Chapter 34 Warning

• THE MOONBIND, usually a vibrant hum between them, had withered into a painful, strained thread, almost threatening to snap. His fear, a tangible thing, had built a wall of ice between them, pushing Selene into a desolate isolation. She understood his desperation, his primal need to survive, but his deliberate cruelty wounded her more deeply than any physical blow.
• She retreated from the temple, the ancient texts that held their impossible hope feeling suddenly heavy and meaningless. The pack grounds were no solace; Waldemar's withdrawal had sent ripples of unease through the Nightshade wolves. They watched Selene with wary eyes, sensing the fracture in their Alpha's bond, fearing the implications. She felt more alone than ever.
• Days crawled by, each one a torment. Waldemar maintained his distance, his face a mask of grim determination and agonizing denial. He buried himself in pack duties, in training, in anything that would keep him from engaging with Selene, from feeling the dangerous pull of the Moonbind. Selene, in turn, found herself adrift. The ancient ritual, their only hope, felt impossibly distant without his cooperation, without the resonance of their combined magic.