Chapter 3
1265 Words
CHAPTER 3
RAYA'S POV
Before I could say anything, Pierce's gaze shifted. His eyes landed on Taylor, who was standing beside me with his hand lightly resting on my arm.
Pierce’s jaw tightened, and something dark passed through his eyes.
“Raya, are you okay?” Taylor asked softly, leaning closer.
"I'm fine," I said with a forced smile, “Could you excuse me for a minute?”
Taylor hesitated, his concern was obvious but he nodded. “Sure, take your time.”
I turned away, my heels clicking against the floor as I found my parents near the kitchen. They were chatting with old family friends, their smiles warm and relaxed.
“Mom. Dad,” I interrupted, trying my best to keep my voice steady, though my annoyance was bubbling just below the surface. “What is Pierce doing here?”
My mom blinked, startled.
“We invited him, of course," she said, "He’s your mate and we thought it would be nice for him to welcome you back.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “Why would you think that was a good idea?”
"What’s wrong, Raya?" My dad asked with a worried frown, "He seemed happy to see you.”
Happy to see me? The man who tore my heart into pieces was happy to see me? Unbelievable.
I swallowed the lump of frustration rising in my throat. They didn’t know the truth, they didn’t know what Pierce had done. I had kept my humiliation and heartbreak to myself and still hadn't told them, not wanting to burden them with the pain of his rejection.
Before I could answer, a deep, familiar voice cut through the room.
“Raya.”
I froze. His voice still had that same effect on me, it was smooth, commanding, and annoyingly attractive. Ugh.
I turned to face him, and there he was, towering over me like he had every right to come here. Pierce’s piercing blue eyes locked on mine, and I could see some sort of emotion I couldn't fully read.
“Pierce,” I said with a cold tone, “What do you want?”
“I wanted to talk,” he said simply, his gaze briefly darting to Taylor, who was chatting with my mom now. Pierce's lips tightened and his face hardened before he looked back at me. “Who is he?”
“That’s none of your business,” I snapped, folding my arms across my chest.
He raised a brow and curved those sexy lips of his into a small smirk. “You’re awfully defensive about him. Is he your boyfriend?”
His voice carried jealousy, and I could feel my cheeks flush, partly with anger and partly with something I didn’t want to name. “Again, none of your business.”
“Feisty, I see.” Pierce chuckled softly, the sound sending an irritating shiver down my spine.
I couldn't take it anymore so I turned on my heel to walk away, but before I could take a step, he gently grabbed my wrist with his hand.
His touch sent a spark through me, reminding me of the bond we once shared.
“Let go of me,” I said through gritted teeth, trying to ignore the way my heart raced. Ew, why did he still have the power to make me feel like this?
“Not yet,” he murmured with a low voice, “We need to talk. Alone.”
Talk? He had some nerve to say that. I didn't want to cause a scene here so, reluctantly, I allowed him to guide me outside.
The cool breeze passed through my hair as we stepped out, and the sounds of laughter and music from the party faded as he closed the door behind us.
“Make this quick,” I said bluntly, yanking my arm free and crossing my arms again, “I don’t have time for games.”
Pierce stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off him, his scent invading my nostrils.
Ugh! He smelled good.
“I want to take you out,” he said suddenly, his voice soft but firm.
“What?” I asked as I contorted my face with irritation.
“On a date,” he clarified, his eyes fixed on mine, “To make up for… everything.”
I stared at him, my mind reeling. Was he serious? A date? After rejecting me?
“Are you out of your mind?” I asked, my voice rising slightly.
“No,” he said simply with a steady gaze, “I made a mistake, Raya. A huge one. And I want to fix it.”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words. His proximity was intoxicating, and it was as if his deep voice was casting a spell on me. My body somewhat started to betray me, leaning slightly toward him as my mind screamed at me to move away.
His hand brushed a strand of hair from my face, and I felt my heart start to beat faster.
“You’ve changed,” he said softly, his eyes scanning my face, “You’re even more beautiful than I remember.”
My heart literally pounded against my ribs, and for a brief moment, I was lost in the way he looked at me as if I was the only person in the world.
But then reality came crashing back and I instantly stepped back and composed myself.
“Don’t you dare,” I hissed, my voice trembling with anger.
“Don’t I dare what?” he asked with a teasing voice, a small smirk on his lips.
Did he think this was funny?
“Don’t you dare act like you have any right to ask me out. Like you have any right to touch me or say things like that.”
“Raya…”
“Save it,” I snapped, cutting him off. My hands were shaking now, fury and hurt rising in my chest.
Without thinking, I grabbed my drink and threw it at him, the liquid splashing across his shirt.
He flinched slightly, looking down at the mess before meeting my eyes again. To my surprise, he didn’t look angry. If anything, he looked amused.
“How dare you?” I said, my voice breaking, “You rejected me, Pierce. You tore me apart, and now you think you can just walk back into my life like nothing happened?”
He took a step closer, and I backed away in anger.
“I know I hurt you, Raya,” he said with a soft but earnest voice, “But you don’t know the whole story.”
What damn whole story?
“I don’t care what your story is,” I retorted, my voice barely above a whisper, “Just stay away from me.”
With that, I turned and walked back into the house, slamming the door behind me.
…
The party ended late, but I couldn’t sleep. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as my mind raced.
Why did I feel the mate bond at the party? It's been two years since Pierce had rejected me, the bond was supposed to be gone, severed forever.
But when he touched me, it was still there, it pulled me towards him and I hated it.
I turned over, pressing my face into the pillow. No. I couldn’t let myself think about him… not like that.
But the question kept taunting me…
Why did the bond still exist?
- Writer
