Unbroken bond

Raziel’s POV "If you stare at that countdown for one more second, I’m throwing your phone into the campus lake."A heavy arm hooked around my neck, dragging me into a lopsided headlock. The smell of cedar and expensive laundry detergent flooded my senses. Killian. "I'm not staring," I managed to choke out, laughing as I tried to elbow him in the ribs. "I’m checking the time. Big difference."Killian Blair let me go, grinning like a maniac. He was a head taller than me and built like he spent his weekends wrestling bears, but to me, he was just the i***t who once tried to eat a poisonous mushroom on a dare when we were ten. "Forty-eight hours, Black," he said, snatching a fry off my plate. "Two days until we’re the official kings of this dump. No more Beta-in-training for you, and no more 'Alpha-lite' for me. "We were sitting in The Den, the usual Thursday night haunt. Around us, our circle was in full swing. Jax was trying to convince a group of freshmen that he could shift his ears on command, and Mila was busy roasting him for it. "You ready for the party tomorrow?" I asked, leaning back. "Your dad sent over that crate of vintage reserve. Jax is already planning how to steal half of it." "Let him try," Killian chuckled, leaning his chair back on two legs. "I’ve got you to guard it. My loyal Beta. My right hand." He reached over and ruffled my hair, a move that usually annoyed me, but tonight it just felt... normal. That was the thing about us. We didn't do the whole "Alpha dominance" thing. We were just Killian and Raziel. We’d shared everything—clothes, secrets, even a few detentions. "Hey, Killian!" A girl from our Pack History class, Clare, leaned over the back of our booth, twirling a lock of blonde hair. "Are you still coming over later to 'study'?" Killian turned his predatory smirk on her. "Depends. You got the good snacks, or am I going to be hungry the whole time?" Clare giggled and whispered something in his ear. Killian barked out a laugh and swatted her away playfully. "Yeah, yeah. Give me twenty minutes. I gotta finish making fun of Black first." He turned back to me, his expression softening into that easy, brotherly look I knew so well. "Don't wait up, Raz. I'll probably be late. Just don't let Jax sleep in my bed again, alright? That guy sheds like a golden retriever." "No promises," I joked, giving him a shove. He stood up, towering over the table, and gave me a playful punch on the shoulder before heading toward the door with Clare. I watched him go, feeling a warmth in my chest. Everything was perfect. We were best friends, the pack was stable, and in two days, we’d be bonded as the ultimate duo. I had no reason to be worried. I looked down at my phone one last time. 47:42:10. I didn't know it then, but this was the last time I’d ever hear Killian call me his "right hand" without it tasting like poison. As the door swung shut behind Killian and Clare, the mood at the table shifted. Jax leaned in, snagging the rest of the fries. "He's acting like it's just another birthday, isn't he? Typical Killian. Denial is his favorite sport. "Mila sighed, closing her textbook. "He's not in denial, Jax. He's in revolt. You heard him earlier today. He’s been ranting about the 'Fated Mate' system since we passed the historical archives wing. "I frowned, looking at the empty spot where Killian had just been sitting. "He really hates the idea that much?" "Hate is a soft word for it, Raz," Mila said, her eyes turning serious. "He sees it as a biological trap. Killian wants to be the master of his own life. The idea that the moon picks a partner for him—someone he has to protect, someone he has to bond with—it makes him feel like a puppet. And we all know Killian Blair doesn't do strings." "It's a load of crap anyway," Jax added, his voice muffled by food. "My parents are fated. They spend half their time arguing about which way the toaster should face. If that's 'destiny,' I'd rather just stick to dating girls like Clare who don't expect me to share a soul with them." I laughed, but there was a strange, tight feeling in my chest. "He said he’d probably just reject them. Do you think he’d actually do it? Reject a fated mate?" The table went quiet. In our world, rejection wasn't just a breakup. It was a spiritual amputation. The pain of a broken bond could drive a wolf to the brink of madness. "If anyone is stubborn enough to try and fight the moon, it's him," Mila said quietly. She looked at me, her gaze lingering. "But let’s hope it doesn't come to that. Maybe his mate will be someone he actually likes. Someone who fits into his life without making him feel caged." "Like who?" Jax snorted. "Who could possibly keep up with that i***t? He needs someone who can handle his ego, finish his homework, and tell him when he’s being a brat." "Basically, he needs a second Raziel," Mila muttered, half-joking. I felt a flush creep up my neck. I looked down at my hands, the silence of the bar suddenly feeling very loud. I thought about all the years we had spent together. Every time he'd gotten into a fight, I was the one who cleaned the blood off his knuckles. Every time I felt like I was drowning in the pressure of being a high-ranking Beta, he was the one who dragged me out to the woods to run until my lungs burned and my mind was clear. We were a team. We were a unit. "Whatever happens," I said, trying to regain my composure, "Killian is my best friend. If he wants to reject his mate and live a life of freedom, I’ll be there to help him pick up the pieces. That’s what a Beta does. That’s what friends do." "To the 'Unbreakable Besties'," Jax said, raising a half-empty beer bottle." To the kings of the campus," I echoed, clinking my glass against his. But as I took a sip, the image of Killian ruffling my hair flashed in my mind. He was so sure that nothing would change. He was so sure that he could just opt-out of destiny. I checked the countdown again. 47:35:12. The numbers were falling, relentless and cold. Somewhere out there, the universe was preparing a match for the Alpha heir who wanted to be free. And as I sat in the dim light of the bar, surrounded by my friends, I couldn't shake the feeling that the "Perfect Duo" was standing on the edge of a cliff, and the wind was starting to pick up.