Chapter 5: A Dangerous Bond
573 Words
The mark burned.
Alina pressed her hand against her neck as warmth spread beneath her skin. It wasn’t painful anymore.
Just… alive.
“What did you do to me?” she asked again.
The hall was silent.
Every Lycan was watching.
King Kael stood beside her, calm as ever.
“I told you,” he said. “It is a bond.”
“A bond I didn’t agree to.”
A few low growls echoed.
No one spoke to the King like that.
But Kael only looked at her.
“You are still alive because of that bond.”
Alina frowned. “What does that mean?”
Before he could answer, one of the older Lycans stepped forward.
“It means your life is now tied to his,” he said.
Her stomach dropped.
“What?”
“If the King falls,” the man continued, “the bond will affect you. If you die… it weakens him.”
Alina’s heart pounded.
She turned to Kael.
“You connected my life to yours?”
His gaze didn’t waver.
“Yes.”
“That’s insane!”
“It was necessary.”
Anger rose in her chest.
“You don’t get to decide my life!”
This time, the room reacted.
Tension.
Unease.
But Kael raised his hand.
Silence returned instantly.
His voice lowered.
“You are already part of this war.”
Alina froze.
“What war?”
He stepped closer.
“The one coming for this throne.”
Her breath caught.
“And you think tying me to you fixes that?”
“No,” he said calmly.
“It protects you.”
Before she could respond—
The massive doors opened again.
A guard stepped in quickly.
“Your Majesty, the prisoner has been secured.”
Kael’s eyes darkened slightly.
“Good.”
Alina frowned. “Prisoner?”
Kael didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at her.
“Someone tried to enter the palace last night.”
Her chest tightened.
“And?”
“They weren’t here for me.”
A chill ran down her spine.
“They came for you.”
Alina took a step back.
“That’s not possible.”
“It is.”
The truth settled heavily in the room.
The rebellion had already begun.
And she was part of it.
“I want to leave,” she said suddenly.
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Kael’s expression didn’t change.
“No.”
Her jaw tightened.
“You can’t keep me here.”
“I can.”
His voice was calm.
Certain.
That made it worse.
Alina looked around the hall.
Every face.
Every pair of eyes.
None of them saw her as human anymore.
Only as a problem.
Or a weapon.
Or worse—
A threat.
She turned back to him.
“Then what am I supposed to do?”
For a moment, Kael studied her.
Then he said quietly,
“Survive.”
The word hit harder than she expected.
Because the way he said it—
This wasn’t just a warning.
It was a reality.
Alina swallowed.
The mark on her neck pulsed again.
Soft.
Alive.
And for the first time since all of this began—
She truly understood.
This wasn’t just about being sold.
Or being trapped.
Or even the bond.
This was bigger.
Much bigger.
And whether she liked it or not—
She was already in the middle of it.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD