CHAPTER FOUR : THE BOND STRIKES AGAIN
1169 Words
The pain came without warning.
Mira dropped the cup in her hand as something sharp twisted inside her chest. It wasn’t like before. Not like the slow, dying pain she remembered. This was sudden. Strong. Alive.
She grabbed the edge of the table, her breath catching. “No… no, not again…”
Her heart started racing, fast and uneven. Heat spread through her body, moving from her chest to her veins like fire.
She knew this feeling.
Mate bond.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s not possible…”
She had avoided the ceremony. She stayed home. She did everything right.
So why now?
Another wave hit her, stronger this time. Mira gasped, her knees almost giving out as she steadied herself.
But something was wrong.
This didn’t feel like before.
It wasn’t pulling her toward the pack house.
It wasn’t pulling her toward Rhys.
It was… different.
Mira froze, her breathing uneven as she focused on the feeling. The bond wasn’t just there—it was pulling her. Tugging at her, like an invisible force trying to drag her somewhere.
And it wasn’t toward the center of the pack.
It was leading away.
Her brows pulled together in confusion. “What is this…?”
She took a slow step back, as if she could escape the feeling.
The pull tightened immediately.
Mira sucked in a breath, her hand pressing against her chest. It felt deeper than before. Heavier. Like it wasn’t just touching her heart, but wrapping around it completely.
“No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “I’m not doing this again.”
She turned away from the direction of the pull and started toward the door, forcing her legs to move in the opposite direction.
Each step felt harder than the last.
It was like her body was fighting her.
The closer she got to the door, the stronger the bond pulled back.
Mira stopped, her breathing rough. “Stop it…”
But the feeling didn’t stop.
It only grew.
“Why now?” she said under her breath, frustration rising. “I didn’t go. I stayed away. I did everything right.”
Her fingers curled into fists at her sides.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen.
She had changed everything.
So why was fate still interfering?
Another sharp pull hit her, stronger than before, and this time she let out a soft cry.
“Ah—!”
Her body leaned forward slightly, like it was being dragged by something she couldn’t see.
Mira quickly caught herself, panic flashing in her eyes.
“This is different…” she muttered.
In her first life, the bond had been softer at first. A gentle awareness. A growing connection that led her to Rhys.
This…
This felt like a command.
Like something that refused to be ignored.
A knock suddenly came at the door.
“Mira?” her mother’s voice called. “Are you alright? I heard something fall.”
Mira swallowed, trying to steady her breathing. “I’m fine!”
There was a pause. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Mira replied quickly, though her voice wasn’t as steady as she wanted. “I just dropped something.”
Silence lingered for a moment before her mother finally said, “Alright… but call me if you need anything.”
Footsteps faded away.
Mira closed her eyes briefly, exhaling slowly.
She needed to think.
But it was hard to think when her entire body felt like it was being pulled in another direction.
Her gaze slowly shifted toward the window.
The pull was coming from outside.
Beyond the pack.
Her chest tightened again, but this time, it wasn’t just pain.
It was something else.
Curiosity.
Fear.
Confusion.
“Who…” she whispered. “Who is it?”
It couldn’t be Rhys.
She knew that much.
This bond felt nothing like his.
Rhys’ presence had always felt warm, familiar, easy.
This… was intense.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Mira took a step toward the window, then stopped herself.
“No,” she said firmly. “I’m not going.”
She shook her head, backing away. “I don’t care who it is. I’m not following it.”
The bond responded immediately.
Stronger.
Tighter.
Mira gasped, her hand flying to her chest as her heart pounded harder.
It felt like it was pulling her from the inside now.
Demanding.
Insistent.
“Stop it!” she snapped, her voice rising.
But the bond didn’t listen.
It only grew more intense, wrapping around her like chains she couldn’t break.
Mira leaned against the wall, her breathing uneven. “This isn’t fair…”
She had already lived through this once.
She had already suffered.
Why was she being dragged back into it?
Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away quickly.
No.
She wouldn’t break down again.
Not over this.
“I won’t be weak,” she said quietly, forcing herself to stand straight. “Not this time.”
Another pull came, softer now… but deeper.
Not forcing.
Calling.
Mira stilled.
Her expression slowly shifted.
It felt different again.
Not like before.
Not like a command.
But like… something waiting.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
“Waiting… for me?”
The thought unsettled her.
Mira turned toward the window again, her steps slower this time. She placed her hand against the frame, staring out into the darkening sky.
The ceremony was happening right now.
She could hear faint music in the distance.
Laughter.
Voices.
That was where she was supposed to be.
Where she used to be.
But the bond wasn’t pulling her there.
It was pulling her away from it.
Far away.
Her heart beat steadily now, but the connection remained.
Strong.
Unbreakable.
Mira let out a slow breath.
“If I ignore it…” she whispered, “will it go away?”
Deep down, she already knew the answer.
No.
It wouldn’t.
This wasn’t something she could avoid forever.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the window frame.
“I said I wouldn’t follow it,” she reminded herself.
But her body didn’t move away.
Instead… she stayed there, staring out into the distance.
Listening.
Feeling.
The bond pulsed again, softer this time, but still there.
Still waiting.
Mira closed her eyes briefly.
Then opened them again.
Her decision wasn’t fully made yet.
But one thing was clear.
This wasn’t the same path as before.
This wasn’t Rhys.
And whatever was waiting for her out there…
It was something she had never faced in her first life.
Something new.
Something unknown.
Mira stepped back from the window slowly, her chest rising and falling with a quiet breath.
“I won’t rush into it,” she said under her breath. “But I won’t pretend it’s not there either.”
The bond pulsed again, as if responding.
And this time… she didn’t fight it.
Not completely.
Just enough to stay in control.
For now.
Because deep down, whether she liked it or not…
She knew this wasn’t over.
- Writer
