The pain started at midnight.
No warning.
No build-up.
Just—
Pain.
Kael woke with a sharp gasp, his body jerking upright as something tore through his chest like claws from the inside.
It wasn't his wolf.
It was the bond.
"Kael."
Lucien's voice came instantly from across the room.
Kael barely registered how fast the vampire moved.
One second distance.
Next second—
Lucien's hand was on his shoulder.
The pain dropped.
Not gone.
But dulled.
Kael exhaled harshly, gripping Lucien's wrist without thinking.
"That's—new," Kael muttered.
Lucien didn't pull away.
"It's worse than before."
Kael nodded once.
His breathing was still uneven.
The bond pulsed again—
And the moment Lucien shifted slightly back—
The pain spiked.
Both of them froze.
Lucien slowly tested it.
He stepped one foot away.
Pain hit instantly.
Kael sucked in a breath, jaw tightening.
Lucien stepped closer again.
The pain eased.
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
"Well," Lucien said quietly.
"That answers the question."
Kael dragged a hand through his hair.
"How far?"
Lucien didn't need clarification.
He stepped back again.
Two steps this time.
The result—
Worse.
The pain didn't just spike.
It burned.
Like something tearing them apart violently.
Kael staggered off the bed.
"Stop."
Lucien immediately stepped back into range.
The pain eased again.
Both of them stood still now.
Too aware.
Too close.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"So we're trapped."
Lucien tilted his head slightly.
"For the next two nights? Yes."
Kael let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Great."
Lucien's gaze softened just a fraction.
"You wanted control."
Kael looked at him.
"This isn't control."
"No," Lucien said quietly.
"It's the opposite."
The bond pulsed again.
Not painful this time.
But heavy.
Demanding.
Kael moved first.
He stepped back—
Testing.
The pain came immediately.
Sharp enough to make his vision blur.
"Yeah," he muttered.
"No distance."
Lucien leaned lightly against the wall.
"Then we adapt."
Kael stared at him.
"You're very calm about this."
Lucien's lips curved faintly.
"I've had centuries to deal with worse."
Kael wasn't convinced.
But he didn't argue.
Instead—
He moved closer.
Not touching.
But within the invisible limit.
The bond settled again.
Quiet.
For now.
A strange silence filled the room.
Different from before.
Not tense.
Not hostile.
Just—
Close.
Too close.
Kael became painfully aware of everything.
Lucien's presence.
The faint coolness radiating from him.
The way the bond reacted every time he shifted.
"This is going to be annoying," Kael said.
Lucien glanced at him.
"Only if you keep pretending it is."
Kael frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Lucien studied him for a moment.
Then said softly—
"You don't hate this as much as you think you do."
The words hit harder than expected.
Kael didn't respond.
Because he wasn't sure he could.
A sudden sound cut through the silence.
Outside.
Footsteps.
Both of them tensed instantly.
Lucien's eyes darkened.
"They're back."
Kael's expression hardened.
The silver-haired Alpha's pack.
Watching again.
Testing again.
Kael moved toward the door.
Lucien followed without hesitation.
They stepped outside together.
The night air was colder now.
The Moon higher.
Red creeping into its light.
Kael's wolf stirred immediately.
Protective.
Possessive.
Through the trees—
Movement.
Three wolves this time.
Not hiding anymore.
Kael stepped forward.
"You're getting bold."
One of the wolves stepped out into the clearing.
Not the silver-haired Alpha.
One of his pack.
"You're getting weak," the wolf replied.
Kael's eyes flashed.
"Careful."
The wolf's gaze flicked between Kael and Lucien.
Then he smirked.
"We can feel it."
Kael went still.
"Feel what?"
"The instability," the wolf said. "The bond strain."
The words landed hard.
Lucien's expression didn't change.
But Kael felt the shift through the bond.
Cold.
Dangerous.
"You shouldn't be this close," the wolf continued. "It's unnatural."
Kael stepped forward.
"And yet here we are."
The wolf laughed softly.
"For now."
Behind him—
Another wolf moved.
Faster than expected.
Too fast.
Straight toward Lucien.
Kael reacted instantly.
But not fast enough.
Lucien turned—
And caught the attacker mid-strike.
But the force pushed him back.
Too far.
Just a few steps.
That's all it took.
The bond snapped violently.
Pain exploded through both of them.
Kael dropped to one knee with a growl.
Lucien's control slipped—
Red eyes flashing bright.
The attacking wolf froze mid-movement.
Not from strength.
From fear.
Lucien's voice dropped—
Cold.
Deadly.
"You shouldn't have done that."
The air shifted.
Something dark flickered around him.
Not just vampire.
Something deeper.
Kael forced himself up, ignoring the pain tearing through his chest.
"Lucien."
Lucien didn't look at him.
His focus was locked on the wolf.
Dangerous.
Uncontrolled.
The bond pulsed again—
But this time—
It didn't just hurt.
It pulled.
Hard.
Kael stepped forward.
Forcing himself back into range.
The moment he got close—
The pain eased.
Lucien's control snapped back instantly.
The wolf stumbled backward.
Shaken.
The three intruders retreated quickly.
No more taunts.
No more confidence.
Just—
Unease.
Silence returned to the clearing.
Kael exhaled slowly.
Lucien turned to him.
"That was not normal."
Kael nodded.
"No."
Lucien's voice lowered.
"That wasn't just the bond reacting."
Kael met his gaze.
"I know."
The Moonlight deepened.
Red spreading further across the sky.
Lucien spoke again.
"Two nights."
Kael corrected quietly—
"Two nights until we either survive this…"
A pause.
Or don't.
Lucien held his gaze.
"And if the Moon forces the choice?"
Kael stepped closer.
This time—
Deliberately.
"No one is choosing for us."
The bond pulsed.
Stronger than ever.
Above them—
The Moon darkened further.
And somewhere in the distance—
Something ancient began to stir.