chapter 6
1168 Words
Ethan’s POV
The night Isabella touched the obsidian stone, the wind changed.
It wasn’t just symbolic. Something ancient shifted—like the forest itself bowed to her awakening. Even the wolves in the outer territories howled in unison. I’d never felt anything like it.
And neither had the enemies hiding in the shadows.
Back at the manor, I couldn’t sleep. I stood on the balcony outside my room, bare-chested, letting the cold air temper the wildfire in my blood. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. Her eyes glowing in the dark, her voice whispering my name with trembling defiance. The taste of her lips still lingered, and it drove me insane.
But it wasn’t just lust. It was possession. Connection. Need.
She didn’t even know what she’d started.
The Moonborn weren’t just a myth. They were feared, hunted—and now she was one. Which made her a target.
The Elders would come soon.
And so would the Council.
I couldn’t protect her from all of them.
But I would die trying.
“You’re not eating,” Mia noted, watching me push food around my plate.
“She’s not safe here,” I muttered.
“She’s safer than anywhere else,” Mia said. “The wards are holding.”
“For now.”
She leaned forward, dropping her voice. “You saw what the stone showed her. She’s not just a Moonborn. She’s the last one. And she’s bonded to you. That’s not a coincidence.”
“It’s punishment.”
Mia gave me a sharp look. “Stop punishing yourself for what you are. She chose you.”
I didn’t answer. Because the truth was—I didn’t think I deserved her.
But that wouldn’t stop me from keeping her alive.
Later that day, I found Isabella training with Amalita. Her focus stone hovered inches from her palm, flickering like a weak flame. Sweat slicked her brow, but her expression was fierce.
“You’re improving,” Amalita praised.
Isabella panted. “Doesn’t feel like it.”
“You’re channeling raw lunar energy without splitting your aura. That’s progress.”
I leaned against the doorway, watching her.
She noticed me and flushed. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to see you’re stronger than you think.”
She dropped her hand, and the light dimmed.
“I feel... different,” she admitted. “Like there’s something crawling under my skin. I keep seeing flashes in the mirror. Another version of me.”
My stomach tightened. “That’s the wolf.”
Her eyes widened. “I don’t feel like a wolf.”
“You’re not fully shifted yet. But it’s coming. Fast.”
Amalita stepped forward. “The lunar eclipse is in five nights. If she doesn’t shift by then, the bond will start tearing at both of you.”
I looked at Isabella. Her mouth parted slightly. “What happens if we wait too long?”
Amalita’s voice turned grim. “You’ll lose control. One or both of you.”
Silence settled over us.
“Can I... stop it?” Isabella asked.
I shook my head. “No. But I can help you through it.”
Her gaze locked on mine. “Then don’t leave me.”
“Never.”
The next few days blurred into motion—training, rituals, and patrols. Isabella spent hours with Amalita and Mia, learning to channel her inner magic. I stayed close, never more than a few steps away. But I could feel the pressure building.
And so could she.
Each time our eyes met, something primal sparked between us. The bond demanded more—closer proximity, deeper touch, unity.
But she wasn’t ready.
And I wouldn’t push her.
Still, I couldn’t ignore the ache in my chest. The pull to claim her, to finish what the moon had started.
Especially with the eclipse approaching.
On the fourth night, the Council arrived.
Three cloaked figures, masked and silent, entered through the ancient gate. Evelyn and Robert met them outside while the rest of the pack watched from the shadows.
“They came faster than I expected,” I muttered.
“They felt her awakening,” Mia said beside me. “They feel everything.”
Evelyn beckoned me forward.
“Ethan Black, Alpha heir of Silver Hollow,” one of the councilmen said. “Step forward.”
I did.
“You’ve bonded with the last Moonborn.”
“Yes.”
“You understand the risk?”
“I do.”
“Then prove her worth.”
I stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“She will face the Trial of Three. Alone. No interference.”
I bared my teeth. “She’s barely awakened. That’s suicide.”
“If she fails, the bond will be severed. The threat removed.”
“No.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
Evelyn stepped forward. “She’s stronger than any of you realize. She won’t fail.”
The councilman turned to me. “Tomorrow night. At moonrise. If she survives, she stays. If not—her blood ends here.”
I growled low, but Robert held me back.
“They will kill her if she’s not ready,” I whispered.
“Then make sure she is,” Evelyn said.
I found Isabella on the training field, sweat glistening on her collarbone.
“We don’t have time,” I said.
She looked up. “What’s wrong?”
“The Council. They’ve demanded a trial. Tomorrow.”
She froze. “What kind of trial?”
“The Trial of Three. It tests strength, will, and bloodline. If you pass, they accept you. If not...”
“I die?”
I couldn’t speak.
She straightened. “Then let’s train.”
I blinked. “You’re not scared?”
“Terrified,” she admitted. “But I’d rather die fighting than be hidden forever.”
My chest swelled with pride—and fear.
So we trained.
Until the moon rose.
Until our bodies trembled.
Until I saw something shift in her eyes—gold threading through the green.
The wolf was waking.
And she wasn’t afraid.
That night, I stood by her door. We hadn’t spoken since practice. The bond throbbed between us, tighter than ever. I knocked gently.
“Come in,” she said.
She was curled up on the bed, knees tucked under her chin.
“You okay?”
“No. But I will be.”
I sat beside her.
Her head leaned against my shoulder. “What if I fail?”
“You won’t.”
“But if I do...”
“I’ll tear the Council apart myself.”
She laughed softly, then grew quiet. “Stay?”
I slid beneath the blanket beside her.
Our bodies fit like puzzle pieces—warm, trembling, real.
Her fingers laced through mine. “Don’t let me go.”
“Never,” I whispered.
The eclipse was only hours away.
And I would be damned before I let fate take her from me.
- Writer
