The moon hung low and red, a wound in the sky.
Lyra walked through the forest beneath it, her cloak snapping in the cold wind. Every sound — the crunch of leaves, the whisper of branches — felt too sharp, too alive.
The mark beneath her collarbone burned steadily, guiding her like a compass. Somewhere deep within the heart of the woods lay the one person who might have the answers — the witch who had woven the curse that bound her and Kian through lifetimes.
But each step forward made her pulse race faster.
The bond was changing again.
She could feel Kian. Not just his thoughts, but the shift of his breath, the heat of his anger, the primal edge that was no longer fully human.
Something was wrong.
"Kian?" she whispered, clutching at the mark.
For a moment there was no reply — only a growl, deep and feral, echoing faintly through her mind.
Her eyes widened. "No…"
Far from the forest, in the Alpha's stronghold, chaos rippled through the halls.
Kian stood in the center of the training yard, his chest heaving, his hands trembling. The golden light of his aura flickered wildly — no longer steady, no longer controlled.
His packmates surrounded him, uncertain, afraid.
"Alpha," Rowan said cautiously, "you need to breathe."
Kian's eyes snapped open — bright gold, but edged with crimson. His voice was hoarse. "She's… running."
Rowan frowned. "Lyra?"
Kian nodded, his jaw tight. "The bond — it's pulling me to her. I can feel her heartbeat, her fear. Something's calling her."
"You mean the witch," Rowan muttered.
Kian's gaze darkened. "If she's trying to undo the curse, the Blood Moon won't allow it. It will fight back. Through me."
A low growl rolled from his throat, his control slipping for an instant. The scent of wild magic filled the air — his wolf fighting to break free.
"Alpha!" Rowan shouted, stepping forward. "You need to hold the shift!"
Kian dropped to one knee, his claws scraping against stone. "I can't—"
The bond flared.
And in the same moment, far away, Lyra stumbled, gasping as the same pain ripped through her.
"Stop it!" she cried, clutching her chest as the mark pulsed like fire.
Kian!
She saw flashes again — his body trembling, his pack shouting, his eyes turning gold and red.
"Damn it," she whispered. "He's losing control."
The forest trembled under her magic as she gathered her strength, pushing through the link. "Kian! Listen to me! You have to fight it!"
Lyra— his voice broke, halfway between human and beast. You shouldn't… be near me.
"I don't have a choice," she snapped. "Neither do you."
The link crackled with energy. For a heartbeat, she felt everything — his pain, his fury, his fear of hurting her. And then something else: the part of him that still loved her, raw and unguarded.
It was enough to steady him — just a little.
Kian's claws retracted, his breathing slowed. He collapsed to his knees, shaking.
Rowan approached carefully. "Alpha… are you—"
Kian raised his head, his voice rough. "She's going to the witch."
"And?"
"If the witch breaks the curse, one of us dies."
Lyra didn't hear his warning. She was already deep in the heart of the forest, standing before a circle of ancient stones covered in runes. The air shimmered with old power, and the moonlight gathered there like liquid silver.
Out of the shadows stepped a figure — old and small, her eyes pale as milk.
"I've been waiting for you," the witch said.
Lyra's voice trembled. "You know who I am?"
The old woman smiled faintly. "You are the cursed child of moonlight and fire. The bond-bearer. The one who loves and destroys."
Lyra's stomach twisted. "Can you break it?"
The witch's expression turned solemn. "Every curse demands a price, child. To sever the link, one heart must bleed freely beneath the Blood Moon."
Lyra frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means," the witch whispered, "that to end this cycle, one of you must die willingly."
The forest seemed to hold its breath.
Lyra stepped back, shaking her head. "No. There has to be another way."
"There isn't," the witch said softly. "The curse feeds on your love and your hatred. It was born from betrayal and sealed by choice. Only a sacrifice made in truth can unmake it."
Before Lyra could respond, the mark on her skin flared again — this time brighter than ever. She gasped as a wave of energy surged through her, pulling her to her knees.
And somewhere far away, Kian felt it too. His head snapped up, his heart pounding.
"She found her," he whispered. "And the curse has awakened."
The moon above turned blood-red, casting its light across both of them — wolf and witch — two souls bound by fate, and now, by a choice that would demand everything.