BONDS OF LOVE
838 Words
Lucian knew with every bone in his body that the girl straddling his bike was his mate.
MATE.
The word hit him like a lightning strike every time he even glanced at her. His whole body felt wired, electric, like his skin barely fit over the sheer need pounding beneath it. He had grown up hearing the old stories, the Moon Goddess pairing souls, fated bonds stronger than magic, but he’d always brushed them off as fairy tales meant to keep young wolves loyal and steady.
Then he met her.
Angel.
Her presence was a force. Her scent, her voice, the warm pressure of her legs against his back, the way she held him, trusting but shy, it set something ancient inside him roaring awake. She was the one the Moon Goddess had chosen for him. He had no doubts left. He could feel the bond pulling at him, tugging at the core of his being.
To deny it would drive him mad.
Sam hadn’t helped. The old dwarf loved Angel like a daughter, and when Lucian tried to ask more about her, Sam had nearly knocked his head off with a frying pan.
Stay away.
Keep yer grubby mitts to yerself.
She’s under our protection.
Lucian respected Sam… but the bond didn’t care about rules or dwarven disapproval.
He had been meeting Sam that night, shifting shipments, moving drugs, doing the dirty business he and Carlos handled when necessary. They were halfway through negotiations when word came in that Angel had gone down to the river alone.
By the time they arrived, she had already killed an Infector demon.
Silently. Effortlessly. Like breathing.
Watching her move, the precision, the focus, the deadly grace, Lucian realised she wasn’t just beautiful. She was dangerous in a way that made his wolf bow in awe.
And now… she was on his bike, pressed against him, her arms circling his waist as he took the curved road toward the compound.
He was in torture. Beautiful, exquisite torture.
He wanted to claim her.
He wanted to pull her around to face him, press his forehead to hers and tell her everything.
He wanted to take her away from every monster in the world and teach her exactly what a mate meant.
But she was under protection. Carlos, Sam, Steel, all heavy hitters.
And she was young. Too young.
He would never disrespect that. Never push. Never risk frightening her.
He’d wait.
He’d burn for her quietly.
He’d play this slow, even if the bond clawed at his insides every time she touched him.
The winding road came into view, the compound lights glimmering through the trees. Angel let out a soft sigh behind him, her voice carried by the wind.
“How did you know where I live? I thought you wanted to run with me.”
Lucian smiled, unable to help it. Her voice already felt like home.
“I do, my sweetness,” he said, letting the affection drip through his words. “I do.”
He pulled into the compound driveway, the gravel crunching beneath the tyres. Angel slid off the bike, her hands lingering just a second longer than necessary on his jacket before she stepped back.
She stood there awkwardly, kicking at the dirt with the toe of her shoe, her dark hair falling forward until she tucked it behind one ear. She looked so unsure, so shy, and it carved something tender into Lucian’s ribs.
“Thanks for the ride home, Lucian,” she murmured. “Um… will I see you again?”
The way she asked, hesitant, hopeful, nearly buckled his knees.
Lucian caught her hand gently. He lifted it to his lips, kissing the back of it as softly as a whisper.
“Believe it, beautiful.”
Her breath hitched. He felt it, the bond humming, warm and low like a distant storm gathering.
A movement on the deck caught his eye.
Lillyanne.
Arms folded. Staring him down like a mother hen who’d caught a wolf sniffing around her favourite chick.
He muttered, “Ah… I gotta go.”
Angel turned. “How’d she get here so quick?”
Lucian snorted. “Dwarves. They move like bloody ghosts.”
He swung his leg over the bike, kicked the stand up, and started the engine. The rumble vibrated under him, but it was nothing compared to the way she vibrated through his chest.
Looking at her one last time, he let the words leave him low and sure.
“I’ll see you real soon. We have a run planned.”
Her cheeks warmed. She nodded, biting her lip.
That damn lip.
Lucian revved the bike before he did something stupid, like get off and kiss her.
He shot down the road, mind-linking his pack as he rode. They were waiting at the truck, engines running, ready to work. Ready to move. Ready to be Alpha-led.
But Lucian’s soul was still back there in the driveway.
Still shaking from the beauty he had just left behind.
- Writer
