Bound By The Moon: The Eternal Bond - Chapter 37: Chapter 37

The soft rustle of silk sheets whispered as Julia slipped from Valen’s arms, the fading warmth of their intimacy still clinging to her skin like a ghost. She moved quickly, dressing in practiced silence, her fingers brushing the fabric into place as the scent of him lingered faintly in the air. She stepped out quietly, careful not to wake him.
Down the marble hallway, her footsteps echoed. The halls were silent — too silent. Every step reminded her of what she was walking toward.
A sharp whistle cut through the stillness.
Julia’s eyes narrowed as she rounded a corner and found Jessy waiting behind a pillar, arms folded, gaze watchful.
"You’re early," Julia murmured.
Jessy shrugged. "Yeah. Aiden’s got some explaining to do."
Julia didn’t ask. Together, they walked out the main gate and headed deep into the forest.
The forest was quiet — unnaturally quiet.
Aiden stood at the tree line, his tall frame barely visible in the dappled sunlight. He turned at the sound of footsteps, his expression unreadable — until his eyes found Julia. Then, the faintest flicker of a smile touched his lips.
"Took you long enough," he said.
"I’m not here for a talk," Julia replied, voice sharp as steel. "Is everything in place?"
Aiden pushed off the tree and approached, his movements slow and deliberate.
"Yeah. It’s done. The riverbank’s marked. The spell’s already rooted in the earth." He hesitated. "I used the Seven Bones curse. And the glowing rope."
Jessy stayed silent, but her eyes flicked to Julia, waiting.
Julia blinked, confused. "Seven what? You're using a spell?"
Aiden inhaled slowly, his voice lowering as if drawing from something older, darker. "Yeah. Thought your initial plan wouldn’t work well. You know she’s Damon’s mate, after all."
"The Seven Bones isn’t just a spell — it’s a curse. Old magic. Wolf magic. My great-great-grandfather was one of the last wolf sorcerers before the Order burned them out of fear. He said it feeds on intention, blood, and betrayal. You bury seven bones — one from each predator in the forest — in a circle beneath soft ground. Then, you speak the incantation. When the target steps into it, the earth recognizes them."
He took a step closer, his voice a low chill.
"It doesn’t kill. It paralyzes — locks the nerves, halts movement. They stay aware, but trapped in their body. Frozen. Helpless."
"And the red rope?" Julia asked, spotting it in his hands.
"It binds them after the curse hits. You don’t tie it — it ties itself. Like a snake. A living thing. Once it wraps, not even a rogue alpha can break it."
Julia’s eyes glinted in the forest light. "Perfect."
Jessy watched him for a moment. "You better make sure it works, Aiden."
"It will. Don’t underestimate my creativity," Aiden replied coolly. "But we all know what’s at stake. If this is the only way to get answers about the Alpha King..."
The sun dipped lower, bleeding gold through the dense canopy of Shadowpine Forest.
At the river’s edge, Julia stood alone, poised with a calm that masked the tension coiled in her chest. Behind the thickets, Jessy and Aiden crouched low among twisted roots and shadows. Jessy’s eyes never left the path. Aiden was still — but bristling. Half an hour passed. There was no sign of her.
"What’s taking her so long?" Jessy whispered, fidgeting.
Aiden shrugged, unbothered. "Maybe stop twitching like a fool. You suck at hiding."
Jessy glared at him, about to retort when Aiden covered her mouth.
Lily appeared, gliding down the trail, cloaked in deep green velvet that shimmered with every step. Her raven hair fell in waves, catching slivers of dying sunlight. Her expression was warm — too warm — her smile already curling like smoke.
"Julia," she called sweetly, arms outstretched. "You have no idea how much I’ve missed you."
She embraced her tightly — too tightly — a grip that lingered. And her body oddly cold .
Julia stepped into it, her body tense, gaze flicking past Lily’s shoulder to the cursed ground. Confusion prickled at the edge of her mind. How had she missed it?
"I missed you too," she said flatly.
Lily pulled back, still beaming, and began to pace. Her voice bubbled with fake cheer as she circled the trap like a predator skimming the edge of a snare.
"Do you remember when we used to sneak out past curfew?" she said, her gaze locked on her pendant. She stepped closer to the edge — just near enough.
Julia didn’t respond. Her focus was razor-sharp on Lily’s foot. Just a little more.
Lily turned, her smile crooked now. "Funny, isn’t it? How some things change... and some things reveal themselves."
Then she stepped forward — willingly. The moment her foot touched the cursed ground, the earth sighed beneath her. Her body seized in place, limbs stiffening as if locked by invisible chains. Her eyes widened in shock, her mouth parted — but no sound came out.
The red rope stirred from the earth, slithering upward like a living thing. It coiled tightly around her legs making her kneel, the rope pulsing with a faint red glow until she was fully .
Jessy emerged from the shadows first, sharp and focused. Aiden followed, his movements controlled but cautious.
“Is it done?” Jessy asked, circling the figure. “That easy?”
But Julia didn’t answer. She just stood there, staring at Lily, her expression unreadable — not triumphant. Confused.
Something about the scene felt wrong.
Aiden’s brow tightened as he approached. He crouched beside the figure and reached out, placing two fingers against the woman's arm. He pulled back instantly.
“She’s cold and hard,” he muttered. It's a doll.”
Jessy turned toward him, confused. “What?”
Aiden stood slowly, eyes narrowing. “That’s not Lily. It’s a damn doll — made to look like her.”
Julia's stomach turned. The face was too perfect, the stillness unnatural. No breath, no warmth. Just a flawless mask.
"We were tricked," Aiden said flatly.
Jessy circled the figure, still confused.
"Tricked when? Dolls don't move. I saw her moving and talking with Julia earlier. We all saw that."
She crouched down and poked its cheek.
The figure toppled over, and as it did, the rope around its neck pulled taut—tightening with a soft creak.
Aiden stood slowly, brushing his fingers against his pants as if to shake something off. “It’s not just any doll. It’s a mimic — enchanted to move, speak, act like a person. Someone animated this with precision. And power.”
Jessy’s frown deepened. “How the hell do you know that?”
He gave her a sidelong glance. “Because I’ve seen it before. My family kept records… spells the Order tried to erase. This? This is old sorcery. Wolf sorcery. Don't tell it to anyone. You are the first to know.”
Julia’s eyes snapped to him. “You said your great-great-grandfather—”
“Was one of the last,” Aiden finished calmly. “And apparently, I’m the only one who studied what he left behind.”
Jessy took a slow step back from the figure, unease flickering in her eyes. “You talk like you’ve done this before. What of Beta Ryker, does he knows that too?”
“I haven’t,” Aiden replied, too evenly. “But that's a story for next time, right now, we have to figure out the situation.”
Jessy stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time. “You scare me sometimes.”
“Good,” he said quietly, gaze scanning the forest. “Means your instincts work. And if this puppet’s here... then Lily’s not far.”
Julia tensed, her fingers curling into fists. “She’s watching us.”
“Most likely,” Aiden murmured. “Waiting.”
For a heartbeat, no one moved. The forest was too quiet. The air too thick.
Julia’s voice cut in, tense and urgent. “We need to run.”
They didn’t hesitate. All three turned and bolted, the forest rushing past them as their feet hit the ground hard.
But they didn’t make it far.
Barely a few steps in, the air turned heavy — like the forest itself was holding its breath. Then, without warning, they were lifted off the ground.
Their bodies froze mid-motion. Limbs stiffened. Muscles locked. Mouths hung open in silent panic.
They were suspended in the air — weightless, helpless.
From somewhere behind them, soft footsteps echoed through the trees, growing louder with every step.
Then came the voice, smooth and venom-laced:
“Going somewhere?”