THE PULL OF THR BOND
408 Words
📖 CHAPTER 9 – THE PULL OF THE BOND (PART 1)
They didn’t go back.
Jay Kael made that decision without saying a word. And somehow, Claire understood it.
The deeper they moved into the forest, the more the world fell away. The distant sounds of the pack disappeared, replaced by wind threading through the trees and the quiet rhythm of their breathing.
But the silence didn’t bring peace.
It stripped everything else away.
Leaving only him.
Her.
And the bond tightening between them with every step.
“Where are we going?” she asked softly, her voice barely breaking the quiet.
“Away.”
Her brows drew together. “From what?”
His gaze flicked to her briefly—dark, focused, unwavering.
“Everyone.”
Something in the way he said it settled deep in her chest. Not just distance. Not just escape.
Claim.
Her pulse shifted, a subtle warmth spreading through her again, catching her off guard. Her step faltered.
He noticed immediately. Of course he did.
“Walk.”
The command was quiet.
But absolute.
Her breath caught—and she obeyed without thinking.
Not out of fear.
Because something in her aligned with it.
They moved for what felt like hours. Slower than he would have preferred.
Because of her.
Because she hadn’t shifted.
Because her body didn’t move like the others.
And he didn’t like that.
Not her.
Never her.
What had been done to her.
“You’ve never shifted,” he said, his voice cutting through the quiet without warning.
She shook her head. “No.”
His jaw tightened, something sharp flickering behind his eyes.
“That’s not normal.”
“I know.”
Her voice softened, but there was no self-pity in it—only something quieter. Worn.
“They said I was weak.”
Jay Kael stopped.
Then turned to face her fully.
“Look at me.”
She hesitated—just for a second—before lifting her gaze.
His eyes locked onto hers. Steady. Unyielding.
“You’re not weak.”
The words landed deeper than they should have.
Her breath caught slightly.
“No one’s ever said that to me.”
Something in his chest tightened—sharp, immediate.
“They’re wrong.”
Not said gently.
Said like fact.
Her chest rose slowly as the weight of it settled inside her.
For the first time—
She didn’t question it.
She believed it.
🔥 End Chapter 9
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