Chapter 44: The Bond Deepens
The storm had passed, but the air still thrummed with the tension of what was to come. Clouds rolled slowly across the moonlit sky, casting silver shadows over the quiet Blackthorn estate. Inside the ancient walls, Elvis stirred from a restless sleep, her skin slick with sweat and her breaths shallow. The dream had been so vivid it left her trembling.
She sat upright, pressing a hand to her chest. Her wolf stirred inside her, pacing, growling, uneasy. She'd seen fire. Blood. A voice whispering her name in a language she didn't understand. And at the center of it all stood a figure cloaked in darkness, eyes burning red, reaching for her with hands made of smoke and ash.
"Elvis," a deep voice called from the doorway.
Alexander.
He crossed the room in two swift strides and knelt beside her. His hand reached up to cup her cheek, his thumb brushing away the sweat at her temple.
"Another dream?" he asked softly.
She nodded, unable to speak just yet. He didn't press. Instead, he climbed into bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. His warmth calmed her fraying nerves, but the images remained.
"I saw someone," she whispered against his skin. "I think they're coming for us."
Alexander's jaw tightened. He said nothing at first, just held her tighter. She felt his heartbeat quicken.
"It's the same presence I've sensed for weeks," he murmured. "The dark energy... It's ancient. Older than even the elders' texts."
She pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes. "Then it's real."
He nodded once. "Yes. And if what I suspect is true, they're not just coming for us. They're coming for you."
Elvis's breath caught in her throat. "Why me?"
"Because you're not just any wolf," he said, his voice low. "You're the white wolf, born once in a thousand years. You hold power that can end bloodlines or rebuild kingdoms. That kind of power is feared—and hunted."
She wanted to argue, to say it wasn't true, that she was just a girl still learning to control the beast inside her. But something in his voice, in his eyes, told her he believed it with every fiber of his being.
"I won't let anything happen to you," he said. "I swear it."
She looked at him, truly looked. The hard lines of his face, the sharp glint in his silver eyes, the way his fingers trembled slightly as he held her.
"You're scared too," she whispered.
He didn't deny it. "I've lost too much already. I can't lose you, Elvis."
Before he could say more, she leaned forward and kissed him.
It wasn't a soft kiss. It was fire and fury and fear. It was a silent promise—that no matter what shadows came, they would stand together. His arms tightened around her, and he kissed her back with a hunger that melted her from the inside out.
Their lips broke apart only when breathless, foreheads touching.
"We have to be stronger," she murmured.
"We will be," he replied.
The next day, Elvis stood in the royal training courtyard, surrounded by stone pillars and ancient carvings. The elders watched from a distance as she prepared to channel her inner wolf.
She'd trained with Alexander before, but this was different. This was a test. A warning to their enemies. And a promise to herself.
The moment her bare feet touched the sacred runes on the ground, her blood sang. Her wolf surged forward, but Elvis didn't fight it. She embraced it, let it flow through her veins like wildfire.
A howl tore from her throat as her body shimmered, bones reshaping, skin shifting. Her transformation was swift, fluid—and when it ended, a snow-white wolf stood at the center of the ring, her eyes glowing pale gold.
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
The elders murmured in awe. "She truly is the one..."
But Elvis didn't focus on them. Her eyes locked on Alexander, standing at the edge of the field.
He wasn't smiling. He looked like a man who had just fallen in love all over again.
That night, Alexander found her in the private courtyard behind the palace. The stars were sharp and bright overhead. She was barefoot, standing in the cool grass, the night breeze brushing through her hair.
"You were incredible today," he said.
She turned to him, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "You think so?"
He stepped closer. "You didn't just transform. You owned it. You are the white wolf, Elvis. And that means they'll come for you even harder now."
She swallowed hard. "I'm not afraid anymore. Not as long as you're beside me."
He cupped her face in both hands. "Always."
Their lips met again—but this time it was slower, deeper. The kind of kiss that said we may not have forever, but we have now.
He pulled her into his arms and whispered against her ear, "You feel like home to me."
She clutched his shirt, heart pounding. "Then promise me something."
"Anything."
"No matter what war comes, no matter what power I awaken—you'll see me. You'll still love me."
He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. "I don't love you because you're powerful. I love you because you're you."
The moment stretched between them, thick with emotion.
Then he took her hand and led her back inside, toward the place where their war would begin—and their bond would be tested.
Together.
But as they crossed the threshold into the palace, a shadow detached itself from the wall, unseen. A whisper slithered through the air.
"She has awakened… The prophecy begins."
---
Later that night, Elvis sat by the fireplace in her chamber, watching the flames dance. She was alone now, but her heart still beat to the rhythm of Alexander's words. The world outside had changed. She had changed. The heat between them had grown into something fierce, undeniable.
She touched her lips, still tingling from his kiss. How could she feel so safe and so scared all at once?
The door creaked, and Alexander stepped in again. This time, he didn't say a word. He walked straight to her, lifted her gently from the seat, and carried her to the bed. His touch was careful, reverent. His eyes never left hers.
"You're not alone," he said, voice raw with emotion. "You'll never be alone again."
They lay beside each other, fingers intertwined, heartbeats syncing. Words became unnecessary. The heat between them was no longer just emotion—it was the start of something powerful. Something unbreakable.
They were no longer just wolf and protector.
They were something more.