Chapter 48 –Blood and Bonds
The full moon loomed like a silver omen in the sky—two weeks, maybe less, before it rose in full and cast judgment on the farce of a wedding he hadn’t chosen.
Rowan stood at the edge of the training field, the wind cutting sharp through his coat. The warriors moved in tight formation in front of him, sparring, training, distracting themselves from the growing unease rippling through the pack. The air was charged—everyone felt it.
Giselle was still missing.
And her absence clawed at him every night.
A distant howl split the morning calm, followed by murmurs. A new scent hit him on the wind—two scents, one intimately familiar and the other familiar and dominant.
Rowan turned, his breath catching.
She was smaller than he remembered, but stronger somehow. Confident. Standing tall in dark pants and a brown leather jacket, her long curls whipped by the breeze.
Charlie.
His sister.
Gone since she was a child. Taken. Broken. Raised in chains—and now standing on his land, head high, with a massive male at her side.
Pack members began to gather in the field as word of her arrival spread. Whispers echoed around him like ghosts.
“Is that the Alpha’s sister?”
“She’s not one of us.”
“I thought she died.”
The Elders arrived last, led by Elder Malric, whose mouth twisted into a sneer. “What is the meaning of this?”
“She’s my blood,” Rowan said simply, stepping forward. “She belongs here.”
Malric’s eyes narrowed. “She is not *of* this pack. She was lost—raised elsewhere. We have no record of her claim.”
“She is my sister,” Rowan snapped, stepping closer, teeth bared. “And she will be treated with the respect her lineage demands. Or are you challenging the blood of the Alpha line now?”
The crowd hushed, all eyes darting between them.
Elder Malric's lips thinned, but he said nothing.
Charlie watched the entire exchange with calm eyes before stepping forward. “I didn’t come to stir trouble, Elder Malric. I came to visit with my brother before he gets married.”
Her mate, Luther, a towering male with a scar across his cheek and sharp eyes, didn’t leave her side.
Rowan motioned to the pack house. “Come on. We’ll catch up inside.”
—
The moment the door shut behind them, silence fell. Rowan turned, the mask he wore for the Elders slipping away.
“You came,” he said softly.
“I had to,” Charlie replied. “The full moon’s coming. I didn’t want to leave things unsaid.”
Rowan stared at her for a long moment. “You look like her.”
Charlie’s lips twitched. “Mom?”
He nodded.
She shrugged, looking away. “I barely remember her face.”
Rowan stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly. “I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”
“You did find me,” she said into his shoulder. “When it mattered most.”
They stood that way for a beat longer before Charlie gently pulled back. “I got your gifts,” she said, eyes softening. “All of them came undamaged.”
Rowan’s chest constricted. “Giselle’s mother and sister. And Sylah.”
Charlie nodded. “They’re safe now. Resting. Sylah’s still recovering, but she’s strong. Fierce.”
“She always has been,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Thank you—for protecting them.”
“I’d do it again,” Charlie said. “But you didn’t send them just to keep them safe. You knew I could hide them better than anyone here.”
“I don’t trust the Elders,” Rowan admitted. “Malric’s been circling like a vulture since Giselle vanished. Elia’s still missing. And I’m running out of time.”
Charlie crossed her arms. “You think Elia was the one who helped the rogues take her?”
“I know she was involved,” Rowan growled. “And I know Malric is protecting her. The witch confirmed the spell used to cloak Giselle’s trail was powered by shifter blood. Someone from the inside gave it to them.”
Charlie’s jaw tightened. “And you can’t call it out yet.”
“No. Not without proof. The Elders already think I’m compromised because of my bond with Giselle. They want me bound to Rhea by the next moon. If I falter now... they’ll take everything from me.”
Charlie leaned back against the stone hearth, her expression unreadable. “Then let me help. Luther and I can do some digging. Quietly. No one here will expect me to be involved in matters of your pack.”
Rowan hesitated. “It’s dangerous. And you’ve already lived through enough.”
“So has Giselle,” Charlie said flatly. “And she doesn’t have a choice. I won’t sit by while someone tears you both apart.”
His throat tightened. He saw the warrior in her now—the survivor. And he hated that it was pain that carved that strength into her bones.
“Alright,” he said. “But be careful. These people… they wear masks even I haven’t seen beneath.”
Charlie smiled grimly. “So do I, Rowan. So do I.”
A knock at the door interrupted them. Beta Kalen’s voice followed, urgent. “Alpha. The Elders demand your presence in the council room.”
Rowan sighed, brushing a hand over his face. “Of course they do.”
Charlie reached out and clasped his arm. “Whatever happens, remember who you are. And who you’re fighting for.”
He looked down at her—this sister who was lost and found again—and nodded. “I won’t forget.”
As he turned and left the room, the weight of the moon seemed to press harder against his skin. Time was running out. But he wasn’t fighting alone anymore.
Not now.
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