The moonbridge stretched like a silver blade across the chasm — narrow, ancient, glowing faintly with runes that pulsed in time with the approaching Convergence. The night was wind-sharp, every gust carrying the scent of pine, stone, and tension so thick it was almost visible.
Isabella stood at the center of the bridge, cape fluttering behind her like a torn shadow. She had come here to breathe — or rather, to pretend she still knew how. Her fingers trembled against the railing, but not from cold.
From memory.
From what she had done.
Her lips still tingled with the echo of Ryan's blood.
The wind whispered across her skin.And then — a shift.
A presence.
Her heart seized.
He was behind her.
Not the confident, iron-strong Alpha King the kingdom worshipped…No.Ryan stood at the entrance of the bridge, leaning heavily against the carved pillar, breath ragged. His usually imposing silhouette wavered in the moonlight. His hair was mussed, his shirt half-buttoned, his neck marked — by her.
The bite she'd left.
His eyes, molten gold, were darker than she had ever seen them — fury, betrayal, and something far more dangerous swirling beneath.
"Turn around," he growled, voice hoarse.
Isabella closed her eyes. The bond twisted painfully in her chest.
"Ryan…" she began.
"Turn. Around."
She obeyed.
Slowly.
And the moment their eyes met, the bridge itself seemed to exhale.
His pupils constricted.Her breath stuttered.
And the mate bond slammed between them — a hot, pulsing tether, raw and violent, flaring so hard she nearly buckled.
Ryan staggered a step forward.Almost fell.Caught himself on the railing with a hiss of pain.
He was still weak.Weak because of her.
"Why?" he demanded — the word torn from him like a wound ripped open. "Why would you do that to me?"
She swallowed. "You were near—"
"Don't," he snapped, voice cracking. "Don't you dare pretend this was weakness."
Wind whipped around them, tugging at fabric and hair.
Isabella's fingers curled. "I lost control. The hunger—"
"You hypnotized me."His voice was a rasp, shaking."You took from me. And then you put me to sleep like a fool."
He stepped closer — too close — the heat of him bleeding through the cold air. The weakened tremor in his body only made him more dangerous, more unstable. His wolf snarled beneath his skin, furious and wounded.
She tried to step back, but the railing pressed into her spine.
"Say something," he demanded.
"I'm sorry."
"Not enough."
His hand slammed beside her head against the railing, making her flinch. Not from fear — from the bond's violent pull. The scent of him — pine, storm, blood — clawed at her self-control.
Ryan leaned in, breath ghosting her cheek."Do you have any idea what you did to me?"
Her throat tightened. "I didn't mean—"
"You made me powerless."His voice dropped."A king. Your mate. And you made me powerless."
Her heart splintered. "Ryan, I— I thought I would die if I didn't feed."
He laughed — hollow, bitter, breaking."Then you should've asked."
Her chest hollowed. "I couldn't. I wasn't thinking. I was starving. And you— you were right there."
He inhaled sharply, rage and longing twisting through him. "You jumped on me like you were claiming me."
The memory hit her — the taste of him, the heat of him, the way he'd shuddered beneath her mouth, the bond exploding in pleasure so fierce she drowned in it.
Her cheeks flushed. "I didn't—"
"You did," he hissed.His fingers trembled inches from her waist."And you liked it."
Her breath hitched.
The bond pulsed again, harder, rawer — a violent magnetism dragging their bodies closer even as their pride pushed them apart.
From the shadows of the cliffs, faint silhouettes shifted. Court members. Guards. Eavesdroppers.
Ryan noticed.His jaw clenched.
"Look at them," he said softly, bitterly. "Watching their king confront his queen about why she drained him half to death."
"Ryan—"
"You humiliated me."
Pain flared in her chest. "I was protecting myself."
"No."His voice was barely a whisper, but it shook the bridge."You broke us."
Her composure snapped. "Don't say that."
"You did," he insisted, voice raw. "You broke something I didn't even know I needed."
Silence cracked between them.
Isabella's lips quivered. "I didn't want to hurt you."
"But you did."He stepped back — shaky, breath sharp with pain."And now I can't even think straight around you."
The words struck deep.
He looked at her like she was both his salvation and his destruction.
Her voice trembled. "Ryan, please—"
"Don't follow me."
The command wasn't Alpha power — he didn't have enough strength for that.It was worse.
It was heartbreak.
He turned away — shoulders trembling, steps unsteady, hand gripping the railing just to keep from collapsing. The moonlight carved shadows under his eyes, highlighting the sickly pallor on his skin.
Isabella reached forward a fraction."Ryan—"
He didn't look back.
"I need space," he said, voice barely audible."Before the bond makes me do something I'll regret."
Wind swallowed his next words, but she heard them.
"…before I crawl back to you."
He limped off the bridge into the shadows, leaving her standing in the moonlight — breathless, shaking, and utterly alone.
The moonbridge hummed under her feet.
Above them, the moon swelled.
The Convergence was hours away.