Bonded by moonfire

The first rift

Kieran barely remembered the rest of the ceremony. The Moonlight Run continued, but all he could hear was the echo of that bond humming between him and Elias. Every breath felt wrong without his Beta at his side.

When the crowd finally dispersed, he found Elias leaning against a pine tree at the edge of the clearing, arms folded tight. The calm mask was back on his face, but Kieran knew him too well. The tension in his shoulders betrayed him.

“We need to talk,” Kieran said, his voice low.

Elias didn’t look at him. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“The Goddess just tied us together. You felt it—I know you did.”

Finally, Elias met his eyes. His were a stormy gray, clouded with conflict. “I did. And that’s the problem.”

Kieran frowned, stepping closer. “How is it a problem?”

“Because you’re the Alpha.” Elias’s jaw tightened. “And I’m your Beta. Best friends or not, the pack won’t accept this. They’ll think it’s weakness. They’ll challenge you. Us being mates makes you vulnerable.”

Kieran’s wolf snarled inside him, furious at the dismissal. “I don’t care what they think. You’re mine, Elias. Always have been.”

Something flickered across Elias’s face—longing, pain—but he turned away. “Don’t say that.”

Kieran’s chest burned. For years, they’d fought side by side, shared secrets, laughed under the stars. Kieran thought he knew Elias better than anyone. But now there was a wall between them, one the bond itself couldn’t break.

The night grew heavy with silence. The forest whispered, but no sound could bridge the distance Elias had created.

“Elias…” Kieran’s voice cracked despite himself. “Do you feel nothing?”

Elias closed his eyes, fists clenched. “I feel too much. And that’s why I have to walk away.”

And then, without another word, he shifted into his wolf and vanished into the dark trees, leaving Kieran staring after him, the bond screaming in protest.

For the first time in his life, the Alpha felt powerless.

But one thing was certain—he wasn’t about to let his fated mate slip away without a fight.