Chapter 5 - The Curse and the Bond
Sophia agreed to meet Selene at the ruins of the old Moonkeeper sanctuary.
Not surrender.
Meet.
Caleb objected to the distinction.
Repeatedly.
“It is surrender with better vocabulary.”
“No.”
“You are walking into her territory.”
“With you nearby.”
“Nearby is not beside you.”
“She demanded I come alone.”
“That is exactly why I hate this.”
Sophia tightened the straps on her traveling cloak.
Caleb stood in her chamber doorway.
His expression had become permanently disapproving since the negotiations began.
“You’re doing the jaw thing.”
“I have no jaw thing.”
“You absolutely do.”
He stepped inside.
“Sophia.”
She stopped.
Caleb looked tired.
Not king tired.
Man tired.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
His voice softened.
“I spent forty-one days trapped inside an animal body.”
“You were always an animal.”
He did not smile.
That frightened her.
“I could see everything.”
He continued.
“Hear everything.”
Sophia’s expression softened.
“I could not speak. Could not shift. Could not command anyone.”
His eyes met hers.
“I had no control.”
She understood where this was going.
“Then I found you.”
A faint smile.
“You complained constantly.”
“Therapeutic.”
“You treated me like an injured dog.”
“You behaved like one.”
“I did not.”
“You chased a squirrel.”
“That was tactical.”
Sophia laughed.
Caleb did not.
His hand reached toward hers.
Stopped.
Sophia closed the distance.
Their fingers touched.
Caleb exhaled.
“You were the first thing that made being powerless feel survivable.”
Her chest tightened.
“Caleb.”
“I don’t want to lose that.”
“You won’t.”
“You cannot promise.”
“No.”
Sophia squeezed his hand.
“But I can promise I’m trying to come back.”
His wolf pushed beneath the surface.
Protect.
Mate.
Caleb whispered, “The bond is getting stronger.”
Sophia felt it too.
A warmth under her skin whenever he was near.
Dreams where silver eyes watched from forest shadows.
A sense of him before he entered rooms.
Not ownership.
Connection.
“What happens if we complete it?”
Caleb looked away.
“How?”
Sophia raised an eyebrow.
He almost smiled.
“Mating mark.”
Her face warmed.
“Oh.”
“The mark itself does not require…”
He stopped.
She stared.
Caleb looked uncomfortable.
Sophia suddenly enjoyed this.
“The terrifying Alpha King is embarrassed.”
“No.”
“You are.”
“I’m trying to be respectful.”
“By turning red?”
“I am not red.”
He was.
Slightly.
Sophia laughed.
Caleb sighed.
“The bond requires mutual consent.”
“Good.”
“I will not ask while politics are influencing the choice.”
Her laughter vanished.
“What?”
“If you choose me, I need it to be because you want me.”
The honesty hurt beautifully.
“Not because prophecy wants the crown changed.”
“No.”
“Not because Selene threatens people.”
“No.”
“Not because your wolf decided.”
“No.”
Sophia stepped closer.
“What if I already want you?”
Caleb went still.
His eyes brightened silver.
Sophia’s heartbeat pounded.
“I said what if.”
“That was cruel.”
She smiled.
Maybe.
His hand touched her waist.
Slowly.
Question.
Sophia did not move away.
Caleb lowered his forehead to hers.
“I have thought about kissing you since the bath.”
She laughed softly.
“That is embarrassing.”
“Extremely.”
“Were you really staring at the tree?”
“Yes.”
“I thought you were ridiculous.”
“I was fighting for my life.”
Sophia smiled.
Then kissed him.
Caleb froze.
One heartbeat.
Then his control shattered carefully.
His arm wrapped around her waist.
His other hand held the back of her neck.
The kiss deepened.
Warm.
Slow.
Not possession.
Recognition.
Sophia’s magic flared.
Silver light moved around them.
Caleb pulled away instantly.
“What?”
“I don’t know.”
The crescent pendant glowed.
A mark appeared on Sophia’s wrist.
Not complete.
Half moon.
Caleb’s matching royal mark burned under his collar.
Mara burst through the door without knocking.
“Stop.”
Sophia jumped.
Caleb looked furious.
“Mara.”
“Your magical signature just hit every ward in Frostmere.”
Sophia touched her wrist.
“We kissed.”
Mara stared.
“Wonderful. Apparently prophecy enjoys drama.”
Caleb sighed.
“What happened?”
“The bond initiated.”
Sophia blinked.
“We didn’t mark.”
“Moonkeeper bond.”
Mara examined the symbol.
“Choice-based.”
Caleb looked at Sophia.
“You chose.”
Her heart skipped.
“I chose a kiss.”
Mara smiled.
“Magic is annoyingly interpretive.”
Sophia stared.
“Can it be undone?”
Caleb became very still.
Mara nodded.
“Until full completion.”
Caleb relaxed slightly.
Sophia noticed.
“You want me able to undo it.”
“Yes.”
That mattered.
Mara continued.
“Unfortunately, Selene felt it.”
Of course.
Caleb cursed.
“We leave now.”
The sanctuary ruins sat deep in the northern mountains.
Sophia entered alone at sunset.
Caleb’s forces remained hidden beyond the ridge.
She felt him through the partial bond.
Tension.
Anger.
Fear.
Sophia whispered under her breath, “Stop panicking.”
Far away, she felt annoyance.
She smiled.
Selene waited inside the shattered temple.
White dress.
Silver crown.
Same face.
Different eyes.
Sophia stopped.
“You like dramatic entrances.”
Selene smiled.
“You joke when afraid.”
“Apparently.”
They studied each other.
Twins.
Same blood.
Thirty years apart.
Sophia felt grief she had not expected.
“What did they do to you?”
Selene’s smile disappeared.
“Who?”
“Maedra.”
“She saved me.”
“She raised you into a weapon.”
“She raised me to understand what our mother refused to accept.”
“What?”
“That wolves built kingdoms on Omega submission.”
Sophia frowned.
Not entirely wrong historically.
Selene continued.
“Moonkeepers protected balance until kings began using us.”
“Our father was killed by Caleb’s father.”
“Yes.”
“Our mother poisoned.”
“Yes.”
“You blame Caleb?”
“I blame the crown.”
Sophia understood more than she wanted to.
“Then why bond him?”
Selene’s eyes flashed.
“Because with his royal blood and my magic, I can control the crown wards.”
“And become queen.”
“End Alpha rule.”
“By replacing it with your rule.”
Selene’s mouth tightened.
“Someone must govern.”
“Convenient.”
“You sound like Mother.”
The words hurt.
“You remember her?”
“A little.”
Sophia swallowed.
“I don’t remember you.”
Selene’s expression cracked briefly.
“I remember you.”
Sophia stopped.
“We shared a cradle.”
“How?”
“Moonkeeper memory.”
Tears filled Selene’s eyes.
“You cried every night unless I touched your hand.”
Sophia’s chest broke.
For one moment, enemies vanished.
Two sisters remained.
“What happened?”
“Maedra took me during the attack.”
“Did Mother choose?”
“No.”
“Then she didn’t abandon you.”
Selene’s face hardened.
“She stopped searching.”
“She was protecting me.”
“And there it is.”
Anger returned.
“Everyone protects the child they kept.”
Sophia stepped closer.
“She died looking over her shoulder.”
Selene looked away.
“Come with me.”
The words surprised both.
“What?”
Sophia held out her hand.
“Come back.”
“To Caleb?”
“To me.”
Selene stared at her.
“We can learn the truth together.”
A tear moved down her cheek.
Then someone clapped slowly from the shadows.
Alaric.
Sophia froze.
Selene smiled.
Not surprised.
Sophia’s stomach dropped.
“You.”
Alaric stepped forward.
“I’m sorry.”
Selene walked to his side.
Sophia stared.
“You’re working together.”
“For years,” Selene said.
Caleb’s uncle.
The man who claimed he searched for her.
Liar.
Alaric looked ashamed.
“I did search for Selene.”
“To help Maedra?”
“To stop Edric’s bloodline.”
Sophia felt Caleb’s alarm through the bond.
He knew something was wrong.
Alaric continued.
“My brother destroyed the Moonkeepers.”
“Yes.”
“I watched a kingdom excuse him because he was king.”
“So you decided to steal the throne.”
“I decided the old structure had to end.”
Sophia laughed bitterly.
“You and Selene could have simply explained this to Caleb.”
Selene’s face twisted.
“Kings don’t surrender power.”
Sophia felt Caleb in her chest.
He might.
She realized.
If given a real choice.
Alaric held up a vial.
Royal blood.
Caleb’s.
Sophia understood.
“You cursed him.”
“Yes.”
“Why send him to me?”
“To activate you.”
Sophia went cold.
“My power.”
“Lyra sealed it.”
Selene said, “Only contact with the royal beast could break the seal.”
Sophia stared.
“I was bait.”
“Key,” Alaric corrected.
Caleb’s rage struck through the bond.
He heard enough through her emotions.
Sophia looked at Selene.
“And now?”
Selene’s eyes softened.
“Now you complete the bond.”
“With Caleb?”
“Yes.”
Sophia frowned.
“That would let me dissolve hereditary rule.”
“Exactly.”
“Then why attack me?”
“Because you might choose him over the cause.”
Sophia laughed.
“You don’t trust your own sister.”
“I don’t know you.”
“That makes two of us.”
Alaric moved closer.
“We need Caleb here.”
Sophia understood too late.
The meeting.
The partial bond.
Her fear.
Caleb would come.
She felt him racing closer.
“No.”
Selene smiled sadly.
“Yes.”
Sophia turned toward the entrance.
“Caleb, stop!”
He burst through the ruined doors in wolf form.
Black fur.
Silver eyes.
Fury.
Behind him, soldiers.
Then the floor ignited.
Ancient Moonkeeper symbols flared.
Trap.
Caleb slammed into invisible magic.
He shifted human.
“Sophia!”
Silver chains erupted from the stone and wrapped around his arms.
Ronan shouted.
Soldiers attacked.
Magic threw them back.
Sophia ran toward Caleb.
Selene stopped her with a barrier.
“Don’t.”
“You used me.”
“Yes.”
Caleb fought the chains.
Alaric approached.
“Your Majesty.”
Caleb’s eyes were murderous.
“You.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
Alaric lifted the royal blood vial.
Selene raised both hands.
Moonlight poured through the shattered ceiling.
Sophia understood.
“They’re going to force the bond.”
Caleb went still.
Alaric looked at Sophia.
“Not with you.”
Sophia’s stomach dropped.
Selene stepped toward Caleb.
The prophecy.
The compatible Moonkeeper.
If Selene bonded him, royal magical control became permanent.
Caleb growled.
“No.”
Selene touched his face.
He turned away.
“I will never choose you.”
Pain flashed across her expression.
Then hardened.
“I don’t need your love.”
Sophia screamed.
“You need his consent.”
Selene looked at her.
“For a true bond.”
She smiled sadly.
“For a crown binding, royal blood is enough.”
And as silver magic began pouring into Caleb’s chest, Sophia realized the curse had never been the real plan.
May you like
It had only been preparation.
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