CHAPTER THREE
1244 Words
That night, the Viremont stronghold did not sleep.
It watched.
Liora felt it the moment she was left alone in the guest chamber they had assigned her. The room was too structured, too clean, too… controlled. Even the windows were placed with intention, overlooking the northern ridgelands like a quiet reminder that this was not her territory.
Not her space.
Not her rules.
She paced anyway.
Because if she stood still for too long, she could feel it again.
The bond.
A faint pull at the edge of her awareness, like a thread tied somewhere she could not see but could not ignore either.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered to herself.
It pulsed.
Not strong.
Just enough to annoy her.
Liora stopped pacing.
“…Did you just react?” she said slowly.
Silence.
Then another faint pull.
She narrowed her eyes. “Oh, absolutely not!”
Before she could argue with something that technically was not supposed to have opinions, there was a knock on the door.
She froze.
Then immediately sighed. “Of course.”
“Enter,” she said flatly.
The door opened.
Kael Viremont stepped in.
Liora did not look surprised. Just irritated in advance.
“You followed me,” she said.
“I did not,” Kael replied calmly. “I was directed here.”
“That is still following.”
“It is not.”
She pointed at him. “You are in my room.”
“It is a shared corridor.”
“That is not the same thing.”
Kael stepped inside fully, closing the door behind him. His gaze scanned the room briefly, as if assessing threats that did not exist.
“You are unsettled." he said.
“I am not unsettled,” Liora replied immediately.
“You are pacing.”
“I like walking.”
“You are walking in a circle.”
“I am thinking,”
“You are thinking aggressively.”
She stopped.
“…Did you just copy me?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“That is rude!”
“It was effective.”
She stared at him. “You are getting more annoying.”
“You are getting more predictable.”
“I will throw something at you!”
“There is nothing within reach.”
Liora glanced around.
He was right.
That made it worse.
She crossed her arms. “Why are you actually here.”
Kael did not answer immediately.
Instead, his gaze dropped briefly to his wrist.
The mark pulsed.
Then hers did too.
Liora felt it.
Stronger this time.
Not painful.
But present.
Like something leaning closer.
“You felt that?" she said quietly.
“Yes.”
“That is new.”
“It is increasing.”
Liora exhaled slowly. “I do not like that sentence.”
Kael stepped a little closer, not invading, but not distant either.
“Neither do I." he said.
A pause.
Then Liora tilted her head slightly. “So let me guess. You came here to analyze it?”
“Yes.”
“And not because you were also feeling it and it was bothering you?”
“That is also accurate.”
She smirked faintly. “So you are human?”
“I did not say that.”
“You implied it.”
“I did not.”
“You are standing in my room because something you cannot control is happening.”
“That is strategy,” Kael replied.
“That is denial.”
Another pulse.
Stronger.
This time it lingered.
Liora’s breath caught slightly before she could stop it.
Kael noticed.
“You are reacting,” he said quietly.
“I am not reacting,” she said, already defensive.
“You are.”
“You are staring.”
“You are avoiding.”
“I am not avoiding.”
“You are speaking faster.”
“I speak fast when I am right.”
“That is not correlated.”
She stepped closer.
Deliberately.
“If you keep analyzing me,” she said, “I am going to make this situation worse.”
Kael did not move back.
“If you escalate conflict,” he said, “The bond will intensify.”
“Good,” she shot back. “Let it.”
Another pulse.
Stronger again.
Both of them felt it this time.
Clearly.
Liora froze.
Kael’s expression shifted slightly.
That was not just awareness anymore.
That was reaction.
“…That was stronger,” she said.
“Yes.”
“That was because we argued?”
“Yes.”
Liora stared at him.
Then she stepped even closer.
Testing.
“You are insufferable,” she said.
The bond pulsed.
Kael’s voice dropped. “You are reckless.”
Another pulse.
Stronger.
Liora’s eyes widened just slightly.
“Oh, this is dangerous,” she muttered.
Kael nodded once. “Yes.”
“But also…” she hesitated, then frowned, “…kind of useful.”
Kael blinked. “Explain.”
“If we control the intensity,” she said slowly, “we can control the bond.”
“That is a theory.”
“It is a good one.”
“It is untested.”
“That is what makes it interesting.”
Kael studied her.
Then said, “You are smiling.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“I am thinking.”
“You are enjoying this.”
“I am not enjoying this,” she said, then paused. “…I might be slightly enjoying this.”
“That is concerning.”
“For you,” she corrected.
Kael exhaled quietly.
Not quite a laugh.
But close.
The bond pulsed again.
Softer this time.
Different.
Liora noticed immediately. “Wait.”
Kael’s gaze sharpened. “That was not from conflict.”
“No,” she said slowly. “That felt… different.”
A silence stretched between them.
Then Liora realized something.
“You felt that too?" she said.
“Yes.”
“That was not argument.”
“No.”
They stood there.
Too close.
Too aware.
The bond pulsed again.
Soft.
Steady.
Not reacting to conflict.
Not reacting to tension.
Something else.
Liora stepped back slightly.
“That is worse,” she said.
Kael did not disagree.
“That means it is not just reacting to fights.”
Liora nodded slowly. “It is reacting to… something else.”
Kael’s voice lowered. “Connection.”
She made a face. “Do not say that word!”
“It is accurate.”
“It is uncomfortable.”
“It is still accurate.”
Liora turned away, running a hand through her hair. “This is getting complicated.”
“It already is." Kael said.
She glanced back at him. “If this bond starts deciding things for us, I am breaking something.”
“It is not sentient,” Kael said.
Liora raised an eyebrow. “You are very confident for someone who just admitted it reacts.”
A pause.
Kael did not answer.
That silence was enough.
Liora exhaled slowly. “Yeah. That is what I thought.”
Another quiet pulse.
Both of them felt it.
And neither of them spoke this time.
Because for the first time since the binding, the problem was no longer just external.
It was not just parents.
Not just packs.
Not just politics.
It was something between them.
Something neither of them controlled.
And worse than that.
Something that might not be asking for permission anymore.
- Writer
