The room pulsed with energy as the ancient moonstone altar glowed softly beneath the rising full moon. Elaina stood barefoot on the smooth stone floor, heart pounding like a war drum in her chest.
Lucien stood across from her, a silver dagger in one hand, his own heartbeat steady—but his eyes revealed the storm inside him.
"Are you sure?" he asked, for what felt like the hundredth time.
Elaina took a breath, raising her chin. "If this bond brings me closer to the truth… to you, then I want it."
Lucien stepped forward. "Then by moon and blood, I vow to protect you. To find what was lost. To never lose you again."
He sliced his palm with the dagger and held it out.
Without hesitation, Elaina mirrored his action, wincing as her own blood welled up. Their hands clasped.
The moment their skin touched, the chamber lit with silvery fire.
Images burst in Elaina's mind—fragments from another life:
—A kiss under the moonlight.
—Lucien cradling her lifeless body.
—A child's laughter.
—A scream.
—A shadow dragging her away.
She gasped, knees buckling, but Lucien caught her before she hit the ground. His grip was strong, protective.
"I remember… her," she whispered. "The woman who betrayed me. She… smiled when I died."
Lucien's face turned to stone. "I know."
---
Elsewhere – Kade's Interruption
Meanwhile, Kade barged into the chamber door, completely unaware of the ritual's sacred timing.
"Guys! You won't believe what I found in the—OH MY MOON!"
He skidded to a stop, eyes wide at the glowing blood bond and floating moon symbols.
Lucien didn't even turn. "Kade, leave."
"But I—"
"Now."
Kade slowly backed out, whispering to himself, "Note to self: don't interrupt magical soul-binding rituals. Ever again."
---
Back in the Ritual Chamber
The light began to dim, leaving behind a silence heavier than before.
Lucien brushed a loose strand of hair from Elaina's face. "You're bonded to me now. No magic, no curse, no death can undo that."
She looked up at him, something fierce and fragile in her eyes. "Then let's find out why I had to die."
---
Far Away – Valen's Warning
In the forest temple he called home, Valen slammed his hand down on the stone table, shattering it.
"She chose him again," he growled. "She always chooses him."
The traitorous woman beside him smiled. "Give it time. She's only bonded to his light. Wait until she remembers her darkness."
Valen's eyes glowed red. "Then we burn their bond to the ground."
---
The night after the bonding ritual was still and heavy, the air dense with the scent of burned incense and blood magic. Elaina lay on the velvet chaise in Lucien's study, eyes closed, but sleep far from her reach.
Visions haunted her—half-formed images tugging at her soul.
A child's scream.
Her own laughter turning to cries.
And that voice.
That dark, velvet voice whispering, "You were mine first."
---
Lucien's Study
Lucien entered quietly, a steaming cup of tea in hand. He paused at the doorway, watching her chest rise and fall, her brows furrowed in a dream she clearly wanted to escape.
"Elaina?" he murmured, setting the cup down.
Her eyes flew open, shimmering with unshed tears.
"I saw him again," she whispered. "The shadow… the one who keeps calling me his."
Lucien's jaw tensed. "Valen."
"Why does he sound so familiar?" she asked. "Why do I feel like… part of me doesn't want to hate him?"
Lucien crouched in front of her. "Because he used to be your childhood friend… before his wolf broke. Before obsession replaced loyalty."
---
Flashback: The Past That Haunts
In a fractured memory, Elaina stood between two boys—Lucien and Valen.
One offered her a flower.
The other, a knife.
She chose the flower.
Valen's eyes burned even then.
---
Back to Present
Elaina whispered, "I think I broke him…"
"No," Lucien said gently. "He broke himself the day he decided you were an object to possess, not a soul to love."
A beat passed. Then Elaina laughed weakly. "So dramatic. I should charge for all this emotional labor."
Lucien cracked a rare smirk. "I can offer eternal protection and decent coffee. Will that do?"
She arched a brow. "Make it spiked with whiskey next time."
---
Elsewhere – Valen's Plan Unfolds
Valen stood before a giant mirror, blood running down his wrist onto a cursed sigil on the floor.
"She's opening," he murmured. "The memories are seeping in."
The traitorous woman knelt nearby, chanting in a language long dead.
Valen held up a locket—Elaina's old one. The one she buried the night she swore to never look back.
"I will bring back who she truly was. The one who loved the dark."
The mirror shimmered.
And on the other side, Elaina's reflection smirked.
Not the Elaina of today.
But the one who once ruled with fangs and fire.
---
Back in Lucien's Mansion – A Sudden Power Surge
Candles across the mansion flared with cold blue flames.
Elaina clutched her head.
Lucien rushed to her, heart racing. "What's happening?!"
Her eyes glowed silver. And when she spoke, it was not her voice.
It was a memory.
A warning.
"He's coming. And I… I may not be strong enough to stop him this time."
---