The bond awakens
677 Words
I didn’t wake up alone.
Kael was there the moment my eyes opened. He stood near the bed with his arms crossed, watching me with that sharp focus that made it hard to breathe.
“You’re back,” he said.
My chest tightened. “I never left.”
He didn’t smile.
Something between us had changed since last night. I felt it everywhere, under my skin, in my bones. Like a low pull that wouldn’t stop tugging.
The bond was awake.
And it wanted him.
I pushed myself up. I should’ve felt weak after what happened, I should’ve felt drained but instead, warmth spread through me, steady and alive. I felt stronger.
We’re fuller, my wolf said, stretching. Balanced.
I hated that word.
Kael noticed it too. His eyes tracked every small movement, like he was reading me without touching.
“You shouldn’t be sitting up,” he said.
“I’m fine.”
He stepped closer anyway. Too close. The air shifted between us, thick with tension. My breath hitched.
Protected doesn’t always mean free.
His gaze dropped to my lips for half a second before snapping back to my eyes. His jaw tightened like he was holding back a thought.
“You need me close,” he said quietly.
I stiffened. “I don’t need anyone.”
My wolf laughed softly. Lie again. See if it helps.
“I mean it,” I said, even as my body leaned toward him without permission.
Kael’s voice dropped. “The bond is pulling. That’s normal.”
“Then why does it feel like more?” I asked.
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached out and stopped just before he could touch my neck. I felt the heat of his hand there.
The mark.
“You smell like the moon,” he said roughly. “It’s driving my wolf insane.”
Mine too.
Say his name, my wolf urged. Let him hear it.
“Kael,” I said before I could stop myself.
Something snapped in his eyes.
He stepped back, taking two steps away from me, like he needed distance to control himself.
“I won’t mark you,” he said.
The words hit me like a shock, relief mixed with disappointment.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because once I do,” he said, not looking at me, “there’s no pretending you’re free.”
Silence stretched between us.
The moon chose me.
The thought echoed in my head, loud and clear.
I stood and crossed the room before I could think better of it. I stopped right in front of him. He didn’t move, he didn’t breathe.
“Look at me,” I said.
He did.
The bond flared, hot and demanding. My wolf pressed forward, eager and unafraid.
He’s holding back for us, she whispered. But it hurts him.
I lifted my hand, resting it on his chest. His heart was racing. Not Alpha-calm. Not in control.
“You don’t own me,” I said softly.
His voice was strained. “I know.”
“But you won’t let me go either.”
“No,” he admitted. “I won’t.”
“I don’t want to be a cage,” he continued. “I want to be your choice.”
The words stunned me.
Before I could answer, the world shook.
A deep boom ripped through the pack grounds, violent enough to throw us both off balance. The walls trembled and dust fell from the ceiling.
“What was that?” I gasped.
Kael was already moving, fury rolling off him. “An explosion.”
Another blast hit, closer this time. Screams echoed through the halls. Alarms blared.
War, my wolf said, thrilled and afraid. They’ve come for gold.
Kael grabbed my hand, pulling me with him. “Stay with me,” he said. “Do not let go.”
As we ran, the moonlight outside flared again, brighter than before.
And I knew, deep in my chest—
This time,
they weren’t just testing me.
They were coming to take me.
- Writer
