Bonded by moonfire

Chains of the moon

Elias woke to the sting of silver.

The chains burned his wrists and ankles, every movement sending pain lacing through his veins. He forced himself not to cry out, not to give them the satisfaction. His wolf snarled within him, but the silver dampened his strength, caging both body and spirit.

The chamber was cold stone, lit by torches that flickered against mossy walls. And in front of him, the black wolf’s human form—broad, scarred, eyes glowing like molten silver. The rogue leader.

“You fought well,” the man said with a cruel smile. “But you’re wasted at your Alpha’s side. A Beta bound by fate—prophecy’s pawn. No wonder the Goddess chose you.”

Elias spat blood at his feet. “I’ll never be yours.”

The leader chuckled, crouching to meet his eyes. “I don’t need you to be mine. I only need you to break him. Do that, and the prophecy fulfills itself.”

Elias’s chest tightened. He thought of Kieran—golden eyes burning with fury, the way he fought like the bond itself fueled him. That bond now tugged at Elias’s heart, faint but constant, a thread pulling him toward his Alpha even here.

And that terrified him.

Because if the Seer was right, loving Kieran would destroy him. Elias couldn’t let that happen. Not even if it meant tearing himself apart.

“Do your worst,” Elias said, his voice raw but steady. “I won’t help you.”

The leader’s smile sharpened. “Oh, you will. The bond won’t let you resist. Every cry you make, every wound you bleed—he’ll feel it. And he’ll come running. Straight into my jaws.”

Elias froze, blood running cold. The leader wasn’t trying to kill him outright. He was bait.

A trap for Kieran.

The rogue leaned close, his whisper venom. “When your Alpha arrives, you’ll watch him die. And then you’ll see the truth of the vision you’ve been running from.”

When the leader left, silence filled the chamber. Elias slumped against the chains, his body trembling. The bond pulsed in his chest—warm, desperate, alive.

He closed his eyes, fighting the tears. Stay away, Kieran. Please. For both of us.

But deep down, he knew his Alpha would never stay away.

And when he came… the forest would drown in blood.