The silence Aldric left behind did not feel empty.
It felt occupied.
Elara could still feel him.
Not in the room.
Inside her.
A faint echo, like a whisper buried beneath her skin.
Her breath came uneven as she stood frozen in the center of the hall, staring at the place where he had disappeared.
"He is still here," she whispered.
Kael turned to her instantly.
"No. He is gone."
She shook her head slowly.
"You do not understand."
Her hand pressed against her chest.
"I can feel him."
That changed everything.
Rowan looked up sharply from where Darian's body lay.
"What do you mean you can feel him."
Elara's voice trembled.
"It is like something is pulling at me."
Mira stepped closer, concern flashing in her eyes.
"That is not possible."
The elder, who had arrived silently during the aftermath, spoke from the doorway.
"It is."
All eyes turned to him.
Kael's voice lowered.
"Explain."
The elder moved slowly into the room, his gaze fixed on Elara.
"Aldric did not just come here to see her."
Elara swallowed.
"Then why did he come."
The elder's voice was heavy.
"To mark her."
A cold silence fell.
Kael's expression darkened.
"That did not happen."
The elder met his gaze.
"Are you certain."
Kael turned to Elara.
"Show me."
Her hands trembled slightly as she pulled back her sleeve.
At first, there was nothing.
Then the skin along her wrist shimmered faintly.
Silver.
A thin, glowing mark slowly revealed itself, twisting like a living symbol beneath her skin.
Elara gasped.
"I did not have that before."
Rowan's voice dropped.
"That is not a wound."
The elder nodded.
"It is a claim."
Kael's wolf surged violently.
"No."
Elara stared at the mark, panic rising.
"What does it mean."
The elder did not soften the truth.
"It means he has connected himself to you."
Her stomach dropped.
"Connected how."
The elder's gaze darkened.
"He can find you."
Mira's grip tightened on her blade.
"Anywhere."
Rowan added quietly.
"And worse."
Kael looked at him.
"What."
Rowan's voice lowered.
"If the bond deepens, he will be able to influence her."
Elara took a step back.
"No."
Her voice shook.
"That is not happening."
But even as she said it, the mark pulsed faintly.
As if responding.
Kael saw it.
His expression hardened into something dangerous.
"We break it."
The elder shook his head.
"It is not that simple."
Kael's patience snapped.
"Then make it simple."
The elder held his ground.
"This is not just magic. This is ancient power. It cannot be removed by force."
Elara's breathing quickened.
"Then how do we stop it."
The elder hesitated.
"There is one way."
All eyes locked onto him.
"What," Kael demanded.
"The bond must be overridden."
Elara frowned.
"Overridden by what."
The elder's gaze shifted between her and Kael.
"By a stronger bond."
Silence fell.
Rowan exhaled slowly.
"You cannot be serious."
Mira's eyes widened slightly.
"The mating bond."
Elara blinked.
"No."
Kael did not speak.
But his wolf reacted instantly.
The connection between them pulsed.
Stronger now.
More real.
The elder continued.
"If the mating bond fully forms, it will shield her from external influence."
Elara shook her head.
"This is insane."
Kael stepped closer.
"It is also our best option."
Her heart slammed.
"You are talking about forcing something that is not even real yet."
His voice softened, but only slightly.
"It is real."
She looked up at him.
The intensity in his eyes made it hard to breathe.
"That does not mean I am ready for it."
The tension between them shifted.
Not just fear.
Something deeper.
Something dangerous.
Rowan broke the moment.
"We do not even know if it will work."
The elder nodded.
"It will not be immediate."
Mira added quietly.
"And it will not be easy."
Elara laughed weakly.
"That is reassuring."
But the mark on her wrist pulsed again.
Stronger this time.
Her body stiffened.
Kael noticed immediately.
"What is happening."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"He is… pulling."
The room stilled.
Rowan's expression hardened.
"That should not happen this fast."
Elara's eyes widened slightly.
"I can feel where he is."
Kael stepped closer.
"Where."
Her gaze unfocused.
"North."
Her voice trembled.
"Deep in the forest."
Mira cursed under her breath.
"He is calling her."
The elder nodded grimly.
"The connection is already strengthening."
Kael's wolf surged.
"No one calls what is mine."
Elara flinched slightly at the possessiveness in his tone.
But she did not step away.
Because part of her
understood it.
Rowan looked between them.
"We are running out of time."
Kael made a decision.
"We move."
Mira frowned.
"Move where."
"Toward him."
Elara's head snapped toward him.
"Are you serious."
His gaze locked onto hers.
"We do not wait for him to come again."
Her heart raced.
"That is exactly what he wants."
Kael's voice dropped.
"Then we use it against him."
Rowan nodded slowly.
"It is risky."
"It is necessary," Kael said.
The mark on Elara's wrist pulsed again.
Stronger.
Demanding.
Her breath hitched.
"I do not think I can fight it for long."
Kael stepped closer, his hand wrapping gently around her wrist.
The moment he touched her, the silver light flared.
The pull weakened.
Elara gasped softly.
"It stopped."
Kael's eyes darkened.
"Because of me."
The elder watched closely.
"The bond is already forming."
Mira crossed her arms.
"Faster than it should."
Rowan added quietly.
"That is not normal."
Nothing about this was normal.
Elara looked at Kael.
"You can hold it back."
"For now," he said.
Her voice dropped.
"And later."
He did not answer.
Because they both knew
later might demand more than either of them was ready to give.
A distant howl echoed through the forest.
Deep.
Powerful.
Aldric.
Elara's body tensed.
"He knows we are coming."
Kael's expression hardened into something lethal.
"Good."
He turned toward the door.
"Then we end this."
But as Elara followed him
the mark on her wrist pulsed once more.
And this time
it did not just pull.
It responded.
Like something inside her was beginning to answer back.