Chapter 4: The Weight of Fate

The words hung in the air between them, thick and oppressive.

"You're Moonbound."

Elias' voice was low, heavy with an intensity that made Celeste's chest tighten. His silver eyes gleamed in the dim light, burning with an unspoken truth—a truth that she wasn't sure she was ready to accept.

"What does that mean?" she whispered, her voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.

Elias stepped closer, his presence magnetic. Celeste could feel the heat radiating from him, his proximity like a magnet pulling her in, against her will.

"It means you're connected to the Blackwood Pack," he said, his gaze fixed on hers, searching her face for a sign of recognition—or fear. "And I'm bound to you."

Celeste's breath hitched. Bound? The word carried a weight she couldn't understand.

"What do you mean, 'bound'?" she asked, trying to steady her racing heart.

Elias exhaled sharply, frustration flickering in his eyes. "It's complicated. It's not something you can just walk away from."

Celeste wasn't sure if she was more confused or scared. But she wasn't about to back down. She had to understand.

"Why me?" she asked, her voice rising slightly. "Why am I the one you're tied to?"

Elias hesitated, his jaw tightening. For a moment, it seemed like he was fighting with himself—like he didn't want to explain, didn't want to pull her deeper into this world of wolves and secrets.

But then, with a resigned sigh, he spoke.

"You're the one the Moon has chosen," he said quietly. "Moonbound means you're my mate, Celeste. Whether we like it or not."

Her mind raced. Mate? The word hit her like a punch to the gut.

She couldn't breathe.

Elias was standing just inches away from her, and she could feel the weight of his words pressing down on her, suffocating her. How was this possible? How was it even real?

"You're telling me…" she started, her voice shaky, "…that I'm supposed to be with you? That the Moon decided this for me?"

Elias closed his eyes briefly, his expression hardening. "It's not about what you want, Celeste. It's fate."

Her thoughts were spinning. She had spent her life building a career, carving out a future for herself. Now, it felt like everything she had worked for was suddenly slipping through her fingers, like a mirage fading with each passing second.

"This isn't normal," she said, shaking her head. "I don't believe in this…this supernatural nonsense."

Elias' gaze softened, a flicker of something almost tender crossing his features. He stepped closer, his voice low. "It's real, Celeste. It's always been real. You just never knew it."

She stepped back, her mind reeling. Everything she thought she knew was suddenly being shattered—the world she knew, the career she had built, the life she had worked so hard for.

"I can't do this," she whispered, more to herself than to him.

Elias' expression hardened again. "You don't get to walk away from this."

Celeste's heart pounded in her chest, and she could feel the weight of his words. Was this some kind of game? Some twisted fate she was stuck in? Was she really supposed to be tied to a werewolf alpha?

She turned, walking toward the door.

"Celeste, wait."

Elias' voice was sharp, commanding. It should have made her stop in her tracks, but instead, she pushed harder, her hand reaching for the door handle.

"I'm not staying here to become some… mate to a wolf," she said, her voice trembling but determined.

But before she could open the door, a sudden rush of wind swept through the room, slamming it shut with a force that left her breathless.

She spun around to face Elias, who was now standing in front of her, his eyes glowing silver again, the intensity of his gaze impossible to ignore.

"You don't understand," he said, his voice low and raw. "This isn't a choice, Celeste. I don't want this either, but the Moon has already decided for us."

Celeste's breath caught in her throat. The raw, vulnerable look in his eyes was enough to stop her in her tracks. This wasn't just about her—this was about him, too.

She stared at him, struggling to reconcile the man before her with the primal creature he had revealed himself to be. She had never believed in fate, but something about the way Elias looked at her now made her question everything.

"You think I'm going to just accept this?" she asked, her voice shaking with emotion.

Elias' expression softened, his hand reaching out toward her, as if unsure whether to touch her or not. "I'm not asking you to accept it, Celeste."

"Then what?" she demanded, her voice rising. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

Elias stepped forward, his voice barely above a whisper. "You're not alone in this."

For the first time, Celeste saw raw honesty in his eyes.

But she wasn't sure it was enough to make her stay.