Unbroken Bonds Of White

**Chapter 4: Jealousy and Separation**

Years went by, and Declan and Liora lived separate lives, their bond ever-present, yet ignored. Declan threw himself into leadership, training to be the alpha his pack needed. Liora did the same, preparing to eventually take over as the leader of her pack. They saw each other in passing—at gatherings, at festivals—but the tension was palpable.

The other wolves could see the friction, the way Declan’s eyes followed Liora everywhere, the way her sharp gaze would cut through him like a blade whenever he was near. Their packs watched in silence as the two alphas, still fated to be together, fought the inevitable. But Declan’s jealousy began to show in ways that even he didn’t understand. He would find himself snapping at his packmates, his patience thin whenever a she-wolf showed interest in him. He wanted to be the one who made the decisions for his pack, but it was hard when Liora was always in his thoughts.

Liora, too, had her own share of jealousy. She could see the way the other females in the Crescent Ridge Pack eyed Declan, and it made her blood boil. But she wouldn’t let herself feel the pull. Not again. Not after the rejection.

It wasn’t until their 18th birthday that everything finally came to a head.

The moon hung heavy in the sky, full and luminous, casting its silvery glow over the land as if urging something to unfold—something that had been building for years. The tension between Declan and Liora had reached its breaking point. Every glance, every passing moment, felt like a spark waiting to ignite the fire that neither of them could deny. And yet, neither was willing to be the first to step forward, to break the fragile barrier that stood between them.

Declan prowled the edge of the pack’s territory once more, his wolf restless inside him. He could feel the connection to Liora, even from a distance. The bond was impossible to ignore now, stronger than it had ever been. And yet, every time he saw her, every time their eyes met, she withdrew further, a cold wall of resistance in place.

His wolf was howling inside him, wanting to claim her, to mark her, to bring her into the fold of their lives. But Declan knew it wasn’t that simple. It wasn’t just about dominance or power—it was about love, about trust, and about understanding. He had spent years trying to win her over, trying to convince her that he wasn’t just the son of the Alpha, that he wasn’t just another wolf to add to her collection of disappointing memories.

But she had rejected him. Time and again.

Tonight, the air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, the crisp bite of autumn making the night feel sharper, more urgent. Declan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming, something bigger than just their private struggle. His pack needed him. The Alpha position was not a title he could take lightly. There was more at stake than just his personal desires. The weight of responsibility hung over him, a constant pressure.

As he leaned against a tree, his hands gripping the rough bark, Declan closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. His senses sharpened. He could smell her—Liora. The delicate fragrance of jasmine and pine mixed with the unmistakable scent of her wolf, a sweet musk that wrapped around his soul. It was as if she were right there, standing next to him.

The urge to run to her, to find her, to claim her, almost overpowered him. But then the image of her face—the way she had looked at him earlier that day, her eyes wide with a mixture of longing and fear—held him back. He couldn’t force her. He wouldn’t.

But that didn’t mean he could stop wanting her.

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Liora stood at the window of her room, staring out into the distance. The night was dark, the trees whispering their secrets to the wind, but all she could hear was the pounding of her own heart. It had been days since she last saw Declan, and the absence of his presence felt like a void that had been carved into her chest.

*Why is this so hard?*

Her fingers curled into the cool glass of the window as she pressed her forehead against it. The scent of the forest wafted through the open crack, a reminder of the wildness of the world she and Declan both belonged to. *Their* world. The world of wolves. But was she ready to accept her place in it? To be with him, to stand by his side as his mate?

Every time she thought she had made up her mind, every time she thought she had convinced herself that she was strong enough to walk away, she found herself drawn back to him.

Her wolf, too, was restless. The bond between them was undeniable now. It called to her with a force that couldn’t be ignored.

Liora had always known that wolves were fated to find their mates, to be bonded by the moon, but she had always believed it was some romantic notion that couldn’t possibly apply to her. She had seen the pain and betrayal that some of the older wolves had gone through when they were with mates who didn’t live up to expectations. Was Declan truly different from all those wolves who had left their mates behind for others? Was he truly the one who would stand by her, no matter what?

Her heart ached at the thought. She wanted to trust him. She *wanted* to believe in the bond. But how could she?

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Declan’s patience was wearing thin. He had tried for months to give Liora space. He had backed off, had let her go her own way, hoping that, eventually, she would come to her senses. But the longer she resisted, the more intense his need to claim her became.

There were moments when he could almost taste her, feel the warmth of her skin beneath his fingertips, her breath mingling with his as their wolves ran together in the forest. But when he reached for her, when he stepped into her space, she always backed away. Always withdrew.

His wolf snarled at the distance between them. It wanted to tear down the walls she had built around herself, wanted to pull her into his arms, to finally fulfill the bond they shared. But Declan knew that if he wanted her—if he truly wanted to make her his—he had to do it the right way. He couldn’t force her.

The thought of another wolf coming for her, of someone else trying to claim her, made his blood run cold. It was a fear he had never allowed himself to acknowledge until now, but now, as he stood in the woods, surrounded by the sounds of the night, he realized just how much it terrified him.

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Liora couldn’t sleep that night. Her mind was too full, too tangled with thoughts of Declan. Her body hummed with the pull of their bond, and every moment of resistance made it hurt more. She had no control over this—no control over the emotions that surged through her every time she thought of him.

She knew the power of the Alpha bond. She had felt it in her own soul, felt it the first time she saw him, when she was just a child, when she had screamed out *Mate* and had no idea what it meant. That was the moment she realized there was no escaping it, no denying it.

And yet, all these years later, she still tried to push him away. It was a battle she knew she couldn’t win.

Her wolf growled softly inside her, restless and eager. It wanted to be with him. It wanted to give in. But Liora was afraid. Afraid of what it would mean for her. Afraid that once she gave in to the bond, once she let herself fall for Declan, there would be no turning back. No escape from the demands of the pack, from the weight of the responsibilities that came with being Alpha and Alpha’s mate.

But could she live without him? Could she live with the knowledge that they were destined to be together, and yet, she kept running from him?

With a deep sigh, Liora turned away from the window and walked toward her door. She needed to see him. Even if it meant facing the truth that had been tormenting her for years.

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Declan didn’t know how long he had been running, but by the time he returned to the pack's territory, the night was deep, the moon high in the sky. His wolf was calm now, but his mind was still a storm. He needed answers. He needed to know what Liora was feeling, what she was going through. He couldn’t keep fighting this alone.

He stopped at the clearing near the edge of the forest, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows for movement. There, standing at the edge of the trees, was a figure.

Liora.

Her long auburn hair shimmered in the moonlight, her body tense, but there was something in her eyes—something soft, something that hadn't been there before. She looked at him, her amber eyes holding something like acceptance, or at least the beginnings of it.

He stepped forward, slowly, cautiously, unsure of what would happen next.

Liora stood still, her gaze never leaving him. The silence between them was thick, heavy with unspoken words and emotions neither of them knew how to voice. But in that moment, it didn’t matter. The bond between them was speaking louder than anything they could say.

And as Declan’s wolf surged to the surface, the last of his resistance crumbled. He was ready. Ready to take what was his.

Liora took a step toward him.

And for the first time in years, she didn’t turn away.

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