Alicia never expected the bond that saved her life to change her so completely—or to draw the world’s attention in its wake.

Hunted by the Radiant Church and forced from everything she once knew, Alicia flees with Valerian into a world shaped by ancient oaths, shadowed forests, and enemies who do not forget. The bond between them has awakened something dangerous: power that sharpens her senses, instincts that do not belong to mortals, and a presence the Church is determined to erase.

Valerian knows the truth. Bonds like theirs are forbidden. Feared. And once forged, impossible to sever.

As hunters close in and old forces stir, the line between Light and Darkness blurs with every step they take together. Alicia must confront what is awakening within her—and decide whether the bond she shares with Valerian will be her salvation, or her undoing.

The Return and the Bond deepens the dark romantic fantasy of The Bloodbound Chronicles, exploring devotion under pursuit, power born of blood, and love tested by a world closing in.

This volume is part of the written works of Shadowhearth.
Available in selected formats and editions through external retailers.