circle, her smile cold.
"She passed the trial," one elder
said. "We must honor that."
"She passed it, yes," Seraphina
agreed, "but at what cost? Zane is blinded. You saw how he looked at her. How
he defended her."
Another councilwoman narrowed her
eyes. "You speak like a jealous mate."
Seraphina's gaze flickered. "I speak
like someone who wants this pack to survive. She's cursed. That bond is
unnatural."
"And yet… it is fate," another
murmured. "The bond chose her. We cannot change that."
Seraphina's nails bit into her palm
beneath the table.
"We can't change the bond," she said
smoothly. "But we can ensure the Alpha sees where his true loyalty should lie.
To the pack, not the witch."
As dusk fell, Lira sat on a log
outside the healer's tent, staring at the glowing embers of a dying fire.
Mira finally joined her, her face pale
but more alert.
"Hey," Mira said softly.
Lira's eyes lit up. "You're up."
"Barely. That healer woman gave me
something strong. I'm pretty sure I saw a talking wolf."
Lira smiled. "Could've been real. Who
knows anymore."
Mira grew serious. "What happened back
there… with that cloaked figure…"
Lira tensed.
"I saw the way he looked at you," Mira
whispered. "He wanted your blood."
Lira nodded slowly. "His name is
Julian. He used to be my friend. An ally. Maybe more. But now he's… twisted."
"Why does he want your blood?"
"Because it's cursed. Because it's
connected to magic older than anything we understand. The Veil… it's breaking.
And I think I'm the key."
Mira was quiet for a long time.
"That's a lot to carry."
"Tell me about it."
"And Zane?" Mira asked gently.
Lira looked away. "He's… complicated.
Strong. Infuriating. And the bond—it's pulling at me. Every time he's near, I
feel like I'm standing too close to fire. But I don't burn."
"That sounds like love," Mira teased.
Lira rolled her eyes. "Or doom."
That night, Zane stood by the cliffs
overlooking Silver Hollow. The wind whipped at his hair. His shirt was
forgotten somewhere behind him.
He didn't hear Lira approach until she
stood beside him.
"You always this dramatic?" she asked.
He smirked. "Only on full moons."
They stood in silence for a while, the
ocean below roaring like a restless beast.
"I keep thinking about the trial,"
Lira said. "And what the elder asked me."
"About accepting the bond?"
She nodded. "I said yes. But I didn't
tell them how scared I am."
"You don't have to," Zane said softly.
"I feel it."
She turned to him. "What does it feel
like? To you?"
He took a slow breath. "Like being
pulled toward something I can't walk away from. Like no matter how far I run,
I'll always circle back to you."
Lira's heart pounded.
"And you hate that?" she whispered.
He shook his head. "No. I'm just not
sure I deserve it."
They stared at each other.
The glow between them flared—soft and
warm, brushing their skin like moonlight.
Zane stepped closer.
"I don't know what happens next," he
said. "But I know I'm not letting you face this alone."
Lira looked up at him, something
breaking open in her chest.
"I'm tired of being alone," she
whispered.
He reached for her, his hand curling
around hers.
And for the first time… she didn't
pull away.