Chapter 2 Whispers of the Bond

Thorne's boots scraped across the stone path, slow and deliberate, like a predator savoring the cornering of prey. His eyes locked on Jace with a cruel gleam, but the faint curl of his lip told Rhea he had seen her too.

Her chest seized. If he spoke a word of this to Dorian-

"Luna," Thorne drawled, mock respect dripping from his tongue. His gaze flicked between them, sharp as a blade. "Out for a midnight stroll?"

Rhea forced her back straight, though her knees trembled. Her voice came weak, too thin to convince even herself. "I was... clearing my head."

Thorne's smirk deepened. "And here I thought you preferred the Alpha's company. Yet I find you whispering with a rogue." He spat the last word like poison.

Jace didn't flinch. His body stilled, muscles taut, eyes glowing brighter beneath the moonlight. He shifted one step forward, silent challenge blazing in every line of him.

Rhea's heart kicked. If Jace attacked, Thorne would call the guards. The pack would swarm. And then... Dorian would know.

"No," she blurted, her hand darting out, fingers brushing Jace's arm before she even thought. Heat burned her skin at the contact, shooting up her arm like fire. She yanked her hand back fast, heart slamming against her ribs.

Thorne's brows arched. A cruel laugh rumbled from his chest. "Oh... now this is interesting."

Rhea's breath hitched.

Jace's jaw tightened. He moved closer, his body angled toward her, shielding her without words. His presence rolled heavy and hot, a shield against the night.

"Leave," Jace growled, his voice low, sharp as broken glass.

Thorne's laughter rang louder, echoing across the garden walls. "Bold. Very bold. But tell me, little Luna... does your Alpha know you're entertaining strays in his garden?"

The words stabbed her. Her stomach dropped. She wanted to speak, to deny, to twist free of his net, but her voice wouldn't come.

Jace stepped forward again, his shoulders squared, the wild scent of him thick in the air. His silver eyes cut like lightning.

"Say one more word," he snarled, "and I'll tear your throat out."

The world stilled. Even the night seemed to hold its breath.

Rhea's pulse pounded in her ears. Thorne's smirk faltered, just for a second, before his bravado returned. He spat on the ground, eyes narrowing into slits.

"This isn't over," he hissed. His gaze lingered on Rhea, hard and cold. "Enjoy your little secret while it lasts."

He turned, his boots striking the stone with harsh finality. Within moments, he vanished into the shadows of the keep.

Rhea sagged against the wall, her chest heaving, her skin damp with cold sweat.

Jace stayed still, his body taut, his eyes fixed on where Thorne had gone. Only when the silence thickened did he turn to her.

"You shouldn't be here," she whispered, her voice shaking.

His stare cut through her, unyielding. "Neither should you."

Her throat closed. She wanted to tell him he didn't understand, that she had no choice, that the chains around her weren't ones she could break. But when she met his eyes, the words tangled and died.

The bond thrummed between them, pulsing in her veins, hot and sharp. She clutched her arms around herself, desperate to contain the ache.

"You need to leave," she forced out, the plea breaking in her voice. "If Dorian finds you... he'll kill you."

Jace stepped closer. The heat of him pressed into her space, his scent dizzying, wild and clean and alive. His hand lifted as if to touch her face, but he stopped, fingers hovering an inch from her skin.

"Let him try," he said, voice low.

Her breath caught. Every instinct screamed to lean into that touch, to let his hand close the space, to surrender to the bond. But her fear was louder.

"I can't," she whispered, her eyes burning. "I'm Luna. I belong to him."

A muscle ticked in Jace's jaw. His silver gaze flared with anger, but not at her. "No," he growled. "You belong to no one."

The words shook her. She pressed back against the wall, trembling, every nerve alive and raw.

The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating. Then Jace exhaled, rough and sharp, and stepped back.

"I'll be near," he said, voice tight. "Whether you want me to or not."

Her chest squeezed. Her lips parted, but no sound came.

Before she could stop him, he turned and slipped back into the trees. His form melted into the shadows until only the memory of his heat lingered.

Rhea pressed her palms to her face, trying to steady the storm inside her. The bond throbbed like a wound, demanding, relentless.

But the greater terror wasn't the bond.

It was Thorne.

He had seen. He had heard. And Thorne never kept secrets.

---

The next morning, the council was summoned.

Rhea sat beside Dorian at the long stone table, her hands folded tightly in her lap. The chamber buzzed with voices, elders murmuring about rogues near their lands, about security and loyalty and the strength of the Alpha's rule.

Dorian leaned back in his chair, calm and commanding, every word he spoke dripping confidence. To the pack, he was their savior, their leader. To her, he was a shadow she couldn't escape.

But all through the meeting, she felt it.

Eyes on her.

Thorne stood against the wall, silent, arms crossed, his smirk faint but sharp as a blade. Every so often, his gaze cut to her, a silent reminder.

He knew.

And he could destroy her.

Her stomach churned. Her skin prickled cold. She tried to hide it, but Dorian's sharp eyes missed little. His hand slid over hers, a show of affection that made her stomach twist.

"Something on your mind, Luna?" he asked smoothly, loud enough for the room to hear.

Every head turned toward her.

Rhea forced a smile, her lips trembling. "No, Alpha," she said softly. "Nothing at all."

But her heart screamed the truth.

The bond was burning her alive. The rogue was near.

And Thorne held the knife to her throat.

As the meeting broke, Thorne's voice slid into her ear, low and venomous.

"I wonder," he whispered, "what your Alpha would say... if he knew whose eyes you were staring into last night."