Rejected by Blood

Chapter 10: Bonds Forged in Fire

The cabin was quiet except for the soft crackling of the fire. Axel sat across from Liam, his fingers absently tracing the rim of his glass, the amber liquid inside untouched. The pain in his eyes was raw, buried beneath layers of guilt and regret.

“I’ve never told anyone how Lila died,” Axel said, voice low and heavy. “It was an ambush—a rogue wolf pack attacked us in the dead of night. We were outnumbered, caught off guard.” He swallowed hard. “I was supposed to be protecting her. My mate. But she got hit first. I heard her scream... and by the time I fought my way through, it was too late.”

Liam’s face tightened with sympathy. “That kind of loss—it stays with you.”

Axel nodded, pain flickering in his eyes. “I keep replaying it. If I’d been faster, stronger... If I hadn’t hesitated for even a second. She trusted me to keep her safe, and I failed. Sometimes I think the pack doesn’t know, or maybe they don’t want to see the cracks in their Alpha’s armor. But I’m not fooling anyone.”

Liam’s voice was steady, reassuring. “Axel, you’re carrying the weight of the pack and your own heartache. You’re not alone in this. We’ll find a way to stop the threats, to protect what’s left.”

Axel finally took a slow sip of his drink, the firelight flickering in his haunted eyes. “I’m tired of losing people.”

Later, I sat curled in a worn armchair, the dim light casting long shadows across Uncle Jeremy’s cabin. Spread out on the wooden table before me were more letters, carefully hidden in a false bottom drawer I’d discovered behind an old stack of books.

Each letter felt like a piece of a puzzle, a secret map he’d left behind.

The first letter I read was full of cryptic warnings about who I could trust—and who was watching. The second contained detailed instructions for decoding pack communications and identifying enemies.

But the third letter—this one was different.

“My dear Isla,

If you are reading this, it means I am gone, and the world has become darker without me. But I want you to know how deeply I love you. You are the strongest soul I’ve ever known, and I hope you’ve grown into the fierce, brave young woman I always believed you could be. When I look at the stars, I see your spirit shining among them. Never forget that you carry my heart within you.”

Tears pricked my eyes as I held the fragile paper to my chest.

Just then, Axel appeared in the doorway, his presence steady and comforting.

“Those letters…” I whispered. “He loved me. More than I ever knew.”

Axel stepped closer, voice soft. “He knew you’d need that strength. And you have it, Isla. You’re stronger than you think.”

I blinked away tears and smiled faintly. “Sometimes it feels like I’m just barely holding on.”

“You’re not alone,” he said firmly. “We’re in this together.”

The days at school were growing darker. Sierra’s venom spread like wildfire, poisoning friendships and isolating me further. Today was no different. The halls of Silver Lake High buzzed with noise, lockers slamming and students laughing, but none of it reached me. I felt like I was standing outside the world, a ghost walking among shadows. My heart pounded as I approached my locker, already knowing what awaited me.

“Sierra,” I muttered under my breath, steeling myself.

She was waiting — perfectly poised with that smug smile that always made my skin crawl. Around her stood a small group of pack members, their eyes sharp and cold.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the pack’s little stray,” Sierra sneered, blocking my path. “How’s the loner life treating you, Isla? Still trying to find your place in a family that doesn’t want you?”

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m not a stray.”

Sierra laughed, a cruel, high-pitched sound that echoed through the hallway. “Oh, honey, everyone knows you’re just a flea-bitten mutt. No one wants to be near you. You’re a joke.”

One of her friends sneered and shoved me lightly. “Maybe if you spent less time with those loser friends of yours, you’d actually fit in.”

Before I could respond, Keri appeared, her eyes blazing with fierce loyalty.

“Back off, Sierra,” Keri said sharply, stepping beside me. “Isla’s not the one you should be messing with.”

Sierra turned, eyes narrowing. “Oh, look who’s sticking her nose in. You think you’re brave, Keri? You’re just a scared little pup trying to play big dog.”

Keri’s jaw tightened. “Better a brave pup than a coward who needs to tear others down to feel important.”

Sierra’s smile twisted into something darker. “Watch your mouth, Keri. This isn’t over.”

As Sierra and her group walked away, I let out a shaky breath. Keri reached out, squeezing my arm.

“You don’t have to face this alone, Isla. I’m here. We all are.”

I nodded, gratitude filling me despite the ache in my chest. “Thank you, Keri. It’s just... hard sometimes.”

Keri smiled warmly. “We’ll get through it together. You’re stronger than you know.”

That night, the cabin felt charged with something electric as Axel and I sat close by the fire. The air between us was thick with unspoken promises and a hunger that had been building for weeks.

His hand found mine, fingers tracing delicate lines over my skin, sending shivers up my spine.

“Isla,” he murmured, voice rough with emotion, “I want to make this official. I want to be yours—not just as your protector, but as your mate. To bind our lives together.”

My breath hitched, heart pounding fiercely. “I want that too.”

Our lips met in a searing kiss, slow and hungry, exploring and claiming. His hands slid down my back, pulling me flush against him as heat radiated from our bodies.

The world outside the cabin ceased to exist as passion ignited between us.

Axel’s teeth grazed my neck, gentle but insistent. A thrill shot through me as he bit down softly, marking the spot between my collarbone and neck.

I mirrored him, teeth sinking into the same place on his neck, tasting the salt of his skin and the raw power beneath.

The sting of the marks was exquisite—a binding promise of love, loyalty, and fierce protection.

We held each other close, breaths mingling, hearts pounding as the marks glowed faintly beneath our skin—a visible seal of our bond.

“I’m yours, Isla. Always,” Axel whispered against my skin.

“And I’m yours,” I breathed back, knowing this bond would give me the strength to face whatever came next.