Marked by the Moon, Bound by Blood

Chapter 3

I was still pinned to the corner of that dark-ass cell. Anderson’s words kept looping in my head like a goddamn broken record. Mate? What the f**k did that even mean? From what I remembered, it was some term for animal pairs or maybe some cheesy fiction I’d skimmed once. But hearing that man say it with such raw frustration made the hair on my neck stand up.

"No way. He’s f*****g losing it," I whispered.

The muffled shouting from the top of the stairs was still going. I pressed my ear against the cold stone wall, trying to catch whatever I could.

"Anderson, you can’t be f*****g serious! That bond is supposed to be stable and pure! But that woman... her scent is just wrong!" Luna’s voice was high-pitched with panic.

"I know that, Luna! I can feel it right here!" I heard the sound of Anderson slamming his fist into something hard. "It f*****g hurts. It feels like my heart is being crushed every time I’m near her. This bond is broken."

I pulled back from the wall, my heart hammering. So that look of agony on his face back there was real. But why didn't I feel the same? I just felt terrified and confused. My body started burning again, especially around the shoulder where that wound had vanished.

I tried to squeeze my eyes shut, praying this was just some f****d-up nightmare brought on by college stress. But the smell of damp earth and the chill of this floor were way too real to be a dream.

Suddenly, footsteps returned—fast and heavy. The wooden door at the top of the stairs was kicked open with a violent bang.

Brak!

Anderson reappeared. He looked a hell of a lot scarier than before. His eyes were glowing a predatory red, and his breath was coming out in ragged snarls. He stormed straight toward my cell, ignoring Luna who was trailing behind him, looking pale as a ghost.

"Open the door," Anderson barked at the guard by the stairs.

"But Alpha, it’s late and—"

"Open it. f*****g. Now!" Anderson roared.

The guard trembled, fumbling with the keys. The sound of clashing iron echoed through the silent room.

Cklek.

The cell door swung open. Anderson stepped inside with an aura so intimidating it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. I instinctively backed up until my spine hit the hard stone wall.

"W-what else do you want?" I asked, my voice shaking.

He didn't answer. He kept coming until there were only inches between us. He grabbed both my shoulders and slammed me against the wall. His grip was so tight I wanted to scream from the pain.

"Argh!" I winced.

He buried his face in my neck. I could feel his elongated fangs grazing my sensitive skin. His hot breath sent violent shivers through me.

"This bond... why the f**k isn't it syncing?" he growled in a tortured, gravelly whisper.

"Let me go, Anderson! You're f*****g hurting me!" I tried to shove his chest, but he didn't budge an inch.

"Stay still, Misha. I have to do this. If I don't, this pain isn't going to stop," he said.

Suddenly, he jerked my head to the side, exposing my throat completely. I could see Luna standing at the cell door, her hand over her mouth.

"Anderson, don't! You don't know if she's the rightful mate! You could f*****g kill her if the bond is truly defective!" Luna screamed.

Anderson wasn't listening. He looked like a man possessed. His red eyes stared at my neck with pure predatory hunger. He opened his mouth wide, revealing rows of long, lethal fangs.

"Don't... please don't do this..." I whimpered, tears starting to blur my vision.

Gubrak!

Anderson suddenly released his grip and punched the wall right next to my head. He stumbled back several steps, clutching his own head. He looked like he was in absolute agony. Sweat poured down his forehead and temples.

"Goddammit! Why does it sting so f*****g much!" Anderson roared, dropping to one knee.

I looked at my neck in the reflection of a puddle on the cell floor. There were no bite marks, but a red mark was forming there. It looked like an irregular, circular pattern, and it burned like a goddamn cigarette was being pressed into my skin.

"What's happening to him?" I asked Luna, who was now stepping into the cell hesitantly.

Luna looked at me with sheer horror. "He tried to mark you impulsively to stabilize the mate bond. But it looks like your body rejected it. This has never happened before. Usually, when an Alpha marks his mate, they both feel a sense of peace and connection."

"I'm not his! Of course my body rejected it!" I snapped back, despite the fear.

Anderson looked up, his face a mask of frustration. "You... you’re a goddamn poison to my kind. How can you have that mark but won't let me in?"

"I don't know what a 'mark' or a 'mate' is! I just want you to stay the f**k away from me!" I yelled.

Anderson stood up with great effort. He steadied his breathing, which still sounded like an animal's growl. He glared at me with deep resentment, as if all his suffering was my fault.

"Get her out of here," Anderson ordered Luna.

"What? Where to?" Luna asked, confused.

"Take her to the upstairs room. This cell won't contain her scent—it’s messing with the whole pack. I’ll watch her myself," Anderson said coldly.

"But Alpha, that’s risky. If the elders find out—"

"It’s an order, Luna! Just f*****g do it!" Anderson cut her off sharply.

The two guards from before came in and forced me up. They gripped my arms tight. I was dragged out of that damp basement and up to the main floor. We passed a long corridor decorated with mounted deer and bear heads. The place felt like a goddamn hunter's den.

They threw me into a large room that was a lot nicer than the cell. There was a big wooden bed with heavy fur blankets. However, the windows were reinforced with thick iron bars. They shoved me in and locked the door instantly.

"Stay put if you don't want to end up in a wolf's stomach out there," one guard sneered before leaving.

I walked to the window. I could see several werewolves in human form gathering in the courtyard. They were all staring at my window with hungry, pissed-off expressions. I could feel their hate even from here.

"What the f**k am I supposed to do now?" I muttered, hugging myself.

I sat on the edge of the bed. My head felt heavy as hell. The s**t that went down in the cell had drained me. The burning in my neck began to fade, replaced by a weird itch. I felt the mark again; the skin felt slightly raised.

Suddenly, the lock turned. The door opened slowly, and Anderson walked in. He’d changed into a clean black shirt, but his face still looked completely wrecked.

He didn't say anything. He just walked to a wooden chair in the corner and sat down, his eyes fixed on me.

"Why the hell are you here?" I asked, not hiding my glare.

"I told you I’d watch you myself. I don't trust the guards. They might lose control and kill you the second I turn my back," Anderson replied flatly.

"Why do you care? Weren't you trying to kill me back there too?"

Anderson was silent for a long time. He turned his gaze to the window, watching the moon as it started to disappear behind the clouds.

"Because you're my problem now, Misha. And I don't like leaving unfinished f*****g business," he said softly.

I laid down on the bed, turning my back to him. I couldn't sleep with him staring at me like that. But the sheer exhaustion finally hit me. My eyes felt heavy as lead.

Just as I started to drift off, I felt it again. My heart suddenly spiked, followed by a stabbing pain in my chest. I bolted upright, clutching my chest.

"Argh! It hurts!" I groaned loudly.

Anderson stood up instantly and rushed to my side. He grabbed my hand that was white-knuckling the bedsheets.

"What is it?" he asked, looking panicked.

"My chest... it hurts so f*****g much..." I wheezed.

I looked at Anderson. He was clearly feeling the same pain. He was clutching his own chest with his other hand.

"It’s started... the bond is starting to drain our lives because it’s not synced," Anderson whispered, his face turning pale.

I stared at him in pure terror. "What? Drain our lives?"

"If we can't stabilize this bond soon, one of us... or maybe both, will die," Anderson explained, his voice trembling.

My eyes went wide. "You’ve gotta be f*****g kidding me."

Anderson didn't answer. Instead, he moved closer and pulled me into his arms. Weirdly enough, the second our skin made more contact, the pain in my chest eased up a bit. But the heat in my shoulder flared up like crazy.

"Don't pull away, Misha. For now, physical contact is the only thing delaying the pain," Anderson said, holding me tight.

I didn't know what to do. I hated this guy, but I didn't want to die. I just sat there in his arms, wondering when this nightmare would end.

"Anderson..." I called out softly.

"What?"

"Is there any way to break this bond?"

Anderson was quiet for a second, then answered in a low, hollow voice.

"Usually... only death breaks a mate bond."

Hearing that, my world felt like it was crashing down. I was trapped in a lethal fate with a guy I barely knew.

"But I don't want to die," I whispered, starting to sob against his chest.

Anderson didn't say anything back. He just awkwardly stroked my hair while, outside, the sound of howling wolves grew louder, like they were celebrating the curse that had fallen on us.

"We’ll see in the morning," Anderson said, before the room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.

Suddenly, a loud banging came from the door.

"Alpha! The elders are waiting in the hall! They demand the woman be brought before them immediately!" Wilfredo’s voice shouted from outside.

Anderson tensed. He let go of me and glared at the door.

"f**k. They’re faster than I thought," Anderson muttered.

He looked at me with a deadly serious expression.

"Misha, listen. Don't say a goddamn word about that mark on your neck. Let me do the talking."

"But why?"

"Because if they find out our bond is broken, they’ll kill you on the spot just to save me," Anderson said, pulling me to my feet.