Chapter 4
1080 Words
He was here.
And he wasn’t coming to ask.
Before my brain could even process it—
In a blink, he was there.
Too close.
His hands pinned mine above my head, trapping me against the cold stone wall.
I froze.
Not out of fear—but from the surge of something *else*. Dark. Dangerous. Familiar.
His breath was hot at my ear, sending a pulse straight through me.
“I never got to see you grow into this…” he whispered, voice rough like smoke and velvet, “mighty, sexy woman I’ve always craved.”
Then—his tongue slid along the edge of my earlobe.
A slow, deliberate lick.
He bit it softly.
And I *shuddered*.
Something inside me snapped.
Without thinking, I released my tails—ten of them—each one blazing with celestial fire, despite knowing full well the rule:
*No powers for 50 days after the tenth tail awakens.*
But I didn’t care.
I was ready.
Ready to fight. Ready to run.
Ready to take the consequences—whatever they were.
But then—
He spoke.
One word.
Just *one*.
And my power faltered.
My tails stilled. The energy around me... *obeyed* him.
Like it *recognized* him. Like it *belonged* to him.
I stared at him, heart racing, fury burning.
“What did you do to me?” I breathed.
His lips curled into a slow, sinful smile.
“I didn’t do anything,” he said softly. “You were always mine.”
My breath caught.
His words slithered through my veins like poison laced with desire. I hated how my body reacted to him. To *that voice*. To the claim buried inside it.
“You were always mine.”
I snarled, trying to pull my hands free. “I’m not yours. Not now. Not ever.”
But his grip tightened—not enough to hurt, just enough to remind me how easily he could. And yet, even in that strength… there was restraint.
His eyes burned gold in the dark. “Then why does your magic bow to me, Ayin?”
I didn’t have an answer.
Because I didn’t know.
The bond should’ve been dead.
The power *should’ve* been mine alone.
And yet…
My ten sacred tails shimmered faintly behind me—no longer pulsing with fury, but trembling with confusion. Or worse… *recognition*.
“You think you still own me because of a bond I rejected a thousand years ago?” I hissed, my voice shaking.
He leaned in—forehead brushing mine. “Rejection means nothing when fate refuses to listen.”
My heart thundered. My magic buzzed against my skin, aching to be used. But it remained... *still*.
Like it was waiting for *him*.
“You ruined my life,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “You destroyed everything I loved.”
His expression flickered—just for a second. “And you think you didn’t ruin me?”
Silence.
Only our breathing filled the space between us. Harsh. Heated. Colliding.
Then his eyes dropped to my lips. “We’re not finished, Ayin. You know it. Your soul knows it.”
“I’ll kill you before I ever let you touch me again,” I spat.
His smirk returned, this time darker. “We’ll see.”
And then—just as suddenly as he came—he vanished.
A shadow.
A whisper.
Gone.
I collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, clutching my chest as the bond still pulsed wildly inside me like a second heartbeat.
He didn’t need to say it outright.
The hunt had begun.
And I was the one being hunted.
I collapsed to the floor, gasping for air, clutching my chest as the bond pulsed wildly inside me—like a second heartbeat, raw and relentless.
Then the door slammed open.
“Ayin! Ayin!!”
Selin rushed in, eyes wide, her voice cracking with panic.
“He was here—the priests *felt* it,” she breathed. “And it’s spreading—news of his return has reached all realms. He’s back. Back in his clan. He’s reclaimed his title as Alpha of the Werewolves.”
Her voice broke. “Ayin… what do we do?” she whispered, tears streaking her cheeks.
But I didn’t answer.
Because *that* wasn’t what made my blood run cold.
That wasn’t the worst of it.
No… the worst part was what I felt deep in my soul, more real than any prophecy or threat.
He wasn’t just back.
He was back for *me*.
And the bond was leading him straight to my door.
I gripped the edge of the table, forcing myself upright even as the bond throbbed harder—like it knew I was fighting it.
Selin steadied me. “We have to run, Ayin. Just until your power returns.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. If I run, he’ll chase me—and the moment he finds me, the bond will snap completely. There’ll be no fighting it then.”
She stared at me, horrified. “Then what?”
I met her gaze, voice low. “We prepare. We stall. We find out *how* the seal broke. Someone helped him. Someone powerful.”
A gust of wind howled through the chamber, snuffing out the candles.
Selin gasped. “The wards—!”
“Are breaking,” I whispered.
The room grew colder. The shadows deeper.
And then—
*A voice. Right behind me.*
Low. Velvet. Dark.
*“Did you miss me… little fox?”*
I spun around.
But no one was there.
Just the sound of a heartbeat—
Just the sound of a heartbeat.
Deep. Heavy. Echoing like war drums in my chest.
“Kelvin...” I breathed. My voice barely came out.
It *was* him.
Not Kaydel.
But *Kelvin*.
The Lord of the Wizards.
The one I had once called friend—trusted.
The one who vanished the same night the seal broke.
A cruel realization spread through my veins like poison.
*He* was the one who broke the seal.
*He* was the one who brought Kaydel back.
And now… *he was inside my palace.*
Selin drew her sword, eyes wide with panic. “Ayin… how did he get through the wards?!”
I didn’t answer.
I couldn’t.
Because I finally understood—
This wasn’t just about Kaydel anymore.
This was a war started from within.
And Kelvin?
Kelvin wasn’t just helping the enemy.
*He was leading him straight to me.*
- Writer
