CHAPTER 6 WITHOUT THE BOND
1969 Words
Aria woke to silence.
Not ordinary silence.
Emptiness.
For one terrifying moment, she didn't know where she was.
Then memories returned.
The underground chamber.
Lucian.
Her mother.
The shattered vial.
Kael holding her.
Aria's eyes flew open.
She was lying in a large bed.
Kael's room.
Fire burned quietly nearby.
She touched her chest.
Nothing.
The bond was gone.
Or almost gone.
Before, Kael's presence had been impossible to ignore. She could feel him even when he wasn't touching her.
Now there was only a faint emptiness where the connection had been.
Aria swallowed.
“Kael?”
The door opened immediately.
He entered.
Relief crossed his face.
“You're awake.”
Aria stared at him.
He looked terrible.
His hair was disordered.
His shirt was wrinkled.
Dark circles shadowed his eyes.
“How long?”
“Almost a day.”
“A day?”
She tried to sit.
Kael was beside her instantly.
“Slowly.”
“I'm fine.”
“You were unconscious for eighteen hours.”
“That's not a day.”
His mouth twitched.
“There she is.”
Aria frowned.
“Who?”
“The woman who wakes from poisoning and immediately argues with me.”
Despite herself, Aria almost smiled.
Then she remembered.
“My mother.”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
“With Selene.”
Aria relaxed slightly.
“Lucian?”
“Gone.”
Her expression hardened.
“How?”
“He knew those tunnels better than we did.”
Kael looked away.
“I sent wolves after him. They found nothing.”
Aria noticed something.
His hand rested beside hers on the bed.
Close.
But not touching.
Before the chamber, Kael had touched her whenever he wanted her attention.
Now he seemed careful.
Almost distant.
Aria looked at him.
“Can you feel me?”
His eyes met hers.
“No.”
The answer hurt.
She hadn't expected that.
“Nothing?”
“A little.”
He touched his chest.
“My wolf knows you're here. But the connection is faint.”
Aria nodded.
“So Lucian succeeded.”
Kael's jaw tightened.
“At damaging the bond? Yes.”
He leaned closer.
“At separating us?”
His gaze held hers.
“No.”
Her heartbeat quickened.
Without the bond, there was no sudden rush of supernatural heat.
No invisible force pulling them together.
Yet she still noticed his eyes.
His voice.
How close he was.
That frightened her more.
Kael seemed to realize it too.
“Aria?”
“What?”
“You're staring.”
“So are you.”
“I'm allowed.”
“Why?”
“It's my room.”
She rolled her eyes.
“There. Much better.”
“What?”
“I was worried the poison had made you agreeable.”
Aria picked up a pillow and threw it at him.
Kael caught it.
He actually laughed.
Aria froze.
She had never heard him laugh before.
It was deep and unexpectedly warm.
Her stomach fluttered.
No bond.
Definitely no bond.
And yet...
Kael stopped laughing when he saw her expression.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Aria.”
“Stop saying my name like that.”
“Like what?”
She looked away.
“Never mind.”
He placed the pillow beside her.
His fingers accidentally brushed hers.
Both of them froze.
Nothing supernatural happened.
No overwhelming heat.
No magical pull.
Just skin against skin.
And somehow it felt more intimate.
Kael slowly moved his hand away.
Aria hated the disappointment that followed.
“Why did you stop?”
He looked at her.
“You told me you didn't want the bond controlling you.”
“It isn't.”
“Exactly.”
Silence filled the room.
Aria understood.
Kael wasn't going to use the weakened bond to get closer to her.
He was giving her a choice.
That realization changed something.
“Kael.”
“Yes?”
She reached for his hand.
His eyes dropped to their joined fingers.
“I chose that.”
His expression softened.
“I know.”
Aria's chest tightened.
Then the door opened.
A woman with long dark hair entered carrying a tray.
She stopped.
Her eyes immediately dropped to their hands.
A grin spread across her face.
“Oh.”
Kael released Aria.
“Selene.”
“What?”
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were about to.”
Selene placed the tray on the table.
Aria studied her.
She resembled Kael around the eyes, but everything else about her seemed lighter.
Selene smiled.
“You must be Aria.”
“You must be Kael's sister.”
“Unfortunately.”
Kael sighed.
“I'm standing here.”
“I know.”
Selene leaned toward Aria.
“He becomes less unbearable eventually.”
“I doubt that.”
“I like you already.”
Kael headed toward the door.
“I'm leaving.”
Selene waved.
“Wonderful.”
Kael looked at Aria.
“I'll be outside.”
“Why?”
“Because your mother wants to see you.”
Aria immediately sat straighter.
“Bring her.”
Kael nodded.
Before leaving, he looked at her once more.
The concern in his eyes was unmistakable.
Then he disappeared.
Selene watched the door close.
“He didn't leave your side.”
Aria looked at her.
“What?”
“For eighteen hours.”
Aria's heart skipped.
“He stayed here?”
“The entire time.”
Selene smiled gently.
“He threatened three healers.”
“That sounds like him.”
“He also refused to sleep.”
Aria looked toward the door.
“The bond made him worried.”
Selene's expression changed.
“Maybe.”
“What?”
“My brother has had the mate bond his entire adult life without knowing who was on the other end.”
Aria frowned.
Selene continued.
“He didn't spend eighteen hours beside you because some mystical force ordered him to.”
“How do you know?”
“Because when the bond became almost silent, he stayed.”
Aria had no answer.
The door opened again.
Her mother entered.
“Mama.”
Evelyne rushed forward.
They embraced.
Aria closed her eyes.
This time she allowed herself to believe it.
Her mother was alive.
When they separated, Evelyne held Aria's face.
“I thought I was going to lose you.”
“I survived.”
“You always were stubborn.”
“Apparently.”
Selene quietly left.
Aria looked at her mother.
“We need to talk.”
Evelyne nodded.
“I know.”
“Everything.”
“Yes.”
“No more secrets.”
Her mother's expression became serious.
“No more secrets.”
Aria took a breath.
“Why did Lucian keep you alive?”
Evelyne sat beside her.
“Because he needed information.”
“About what?”
“The old bloodlines.”
Aria remembered the carvings beneath the fortress.
“Silvercrest and Shadowfang.”
“Yes.”
“Is the legend true?”
“Partly.”
Aria waited.
Evelyne folded her hands.
“Long ago, both packs were one. But the old stories exaggerated what happens when the bloodlines reunite.”
“So Kael and I don't suddenly become unstoppable?”
A faint smile appeared on her mother's face.
“No.”
“Good.”
“But your bond is unusual.”
Aria's smile disappeared.
“How?”
“Most mate bonds connect two wolves.”
Evelyne looked toward the door.
“Yours may influence the loyalty of both packs.”
Aria stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
“If Silvercrest survivors accept you and Shadowfang accepts Kael, your union could reunite the packs peacefully.”
“That's what Lucian wanted.”
“No.”
Her mother's expression hardened.
“Lucian wants control of the reunited pack.”
“How?”
“By removing Kael.”
Aria's stomach tightened.
“And using me?”
“Yes.”
“Why keep you alive?”
Evelyne looked down.
“Because I refused to tell him where the surviving Silvercrest families were hiding.”
Aria froze.
“Surviving families?”
Her mother looked up.
“Aria, Silvercrest wasn't completely destroyed.”
Hope struck so suddenly it hurt.
“There are others?”
“Hundreds.”
Aria couldn't speak.
“They're alive?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Hidden settlements throughout the northern valleys.”
Tears filled Aria's eyes.
For six years she had believed she had lost everyone.
Her pack.
Her people.
Her home.
“Why didn't Lucian tell me?”
“Because he needed you isolated.”
Evelyne squeezed her hand.
“If you believed you had no one, you would depend on him.”
Aria closed her eyes.
Every kindness from Lucian now carried another meaning.
Every lesson.
Every comforting word.
Every reminder that Shadowfang was responsible.
He hadn't simply lied.
He had built her entire adult life around those lies.
“There's more,” Evelyne whispered.
Aria opened her eyes.
“What?”
“Lucian has been searching for the Silvercrest survivors.”
“Why?”
“To force them into his army.”
Aria's expression hardened.
“Where are they?”
“I can take you to them.”
A knock interrupted them.
Kael entered.
His face was grim.
Aria immediately knew something had happened.
“What?”
“We captured one of Lucian's scouts near the southern wall.”
“And?”
“He was carrying this.”
Kael handed her a folded message.
Aria opened it.
Her stomach dropped.
It was a list of locations.
Villages.
Mountain settlements.
Hidden routes.
Evelyne stood.
“No.”
Kael looked at her.
“You recognize them?”
“These are Silvercrest settlements.”
Aria's fingers tightened around the paper.
“How did Lucian find them?”
“I don't know.”
Kael pointed toward the bottom.
“Read the last line.”
Aria did.
Her chest tightened.
Lucian's instruction was simple.
Gather every available wolf.
Begin at sunrise.
Aria looked at Kael.
“He's going after my people.”
“Yes.”
She threw the blankets aside.
Kael immediately stepped forward.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting dressed.”
“You can barely stand.”
“Watch me.”
She put her feet on the floor.
The room tilted.
Kael caught her.
Aria gripped his shoulders.
“I'm fine.”
“You're incredibly bad at lying.”
“My people need me.”
“And they'll have you.”
She looked up.
Kael's expression was determined.
“But you're not going alone.”
“This isn't Shadowfang's fight.”
“It is now.”
“Why?”
Kael stared at her.
There was no mate bond forcing his answer.
No magical heat.
No ancient power.
Only choice.
“Because they're your people.”
His hand tightened gently around her waist.
“And you matter to me.”
Aria forgot what she had been about to say.
Kael released her slowly.
“I'll gather my warriors.”
He turned.
“Kael.”
He stopped.
Aria crossed the distance between them.
Before she could lose her courage, she rose onto her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
Kael froze.
Aria stepped back.
His eyes widened slightly.
“That,” she whispered, “wasn't the bond.”
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then a slow smile appeared.
“No.”
His voice became rough.
“It wasn't.”
Aria's wolf stirred faintly inside her.
Not commanding.
Not demanding.
Almost approving.
Kael opened the door.
“Get ready.”
“For what?”
He looked back at her.
“Tomorrow, we find your pack.”
Aria glanced at her mother.
For the first time in six years, she wasn't preparing for revenge.
She was preparing to go home.
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