Chapter 8 Broken Bonds

Elias Storm raced through the forest, his silver-gray fur blending with the morning mist. His heart pounded with each leap, each bound taking him farther from the Nightfang territory. The howl he'd released still echoed in his mind.

He hadn't meant to reveal himself. For three days, he'd tracked Serena, staying downwind and hidden. Seeing her transform into that magnificent black wolf had shaken him to his core. The rumors were true. She truly was an Onyx wolf.

And she was more powerful than anyone could have imagined.

When dawn broke, Elias shifted back to human form and dressed quickly in the clothes he'd stashed in a hollow tree. His tall frame moved with the grace of a born Alpha as he made his way to the meeting point.

"Well?" A voice came from behind a large oak.

Elias turned to face his Beta, Marcus Reed, a stocky man with sharp eyes and unwavering loyalty.

"I found her," Elias said, his voice tight. "She's with Lucian Draven."

Marcus cursed. "So the rumors are true. She's joined our enemies."

"Not joined," Elias snapped, surprising himself with his quick defense of Serena. "He's using her. I saw their training session. Lucian is teaching her to use her powers."

"Powers? What powers?"

Elias closed his eyes, remembering the black tendrils that had snaked from Serena's wolf form, the way they'd drained the life from everything they touched. A shiver ran down his spine.

"Something I've never seen before," he admitted. "Something dangerous."

"Then we need to report back to the pack," Marcus said. "The elders must be told."

They traveled swiftly, both men shifting to wolf form to cover ground faster. By midday, they'd reached the borders of Silver Ridge territory.

Unlike the wild, rugged mountain home of the Nightfang Pack, Silver Ridge was a blend of modern comfort and nature. Elegant homes nestled among ancient trees. Paved paths wound through carefully tended gardens. Everything spoke of order, civilization, and control.

The main house-Elias's home-stood on a hill overlooking the entire territory. Built of stone and glass, it gleamed in the afternoon sun like a beacon.

As they approached, pack members stopped to greet their Alpha with respectful nods. But Elias caught the whispers that followed in his wake.

"...found the cursed one..." "...she's with Nightfang now..." "...what will happen to us?..."

The pack's fear was a tangible thing, a cloud hanging over the once-peaceful community. Elias felt the weight of it on his shoulders, crushing him with responsibility.

Inside the main house, the pack elders waited in the council room. Eight men and women, each with decades of wisdom and experience, sat around a large oak table. At its head stood an empty chair-the place reserved for the Alpha.

Elias didn't sit. Instead, he paced the length of the room, gathering his thoughts.

"Serena Vale is with the Nightfang Pack," he finally announced. "Lucian Draven has taken her in."

Gasps and murmurs filled the room.

"This confirms our worst fears," said Helena Frost, the oldest of the elders. Her silver hair framed a face lined with years of worry. "The prophecy is unfolding."

"What prophecy?" Elias demanded. "Everyone keeps hinting at some disaster, but no one will speak plainly."

The elders exchanged glances. Finally, Helena nodded to a man at her right-Owen Vale, Serena's uncle and the only family she had left after her parents' disappearance.

"It's time he knew," Owen said, his voice heavy with regret. "The full truth."

From inside his jacket, Owen pulled a worn leather book. Its pages yellowed with age, its binding cracked and failing.

"This belongs to our family," he explained. "Passed down through generations. It tells of a time when wolves were divided-some following the path of the Moon Goddess, others turning to darker powers."

He opened the book to a marked page. On it was a drawing that made Elias's blood run cold-a black wolf with tendrils of shadow stretching from its body, consuming everything in its path.

"The Onyx wolf," Owen continued, "was not a curse but a weapon. Created to channel the powers of darkness. For centuries, we believed they were extinct. But the signs were there-Serena's birth during the blood moon, the mark on her shoulder shaped like a crescent."

"Why wasn't I told this before?" Elias's voice shook with anger. "Before I rejected her? Before I drove her straight to our enemies?"

"Because," Helena said softly, "the council ordered silence. It was decided that if Serena showed signs of becoming an Onyx wolf, she should be..."

"Be what?" Elias growled.

"Eliminated," Owen finished, not meeting Elias's eyes. "For the safety of all packs."

Rage boiled in Elias's veins. His wolf clawed beneath his skin, demanding release.

"You wanted me to kill my mate? The woman I-" He stopped, unwilling to speak the word that had haunted him since her transformation.

Love. He had loved her. Still loved her, despite everything.

"It wasn't just about protection," another elder spoke up. "The prophecy speaks of two paths. If the Onyx wolf bonds with her true mate, her powers remain balanced. But if she bonds with another Alpha-"

"Another Alpha?" Elias's mind raced to the scene he'd witnessed-Lucian calming Serena when she lost control, the strange connection between them.

"Yes," Helena confirmed. "If an Onyx wolf bonds with an Alpha not destined to be her mate, her powers grow corrupt. Uncontrollable. She becomes a destroyer of worlds."

Silence fell over the room as the weight of these words sank in.

"Lucian Draven knew," Elias realized aloud. "He's known all along what Serena is. That's why he took her in so quickly."

"If Lucian bonds with Serena," Owen said grimly, "he'll control power beyond imagination. He'll use her to destroy us all, starting with Silver Ridge."

Elias turned to the window, staring out at the pack lands he'd sworn to protect. His people. His responsibility.

But Serena was his responsibility too. His to protect. His to love.

He'd failed her once.

"I'm going after her," he announced, turning back to face the elders. "I'll bring Serena home where she belongs."

"It may be too late," Helena warned. "The bond between Alpha and wolf grows quickly. If Lucian has already-"

"He hasn't," Elias cut her off, remembering the confusion in Serena's eyes when Lucian touched her. "Not yet. There's still time."

"You'll need help," Marcus said from his position by the door. "I'll gather our best warriors."

"No," Elias shook his head. "A show of force will only push her further from us. I go alone."

"That's suicide," Owen protested. "Nightfang territory is crawling with Lucian's wolves. They'll tear you apart before you reach her."

A tight smile crossed Elias's face. "Not if I don't go as Alpha of Silver Ridge."

Understanding dawned in Marcus's eyes. "You're going as a rogue."

Elias nodded. "Tonight. Under cover of darkness."

As the meeting ended, Owen caught Elias's arm. "There's something else you should know. About Serena's mother."

"Isolde? She died years ago."

Owen's eyes darted nervously around the room, making sure they were alone. "That's what we wanted everyone to believe. The truth is... she's alive. And she knows more about the Onyx wolves than anyone."

"Where is she?" Elias demanded.

"Hidden. Protected. I can take you to her before you leave for Nightfang territory."

Night fell swiftly. Dressed in simple clothes with no pack markings, Elias followed Owen deep into the forest, to places even he as Alpha rarely ventured.

They came to a small cottage, nearly invisible among the trees. Smoke curled from its chimney, the only sign of life.

"Wait here," Owen instructed. "Let me speak to her first."

As Owen knocked on the door, a strange prickling sensation raised the hair on Elias's neck. He turned, sensing eyes on him.

A figure stood in the shadows-not human, not wolf, but something in between. Its eyes glowed an unnatural blue in the darkness.

Before Elias could react, the figure melted into the night, leaving behind only a whispered warning that chilled him to the bone:

"She was never yours to claim, Alpha. The darkness chose her long before you did."