Bound By Moonlight to My Mates (by Sofange Daye) novel Chapter 94

Aelara

I should have noticed sooner, but I was so caught up in getting as far away from those zealots as possible. I

missed it.

Caleb’s been walking slower since sunrise, his steps uneven, his shoulders tight. He keeps one hand pressed to his side when he thinks I’m not looking. I assumed it was fatigue, or maybe the lingering effects of what we faced in the woods. He is mortal after all these things tend to weigh on them.

But now, I realize something is terribly wrong.

“Caleb?”

He turns, that crooked smile barely holding. “Yeah?”

Then he sways. For one terrible heartbeat, he’s weightless. Then he collapses, hitting the ground hard.

“Caleb!” I’m beside him before the echo fades. His breathing is shallow, ragged. The scent of blood fills the air. It is fresh, mortal, and… wrong.

My hands move on instinct, tearing open his coat. There, under his ribs, the wound blooms like something alive. Dark veins spread over his skin, threaded with the faintest hint of silver.

He tries to laugh. “Guess I’m not as invincible as I thought.”

“This wasn’t from the wolves,” I whisper. “You were struck by one of their blades. Why didn’t you tell me you were injured?”

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Worry me?” I snap. “You’re dying.”

He grins weakly. “You say that like it’s new.”

Something inside me cracks. I press my hand over the wound, channeling what little strength I have left. My power flares and seeks deep into his skin. The corruption resists me, coiling around my magic like it recognizes me.

He arches in pain, gasping. “Stop… Aelara…”

“I can’t.”

Light sears through my veins as I force the infection back. The forest trembles under the weight of my magic, and the ground turns scorched around us.

When it’s done, I collapse beside him, trembling. My vision blurs like I am underwater, and darkness threatens to invade my senses. I should have let him die, but I couldn’t. Something about him begs me to keep him alive, even though I know he would never ask.

Caleb catches my wrist weakly. “Hey. You’re shaking.”

“I told you that you would die if you traveled with me.”

“I thought it would heal on its own.”

“You thought wrong.”

His thumb brushes my wrist. “You saved me again.”

“I’m trying not to make a habit of it.”

He laughs softly, but the sound turns into a cough. I pull away to inspect his wound. The bleeding has stopped, but the veins remain faintly silver, like my magic branded him.

“Does it hurt?” I ask quietly.

He looks down, studying the mark. “No. It’s warm.”

I scowl as I pull my hands away from his body. “That warmth means the bond deepens.”

“Between us?”

“Yes.”

He watches me. His dark eyes are searching mine for an answer. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“It means the more I heal you, the less mortal you become. My magic doesn’t know how to stop.”

He’s silent for a moment, then smiles faintly. “So… I’m turning divine?”

“You’re turning cursed.”

He chuckles sarcastically. “Story of my life.”

I don’t laugh this time. I can still feel his heartbeat through the bond, uneven but strong. It pulls at me, steady and maddening. I lied. Of course, I lied. It is what I do best. My magic is claiming him as my mate. It has happened time and time again, but he doesn’t need to know that. He doesn’t need to know that caring for me will only lead to his demise.

“Caleb,” I whisper. “If this happens again, you have to tell me.”

He nods, but I see the lie in his eyes. He’d hide another wound if it meant sparing me. Foolish man.

The sky begins to darken. A storm gathers in the distance, thunder rolling low and heavy.

We find shelter beneath an old stone archway. It is what’s left of a road shrine. I light the fire with a flick of my fingers, my magic sparking against the rain. Caleb sits across from me, shirtless, cleaning the dried blood from his chest.

The firelight dances over the mark I left on him, a faint sigil glowing beneath his skin, shaped like a crescent

moon. It shouldn’t be beautiful, but it is.

He catches me staring. “You’re doing that thing again.”

“What thing?”

“Looking like you’re memorizing me.”

“Maybe I do.”

He chuckles. “Careful. I might start to think you like me.”

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

“I’m serious.” His tone softens. “You act like you hate having me here, but you keep saving me. You could have left me to die twice now.”

I meet his gaze. “You remind me of someone.”

He leans forward, elbows on his knees. “Someone important?”

“Someone I failed.”

His voice drops. “You haven’t failed me.”

“Not yet.”

He reaches across the fire, his hand finding mine. His palm is calloused, his grip steady. “Then don’t plan on

it.”

Something about the way he says it breaks through the centuries of armor I’ve built. The silence that follows is thick, charged. The fire pops. My heartbeat isn’t my own anymore; it’s his, echoing inside me.

“I can feel you,” he murmurs. “In here.” He presses a hand over his heart. “Like a hint of a memory.”

“It’s the magic.” I lie again.

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