Chapter 15
1206 Words
Cain
The Winter Ball was less than a week away, and the weight of my secret had become unbearable. I stood at the training cliffs, my fists bloodied from sparring too long against stone dummies, trying to silence the internal war raging between my wolf and me.
Achilles, his golden eyes narrowed, stalked forward in my mind, fur bristling, his growl a low rumble through the bond we shared.
"You are a fool to wait," he snapped. "She cries out for us in her sleep. The bond is starving."
“I know that,” I muttered aloud, raking a hand through my hair. “But claiming her now, in this place, under their control—”
"Every hour you wait, she suffers. And so do we. You think you are protecting her by hiding, but you're letting them crush her spirit."
He wasn’t wrong. Achilles rarely was.
I pressed my hand to the bond, feeling the invisible thread that linked me to her. It shimmered with heat and ache, vibrating with longing. She was close… and still so far away.
Gwen
Sleep refused to come.
I tossed under my covers, the thin sheets twisted around my legs, my skin hot despite the winter chill. Cain’s scent lingered in my thoughts, a whisper of pine and storm, wrapping around me even here. My body ached with confusion, my mind spiraled with unanswered questions.
I gave up trying to sleep and slipped from bed, throwing on a sweater and boots. The hallways were silent, shadows stretching long in the moonlight as I crept through the Beta wing toward the old pack library.
Dust clung to the high shelves and ancient tomes. I scanned the worn spines until something caught my eye: Witchcraft and Wolf Magic: A History of Hidden Bonds.
I sat on the floor, the book heavy in my lap, and flipped through the brittle pages. My breath hitched as I landed on a section labeled “Concealment Charms.”
"Some witches, often acting in secret or under contract, have been known to create scent-masking bracelets for she-wolves in danger of unwanted mate claims. These charms can blur or block a wolf’s natural scent, interfere with the clarity of a mate bond, or even suppress it entirely. Though rare, they have been used by both rogues and nobles to manipulate fate."
My hands trembled.
Could Cain be wearing one?
Was that why this bond—this craving—felt one-sided? Could someone have hidden the truth from him? From me?
I closed the book slowly, a cold chill crawling across my skin. Akira stirred in my mind, pacing.
"Do you think it's possible?" I asked her.
She didn’t answer right away. Then: "I’ve felt him, Gwen. There’s something there. Something real. But if he’s wearing a concealment charm, it could be masking the bond even from him."
"Why would he do that?"
"Maybe he doesn’t know. Or maybe someone’s protecting him. You saw what those charms can do. They’ve been used to hide wolves from enemies. Or fated mates from political matches."
My stomach turned. The idea that magic could twist the very laws we were taught to trust made everything feel unsteady.
"Do you think he's our mate?" I whispered.
Akira was silent again, before she murmured, "I think he could be. I think he’s something we were meant to find. But the answers aren’t simple."
I hugged the book to my chest, heart aching with too many questions and nowhere to put them.
Akira
Later that night, I slipped into the forest, eager to escape the heavy air of the packhouse. I didn’t need to speak aloud to call for him—he was already waiting.
Achilles emerged from the trees like a shadow pulled from moonlight. His large black form brushed against mine, and I leaned into him, exhaling the tension I hadn’t realized I carried.
"You always come back," I murmured.
"Because you are the only thing that feels right," he replied, his voice quieter tonight. "In this twisted place, you are the only truth."
We walked together, bodies aligned, paws silent on the moss and fallen leaves. The connection between us buzzed low and steady, deeper than instinct, older than time.
I tilted my head to look up at him. "Where are you from? You don’t smell like Middle Moon."
He hesitated before answering. "I don’t belong here. Not truly. My pack… it’s gone. I came following a call. A pull I couldn’t ignore. It led me to you."
The honesty in his words calmed something feral in me.
We found a patch of soft earth and lay side by side, our fur brushing in quiet rhythm. No heat. No frenzy. Just peace.
"You seem preoccupied tonight. Is your human ok?" Achilles lowe voice cut through our easy silence.
I lowered my head in shame,"She’s slipping away. The weight on her is too much. The command, the pressure, the lies. And she can’t talk about any of it. I’m doing what I can to hold her together, but she’s unraveling." I was failing her.
He nosed me gently "She’s stronger than they think. But strength has limits, even yours. You're doing everything you can."
I nodded. We lay side by side again, in the silence of the trees until another thought struck me.
"What if everything we were taught about fated mates isn’t the full truth?" I whispered. "What if it’s more than instinct and scent? What if it's choice? Trust? Comfort?"
Achilles didn’t speak, but he curled his tail over mine and rested his head gently across my back.
And in that simple act, I had my answer.
Gwen
The day before the ball, I noticed Karl watching me from across the dining hall. His eyes tracked my every move with sharp interest. Eventually, he summoned me under the guise of discussing preparations for the Winter Ball. Karl’s office was warm, the hearth crackling behind him, but the chill in his gaze cut deeper than the wind outside.
“Come in, Gwen,” he said smoothly, gesturing to the seat across from him. “You’ve been quiet lately. Too quiet. Is everything all right?”
I sat, folding my hands tightly in my lap. “I’ve just been busy with Winter Ball preparations.”
“Busy, yet you’ve had time to visit the library.” His smile was tight, his eyes calculating. “Ancient magical theory? Witchcraft? Not exactly light reading.”
I shrugged. “Just curiosity. I always liked history.”
His eyes narrowed. “There are some topics better left buried. Curiosity can be… dangerous. Especially when it leads young wolves into forbidden knowledge.”
There was no mistaking the threat.
I lowered my eyes. “I understand, Alpha.”
“Good,” he said, the warmth in his voice forced. “Stay focused on the ball. We’ll have guests from the entire northern territory watching. I expect you to represent the Beta bloodline with grace and obedience.”
I nodded, rising to leave.
“And Gwen?” he added, voice sharp as I reached the door. “Don't go looking for answers you don't really want to find."
I left the room feeling more watched than ever.
- Writer
