Chapter Fifteen: The Unspoken Bond
The corridor leading to Giselle’s quarters was dimly lit, the flickering torches casting elongated shadows along the stone walls. Rowan’s footsteps echoed softly as he approached her door, a knot of tension tightening in his chest. The Elders’ decree weighed heavily on his mind, and the memory of Rhea’s unexpected visit lingered, adding layers to his already complex emotions.
He paused outside her door, his hand hovering just above the wooden surface. Taking a deep breath, he knocked gently.
“Come in,” Giselle’s voice called, muffled but unmistakably hers.
Rowan entered, his eyes immediately finding her seated by the window, bathed in the pale moonlight. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, and she looked up, offering a small, tired smile.
Rowan closed the door to Giselle’s room behind him with a soft click, the weight of everything he needed to say pressing down on his chest.
“Rowan?” she asked softly.
He stepped forward and sat in the chair across from her, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together. For a beat, he didn’t speak, just stared at the floor as if the words might rise from the shadows.
“There’s something we need to talk about,” he finally said, lifting his gaze to meet hers.
Her posture shifted. “That sounds… ominous.”
He gave a short, humorless laugh. “It’s not you. It’s them. The Elders.”
Giselle’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Of course.”
“They’re still refusing to let me claim you publicly,” he said. “They think it’s dangerous. That it’ll divide the pack further.”
Giselle’s jaw tensed, but she said nothing. He continued.
“They want me to continue courting the woman that I chose before meeting you… for appearances. Her name is Rhea.” He paused, waiting for her reaction. “They said it will keep the peace—at least for now.”
She stared at him for a long, silent moment. When she spoke, her voice was deceptively calm. “So, you’re meant to smile and dance with someone else while I stay in the shadows? Not really apart of the pack, but also stuck here.”
He flinched. “No. That’s not what I want, Giselle. You know that. I would never—”
“But you’re going to go along with it,” she said, her voice cracking just slightly. “Even if it’s just to appease them.”
“I’m doing what I have to do to protect you,” Rowan said, leaning forward, his voice quiet but intense. “If I announce you as my mate now, without their approval, I risk fracturing the pack. You, your sister, your mother… you’d all be targets. You already are.”
“I’m not asking to be claimed. We hardly know each other. But each day that passes is harder and harder to endure.” Her voice cracks up a bit at the end, tearing a hole in Rowan’s chest and making him feel the hopelessness of their situation all the more.
“They’ve made it clear,” he continued, choosing his words carefully. “They won’t allow me to announce our bond until they believe you’ve proven your loyalty to the pack.” The unspoken threat drops between the two of them.
“I’m not afraid of them,” she bit out, lifting her chin in that defiant way of hers.
“I know you’re not,” he said, reaching across the space between them to take her hand, swallowing audibly when she pulls away before he can make contact. “But I am. I’m terrified of what they might do if they think I’ve lost control of my position over you.”
She looked down at their joined hands. “And Rhea?”
“She knows,” Rowan admitted. “She came to me. Told me she knew you were my mate.”
Giselle looked up sharply.
“She said she’d hold me to my promise. That I would choose my mate. Not what the Elders want.”
Giselle looked away, her gaze fixed on the moonlit landscape outside. “I see.”
Rowan leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “This isn’t what I want. You know that.” He let out a tired sigh. “I spent far too many days in the woods searching for you, Giselle, I am not going to give you up now that I finally have you.”
She turned back to him, her eyes searching his. “But I am a rogue. I can never be a Luna that is loved and respected. Are you sure you want to keep trying?”
He reached out, taking her hand gently in his, relieved when when she didn’t pull away this time. “Yes. I’ve never been more certain of anything.”
A faint smile touched her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
Giselle looked down at their intertwined hands. “She’s kind.” Her eyes move up to look at him. “Rhea.”
“She is,” Rowan agreed. “And she asked me to be honest with you.”
Giselle met his gaze again, vulnerability evident in her eyes. “And are you?”
He nodded. “I am. I want nothing more than to claim you, to stand beside you as my equal. But the Elders—”
“They don’t trust me,” she finished for him.
Rowan squeezed her hand gently. “They will. In time.”
Giselle offered a small, hopeful smile. “I hope so.”
He stood, pulling her into a standing position as well. Without a word, he enveloped her in a warm embrace, holding her tightly against him. His wolf stirred within, the primal urge to mark her surging to the surface.
Rowan’s grip tightened momentarily, his breath hitching as he fought the instinct. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, a silent promise of patience and commitment.
“I’m here,” he whispered. “For as long as it takes.” Something shifted inside of him as he pulled her in closer. A hole that was vacant in his chest had suddenly filled and hope bloomed in his chest.
Giselle nestled closer, her arms wrapping around his waist, making his heart sore even higher. “I know.”
They stood together in silence, the moonlight casting a serene glow over them, a quiet testament to their unbreakable bond.
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