Tethered by Shadows

When I woke up, I saw a strange room lit by the faint light of morning peeking through the thick drapes. My body hurt, a constant reminder of the chaos from yesterday. I forced myself to get up, my hands shaking as the terror I had been trying to suppress resurfaced.

The quiet was broken by a creak. I looked in the direction of the sound, and my breath caught. Rowan sat there in the corner, his arms crossed firmly and his wide shoulders stiff. His eyes were chilly and far away, and his face was half obscured by shadows.

"What are you looking for from me?" More to myself than to him, my voice broke into a whisper.

When his eyes met mine, the coldness in them stabbed me in the chest like a blade. "I have nothing to ask of you." The keen edge of his contempt was sharper than any sword, yet his voice was flat. "I don't want you here at all."

His comments were a kick to the belly, and I winced. "So why keep me?" Frustrated and on the verge of tears, I faltered in my voice. "Why don't you just let me go if you hate me so much?"

His lips were squeezed into a narrow line as if he were fighting an internal battle as he looked at me. "Because I am unable to." It was a humble, almost grudging acknowledgement. "You're now bound to us."

"Tied?" I spit, my temper erupting. "What exactly does it mean? How twisted is that?

I was interrupted as the door sprang open. Ansel walked in with a sly smile on his face. His eyes wandered over me, glinting with something that made my skin crawl.

"She's awake," he said, his voice full of derision. "All right. Little buddy, we have a lot to talk about.

"Leave." Ansel disregarded the harsh, menacing growl in Rowan's words and moved closer to me.

Ansel drawled, his laughter evident, "Calm down, brother." "I just wanted to say hello."

"Leave," I said. Rowan stood, his whole body tense with barely contained rage, his hands clenched.

Ansel backed toward the door, his smile growing as he laughed. "All right, but keep in mind that we're all in this together." He vanished down the corridor, his laughter echoing.

Rowan's face softened but remained enigmatic as he turned back to me. His voice was low as he warned, "Be careful." Never put your trust in anybody. Not even myself.

He was gone in an instant, leaving me in a state of bewilderment and fear.

The dark light created lengthy shadows over the three brothers' faces, making the council room seem claustrophobic. The tension between them was so great that a blade might sever it as they stood on opposite ends of the room.

With his eyes fixed on Rowan, Ansel snarled, "She is ours." The prophesy states that. We may claim her as our mate and exert authority over her.

With a tense jaw and icy gaze, Rowan took a step toward the table. "Ansel, I'm not playing this game. The curse will remain in place if you force her to do anything. It will ruin her.

The wood groaned in protest as Ansel's fist crashed into the table. "You believe that leaving will make things better? Whether you like it or not, you are just as obligated to her as we are.

Asher rose from his stance against the wall, his normal sense of fun giving way to an unusual seriousness. "Rowan is correct. It's no longer just about us. We lose everything if we fail, including her, the pack, and ourselves.

Rowan's rage was evident as his hands balled into fists. "You're not interested in her. You haven't. The power is all that matters to you.

Ansel twisted his lip into a sneer. "Enough! The elders will make the final decision. She remains there till then.

Before hurriedly leaving, Rowan gave his brothers one more glance. In the ensuing quiet, the sound of the door slamming was heard.

I couldn't sleep that night. Except for the odd roar of the wind, the castle was quiet. I couldn't stop thinking about it until the oppressive silence forced me to leave my room.

I ended myself in the courtyard, where the crisp night air was stinging my skin. Voices too low to be heard were borne by the wind in faint whispers. Silently, I followed the sound down the stone path with my bare feet. It took me to a dim nook close to the walls of the castle.

A gravelly voice murmured, "We have to move fast." My heart stopped beating. I couldn't see him well, but it was one of the elders.

He went on, "The bond is unstable." "It could tear them apart and us with it if it isn't finished soon."

A second voice answered, lower but no less solemn. "What if the curse remains intact?"

There was fear in the elder's silence. "Then we will all be destroyed by their bond."

The quiet was broken by a harsh crack under my foot. Voices stopped, as panic swept across the room. A person appeared, his eyes shining in the moonlight as the shadows moved.

"You're spying already, little buddy?" Ansel's derisive tone chilled me to the bone.

"I wasn't," I stumbled and took a step back, but he moved forward with slow, rapacious steps.

"Don't tell me lies." His hand sprang out and clamped down on my arm. "What did you hear?"

"Nothing," I said, my heart thumping. When I attempted to pull my arm away, his hold simply became stronger.

"Raven, don't play games with me." He lowered his voice to a perilous whisper. "You won't like their direction."

My inner wolf awoke restlessly, demanding that I either fight or run. Ansel's other hand, however, went up and brushed a lock of hair away from my face before I could make up my mind.

With his eyes narrowing, he said, "You're full of secrets." "Don't worry, though; I'll locate them all."

The atmosphere became tense as the shadows seemed to enclose us. His evil purpose was palpable to me, like a storm building over the horizon.

Then Rowan's voice broke the stillness like a bolt of lightning. "Release her."

Rowan emerged from the shadows with a vicious face, and Ansel paused, his sneer wavering. "Now."

Both did not move for a minute, the tension rattling like a live wire. Ansel finally let go of me, stepping back with a new sneer.

"The hero always wins," he scoffed. "Be careful, sir. Heroes fail, too.

Rowan and I were left alone when he vanished into the night. Rowan looked at me fiercely, defensively.

His tone softened as he said, "Are you hurt?"

Unable to speak, I shook my head.

With his hand hanging close to mine but not touching, he urged, "Come on." "Come with me inside."

His previous caution, "Trust no one," reverberated in my head as we made our way back. Not even myself.