The mate bond
1074 Words
CHAPTER 7
At the company tower, Rafayel didn’t wait for permission. He stormed past the reception desk, his long strides eating the distance to the elevator. The secretary started to object, but one look at his eyes glinting dangerously silenced her.
When he reached the top floor, the heavy oak doors to Ervin’s office were locked.
“Ervin!” Rafayel’s voice was sharp. “Open.”
Silence.
He clenched his fists, then pressed his ear to the door. For a moment, only silence stretched. Then a faint scrape, the sound of wood groaning. Something had been thrown. Or broken.
Rafayel’s gut twisted.
He pounded on the door again. “Ervin, it’s me. Open the damn door.”
Ervin himself most have locked the door because he couldn’t unlock it
Inside, a low growl vibrated against the wood. The sound was primal, ragged.
Rafayel’s throat tightened more
His hand hovered near the handle, itching , but he forced himself still. If he forced entry, he risked triggering the wolf inside, and once unleashed, Ervin might not even recognize him as friend.
“Listen to me,” Rafayel said, his voice softer now, though steady.Kaelen..he wasn’t thinking right “
The silence stretched again.
Then came the sound of heavy breathing, uneven, followed by the thud of a chair being shoved back and a faint spell of pheromones.
The lock clicked.
When the door cracked open, Rafayel caught sight of him.
Ervin, pale as moonlight, sweat slicking his temples, his eyes still an unnatural, glowing blue. The office behind him was chaos—papers shredded, the desk overturned, glass shattered across the floor.
But worse than the wreckage was the look in Ervin’s eyes. Rage. Longing ,hurt .All knotted together in a storm too big for one man’s chest.
“Don’t,” Ervin growled before Rafayel could speak. His voice was jagged, raw.
Rafayel exhaled slowly, steadying himself. “You don’t look well.
Ervin’s lips curled into a bitter half-smile. “Like a wolf who’s been branded by fire.”
The office still smelled faintly of broken glass and burned tension. He sat behind the wreckage of his desk, his palms braced against the wood, trying to regulate his breathing. His eyes had dimmed to steel-grey now, though a flicker of unnatural blue lingered beneath the surface.
The knock on the door was tentative this time. A careful sound.
The Elias stepped inside, balancing a silver tray and froze at the sight of Rafayel’s eyes on him.His movements were stiff, cautious ,the way humans often behaved when instinct warned them of danger they couldn’t name. His gaze darted to the overturned chair, the scattered shards of glass, and lingered uneasily on Ervin’s pale face.
Before Ervin could answer, Rafayel’s surged forward, riding his.
“Where were you when his door was locked?”
The Elias paused , color draining from his cheeks. The tray rattled faintly in his hands, porcelain cups clinking.
“I ..he told me to get the tea,” the man stammered. “I was only”..
“Enough,please “Ervin rasped, lifting a hand. His tone was weaker than usual. “I asked for tea..Let him be, Rafayel.”
His best friend’s jaw flexed, golden eyes sharp with barely leashed temper. He hated excuses, and always loose his Temper at the sight of Elias .
His trembling, hands set the tray down on the nearest clear surface and backed toward the door.
He had almost slipped out when Rafayel’s voice cut like a whip. “Stop.”
The man froze, his hand still clutching the handle.
“Prepare the car,” Rafayel ordered, his voice a low growl threaded with his wolf . “We’re taking Alpha home. And clear out every human from sight before I bring him out. Not one set of eyes should be near the hall .Do you understand or I need to repeat for your dumb ass to pick up?
Elias turned to look at him,Rafayel frowned
“Did you understand me?”
Elias nodded frantically, stumbling out.
Ervin leaned back, exhaling. A bitter chuckle ghosted his lips. “Overprotective bastard.”
“My foot!,”
Rafayel shot back, narrowing his eyes. “If you die I’ll be the next Alpha..truth is I’ll be Glad to help Kaelen kill you..do you think I’m over protective?”Ervin smirks with a node closing his eyes
The drive home was suffocatingly silent.
The city outside was alive with neon and horns, oblivious to the storm simmering inside the tinted car. Humans laughed on sidewalks, couples walked hand in hand, lovers leaned too close. Every sight was a knife.
Ervin stared out the window, his reflection pale against the glass. His wolf paced inside him, restless,. Each heartbeat felt like it belonged to someone else.
By the time they reached the mansion, his head pounded.
Elias, eager to redeem himself, opened the door quickly and bowed, gesturing them in.
Rafayel guided Ervin with a steady hand at his back, a gesture he would normally brush off but tonight, he didn’t.
Inside, the hall was quiet, Rafayel collapsed onto the couch while Elias sat far from him., pretending to focus on the screen.
Ervin, however, paused at the threshold, his phone still pressed to his ear. His voice was low, measured, finishing a conversation with someone who demanded more patience than he had left. “I’ll handle it tomorrow. No, don’t call me again until then.”
The call ended with a click.
He locked the front door behind him, the sound echoing faintly. Turning toward the hall, his steps faltered. He forced himself forward, one stride, two until it hit him.
A whisper.
Mate.
The word slithered through his skull like a live wire. His wolf pressed against the inside of his chest, claws scraping bone.
Ervin staggered back, one hand clutching the wall. His breath hitched, eyes blazing blue as his gaze snapped toward the kitchen. The smell faint, but sharp—burned through him. Not perfume, not food. Something far older.
Rafayel sat up instantly, alarm flashing across his features. “Ervin what’s wrong ?”
But Ervin didn’t answer. His body moved before his mind caught up, propelled by instinct stronger than logic. He dashed toward the kitchen, each stride violent, desperate, the sound of his shoes pounding against marble echoing through the hall.
Rafayel and Elias exchanged a look before leaping to their feet, chasing him.
- Writer
