chapter 7
1164 Words
Chapter 7 – Shadows of the Bond
Serena’s POV
“Asher—let me go!” My voice cracked in the night, trembling with anger and something else I refused to name.
His grip was iron around my arm, dragging me back from the forest’s edge. His silver eyes glowed, wild, untamed, like molten moonlight.
“You thought you could just walk away?” His tone was low, dark, laced with cruel amusement. “After I warned you?”
I twisted, nails digging into his wrist. “I will never be yours!”
His lips curved, dangerously slow. “You already are.”
In one swift motion, he spun me and pressed me against a tree. His chest pinned mine, his breath hot against my ear. The night air was cold, but his heat scorched through every inch of me.
“Listen to your heartbeat,” he whispered. “It betrays you every time I touch you.”
My throat tightened. “That’s fear.”
“Is it?” His thumb brushed along my jaw, down to my lips. “Because fear doesn’t make you shiver like this, little wolf.”
I jerked my head away, furious at him—furious at myself. “You’re sick.”
“No.” His eyes blazed, silver fire eating me alive. “I’m inevitable.”
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Asher’s POV
She burned for me. She could deny it all she wanted, spit in my face, curse my name—but her body knew the truth.
The Moon Goddess had handed her to another, yes. But I? I took.
And I would take until there was nothing of Christopher left in her.
I leaned closer, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her defiance. “Run again, Serena. I dare you. Because the moment you do, I’ll catch you. And when I catch you—” my lips brushed her ear, “—you won’t have the strength to say no.”
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Serena’s POV
My wolf whimpered inside me, torn between fury and… something darker. I shoved him back with all my strength, stumbling away.
“I will never submit to you,” I hissed.
He tilted his head, that maddening smirk returning. “Then I’ll break you until you do.”
His words sank like poison, twisting deep in my chest.
But before I could answer, a howl split the night.
Sharp. Desperate. Not from the camp.
Asher stiffened, head snapping toward the forest. His jaw clenched. “We’re not alone.”
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Christopher’s POV
The bond wouldn’t let me rest. No matter how far I pushed it, no matter how much I tried to bury it, I felt her—Serena.
Pain. Anger. Fear.
I could almost hear her heartbeat pounding through my skull.
I had rejected her, but the tie still burned, fraying, bleeding. And tonight, something pulled me to the forest like an invisible chain.
Cassandra’s voice followed me as I mounted my horse. “You’re making a mistake, Christopher. She’s gone. She chose him.”
I didn’t look at her. “She didn’t choose him. He took her.”
“And what are you going to do?” Cassandra’s tone dripped with venom. “Run into a rogue camp and get yourself killed for a girl who doesn’t even want you anymore?”
I yanked the reins, eyes blazing. “She’s mine. And if Asher thinks he can keep her, he’s dead wrong.”
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Serena’s POV – Back in the Camp
The howls grew louder, closer. Rogues spilled from their tents, growling, their eyes reflecting the firelight.
“What is it?” I demanded.
Asher’s gaze stayed fixed on the trees, his whole body tense, dangerous. “Something’s hunting us.”
A chill swept my skin. “What do you mean something?”
He turned to me, silver eyes sharp. “Not a wolf.”
The earth trembled beneath our feet. A low rumble, like thunder, rolled through the ground. The rogues shifted uneasily, some half-shifting, their claws digging into the dirt.
And then… it came.
A shadow. Towering. Wrong. Its eyes burned crimson, its body twisting between smoke and flesh. It howled, and the sound shattered the night like glass.
---
I stumbled back, my breath catching. “What—what is that?”
Asher’s face darkened. “A Shadowbeast.”
My pulse roared. “That’s impossible—those are just stories—”
“Not anymore.” His arm shot out, shoving me behind him as the creature lunged. “Stay down!”
The beast slammed into the clearing, scattering rogues like leaves. It tore through them, claws ripping, shadows swallowing their screams.
Asher shifted in a blink, his massive black wolf colliding with the monster, teeth sinking into smoke and flesh alike.
I could only watch, frozen, as blood splattered the dirt and the night filled with snarls and shrieks.
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Christopher’s POV – On the Edge of the Camp
I heard it before I saw it. The roar of something unnatural. The stench of death.
And then I saw her.
Serena.
Pinned against a tree, eyes wide with terror, as the Shadowbeast loomed.
And Asher—fighting it, silver eyes blazing even in his wolf form.
Rage and relief crashed through me all at once.
“Serena!” I shouted, charging forward.
Her head snapped toward me, tears glinting in her eyes. My heart cracked open.
But then Asher’s gaze caught mine. Even mid-battle, even bloodied, his message was clear.
She’s mine now.
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Serena’s POV
The beast roared, slamming Asher into the ground. He snarled, twisting free, but blood darkened his fur.
And then the creature’s eyes locked on me.
I froze as it lunged—until a searing pain tore through my chest. Not claws. Not teeth.
The bond.
It flared, wild and violent, pulling at me like it was ripping my soul apart.
My scream split the night as silver and gold fire erupted from my hands.
Everyone stopped.
Asher. Christopher. Even the Shadowbeast.
The light surged, blasting into the creature’s chest. It howled, writhing, shadows ripping apart under the blaze.
And then—it was gone.
Silence fell. Smoke curled. My hands shook, still glowing faintly.
“What… what just happened?” I whispered, staring at them.
Asher shifted back, bloodied but grinning like a devil. “The little wolf has a secret.”
Christopher stepped into the clearing, golden eyes wide with shock. “Serena… the Moon Goddess marked you.”
My knees buckled, my whole body trembling.
Marked. By the Moon Goddess.
I looked between them—silver fire, golden fire—and realized the truth hit them both at once.
I wasn’t just a rejected mate.
I wasn’t just a rogue’s captive.
I was something more. Something neither of them had the strength to let go of.
And in the darkness, Cassandra’s whisper echoed like venom in my mind.
“Two Alphas. One girl. The Goddess doesn’t make mistakes… she makes war.”
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- Writer
