Fated and forbidden

Episode

Chapter 2

Snow POV

The hall felt like it had shrunk around me. Guests whispered in hushed, frantic tones, their eyes darting from Jack to his father, from Ariel to me. I could feel my pulse in my throat, pounding in time with the deep, steady pull of Jack’s heartbeat. It was no longer just the chaos in the room that held me; it was the bond, roaring beneath my skin, drawing me toward him with a gravity I could not resist.

Jack’s father stormed forward, his long robe swishing across the floor, eyes dark with fury. “Jack!” he thundered, the sound rattling chandeliers. “This is insubordination! You will honor your betrothal to Ariel Damson, or you will lose everything! I will strip you of your title, your pack, your wealth!”

I flinched as the words hit me, felt my stomach tighten. This was no longer the polite reprimand of nobles; this was the weight of an empire pressing down on Jack’s shoulders—and by extension, mine. My wolf growled low in my chest, warning me, but Jack’s fingers tightened over mine, anchoring me, grounding me. I could feel him steadying himself even as his father’s fury crashed around us.

Jack took a slow step forward. Each movement was deliberate, his posture perfect, but the energy around him was raw, wild. The bond surged, and my knees felt weak. “Father,” he said, his voice low, controlled, yet edged with fire. “Nothing I have matters if she isn’t with me. My mate is here. My choice is made.”

Gasps swept the hall, like the ripple of a sudden storm. Whispers surged and collided with one another, some in awe, some in disbelief. I felt every vibration, every gasp, every tremor, as if the entire room were an extension of the bond, every heart pounding in time with mine.

Ariel, tears streaming, stumbled forward, her hands trembling. “How dare you!” she shrieked, voice cracking. “You will not humiliate me like this!” She made a sudden lunge, reaching toward Jack, but he pivoted, moving fluidly, almost too fast for her to follow.

I saw her shock as he blocked her path without touching her. His palm pressed just once against her chest, enough to make her stumble back, and she faltered, her balance teetering on the edge of the marble floor. Every eye in the room followed this silent clash of wills.

Jack’s eyes never left mine. The pull of our bond tightened, and I felt my wolf lean into him, matching his heartbeat, matching his intent. I could feel him reaching for me without moving, a thread of energy stretching across the space between us. My fingers flexed instinctively, craving his touch.

Ariel’s lips trembled, her chest heaving. “You’ll ruin everything! Do you know what this means?” she spat. “You’ll destroy your family, your tribe! Everything your ancestors built, wasted for… a servant!”

I flinched at the word, but Jack’s grip over my hand never wavered. His eyes were steel, unwavering. The bond roared, a surge of heat and certainty, and for a moment I forgot the wine still clinging to my hair, the cold stares of the nobles, the fury of the Shadow Tribe.

“My mate,” he said slowly, each word deliberate, cutting through the hall like a blade, “is not a servant. She is my chosen. The moon goddess herself marked her for me. I will not be swayed. I will not back down.”

A hushed silence fell over the room, heavy and tense, broken only by the soft shuffle of feet and the rustle of gowns. I could see the anger simmering on his father’s face, the rigid posture of the Shadow Tribe nobles, their pride cracking with every heartbeat.

Jack stepped closer to me, his movements graceful, precise, each one a demonstration of strength without aggression. The bond flared again, pulsing along my veins, and I stumbled slightly forward, compelled by a force I could not resist.

“You will regret this!” his father growled, his voice low and dangerous, vibrating through the floor and into my bones. “If you choose her over your duty, the Winter Tribe will fall. You will lose everything, and she….” His eyes flicked to me, full of venom, “....will be cast out. Mark my words, girl. You do not belong here.”

The hall seemed to close in, the chandeliers swaying slightly as if responding to the tension. I could feel my wolf bristle, a warning, a promise to fight if needed. Jack’s hand over mine tightened, warm, steady, and grounding. The bond pulsed stronger, a tether that anchored me to him and drowned out everything else.

“I am ready to lose everything,” he said, his voice rising, steady, commanding. “Except her. My mate. Nothing else matters.”

The words reverberated through the hall. Some nobles shifted uneasily, caught between fear and admiration. Others whispered warnings, some muttered prayers to keep the Moon Goddess from angering the Winter Tribe. The Shadow Tribe stiffened, their pride wounded, their fury barely contained.

Ariel with tears streaming down her cheeks, lunged again, this time grabbing my wrist with desperate strength. I felt the tug and stumbled, but Jack’s free hand shot out, gripping my arm, steadying me in a single motion. The bond surged as he pulled me toward him, countering Ariel’s force effortlessly.

“You cannot have him!” Ariel screamed, voice echoing, sharp and cutting. Her nails scraped my skin, and I could feel the sting, but the pull of the bond was stronger. My wolf growled and leaned into Jack, and I felt the heat surge through me, the rush of power and certainty.

Jack’s gaze never wavered. His hand over mine was firm, unyielding, an anchor in the storm of noble whispers, anger, and fear. “She is my mate,” he said, voice low, lethal. “She belongs with me. Anyone who challenges that will see the strength of the bond that ties us.”

She finally staggered back, horrified, realizing she could not break the invisible thread connecting us. Her gown swirled around her, and she spun away, fleeing through the grand doors with a final scream of anger and despair.

The room fell into a tense silence, punctuated by the soft rustle of silk and the distant murmur of servants. My dress was still wet, sticky, and warm from the wine, but I didn’t care. My wolf bristled with triumph and relief. The bond hummed through me like a living pulse, grounding me, calling me home.

Jack’s father advanced, his boots echoing against the marble, voice sharp as steel. “Do not think this absolves you, Jack. You are defying your bloodline, your family, your tribe. This will not end well.”

Jack’s jaw tightened. His stance widened slightly, protective of me, of our bond. “I choose her,” he said, voice unwavering, resonant. “My mate. And nothing you say or do will change that. The Moon Goddess has marked her for me. This is not a choice; it is destiny.”

The nobles leaned in, curiosity mixed with fear. The Shadow Tribe stiffened, fists clenching, teeth gritted, and their wrath radiated like fire across the polished floor. I felt their anger as if it were physical heat, but the bond drew me closer to Jack, shielding me, centering me.

Jack stepped forward, closing the last distance between us. He slid his free hand over my shoulder, grounding me as our wolves whispered together, a shared growl of warning. The pull of our bond flared again, and I could feel his heartbeat in mine, strong, unyielding, full of certainty.

“This is the moment,” he said quietly, almost to me, almost to himself. “No one takes her from me.”

I drew a deep, steadying breath. My chest tightened, adrenaline coursing through me, but the bond anchored me. I was his mate.