The second bond
903 Words
Silence fell across the border. A suffocating, impossible silence. No one moved. No one spoke. Every pair of eyes was fixed on the blue-eyed stranger standing at the edge of the forest.
The stranger stared at Lyra as though he had seen a ghost. Or perhaps someone he had spent years searching for. Lyra’s pulse hammered against her ribs.
She knew those eyes. Not from this life. Not from any memory she could explain. Yet something deep inside her soul recognized him. The feeling was terrifying.
And familiar.
Beside her, Alpha Kael Blackthorn went completely still. The protectiveness in his expression vanished. Replaced by something darker. Recognition.
“No,” Kael growled.
The blue-eyed man laughed bitterly. The sound carried no humor. “It seems fate has a twisted sense of humor.”
Lyra’s wrist burned. The silver mark erupted with light. Pain shot through her arm. She cried out. Immediately, Kael moved toward her. At the exact same moment, the blue-eyed stranger did the same.
Both men stopped. Their gazes collided. The hostility between them was instant.
Ancient.
As though this conflict had begun long before either of them stood here tonight.
“What is happening?” Lyra whispered.
No one answered. Because no one knew. Except perhaps one person. The blue-eyed stranger. His eyes softened as he looked at her. For a moment, the anger disappeared. Only sadness remained.
“You don’t remember me.”
It wasn’t a question.
Lyra frowned. “Should I?”
The man’s expression tightened. “No.” His voice was quiet. “You shouldn’t.”
Something about the answer hurt. Though she didn’t understand why.
Darius stepped forward. His patience had clearly run out.
“Enough.”
The Alpha’s voice cracked through the tension.
“Who are you?”
The stranger’s gaze shifted. Coldness immediately returned.
“Aiden Frost.”
The name spread through the crowd like wildfire. Whispers erupted. Even Lyra had heard it before. A rogue. A warrior. A ghost story used to frighten younger wolves. Some said he had survived battles no one should survive. Others claimed he couldn’t be killed. No one knew which stories were true.
Aiden ignored the whispers. His attention remained fixed on Lyra. As though she were the only person standing there.
Darius noticed. His eyes narrowed. Dangerously.
“You know this girl?”
Aiden hesitated. For the first time, uncertainty crossed his face. Then he answered.
“Yes.”
The single word sent another wave of murmurs through the crowd. Lyra stared. She had never seen him before. Had she? The harder she thought, the more her head hurt. Flashes appeared. A pair of blue eyes. Laughter. Rain. Blood.
A promise she couldn’t remember. Then they vanished. Leaving her dizzy.
Aiden seemed to notice. His expression softened.
“Don’t force it.”
The familiarity in his voice only made her more confused. Who was he? And why did part of her feel relieved that he was here?
A sharp growl shattered the moment.
Kael.
The Alpha stood between them now. His golden eyes blazed.
“Stay away from her.”
Aiden’s jaw tightened. “Not happening.”
The temperature seemed to drop. Even the warriors around them stepped back. Everyone could feel it. The tension. The hostility. The rivalry. Neither man looked willing to back down. Unfortunately for everyone, fate had other plans.
The silver mark on Lyra’s wrist suddenly exploded with light. A scream tore from her throat. Pain engulfed her entire body. She collapsed. The world tilted. Voices shouted around her. Feet pounded against the ground. Someone called her name. Then everything disappeared.
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Darkness. Endless darkness. Lyra floated through it. Weightless. Lost. Alone. Then she heard music.
Soft. Beautiful. Ancient.
A silver moon appeared overhead. Its light illuminated a vast field of flowers. Lyra stood at the center. Confused. The place felt real. More real than dreams should.
A voice spoke behind her.
“You finally made it.”
She spun around. The old woman from the forest stood there. The same silver hair. The same calm eyes.
“The prophecy woman.”
The old woman laughed. “I’ve been called worse.”
Lyra crossed her arms. “I have questions.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
The old woman smiled. “You won’t like the answers.”
That wasn’t comforting. At all.
“What is happening to me?”
The woman’s expression became serious. “The bonds are awakening.”
Lyra frowned. “Bonds?”
“The first one is the Mate Bond.”
Kael. Even thinking his name caused warmth to spread through her chest.
The old woman nodded. “As expected.”
“And the second?”
The smile vanished completely. “The Fate Bond.”
Fear prickled along Lyra’s skin. “What does that mean?”
The woman stared up at the moon. “It means the impossible has happened.”
Lyra’s patience was rapidly disappearing. “Could someone please stop speaking in riddles?”
For the first time, the old woman looked genuinely sympathetic. “Lyra, in thousands of years, no one has ever possessed both.”
The words echoed through the field. No one. Ever.
“Why?”
“Because they were never meant to.”
The answer made her stomach drop. “Then why do I have them?”
The old woman’s gaze met hers. “Because you’re not what you think you are.”
- Writer
