Howl at the Heart's Edge

Chapter 10

The Bond’s Burden.

The night wind did little to calm the chaos screaming inside Lorenzo as he leaned against the wooden railing of the packhouse's balcony. Matteo came stealthily, his footfall soft on the weathered boards.

With a solid anchor in his voice, Matteo started, "You've been avoiding everyone." "Even Alessandra is beginning to pay attention."

Lorenzo's mouth tightened as he scoffed. Matteo, avoidance isn't even close to describing it. It is killing me. I see her every time I close my eyes. Without her, every breath feels wrong.

Matteo's forehead wrinkled. "The bond?"

Lorenzo looked down at the thick forest and nodded. It is unrelenting. I believed it would be over if I rejected her. Rather, it feels like a burden I can't get rid of. But Matteo, I had no other option. The pack comes first, as you are aware.

Matteo took a step forward and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Yes, the pack is significant. However, Lorenzo, you are as well. If you're collapsing internally, you can't lead.

Lorenzo gave a headshake. "It's not that easy. My father and Alessandra would never accept it. Isabella would never be able to forgive me.

Then force them to look," Matteo said in a stern yet gentle tone. "You, not them, are the alpha. This is your bond and your life.

Lorenzo looked at Matteo, the struggle in his amber eyes nearly too painful to see. "You make it seem so simple."

Matteo acknowledged, "It's not, but if anyone can handle this, it's you."

With a sigh, Lorenzo felt the pressure of his choices mounting on his chest. "I'll give it some thought."

Matteo nodded, a determined look on his face. "Lorenzo, you don't have to make up your mind right away. This type of bond doesn't wait.

From the main hall of the packhouse, Alessandra observed Lorenzo, her emerald eyes narrowing as he excused himself from yet another discussion. There was an eerie tension in place of his once-charismatic manner.

She turned to Marco, who hovered close by like a shadow, and whispered, "Something's wrong." "He isn't himself."

Ever devoted to Alessandra, Marco furrowed his brow in inquiry. "You believe it to be the omega?"

A chilly smile curved Alessandra's lips. "Marco, I don't think. I am aware. Somehow, he is still bound to her.

Marco scowled. "The bond between mates?"

"Yes," she growled, her tone piercing. Additionally, it poses a threat. I shall sever it if Lorenzo is unable to.

"What am I supposed to do?" Marco's tone remained steady as he asked.

"Go with him," Alessandra commanded. See where his thoughts go when he believes no one is looking. Before he destroys everything, I want to know if he is weak enough to follow that bond.

Marco paused for a second. "If he discovers—"

She interrupted him by snapping, "He won't." "You'll see to that. Recognize?

With a somber gaze, Marco nodded. "Comprehensive."

Lorenzo had slid through the door, and Alessandra's eyes lingered there. "I'll remind him what's at stake if he refuses to control his bond."

Like a thread woven into Lorenzo's brain, the moonlight infused his dreams with vivid imagery. He saw Isabella fighting Giuliano in a clearing in the forest, her face resolute, her body moving with fresh vigor. He had never seen the fire of resiliency in her eyes.

He whispered, "Isabella," his voice cracking in the dream. He extended his hand, but she was gone, replaced by Giuliano's dark presence, his sneer mocking.

Lorenzo's chest heaved as he bounded upright. His heart roared in his ears, and cold sweat stuck to his skin. Stronger than ever, the unwavering tie pulsed within him.

He mumbled to himself, "She's changing," as the brutal reality hit him like a slap. "And I am unable to stop it."

Isabella swung a wooden staff with shaking arms as Giuliano's piercing voice reverberated over the clearing. She breathed in sharp gasps and her brow was slicked with sweat, yet she remained unflinching. With his sharp green eyes observing her every action, he growled, "Again." Do you believe that's sufficient to confront a DeVargas wolf? Before you can move, you'll be dead.

Isabella tightened her grasp on the staff and stabilized her stance, grinding her teeth. She growled and pushed herself farther, saying, "I can do it." Her drive to disprove him drove every movement as her swings became more accurate.

Giuliano crossed his arms and rested against a tree. "I'll give you that you have spirit. However, someone like Lorenzo will not be deterred by spirit. Isabella noticed a hint of something deeper behind his frown as his tone became sour.

As her curiosity overcame her fatigue, she lowered the staff and asked, "Why do you hate him so much?"

He tightened his jaw and scoffed. It's not only him. His entire family is involved. The DeVargas Pack behaves as though they are superior to the rest of us because of their ancestry and are untouchable. His voice trailed off, a little rough. "They have destroyed lives, including those of my family."

Isabella scowled. "What took place?"

Giuliano's face grew serious. That's a tale for a different occasion. You should be concentrating on survival right now. You'll need more than rage if you intend to return to Montelupo and confront Lorenzo.

Although his words hurt, they strengthened her determination. "I will stop at nothing," she stated resolutely.

A slight smirk of approval curved Giuliano's lips. Then resume your work. We keep going till you're ready.

Lorenzo unfolded the fragile parchment in the flickering light of the library lantern. The chamber smelled faintly of parchment and old ink. As his eyes skimmed the lines, his fingers followed the complex calligraphy, each line bringing him closer to dread.

The Moon Goddess herself knitted an unbreakable tie between fated mates, according to the scroll. "The natural order is disturbed when the bond is rejected," Lorenzo muttered in a shaky voice. The poem went on to warn of anarchy that would reverberate throughout packs, eroding ties and leaving them vulnerable.

The last line, "To sever what the goddess has joined is to invite ruin," sent a shiver down his spine. The packs can only endure if they work together.

Lorenzo's mind was racing. The Lunetti Pack and Montelupo were already at odds, but his rejection of Isabella may throw the scales in the direction of full-scale conflict. His choice was now a threat to everyone he had promised to defend, not merely a source of personal suffering.

Lorenzo clenched his teeth and slammed the scroll down on the desk. With remorse tugging at his breast, he whispered, "What have I done?" He thought about Isabella, the strength she carried in silence despite her suffering, the defiance in her gaze.

He was burdened by the consequences of his conduct. Clarity came for the first time since the meeting. He couldn't allow things to stay the same. Not only did Isabella's absence leave a hole in his life, but it also shattered their future.

He got up from the chair, his determination growing stronger. He had to locate her. He needed to repair the harm he had created, no matter what.