The Bond Weakens
805 Words
The inside of the hall was warm.
Too warm.
After hours in the freezing forest, the sudden heat made Lyra dizzy. Large fires burned along the stone walls while candlelight flickered across dark wooden beams overhead.
Everything inside Shadowfang territory felt ancient.
Powerful.
Like the mountain itself had been carved into a home for predators.
Mira led Lyra through the hall quickly, ignoring the curious stares from the wolves inside.
But Lyra noticed them.
Every single one.
Some looked fascinated.
Others looked afraid.
And a few looked at her like she was dangerous.
The thought made her chest tighten painfully.
Mira pushed open a heavy wooden door at the end of the hall. “Sit.”
Lyra entered cautiously.
The room was smaller than expected — a quiet healer’s chamber lined with herbs, candles, and shelves filled with glass bottles.
A gray-haired woman stood near a table grinding herbs slowly.
The moment she looked up and saw Lyra—
The bowl slipped from her hands and shattered across the floor.
Silence filled the room.
The older woman stared at the glowing mark beneath Lyra’s collarbone in complete shock.
Then slowly…
Fear.
“Who marked her?” she whispered.
Mira crossed her arms tightly. “That’s the problem.”
The healer’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What does that mean?”
Before Mira could answer, footsteps approached outside the room.
Kael entered first.
Ronan walked in behind him.
The second both Alphas entered the healer’s chamber—
The silver mark beneath Lyra’s collarbone flared painfully.
She gasped sharply.
A violent wave of heat rushed through her body so suddenly that her knees weakened.
Kael caught her instantly.
Ronan moved at the same time.
Their hands touched her together.
The room exploded with silver light.
Everyone froze.
Power surged violently through the chamber, rattling shelves and extinguishing half the candles instantly.
Kael jerked backward first with a curse.
Ronan’s breathing became uneven.
Lyra stumbled away from both of them, clutching her chest painfully.
“What is happening to me?”
No one answered immediately.
Because everyone in the room looked alarmed.
The healer slowly stepped forward.
“What did you do?” she asked quietly.
Kael’s expression remained dark. “It was accidental.”
Ronan laughed humorlessly. “The second bond wasn’t.”
Kael’s silver eyes flashed dangerously.
“You touched her intentionally.”
“I touched her hand.”
“And triggered the bond.”
Lyra looked between them in disbelief. “You’re saying this is getting worse because he touched me?”
The healer finally spoke again.
“No.”
Everyone looked toward her.
The older woman’s face had gone pale.
“It’s getting worse because the bonds are accepting each other.”
Silence filled the room instantly.
Ronan’s jaw tightened.
Kael looked furious.
Lyra only felt confused.
“What does that mean?”
The healer hesitated.
Like she didn’t want to answer honestly.
Then finally—
“Mate bonds reject competition naturally. One bond dominates the other.” Her eyes lowered toward Lyra’s glowing mark. “But yours isn’t rejecting either Alpha.”
Cold fear spread through Lyra’s chest.
The healer continued softly, “Your body is adapting to both.”
Kael cursed under his breath.
Ronan dragged a hand through his hair in frustration.
Lyra suddenly realized something terrifying.
This wasn’t temporary.
The bond wasn’t weakening.
It was growing.
“No,” she whispered.
Kael looked at her immediately.
His expression softened slightly at the fear in her voice.
“You’re overwhelmed.”
“You think?”
The sharpness in her tone surprised even herself.
Tears burned painfully behind her eyes now.
“My entire life just disappeared overnight.”
Silence followed her words.
Lyra laughed bitterly and looked away. “I don’t even know who I am anymore.”
The room grew strangely quiet.
Then unexpectedly—
Kael spoke softly.
“You’re still Lyra.”
The words hit harder than they should have.
Because unlike everyone else…
He said it like he believed it.
Ronan looked at Kael briefly, something unreadable crossing his face.
Then suddenly—
A sharp pain ripped through Lyra’s chest again.
Worse this time.
She cried out as the mark beneath her collarbone burned bright silver.
The healer’s face changed instantly.
“Get away from her.”
Both Alphas moved immediately.
Too late.
Lyra’s body suddenly lifted slightly off the ground as silver light exploded beneath her skin.
The windows shattered violently.
Wind roared through the room.
Every wolf inside the hall outside immediately began howling.
The healer stepped backward in horror.
“No…” she whispered.
Kael reached for Lyra instantly. “Lyra!”
Her eyes snapped open.
Silver glowed brightly beneath them.
Not human.
Not wolf.
Something else.
Then a voice echoed softly through the room.
Not from Lyra’s mouth.
From everywhere.
“The bloodline awakens.”
- Writer
