First Bonds
The wind cut through the dense trees of the forest like a blade, rustling the leaves in sharp whispers. The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the glade where Caleb stood. His breath came in sharp bursts, his heart pounding in his chest as he stood still, waiting.
He was not alone.
Across the clearing, Rowan paced back and forth. His movements were sharp, his jaw clenched, eyes narrowed with the weight of something he couldn’t—wouldn’t—say. Caleb had seen this before. He’d seen it in Rowan’s every motion over the past few weeks, felt the subtle pull of something unresolved between them. But tonight… tonight it felt different.
The tension between them was palpable, thick as the night air, suffocating in its silence. Caleb had never felt more certain of th
