Chapter 8: My Mate,My Bond
1295 Words
LYRA POV
I woke up gasping, my nightgown clinging to my skin, drenched in sweat. My heart hammered against my ribs so hard I thought it might break through. The visions I had still clung to my mind like cobwebs I couldn't brush away.
Damian fights skeletal creatures with glowing green eyes.
My hand flew to my chest, pressing against the strange ache that had been growing there for days.
"It was just a dream," I whispered to the darkness of my chambers in Velmoria. "Just a dream."
But even as I said the words, I knew they were a lie.
The ache in my chest twisted, becoming almost unbearable. A whimper escaped my lips before I could stop it.
I threw off my covers and stumbled to the window, my legs shaky.
The moon hung full and bright in the sky, its light spilling across the palace grounds. Usually, the sight of it brought me comfort. But tonight, it made the ache worse.
"Damian," I breathed his name without meaning to, and the moment it left my lips, pain lanced through my chest so sharply I doubled over.
My fingers gripped the windowsill, What was happening to me?
A knock at the door made me jump.
"Princess Lyra?" A female voice called softly. "Are you alright? I heard a noise."
I forced myself to straighten, even though every muscle in my body protested. "I'm fine,just... just a nightmare."
"Would you like me to bring you some tea? Or perhaps call for the healer?"
"No. Thank you,I just need... I need air."
Silence from the other side of the door, then retreating footsteps.
I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window, trying to calm my racing heart. But the ache wouldn't stop,it grew stronger with each passing moment, spreading from my chest down my arms, into my fingertips.
I felt distant but like a thread connecting me to something or someone far away.
"No," I shook my head, backing away from the window. "That's impossible. He's miles away. I can't possibly..." I paused.
But I could. The moon goddess help me,I cried out. I could feel him,his anger,his determination,his fear,not for himself, but for others.
The realization hit me like a physical blow, and I stumbled backward, catching myself on the edge of my bed. My breath came in short, sharp gasps. How did I know this? How could I possibly know what he was feeling?
The words whispered through my mind, this was the mate bond everyone spoke of in hushed tones. The connection between destined pairs that went beyond mere attraction or compatibility.
But it was too soon. We barely spent time together. We danced once,and spoke a few times,how could the bond be this strong already?
My grandmother's words came back to me, spoken years ago when I was just a child: "True mates don't follow the natural cause of time, little one. When the Moon Goddess decides two souls belong together, especially destined fated mates,the bond can snap into place in an instant or grow slowly over years. But once it starts, there's no stopping it."
I thought it was just a story,a romantic notion to give young pups hope.
The ache pulsed again, and with it came another wave of emotion that wasn't mine,fury,cold, calculated fury directed at... at someone I couldn't quite see.
My hand pressed against my chest again, and this time, I didn't try to fight what I was feeling. I let it flow through me, this strange connection to Damian and as I did, fragments of images flashed behind my closed eyelids.
A courtyard,rogues in a circle,darkness opening like a wound in reality.
My eyes snapped open, and my blood turned to ice.
"He's at the Avalon pack," I whispered to the empty room. "Damian's at my home, and Sebastian is there too."
I moved without thinking, rushing to my wardrobe and pulling out a riding dress. My hands shook as I fastened the buttons, my fingers clumsy with urgency.
I had to get to him,no matter what.
"What are you doing?"
I spun around to find one of Damian's guards standing in my doorway, his expression stern. I hadn't even heard him enter.
"I need to leave. I need to get to the Avalon pack."
"I'm afraid that's not possible, Princess. Alpha Damian's orders were very clear. You're to remain here, under our protection."
"You don't understand"
"I understand perfectly." He stepped further into the room, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as a soldier . "There's been an attack on the Avalon pack,dread walkers. Alpha Damian is handling the situation."
The confirmation of what I felt made my knees weak. "Then I need to be there,I need to help."
"With respect, Princess, you are only going to be a distraction. The best thing you can do is stay here, where it's safe."
"Safe?" My voice rose, anger flaring hot in my chest. "My family is under attack, and you want me to hide like a frightened child?"
"Your family has Alpha Damian and his forces protecting them. You have us protecting you,that's how it needs to be."
I wanted to scream,to rage at him. To demand he let me pass.
But another pulse of emotion from Damian stopped me cold. I realized with strange certainty but deep, controlled anger.
My hand flew to my chest again, and the guard's expression softened slightly.
"You feel it, don't you? The bond."
I looked up at him, surprised. "How did you..."
"I'm mated myself, Princess. Fifteen years now. I recognize the signs." He moved closer, his voice gentler. "The first few months are the hardest,every emotion feels amplified,every moment apart feels like torture,but it does get easier."
"Does it ever stop?" I asked, my voice small.
"No," he said honestly. "But you learn to live with it. And when you're together..." a small smile crossed his face, "when you're together, everything else fades away."
Tears pricked at my eyes. I didn't want to cry, didn't want to appear weak, but the emotions crashing through me,mine and Damian's mixed together,were overwhelming.
"He's going to be okay," the guard said with confidence. "Alpha Damian is the strongest Alpha I've ever served. Whatever he's facing, he'll come through it."
I nodded, even though every instinct in my body screamed at me to run to Damian's side. The guard was right,I was only a liability in a fight. I had no training,no way to defend myself.
But goddess, it hurts to stay still.
The guard moved toward the door. "I'll be right outside if you need anything. Try to rest, Princess,dawn's still a few hours away."
"Wait," I called out. "What's your name?"
"Zarchery, Princess."
"Thank you, Zachery,for being honest with me."
He inclined his head and left, pulling the door closed behind him.
I stood in the middle of my room, still dressed in my riding clothes, feeling utterly helpless. The ache in my chest continued its steady pulse, keeping time with a heartbeat that wasn't my own.
I moved back to the window, pressing my palm against the glass. Damian was fighting and all I could do was wait.
Another surge of emotion hit me,this one different from the others.
He was thinking of me,fighting for me.
The realization should have made me feel cherished,protected,instead, it filled me with guilt.
People were dying because of me,because Sebastian wanted me,because some prophecy I didn't understand had marked me as important.
I didn't want to be important.I don't want people to die for me.
I just wanted...
What did I w
ant? I thought to myself
The answer came swiftly, I wanted Damian safe. I wanted my family safe. I wanted this nightmare to end.
- Writer
