Bound by Fate

Chapter 4

The door slammed shut behind the intruder, and the room went deathly silent.

Kai stood frozen, still feeling the heat of Leon’s touch on his wrist like it was burning through his skin. He could hardly breathe. The air felt thick—like the space around them had somehow collapsed into something too tight, too intimate.

Leon was still staring at him, chest heaving slightly, his hand hovering in the air where it had just been wrapped around Kai’s wrist. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and for a moment, the usually cocky Alpha was lost in something—something Kai didn’t quite understand.

What had just happened?

For a long, agonizing second, neither of them moved.

Kai wanted to run. He needed to run.

He couldn’t even look at Leon. His whole body was screaming for escape, but his feet felt like they were glued to the floor. His head was spinning with the overwhelming scent of Leon—of him—and it made his stomach twist into knots.

Leon’s voice broke the silence, low and hoarse. “Kai…”

The sound of his name coming from Leon made his chest tighten. There was something in his voice, a thread of vulnerability that Kai wasn’t used to hearing from the Alpha.

“You’re not… you’re not in heat, are you?” Leon asked again, his voice quieter, more uncertain this time.

“No,” Kai replied, too quickly, too sharply. He couldn’t let that be the explanation. His heart was still racing. The bond between them was growing stronger by the second, but it wasn’t that time yet. It couldn’t be.

Leon didn’t seem convinced. He stepped back, breaking the moment, but his eyes stayed glued to Kai, as though he was trying to process everything at once.

“What was that?” Leon muttered, rubbing his hand across his face. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

Kai shook his head, trying to regain some semblance of control. “I don’t know. But I’m not your ‘mate,’ if that’s what you’re thinking.” His voice was cold, even though his insides were anything but. He couldn’t let Leon see how close he was to breaking. How close he was to giving in.

He couldn’t.

“I didn’t think you were,” Leon said softly, his gaze never leaving Kai. He sounded almost… confused. “But… there’s something about you. Something I can’t—” He cut himself off, as though he was afraid to finish that sentence.

Kai wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it.

There was a long silence. Too long. The tension between them was unbearable, thick like smoke. Kai swallowed hard, trying to shove down the rising panic that threatened to spill over.

“I’m leaving,” Kai said, his voice sounding distant even to him.

Leon moved before he could even turn around.

“Don’t,” he said quickly, reaching out to grab Kai’s arm. “Don’t run away. We need to figure this out.”

The way he said it made Kai’s heart skip. We need to figure this out. As if it was something they could just solve.

Kai jerked his arm away, his breath coming out in quick bursts. “There’s nothing to figure out. I don’t want this bond. I don’t want you.”

Leon’s expression shifted, his face hardening. “You don’t get to decide that.”

Kai took a step back, his chest tight with frustration and confusion. “I can’t just—just ignore it, Leon. You’re not what I need. You’re not—”

“I’m not perfect, I know,” Leon interrupted, his voice suddenly rough. “I’ve made mistakes. But I’m not some… some heartless bastard, okay? I don’t know what’s going on with you, but I care.”

Kai stared at him, his breath caught in his throat.

“I’m not perfect,” Leon repeated, his voice quieter now, but there was a hardness behind it. “But I know something is happening between us, whether we like it or not.”

The words hung in the air between them like a charge, like a spark waiting to ignite.

“I don’t want this,” Kai said, shaking his head, the words like gravel in his throat. He took another step back, his heart hammering. “I don’t want anything to do with you.”

Leon’s eyes flashed, something dangerous in them for a second. But then it was gone, replaced with something that looked almost like hurt. “You don’t have a choice, Kai.”

Before Kai could react, Leon stepped forward, closing the space between them. “You feel it, don’t you?” His voice was low, insistent. “The pull. The bond.”

Kai froze. His heart thudded in his chest. Leon was right—he did feel it. Every time Leon was close, the pull was there, tugging at him, strong and undeniable. But he couldn’t admit that to Leon. Not yet. Not like this.

“Don’t,” Kai breathed, his voice trembling. “Please.”

Leon’s hand hovered in the air between them, then dropped, his fist clenched tightly by his side. “I’m not letting you walk away from this, Kai. Not this time.”

Kai took another step back, his breath shallow. He couldn’t deal with this. Not now. Not with everything else going on in his life. He couldn’t handle the pull, the bond, the confusion. Not with someone like Leon.

“I’m leaving,” Kai said again, his voice firm despite the storm swirling inside him. “I can’t do this with you.”

But as Kai turned to leave, Leon spoke again—this time, his voice softer, almost like a plea. “You’re not alone in this. You never will be.”

The words hit Kai like a blow to the chest. He stopped in his tracks, but didn’t turn around. He couldn’t. Not when his heart was on the verge of breaking.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. Then, without waiting for Leon to reply, he bolted for the door.

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To be continued…