Resentment

Chapter 5-Fractured Bonds

Talia Moon’s POV

The Moon Pack felt heavier these days. Shadows stretched longer. Voices sharper. Even the air seemed charged with something ugly—like a storm that never broke.

And at the center of it all was Alpha Layton. Her father. His temper had turned into a wildfire—scorching, cruel, unpredictable. Once, his word was law because it inspired loyalty. Now, it demanded fear.

Talia told herself it was stress, the weight of leadership pressing on his shoulders. But deep down, a whisper lingered: This is something else. Something old. Something wrong.

She missed peace. She missed balance. She missed her.

Ariah Eden.

The name burned like a ghost in her chest. Ariah had been more than a friend—she had been a sister, a lifeline when the world felt too sharp. And now, after everything—the treaty dinner, the school explosion, the magic no one could deny—Talia couldn’t stop thinking about her. About the way her eyes had glowed, fierce and wild. About the c***k in her voice when she’d said, I don’t belong here.

So Talia made a choice.

She packed a basket—fruit, pastries, a soft blanket. Like the old days. Maybe they could talk. Maybe she could fix the c***k before it became a canyon.

But fear made her hesitate. She didn’t trust Ariah’s power, not completely. So she texted her brother.

Tobias. Meet me by the waterfall. Hide. Just in case.

The clearing shimmered in the afternoon sun, water spilling from jagged rocks into a glassy pool. It should have felt safe—like childhood. Instead, Talia’s stomach twisted with unease.

She laid out the blanket, arranged the snacks, and waited. Every sound made her heart race—until a shadow emerged from the trees.

Ariah.

Her hoodie was up, curls tucked away, face pale but proud. Those eyes, though—those sharp, molten eyes—caught the light like polished steel.

“I wasn’t sure you’d come,” Talia said, forcing a smile.

Ariah tilted her head. “Curiosity’s dangerous.”

Talia laughed nervously, patting the blanket. “Sit. Please.”

They sat in brittle silence, the waterfall filling the gaps. Talia handed her a pastry, her fingers trembling.

“I wanted to talk,” she began. “About everything. I know things have been… bad. But I want to trust you again. I want us to start over.”

Ariah’s brow arched. “Start over? After you turned your back when I needed you most?”

The words stung, but before Talia could respond—

CRACK.

A sharp noise split the air. Flames burst from the brush, licking up the trees like angry tongues.

Tobias crashed out of the shadows, swatting his smoking sleeve.

Ariah smirked, biting into her pastry. “Guess the welcome party got too warm.”

Talia’s face burned red. “I—I didn’t know if you’d… be safe.”

“You brought a watchdog,” Ariah muttered.

“Smart move,” Tobias growled, stepping closer. “Because she’s dangerous.”

“And you’re still obsessed,” Ariah shot back coolly.

Talia’s breath hitched. The way they faced off—fire against steel—it wasn’t just hatred. There was heat there, something tangled and volatile.

“Enough,” Talia snapped, stepping between them. “This isn’t why I asked you here.”

But neither of them looked away.

Then Ariah spoke, voice softer, sadder. “I’m sorry. For what happened at the celebration. For what happened at school. I didn’t ask for this. It just… chose me.”

Talia’s heart twisted. She sounds like the Ariah I used to know.

“I’m leaving soon,” Ariah added quietly. “To train. To figure this out.”

Tobias stiffened. “Are you coming back?”

Ariah stood, brushing crumbs from her jeans. “I’m the future Alpha of the Eden Pack. My place is here. And if anyone has a problem with that…” Her gaze locked on his, hard as granite. “…they can back off.”

Talia saw it then—the crackle of energy between them, dominance meeting dominance. Alpha against Alpha. And it terrified her.

“Both of you, stop—”

“Stop?” Tobias slammed his fist on the picnic table. Dishes rattled, fruit rolled onto the ground. His voice shook with fury. “She’s a witch, Talia! We’ve spent our lives knowing magic is evil—look what it’s done! Look what it’s already done to us!”

Before Talia could react, Tobias lunged across the table.

His hand clamped around Ariah’s throat, slamming her into a tree with a bone-jarring c***k. Bark splintered. Blood trickled from her temple.

“Tobias, NO!” Talia screamed, shoving at his arm, nails digging into his skin.

But he didn’t hear her—or didn’t care.

And that broke her.

Because in that moment, it wasn’t just Tobias pinning Ariah against the tree. It was their father—the same fury, the same crushing grip, the same blind violence that had darkened their home for months. Talia saw Alpha Layton in her brother’s face, and her heart splintered.

Not you too, she thought desperately, tears burning her eyes. Don’t become him. Please don’t become him.

His hand closed around Ariah’s throat, shoving her against a tree so hard the bark split. Her head hit with a sickening c***k, blood sliding down her temple.

“Tobias, NO!” Talia screamed, grabbing his arm.

“Shut up!” he roared, grip tightening. “If you come back—” His voice dropped to a lethal whisper. “I will kill you. You. And your cursed kind.”

Ariah’s laugh was low, blood curling at her lip. “You’re weak, Tobias. Always hiding behind some bullshit.”

The words snapped something in him. His fangs flashed as his fingers dug deeper— and his wolf threatening to come out.

And then, fire.

Ariah’s skin burned like molten steel. Tobias howled, jerking back, clutching his blistered palm. The stench of scorched flesh thickened the air.

Ariah stepped forward, wiping the blood from her cheek, her voice calm as death.

“The next time we meet, Tobias…” She turned halfway, her violet eyes glowing like embers. “…it’ll be at the treaty—or on the battlefield. You decide.”

She walked away without a glance back, flames kissing her shadow, leaving Talia staring after her with a heart that felt like breaking.