Some chains are physical, others wrap around your soul and make you forget how to run.
Selene
I wasn't planning to run tonight
But sometimes the cage rattles just loud enough to remind you that you still want to fly.
The guards outside my door changed shifts an hour late, I overheard them arguing, one stepped away for a smoke while the other was distracted by his comms.
It was a mistake, a small crack in a fortress of steel, but sometimes a crack is all you need.
I moved quickly, soft steps across cold stone, a sheet twisted into a rope, a windowsill just wide enough to crouch on.
My body remembered what my mind had forgotten , how to climb, how to fall, how to run like hell when your life depends on it.
The cold air outside bit into my lungs, sharp and bitter, but it reminded me I was still alive.
The moment my feet hit the frozen grass, I ran and not for freedom, not really.
I ran for the sound of trees, the smell of earth, the feeling of not being watched.
Every step thudded against the dirt like a drumbeat.
The night howled around me, the wind tangled through my hair, my heart screamed in my chest.
I didn't look back, not at the estate, not at the walls that held me, not at him.
My breath came short and ragged, my legs burned, but I didn't stop.
The treeline was close, so close I could feel it pulling me in.
Twenty more steps
Fifteen
Ten
Then a shape slammed into me from the side, then I hit the ground hard, pain flashing up my ribs as I rolled and coughed, hands clawing at frozen dirt.
I reached for my power, but it was still buried, still asleep.
All I had left was anger
Fingers clamped around my wrist
I looked up
Of course
Kieran
He stood like a shadow, coat flaring in the wind, eyes burning cold and hard.
"You thought you would make it off my land?" he asked, voice low and sharp.
"I'd rather bleed out in the woods than stay one more night under your roof," I hissed.
He didn't let go
"You don't get to run from this".
"From what? You? This cursed bond? I'll tear it apart myself if I have to"
"You won't like the consequences"
"Then punish me" I shouted, jerking against his grip
"Hurt me. Do what Alphas do when they lose control"
His hand tightened , just for a second
Then he released me
I pushed up from the ground, breathing hard, dirt and blood streaked across my palms
My whole body burned, but I didn't back down
He didn't speak, didn't move
He just looked at me
And for the first time, I saw something behind that cold, hard mask he always wore
He wasn't angry
He was broken
And he hated that I could see it
Two guards came crashing through the trees
Kieran raised a hand to stop them
"I've got her" he said , his voice wasn't loud, but it was final
Ididn't resist when he walked beside me
I didn't say another word
But I made him a promise in my silence
I would try again
And next time, I wouldn't fail
Kieran
The moment I heard she was gone, I knew exactly where she'd run
Not toward the roads
Not to the villages
The forest
Of course it was the forest
She was a Blackthorn
And Blackthorns always ran toward wild things when they were hurting
I found her near the edge of the trees, just seconds from disappearing into the woods
I didn't shift
I didn't call backup
I just ran
And I reached her right before she vanished
She hit the ground hard when I tackled her
I didn't mean to hurt her, I didn't even think
The bond had screamed the second she left the estate, like a part of me was being ripped from bone.
And now, as I stood over her, breathing hard, fists clenched, I realized something that filled me with dread
I wasn't mad because she tried to escape
I was mad because she almost made it
"You thought you'd make it off my land?" I asked.
Her eyes locked onto mine, full of fury
"I'd rather bleed out in the woods than stay under your roof"
I didn't answer
Because a part of me wanted to let her go
But the bond wouldn't let me
"You don't get to run from this. From me"
She growled low
"Then watch me try again"
"You won't like the punishment"
"Then do it" she shouted
"Mark me, chain me, hurt me.That's what you Alphas do, isn't it?"
My fingers clenched tighter around her wrist
Just once
Then I let go
I stepped back
The way she looked at me in that moment like she expected pain but wasn't afraid of it made something twist in my gut
She expected me to become the monster
And I almost did
The guards arrived late
I waved them off
"I've got her"
We walked back in silence
But I felt every step like a heartbeat
She didn't belong in chains
She didn't belong in the war I kept dragging her into
But the truth was
She didn't know what she was waking up inside herself
And I didn't know how long I could keep pretending I wasn't terrified of her
We reached the estate gates just before dawn
She turned her head slightly, voice low but clear
"My power's coming back"
I stopped walking
She didn't look at me
She just kept walking as the guards opened the gates
"You won't be able to hold me much longer"
Selene
The guest room was large and richly furnished
Heavy curtains hung from the windows
Soft rugs covered the cold floors
Thick blankets were folded neatly at the foot of the bed
Books lined the shelves, a small writing desk stood by the wall, and a vase of fresh flowers sat on the table
All of it meant to comfort someone
But not me
I sat at the edge of the bed, fingers tracing the carved wood of the nightstand
Outside this room, I was trapped by the rules of this house
Inside, I was restless and caged in a different way
Food had come and gone, but never enough to fill the hollow ache in me
The meals were rich, carefully prepared, fit for a Luna
But I barely touched them
Hunger wasn't just in the stomach
It lived in the soul
My body was tired
My spirit was raw and aching
The wolf inside me paced beneath my skin, whispering for me to rise, to fight, to run
But exhaustion was a weight I couldn't shake
My vision blurred
I clenched my fists, trying to fight the dizziness pulling me under
The door creaked open quietly
Kieran stepped in
Even silent, his presence filled the room
His sharp eyes met mine and something in them softened
He sat beside me
"Selene" he said softly
"You need to eat. You're wasting away"
I swallowed hard
"I don't need your food" I whispered
My voice was rough and thin
He didn't argue
Instead, he reached out and touched my hand gently
"Not for me" he said
"For you"
I wanted to resist
But my limbs were weak and heavy
The hunger pulled at me like a tide, dragging me deeper
I blinked, fighting to hold onto the last flicker of strength
But it wasn't enough
The room tilted
The shadows closed in
And then I was gone
Kieran
Watching her fade like this was worse than any battle I had ever fought
Selene wasn't just my mate
She was a Blackthorn
Wild, fierce, impossible to tame
But hunger was an enemy even she couldn't fight forever
She refused every tray we brought her
Rejected every quiet act of care
I tried patience
I tried silence
I tried pleading
Nothing reached her
Then, one night, she collapsed
I caught her before she hit the floor
Her body shook in my arms
Her breath was shallow
Her skin was ice-cold
This wasn't how it was supposed to be
The bond between us was tangled in pain and pride and the weight of the past
But this — this felt like losing her
I carried her to the hearth
Sat her in the warmth of the fire
Wrapped her in thick blankets and tried to pull her back to me
"You're stronger than this, Selene. You have to be" I whispered
Her body tensed beneath my hands
Her eyelids fluttered
And then, deep in the flicker of firelight
I saw it
A spark in her eyes
Small
But real
A sign that something ancient and powerful was waking
And I knew, whatever it was
It was going to change everything
The only question was
Would it destroy us first?
Let me know if you'd like a chapter title, cliffhanger ending line, or for me to continue into the next chapter!