CHAPTER EIGHT:BONDS RE-ENKINDLED
1363 Words
The soft creaking of the cabin floor echoed through the quiet night. The woods outside whispered with unseen movement—leaves dancing under the crescent moon. Inside, the air between Ronan and Elena was heavy with unspoken words.
It had been three days since their clash at the ruined bookstore.
Three days later, the truth had come crashing down like an avalanche.
Three days since they’d spoken more than necessary.
Elena avoided Ronan like her life depended on it.
She went to the downstairs guest room with Luna, tending to her, studying her changes, poring over Ysara’s scroll fragments and the symbols Luna was unconsciously drawing in her sleep. She hadn’t even looked Ronan in the eyes since he’d uttered the words
“She’s mine.”
She didn’t deny it. She didn’t argue it. She just… shut him out.
But Luna—sweet, fearless Luna—did the opposite.
She followed him.
She found excuses to sneak upstairs into the attic where he had made a makeshift training space.
She laughed at his gruff expressions.
She asked questions he couldn’t answer, and others he didn’t dare try.
And Ronan—though hurting—couldn’t help but be drawn to her too. Something about her reminded him of the first time he’d felt the stirrings of the bond with Elena. Familiar, deep, primal.
Only this time, it wasn’t romantic—it was paternal.
It was terrifying.
It was everything he never got to have.
The Pull
“Why don’t you sleep in the same room as Mom, hope you two are not fighting?” Luna asked innocently as she sat beside him on the cabin porch that morning. Her feet swung from the bench as she munched on an apple.
Ronan chuckled awkwardly. “Your mommy and I... we used to live in very different worlds. Sometimes it’s hard to fit those pieces together again.”
“But you look at her like she’s your sun,” Luna said matter-of-factly, licking apple juice off her fingers.
Ronan blinked. “Where did you hear that?”
“You said it in your sleep.”
His heart squeezed. “You’ve been listening to me sleep?”
She nodded. “You cry a lot.”
Ronan looked away. “I guess I’ve missed a lot.”
Luna tilted her head. “Like me?”
“Especially you.”
Luna slid closer and rested her head on his arm. She didn’t say anything else, but she didn’t need to.
The bond between them was undeniable. Even without training, even without explanation—she knew.
Ronan felt it in his soul: this connection went deeper than blood. It was spiritual. Elemental. Born of prophecy and cemented in fate.
And even celestial.
The Avoidance
From the window, Elena watched them—her breath fogging the glass. Her chest ached at the sight.
They looked so natural together.
Luna giggled as Ronan tossed an acorn in the air, pretending to miss every catch. Ronan was smiling in a way she hadn’t seen since… since before.
And that scared her more than anything.
The more Luna was drawn to him, the more Elena felt like an outsider in her own home.
She turned away and returned to the ancient pages Asher had brought. Glyphs danced beneath her fingertips. Luna’s magic was evolving faster than anyone predicted.
She knew the time was nearing.
The moment when Luna would need both of them.
The moment Elena couldn’t avoid forever.
The Training Begins
Later that afternoon, Elena found Luna in the attic again, watching Ronan transform partially—his claws lengthening, eyes glowing, voice deepening slightly as he demonstrated control. Luna mimicked the stance, clumsily at first.
“You need to feel it in your chest,” Ronan instructed gently. “Like a pulse—not just your heartbeat, but your wolf's.”
“I don’t think I have one,” Luna said.
“You do. You’re just scared of it.”
Luna frowned. “What if it eats me?”
Ronan knelt down in front of her. “Then we teach them to love you first.”
The way he spoke… the way Luna listened… it pierced Elena’s armor.
He was patient. Gentle. Strong.
Everything she remembered loving in him. Everything she feared would disappear if she let him close again.
The Confrontation
That night, Elena cornered Ronan in the kitchen.
He was rinsing blood from his arm—a scratch he got from sparring with Luna, who had accidentally slashed him when her claws appeared mid-session.
“You should be more careful,” Elena said coldly, handing him a towel.
He nodded, accepting it. “She’s stronger than we thought.”
Elena crossed her arms. “That doesn’t mean she should be exposed to shifting so soon.”
“She’s already shifting. I’m not making it happen, Elena. I’m helping her understand it.”
“She’s a child, not a soldier!” Elena hurriedly said.
“And she’s my daughter!” he snapped, turning to face her.
Elena inhaled sharply.
Silence stretched like a live wire.
“You’ve barely been back a week, and you think you know what’s best for her?” she shot back. You weren’t there when she cried herself to sleep with no explanation for the monsters in her dreams. You weren’t there when she burned through three schools because she couldn’t stop glowing at recess!”
“I wanted to be there!” Ronan shouted. “But you made sure I couldn’t!”
Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them back. “You walked away from me first.”
“I walked away from a rejection, not from her. I didn’t even know she existed!”
“And by the time I knew what to do, it was too late!”
Ronan slammed the towel on the counter. “It’s not too late now.”
“You think this can be fixed with training and bedtime stories?”
“No,” he said softly. But it starts with truth. And forgiveness.”
Elena swallowed hard. “I’m not ready.”
Ronan stepped closer. “I am.”
Asher’s Return
They were interrupted by the cabin door creaking open. Asher walked in, holding a satchel and looking worn from travel.
“I think we’ve got company coming,” he said, dropping maps on the table. My contacts from Black Hollow confirmed that the Void Alpha has sent out scouts in all directions. They’re getting closer.”
“How close?” Ronan asked.
“Within days. Maybe less. And… they’re not just wolves this time.”
Ronan’s brows lifted. “What do you mean?”
“Demons. With cloaks of skin. They ride the shadows.”
Elena paled. “They’re coming for Luna.”
Asher nodded. “And they’re not coming to bargain.”
The Reconnection
That night, as Luna slept peacefully in her room, Elena sat outside on the porch swing, a blanket draped around her shoulders. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying the scent of moss and pine and something… older.
Ronan joined her quietly.
They didn’t speak for a long time.
Finally, Elena broke the silence. “She called you Daddy today.”
Ronan closed his eyes. “I heard.”
“She’s never called anyone that before.”
A beat.
“I never let her,” she added softly.
Ronan looked over at her. “You didn’t have to say it. I knew.”
“I wanted to protect her.”
“You did. You always have.”
Elena’s voice cracked. “But I can’t anymore. Not from this.”
“You’re not alone anymore, Elena.”
She looked at him, eyes filled with hesitation. “I don’t know how to let you back in. I’m scared I’ll lose everything again.”
He reached over and took her hand. “Then let’s lose it together. And rebuild it stronger.”
The old bond sparked quietly between their fingers.
Not a blaze. Not yet.
But warmth.
A promise.
Are they about to reunite? Will Luna be found and captured or will her parents team up to save and protect her?
Find out in Chapter 9!
- Writer
