Chapter 248

Words : 908 Updated : Jun 30th, 2025

The wind is a soft caress against my skin, but it does nothing to cool the heat simmering beneath the surface. Sweat trickles down the back of my neck as I stand in the middle of the field, eyes closed, fists clenched at my sides. Nyx is pacing in my mind, her presence a steady, grounding force. "Try again," she urges, her voice soft but firm. "You're overthinking it. Just feel it, Sadie." I take a deep breath, releasing it slowly as I focus inward, searching for the power coursing beneath my skin-the powerful essence that I'm supposed to command. But instead of reaching that power, my mind flashes to Alec. I squeeze my eyes shut, pushing his image away, and try to focus. I refuse to let my mind wander when I should be focusing on getting this right. "Breathe." Nyx's voice is firm but gentle. "In through your nose. Out through your mouth." I do as she says, pulling air deep into my lungs and releasing it in a long, slow exhale. It doesn't help. My skin still burns. My body still hums with restless energy. And my mind? My mind won't stop spinning. Because I keep seeing Alec. I've been avoiding him since the day we took Aspen for an outing, but it has done nothing to diminish that unsettling desire I have for him. It has done nothing to stop the bond from humming inside me. It has done nothing to stop me from thinking about him. It also doesn't help that Aspen has kept mentioning him in almost all her sentences. I've tried so hard to put distance between us. Tried so hard to shake the effects of the bond, but nothing. I still think of him. Still think of his green eyes, that intense look he gave when he said he'd prove himself. When he promised he'd show that he wanted me. Not because of the bond, but because of me. I press my fingers to my temples, trying to push the memory away, but it keeps returning, insistent and unyielding. His eyes haunt me. Burning into every time they clashed with mine. Every twe looked at each other across the field or in the hallways right before I fled like the coward I was. His eyes communicated things I didn't want to accept, but that didn't stop me from drowning in those green orbs. A shiver races down my spine, and I bite my bottom lip, tasting the salt of my sweat. "Sadie," Nyx says, her voice sharper now. "Focus. You're letting your mind wander." I grind my teeth, forcing myself to concentrate. I focus on the feel of the wind, the warmth of the sun, and the pulse of power that I know is there, waiting to be summoned. I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and try to do as she says. I first remember how the scepter looked before imagining it in my hand. Its weight in my hand, the feel of it, and the power I could feel in it that first tI held it. I can almost feel it— the power, the strength-like it's just within reach. But every tI get close, the image of Alec's face bursts through my concentration, shattering my focus. I gasp, my knees buckling. "Ugh!" I let out a frustrated growl and rub my hands down my face. The days leading to the full moon have been tough; I won't deny that. The combination of the full moon and the bond has made things hard for me. Actually, hard is an understatement. My need for Alec has intensified, and I hate that. "Take a break," Nyx says, her tone softening. "You're forcing it too hard." I drop to the ground, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my forehead against them. I'm panting, my heart thundering in my chest. "What am I doing wrong?" I murmur. "Why can't I do this?" Nyx's presence presses against my mind like a gentle nudge. "You're distracted. You're stressed. You're thinking too much." "I'm not thinking about anything," I lie. Nyx snorts. "Right. Because you weren't thinking about Alec just now." I lift my head, glaring at the empty field in front of me. "Says the wolf who's thinking about Knox." Nyx goes silent for a second. "Touché," she mutters, but there's no real heat behind it. A frustrated laugh bubbles up in my chest, and I shake my head. Om, "Heavens, why can't I focus? This is important; why can't I fucking focus?" "It's the full moon," Nyx says gently. "It's tonight. You know what that does, right?" I know. I can feel it. The moon hasn't Even risen yet, but already my skin feels too tight, too hot. My scent is thicker, richer, like a beacon calling. V My entire body feels like it's humming, a slow, constant ache simmering just below the surface. But I thought it was stronger than this. I thought that, given I no longer loved Alec, it would be easier for me. That I won't crave him as much. How wrong I was. Those were just delusions I fed myself. Delusions that were now shattering right in front of my eyes.

Chapter 248

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