🌙 Four: The Distance That Disappeared
701 Words
Sol didn’t sleep.
She couldn’t.
Every time she closed her eyes, she felt him.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Like a shadow in her chest she couldn’t shake.
Sol sat on the edge of her bed, gripping the fabric of her clothes tightly.
“This is insane,” she whispered to herself. “It’s just a bond. That’s all.”
But even as she said it…
She didn’t fully believe it anymore.
⸻
Across the pack grounds, Ryan stood in the training arena alone.
His fists were clenched.
He could feel her anger.
Still.
Restless.
But something else too.
Confusion.
And underneath it
Something he didn’t want to name.
He exhaled sharply.
“This is going to be a problem,” he muttered.
“Absolutely not.”
Sol crossed her arms firmly.
Lina sighed. “You don’t really have a choice.”
Lina gestured toward the training grounds where elders were already gathered.
“The Moon Goddess made it clear,” Lina added. “You two need control over the bond. That means training together.”
Sol groaned. “With him?”
“Yes,” Lina said. “With him.”
Sol turned away instantly. “I’d rather fight a rogue wolf.”
Lina raised a brow. “You basically are.”
⸻
When Sol arrived at the training grounds
Ryan was already there.
Waiting.
Calm.
Focused.
And immediately
The bond reacted.
A soft pull.
Not painful this time.
Warm.
Sol froze for half a second.
Ryan noticed.
Of course he did.
⸻
“Late,” he said simply.
Sol scoffed. “I didn’t ask to be here.”
“No one did,” he replied.
Their eyes met.
And the air shifted again.
Not anger this time.
Something quieter.
Heavier.
Awareness.
Training Begins
“Attack him,” the trainer ordered.
Sol blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Control requires balance,” the elder said. “Fight him.”
Ryan didn’t move. “You heard him.”
Sol narrowed her eyes. “Don’t enjoy this.”
“I don’t,” he replied.
But something in his voice wasn’t entirely honest.
She attacked first.
Fast. Sharp. Uncontrolled anger driving her.
Ryan blocked every move easily.
Too easily.
But every time they touched
The bond flared.
Heat.
Confusion.
A pull neither of them could ignore.
Sol stumbled back once, breathing uneven.
And for the first time
Ryan stepped forward to steady her.
Their hands touched.
And neither pulled away immediately.
Lina Notices Everything
From the sidelines
Lina watched closely.
She noticed everything.
The hesitation.
The pauses.
The way Sol looked at him when she thought no one was watching.
“This is bad,” she muttered.
Because she knew Sol.
And Sol didn’t look at people like that.
Not unless something was changing.
A second too long.
A breath too close.
Sol looked up at him.
Really looked.
And something shifted.
⸻
He wasn’t just an Alpha.
Not just control and authority.
Up close
He was steady.
Focused.
Protective in a way she didn’t expect.
And that scared her more than his power ever did.
During sparring
Sol suddenly froze.
Pain shot through her chest.
Not hers.
His.
Ryan staggered slightly in the same moment.
Their eyes locked instantly.
“Ryan?” one of the trainers asked.
“I’m fine,” he said quickly.
But Sol felt it.
The frustration he was holding back.
The pressure he never showed.
And instead of anger
She felt something else rise in her.
Concern.
Real concern.
She hated it.
Later, under the shade of the training grounds, Sol sat alone.
Except she wasn’t alone.
Because she could still feel him.
And now
It wasn’t just anger anymore.
She replayed the way he steadied her earlier.
The way he didn’t push her down when he easily could have.
The way his eyes looked when he focused.
Calm.
Controlled.
But not cruel.
“…Why do I keep thinking about him?” she whispered.
Her heart tightened.
That wasn’t supposed to happen.
⸻
Across the field, Ryan paused mid-training.
Because he felt it.
Her confusion.
Her thoughts turning softer.
He frowned slightly.
“…Don’t,” he muttered under his breath.
But even he didn’t know who he was telling that to.
- Writer
