The Bond That Burns
1185 Words
🌒 Chapter Three: The Bond That Burns
Raven's POV
The next day Raven was up before dawn
Another rogue down. she said to her wolf.
Blood splattered across the frosted grass, the copper scent thick in the cold morning air. Raven straightened, wiping her blade on the rogue’s ragged shirt, amber eyes scanning the treeline for movement.
Luca who was in wolf form shook out his dark brown fur before shifting back, clothes pulling over muscle and scars.
“That’s five this week,” he muttered, rubbing his jaw.
“They’re getting bolder,” Raven replied, sheathing her blade. Her wolf paced under her skin, restless, irritated, wanting to run, to hunt, to find—
No. She shook her head, she wouldn’t think about him.
They walked back toward the compound, warriors joining them from patrol, bloodied but alive, carrying the bodies of rogues for burning.
“Alpha,” Loki called, jogging up, his hood pulled low against the cold drizzle. “Council’s asking for a report.”
“They can wait,” Raven snapped, her patience thin.
Loki’s lips twitched. “As you say.”
Inside the compound gates, warriors trained in the yard, sparring in both human and wolf forms, mud splattering as claws met claws, swords clashed, and roars split the early morning sky.
Raven paused, watching them, a pang of pride threading through her chest. They were hers. Her family, her strength, her everything.
She watched as she saw mother's chasing after thier pups while thier dad's trained.
She couldnt help but smile and wave as they ran pass her not a care in the world.
But deep down, she felt the bond tug, reminding her she was incomplete.
She growled under her breath, walking away.
Ragnar's POV
Ragnar’s boots sank into the mud as he walked, the forest, the drizzle dampening the lantern light in his hand. Each step was guided by a pull he couldn’t explain, drawing him deeper into the woods.
He stopped to catch his breath, pulling the satchel around to his front and rummaging through the maps his father had left him.
Symbols. Circles. Wolves.
None of it made sense, but the scent of vanilla and pine and the memory of her amber eyes drove him forward.
He had tried to leave.
But something inside was telling him not to leave.
That night, Ragnar camped near a river, the cold air biting through his jacket. He stared into the small fire, rolling a small carved wolf figurine between his fingers his father’s last gift before he disappeared.
“You’ll find the truth in the forest, son.”
Ragnar clenched the figurine, the image of her face haunting him.
He lay back, closing his eyes, but sleep did not come easily.
Because in the darkness, he could feel her, like lightning under his skin.
I must find her and learn the truth.
Raven's POV
Raven stood in her chambers, peeling off her bloodstained clothes, letting them drop to the floor as she stepped into the steaming hot water of her bath. The warmth seeped into her bones, but it did nothing to calm the storm brewing inside her.
She closed her eyes, letting the water wash over her, her mind drifting to him.
His intoxicating gray eyes. The scent of sandalwood and rain. The way the bond hummed when he looked at her.
Her hand curled around the edge of the tub, claws pricking the wood as she tried to push the thoughts away.
You can’t afford this. You are the Alpha Queen.
But her wolf howled softly inside her, whispering:
He is ours.
She dressed in dark leathers, pulling her hair into a tight braid, before heading out to the training yard. Warriors paused, bowing their heads, before returning to their drills.
“Luca,” she called, her voice sharp.
He broke from sparring with Loki, wiping sweat from his brow. “Alpha.”
“Run the border drills again. Tighten formation. No one leaves the compound alone.”
His brow furrowed. “You’re expecting something.”
“I can feel it,” she said quietly.
Luca nodded, understanding in his dark eyes. “We’ll be ready.”
Later that night Shadow needed out, so Raven shifted and let her run she needed to be free even if just for a moment, she lead them to her favorite river and lay on the grass, she could sense her was around but didnt know where.
She drank from the stream, eyed the clearing and headed back to her chambers but not before letting out a lonely howl.
Ragnar's POV
The howl shattered the night, echoing over the hills, sending a jolt through Ragnar’s body as he bolted upright, breath ragged.
It was her.
He knew it.
He stood, grabbing his satchel, the wolf figurine, his lantern, before stepping into the dark forest, following the sound, the bond pulling him like a tide.
The lantern light flickered, shadows dancing across the trees as he moved, every step toward her both right and terrifying.
Ragnar paused near an ancient oak, pressing a hand against its rough bark, something thrumming in his veins.
Why am I here? Why can’t I leave?
He was confused but also curious his father's words kept replaying in his mind, Find the truth within the forest. And something inside told him he was meant to find her.
Raven's POV
She shifted at dawn, letting Shadow out with a low growl, paws hitting the wet earth, steam rising off her fur as she padded through the forest.
She moved silently, golden eyes sharp, scenting the air.
She was hunting, but she didn’t know what for.
Him.
Shadow paced, restless, eager, her nose catching the faintest trace of sandalwood and rain on the breeze.
They were close.
She paused, lifting her head, letting out a low, warning growl, claiming her territory, warning the forest that she was there.
The breeze shifted, and for a moment, the scent was strong, sharp, electric.
Shadow’s ears flicked, eyes scanning the trees, searching.
But the scent faded, leaving only the cold, wet forest and the ache in her chest.
Ragnar's POV
He felt it.
The bond snapped tight for a heartbeat, like a string pulling at his heart, before it loosened again, leaving him breathless, clutching the lantern.
“She’s close,” he whispered, looking around, seeing nothing but mist and trees.
I will find you he said making himself a promise.
Raven
She shifted at the edge of the forest threw on her clothes and headed back.
As she walked into the compound, shifting back, mud clinging to her legs, hair damp from the drizzle, and she pulled on her cloak as she stepped through the gates.
Luca was waiting.
“Anything?” he asked.
Raven shook her head, her amber eyes distant. “No. But he’s close.”
Luca hesitated. “Do you want him to be?”
She didn’t answer.
Instead, she turned away, looking toward the dark forest, the scent of sandalwood and rain still lingering in her mind.
What happens if I can’t let him go?
- Writer
