Calen hit the ground hard.
One heartbeat he was standing in front of me, his body shaking under the pull of the bond; the next, his knees buckled, and the Alpha of the Crescent Vale crashed to the stone floor. The sound of his body striking the dais echoed through the hall. Gasps rose from every corner of the room.
"Alpha!" someone shouted.
Dozens of wolves rushed forward, but I couldn't move. I stood frozen, my hands trembling, the echo of his pain reverberating inside my chest. The mate mark on my neck burned hot, like iron against skin. It was as if something invisible had tied itself around my lungs and started to pull.
"Get her away from him!" A voice barked—Marcus, the Beta. The same man who'd rejected me not even an hour ago.
Rough hands grabbed my arms, yanking me backward. I stumbled, but the connection between Calen and me refused to break. Every inch I moved away, the tighter it pulled, like a rope cutting into flesh.
"I didn't do anything," I managed to whisper, though my throat felt raw. "He just—collapsed—"
"Silence!" Marcus snarled. His eyes flashed gold. "You've bewitched him."
I tried to pull free, but the guards only tightened their grip. "No, I—"
Then Calen gasped. The entire room went still.
A low growl rolled from deep in his chest, more animal than human. His back arched, veins standing out along his arms. For a second, his eyes opened—flaring with two colors at once, one silver, one molten gold. The sight made everyone recoil.
"Get the healer!" Marcus shouted.
The guards dragged me toward the door, but even through the panic and shouts, I could still hear the sound of Calen's labored breathing. My heart twisted at every rasp. Whatever was happening to him, I could feel it—burning through our shared link.
The pack healer, Mistress Yara, was waiting when they shoved me into the infirmary chamber. The air smelled of herbs and smoke, sharp with crushed sage and silverroot.
Yara's gray eyes flicked over me like a blade. "So. You're the girl who brought the Alpha to his knees."
"I didn't—"
She raised a hand to silence me. "Sit."
I did. My palms were still shaking. She circled me once, muttering words under her breath that I didn't recognize. Then she placed her hands against my temples. A pulse of energy rippled through my body—like static before lightning.
Her breath caught. "Moon preserve us."
"What is it?" I whispered.
"You've got power inside you that shouldn't exist."
I blinked at her. "Power?"
Yara's expression darkened. "You are not just a mate, girl. You're an anchor."
I didn't understand. The word felt heavy, foreign. "Anchor?"
She nodded slowly. "He carries the Moonfire curse. It eats at his wolf, burns him from within. Without an anchor, he'll go feral before the next full moon. Something in you… binds him to this world."
I stared at her, cold creeping through my veins. "You're saying I caused this?"
"I'm saying you're the only thing keeping him alive."
The words hung between us, impossible and terrifying.
Before I could speak, Marcus burst into the room. "Where is she?" His voice was all fury. "Calen's heart stopped for a minute. The pack's in chaos."
Yara stepped between us. "You'll do nothing rash, Beta. The girl's bond is stabilizing him."
"Or killing him."
The healer glared. "You're too blind with guilt to see the truth."
Marcus's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. He looked at me once—disgust and something else flickering behind his eyes—then left.
That night, I couldn't sleep. They'd confined me to a small chamber off the main hall, but the walls felt alive, humming with the bond. Every breath I took, I felt him. Every heartbeat echoed his.
I needed air.
The guards outside were easy enough to slip past; most were too busy arguing to notice a barefoot girl vanish into the courtyard. The night was cool and sharp. The vineyard stretched out in silver rows beneath the full moon. The grapes, swollen and dark, shimmered faintly, almost metallic.
I walked between the vines, letting my fingers brush the leaves. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted. The earth felt different tonight—alive, aware.
And then I heard it.
A whisper. Not with words, but with feeling. It came from beneath my skin.
Moonbound.
The sound made my knees weaken. My vision blurred. For a moment I saw flashes—ancient roots curling under the soil, glowing faintly with light. The same silver light that had flickered in Calen's eyes.
I pressed my hands to the dirt. My fingertips glowed faintly, a soft silver pulse.
"What's happening to me?" I breathed.
The wind rose, swirling through the vines. It carried the faint scent of him—cedar and storm air. I turned toward the mansion on the hill. The bond pulsed harder, like it was calling me back.
Calen woke with a roar.
That was what the guards said later—one moment he was still as stone, the next he was upright, eyes blazing. When I reached the entrance of his chamber, half the pack was already there, murmuring in fear.
Marcus stood near the door, arguing with the healer.
"She's the cause of this!" he hissed. "Look at him—he's losing control!"
Yara didn't flinch. "And yet, when she's near, his heart steadies."
Inside, Calen was a shadow of himself. His skin was pale, his breathing ragged. When his gaze lifted and met mine, the world fell silent.
"Elena."
The sound of my name on his lips hit like a pulse of energy.
The guards stiffened. Marcus stepped forward. "Alpha, you need rest. She should be removed—"
"Bring her to me."
It wasn't a request.
I hesitated, but something stronger than fear drew me forward. The room seemed to bend around us, the air thickening as I crossed the threshold. Every instinct screamed to run, but the bond refused to let me.
I stopped beside his bed. His hand shot out, gripping my wrist. The contact sent a jolt through me—heat, light, and a thousand sensations at once. His eyes flickered between man and wolf, gold and silver, and storm and shadow.
"I can feel it," he rasped. "You."
"You should rest," I whispered. "You're not—"
His grip tightened. "What did you do to me?"
"I don't know."
He stared at me for a long moment, and in his gaze I saw something raw—fear. Not for himself, but for what he might become.
The healer spoke softly behind me. "She's stabilizing the curse. The Moonfire responds to her."
Calen's jaw clenched. "Then she doesn't leave my side."
Marcus protested. "That's madness! She's a—"
"A what?" Calen snapped, his voice rough but commanding. "My mate? My curse? My salvation? You tell me, Marcus."
No one spoke.
Finally, Calen turned back to me. His expression softened, just slightly. "You feel it too, don't you?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't.
The room seemed to hum around us, the air alive with something ancient and hungry. I felt the pulse of the moon through the windows and saw its light spill across the floor and touch both of us at once.
The mark on my neck flared again, burning and cold at the same time. Calen's hand trembled where it held mine, but he didn't let go.
"You're bound to me now," he said quietly. "In blood, in moon, and in curse."
I met his eyes, silver and gold swirling like stormlight.
And for the first time, I felt my wolf stir awake.