Chained by Bond

Chapter 8

Arthur got on his horse and rode into the woods to the Hollow Moon Pack immediately. The forest engulfed him as his horse galloped on the damp floor. The night breeze was cold, burning his lungs as he breathed, but that wasn’t what bothered him; it was Silver.

Despite denying the mate's bond and rejecting her, he was unable to help himself from the pull that he had to her. He ground his teeth and pulled on the reins of the horse, urging it to move faster.

I don’t care for a mate. She doesn’t mean anything to me. The lies he'd convinced himself to be true were haunting his mind because he knew deep down, the wolf in him snarled at the thought of her being in harm’s way.

His conversation with Matt kept playing over in his head. “She has never shifted.” Arthur’s mind went blank when Matt told him. Having not shifted at the age she was unheard of, especially for an Alpha’s bloodline.

“f**k you, Matt,” he muttered, even though he knew none of this was Matt’s fault. He tightened his reins, hoping to get there in half the time he was supposed to. He sent Matt with her because he was the only person he trusted enough with her, even when he did not want to care for her.

His wolf could still smell her; her scent haunted him, lingering around his senses, even now that he was miles away from her. He hated that he craved it as much as he did.

He could see the border that crossed to the hollow moon pack ahead, hidden along the hills and pines, and he kicked his horse, urging it ot move faster, recklessly. His wolf moved inside him, demanding blood if she ever bled again.

Arthur tried to calm himself and his world within. “She isn’t ours to have, not anymore.”

But the emptiness he felt in his chest only worsened, knowing he was in denial as he raced towards her.

Their mate bond wouldn’t let him be rid of her.

He soon reached the treeline as he heard a scream split through the night. The warriors at the borders were no longer in place; he saw wolves snarling and moving swiftly in the shadows. There were many of them, their eyes burning with bloodlust. The invaders, he realized.

He held the reins, signaling for his horse to stop. His wolf wanted to break free as he swung off the horse. His boots slam down on the floor.

He was in the hollow moon pack and could see the attackers forming a huddle. His phone beeped in his pocket, and he answered.

“Arthur?” Matt’s voice came through. “They have breached the borders. Silver is still in Alpha’s quarters. You need to go get…”

He did not wait for the rest of the sentence before he started running, shifting mid-run, bones snapping, and shifting into his wolf form. A midnight wolf, with eyes glowing with fury. The attackers saw him, recognizing an Alpha wolf when they saw one. They plunged at him, but Arthur met them with a sharp precision, his fangs closing against the throat of the first, ripping into the flesh and tossing the limp body aside.

“We have to retreat. They are coming in too deep,” One of the hollow moon warriors shouted from behind.

Arthur snarled, baring his teeth at them. He’s not letting them get any closer to her.

The forest shook from behind them, a deep growl silencing the crowd as the ground shook. All of the wolves stopped moving, moving back slowly to form a formation. And out of the woods came a wolf, but it did not look like an ordinary wolf. It had pale eyes and no fur on the head; it was a scarring sight to behold.

The hollow moon pack broke into a shout of panic, but the rogue warriors and warriors from the hollow moon pack remained calm, on alert.

“Moon goddess! It is Drogo!” someone shouted from the moon's hollow pack.

Arthur’s movement froze in place, blood rushing to his ears. He had heard the name for years, but thought it was just a myth. He assumed it was a legend wolves used to scare their pups into acting right. Drogo was rumored to be half wolf, half witch.

Drogo shifted to his human form, his fur hiding away into scarred human skin. His body had claw marks all over it. He laughed, sickening ears.

Drogo’s eyes shifted to Arthur, who was at the front of the line. His eyes narrowed. “What do we have here? What is the rogue Alpha doing at the Hollow Moon pack? Call it curiosity,” he taunted.

Arthur also shifted back to his human form, his bare chest heaving, but he held Drogo’s gaze firmly. “Will you you leave this land, or I will tear you apart?”

Drogo laughed mockingly.” Boy! Do you think your strength matters here? This is not a fight.”

Before Arthur could respond to him, one of the elders of the Hollow moon pack made his way to the front and gasped. “Drogo, it is you.” He looked at him in disbelief. “I thought you were dead; you were banished for consulting with witches, corrupting your wolf with dark magic.”

Drogo’s smile spread across his face; it was menacing. “As you can see, I am very much alive. And I have found power where your mighty moon goddess left me. Look at me, I am not dead.”

He raised his index finger and targeted a member of the hollow moon pack from where he stood in the crowd, mimicking tracing his claws on its face, and surprisingly, the wolf’s face was bleeding as if it was being clawed.

“Let him go,” Arthur growled at him.

“Why does it matter to you, Alpha? He is not a member of your pack,” his voice dripped with mockery.

Arthur was about to respond to him when he saw silver from the corner of his eye, making her way to where they stood. The glow from the fire let her hair shimmer like molten silver. Drogo followed Arthur’s gaze, and he froze.

“Well, well,l well,” he smiled, his voice dripping with hunger. “Little silver, the wolf with no wolf.”

Arthur stilled. “Don’t you dare look at her.

Drogo looked back at him, amused. “Argghh i see…interesting.” He had a cruel smile on his face, his eyes moving between silver and Arthur. “Hmm, Alpha Arthur, you’re protective of her. I wonder why. Could it be..” His eyes popped at the realization, and his menacing smile returned. “Ahh, she is your mate?”

The Hollow moon pack broke into a murmur, voices talking all over each other at the announcement. Arthur’s silence was enough confirmation for they needed.

Drogo laughed, genuinely, the sound echoing too loudly as if the shadows were laughing with him. “The moon goddess definitely has a sick sense of humor. Binding the Rogue Alpha to the daughter of the Alpha of the Holowmoon pack, a wolf who cannot shift at that. A mate without power.” His words stretched. He looked pointedly at Arthur. “Why would you want to be bonded with such weakness?”

Arthur growled, low. “Watch your mouth, Drogo.”

Drogo stepped closer to Arthur, his voice smooth and taunting. “Tell me, Arthur, what do you stand to gain from this? No strength, no future. You’ll bleed for her and then what?”

Silver watched the scene unravel. He reached her chest, his eyes wide with anticipation of whether Arthur’s mind would change; shame was written all over her face.

Arthur sighed loudly. His voice was cold. “ A broken wolf is far better than a monster who sold his soul. You will not touch her.”

Arthur’s chest heaved, his claws half-bared. His voice was cold steel. “Better a broken wolf than a monster who sold his soul. You’ll never touch her.” Drogo smiled and took a step back. “I am here to collect what I deserve.”

His eyes lingered on silver; something dark and unnatural brewed in them.

“You should return to your pack, Alpha Arthur. You have nothing to claim here,” Drogo said. “Silver belongs to me.”

Arthur bared his fangs, his claws coming out, and his wolf was fighting to come out. “ Say her name one more time and those would be your last words.”

Drogo laughed in his face. “How sweet! Hand it over to me, or you won’t get another chance to.”

“We will never hand her over to you.” Elder Marcel spat from where he stood. “You betrayed this pack once with your dark magic, and now you are making requests.”

Drogo’s smile grew, as if he had been waiting for someone to say that to him. “You think you can stop me? You are facing something greater than your old traditions.

Arthur took a step forward, his growl menacing. “You will not touch a strand of hair on her head. I advise you to take your leave, Drogo, before it’s too late.

Drogo’s face flickered to Arthur. “What a shame, how much fun we would have had together, Apha Arthur. “

Arthur snarled at him. “I’d burn the entire world down, rather than side with you.”

Drogo was silenced by Arthur’s rejection, and then a sick grin crawled to his face, “Have it your way. I will give you time, hand her over to me, or the next time I come here, it will not be just threats.”

He looked over to the entire crowd, silver, and back to Arthur. “I advise you to make the right choice.”

He turned around dramatically and flicked his thumb against his middle finger, and wolves curled around him, and his form disappeared.

Silver sighed nervously, her body trembling as the wolves started to leave the courtyard one after the other. “I am the reason he’s here.” She whispered to herself, the gravity of the situation setting in.

She walked hurriedly away, going to the Alpha’s quarters, her chest heaving. Drogo’s words played in her head, the sickening way he looked at her. She needed to breathe, space, anything that’d help her loosen the knot that had formed in her stomach. She opened the door and slid down immediately she closed it behind her.

“Silver?”

She raised her head. The voice was way too familiar.

“Ronan?” she said with disbelief.

He came out of the dark hallway, limping slightly from the attack from the night. His dark hair was covering his eyes.

“We will find a way to stop Drogo, I promise you,” Ronan swore to her.

“Let’s not make promises we can’t keep now.” She attempted a joke that did not quite land well.

Ronan was quiet and just stared at her. “So, Arthur, huh?”

“I don’t want to talk about him, please.”

“But he’s here for you.”

“Yes, because I begged him to. Nothing more.”