Bound by Moonlight { Nicholas & Theodora}

[Theodora Richards]

Theodora stood in the clearing, her heart racing as she awaited Nicholas’s arrival. The moon hung low in the sky, casting an ethereal glow over the forest, illuminating the path that led to her decision. She had spent the past week in a whirlwind of thoughts, each moment filled with reflection and uncertainty. The weight of her choice pressed heavily on her, yet the clarity of her feelings began to crystallize.

As she paced among the trees, Theodora’s mind drifted to the bond they shared—a connection that had grown deeper with each passing day. She recalled their conversations, the way he listened, truly listened, as if every word mattered. Nicholas had ignited something within her, something that made the darkness of her past feel less suffocating.

What if marking her meant embracing not just the connection between them, but also her identity as a Dark Werewolf? The thought sent a shiver down her spine, both exhilarating and terrifying. She had always felt like an outsider, caught between two worlds, and now she stood on the precipice of something new, something transformative.

The sound of approaching footsteps broke her reverie, and her pulse quickened. Nicholas stepped into the clearing, his silhouette framed by the moonlight. There was an intensity in his gaze, a warmth that made her feel both vulnerable and cherished. As he drew nearer, Theodora took a deep breath, gathering her courage.

“Nicholas,” she began, her voice steady despite the flutter of nerves in her stomach. “I’ve thought about what you proposed—the mark as a first step.” She paused, searching his eyes for understanding. “I want to say yes. I want to embrace this bond between us. I want to be marked.” She felt a rush of emotions as she continued, “I’ve never felt this way before, and I don’t want to run from it anymore. You’ve shown me a part of myself I didn’t know existed, and I want to explore that with you.”

As she spoke, she felt the air around them thrum with anticipation, the very atmosphere heavy with the significance of her words. The moment was charged with unspoken promises and possibilities, a turning point in her life. She stepped closer, her heart pounding with resolve. This was more than just a mark; it was a promise, a leap into the unknown that she was willing to take. “I’m ready,” she whispered, determination infusing her voice.

[Nicholas Vanguard]

Nicholas moved through the forest with silent purpose, each step guided by the steady hum of the bond he shared with her. Caius, his wolf, stirred in the back of his mind, a low, knowing growl of approval vibrating through their connection. She was here... waiting. Ready. The certainty in his wolf echoed the certainty growing in his own chest, a steady warmth that refused to be dimmed.

As he entered the clearing, the sight of her under the moonlight stole what little breath he had. For a moment, he simply stood there, the earth seeming to still beneath his feet. She turned at the sound of his approach, her eyes finding his, and the bond between them sang with such force that he nearly faltered. Every emotion... her fear, her hope, her love... rushed into him in a wave he welcomed with open arms.

When Theodora spoke, her words tumbled out in a rush, heartfelt and achingly sincere. Nicholas felt a rare chuckle escape him, the sound low and warm as he stepped forward. Before she could talk herself into more nerves, he cupped her face in his hands, his touch steady, reverent. Without a word, he kissed her, slow and certain, pouring every promise, every silent vow into that moment.

“You have no idea what it means to hear you say that,” he murmured when they parted, his forehead resting against hers. His wolf prowled inside him, exultant but patient. Nicholas smiled faintly, brushing his thumbs along her cheeks. “You’re not just choosing me. You’re choosing Thronecrest. You’re claiming your place... our future. And I’ll protect it with everything I am.”

He pulled back enough to see her fully, pride and affection burning behind his normally guarded gaze. “Tonight, I’ll mark you. But everything after that... we move at your pace. No demands. No rush. Just us.” His voice, usually commanding, softened to something meant for her alone. He chuckled again, the sound rough with emotion. “And for the record... you rambling? It's the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.”

Nicholas slowly shrugged off his jacket, letting it fall to the ground, his every movement deliberate, offering her the choice to come to him. His voice, rich with quiet power, carried across the clearing as he asked, “Are you ready, Luna of Thronecrest?” A vow, a promise sealed by moonlight and by the love neither of them would ever run from again.

[Theodora Richards]

The night air wrapped around Theodora like a familiar cloak, soothing and reassuring as the tether binding her to him drew taut. It was a bond she had resisted fiercely, grappling with the tumult of emotions that surged within her—fear, love, pleasure—each feeling intensified by her time among the other werewolves. There were moments when she lay in the grass, contemplating a return to the pack that had raised her, yet her feet remained stubbornly rooted in place, held fast by the newly forged connection that pulsed between them.

Her gaze shifted from the luminous moon overhead as he stepped into the clearing, a gentle smile blossoming on her lips. She moved toward him, drawn by an irresistible force, until they stood together, basking in the silvery glow of the moonlight. In that moment, her wolf stirred within her, content now that she had chosen the path toward becoming a true Luna—a Luna she hoped he would be proud of.

The chuckle that escaped him was a sound she had rarely heard but one she cherished deeply, a delightful note she longed to hear more often. He had discovered the secret to calming her spiraling thoughts: pulling her focus from her racing mind to the present moment. As his lips met hers, she didn’t hesitate as she had in the past; instead, she embraced the kiss, allowing her emotions to flow freely, her fingers tracing a slow path up his chest.

A shiver danced along her arms as he spoke of her choosing the Pack. The weight of becoming Luna pressed heavily upon her, a role she had never anticipated, filled with the responsibility of caring for those she had once believed would shun her because of her tainted blood. “I know, and I’ll admit, the thought of all this terrifies me,” she confessed, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. “I was literally raised by wolves; the wild is ingrained in me. I can only imagine the chaos I might bring until I figure out what’s expected of me.”

Relief washed over her as he reassured her that everything would happen on her timeline, that there was no rush. They had lifetimes to navigate this together. The horror stories she had heard from other females—tales of violent mates and feelings of being used—faded as she thought of Nic. He had proven himself to be a good male, a worthy leader, revered by their pack as if he were divine.

With a playful roll of her eyes at his teasing comment, she replied, “If you think that’s cute, you should have seen me trying to learn English. I was a master of grunts and growls, punctuated by random letter sounds.” She chuckled softly, her white sleeping dress shimmering under the moonlight, its thin straps a stark contrast to the weight of the moment. “Yes, I’m ready, Alpha of Thornecrest. Before I talk myself out of it,” she teased, though the familiar nerves began to flutter anew within her.

[Nicholas Vanguard]

Nicholas’s breath hitched at her words, though he concealed it with the practiced composure that had been ingrained in him since the day he first took the mantle of Alpha. Terrified, she had said... yet still she stood here, still she chose him. Courage wasn’t the absence of fear. It was walking forward despite it. And that, more than anything, made her worthy of the bond his wolf had demanded the moment they’d scented her truth.

Caius pressed hard against his consciousness, eager, insistent, his low growl reverberating like thunder in the marrow of his bones. His wolf wanted to claim, to seal what fate itself had already tied. But Nicholas held him back, not out of reluctance, but reverence. She deserved every ounce of patience he could summon. She deserved choice, not instinct.

His eyes softened as he studied her, the moonlight painting her like something ethereal, like the goddess the pack would soon look to as their Luna. The simple white dress she wore caught the glow, fragile yet radiant, and it struck him that she was far stronger than she believed. Raised by wolves, she had said. Perhaps that explained why her spirit burned with such unyielding fire. She wasn’t meant to be tamed... she was meant to rule beside him.

Nicholas let a slow smile tug at the corner of his lips. “Chaos,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble, intimate and sure. “The pack has seen me weather wars, bloodshed, and betrayal. I think they can survive a little of your chaos.” He brushed the backs of his fingers along her jaw, trailing down to the steady beat of her pulse at her throat. “Besides… there’s beauty in it. You’ll bring them balance in ways you don’t yet see.”

Her teasing about her English drew another rough chuckle from him, and gods, how easily she undid him when she allowed that playfulness to show. He wanted more of it... more of her... in all her forms: fierce, uncertain, laughing, or trembling. He wanted it all.

The weight of what came next settled over him, not as a burden, but as a vow. His thumb lingered at her throat, where his mark would soon rest, where their souls would intertwine in ways that could never be undone. Nicholas leaned closer, his breath warm against her ear, his tone both promise and prayer.

“Then I’ll ask you once more,” he whispered, his wolf thrumming so loud within him it felt like the earth itself was vibrating. “Not as Alpha. Not as leader. But as the man who’s already yours in every way that matters... do you give yourself to me, Theodora Richards? To me… and to the bond that will make you mine, forever?”

His lips hovered just above her skin, the control in his body taut, trembling on the edge of restraint. Every heartbeat felt like eternity stretched thin. If she said yes again, if she stepped fully into this fate, there would be no undoing it. And gods help him, he wanted that more than his next breath.