Kael felt it before he saw it.
A sharp pull—like invisible claws sinking into his chest—dragged his attention toward the eastern ridge. His steps slowed. His breath hitched.
"Damn it," he whispered.
The bond was getting stronger.
Ignoring it was becoming impossible.
Against his better judgment, Kael shifted direction, moving through the forest with silent speed. Leaves crunched softly beneath his boots as the air grew colder… darker.
Vampire territory.
He should turn back.
He didn't.
Lucien stood at the edge of the ravine, moonlight washing his pale skin in silver-blue. The Blood Moon was fading, but its echo still lingered in the air—thick, humming, alive.
"You came."
Kael froze.
Lucien didn't turn, but he knew. Of course he did.
"You shouldn't be here," Kael said, voice low. "If my pack senses you—"
"They won't," Lucien replied calmly. "I masked my presence."
Finally, he faced Kael.
Too close again.
That pull snapped tighter, a sudden rush of heat colliding with Lucien's cold stillness. Kael's wolf surged forward, confused and furious.
"Why does this keep happening?" Kael demanded. "Why do I feel like—"
"Like you're being dragged toward something you don't want?" Lucien finished softly.
Their eyes met.
Moon-gold and blood-red.
"This bond," Lucien continued, "feeds on proximity. On resistance. On denial."
Kael clenched his jaw. "Then break it."
Lucien stepped closer.
Close enough that Kael could feel the chill of his skin, smell iron and night and something unfamiliar—something dangerous.
"If it were that simple," Lucien said, voice barely above a whisper, "I would have done it centuries ago."
Kael's breath stuttered.
"Centuries…?"
"This curse has appeared before," Lucien admitted. "It never ends kindly."
Silence fell between them, heavy and loaded.
Kael swallowed. "Then why are you still standing here?"
Lucien's gaze softened—just a fraction.
"Because running didn't stop it," he said. "And because… neither did I."
For a heartbeat, neither moved.
Instinct screamed at Kael to attack.
Something deeper told him to stay.
A distant howl cut through the night.
Kael stiffened. "I have to go."
Lucien nodded. "You should."
But neither of them stepped away.
"Lucien," Kael said suddenly, not knowing why he spoke the name.
The vampire looked up.
And for the first time since the Blood Moon rose, Lucien smiled—small, unreadable, dangerous.
"This changes everything," he said.
Kael turned and disappeared into the trees.
Lucien remained by the ravine, fingers curling slowly at his side.
The curse wasn't just awake anymore.
It was impatient.