Chapter 6: Bound Without a Choice
1015 Words
I didn’t speak.
Not immediately.
Because the truth was sitting right in front of me, and I didn’t want to accept it.
“We’re tied.”
The words still echoed in my head.
Not a mate bond.
Not something I chose.
Something else.
Something worse.
I let out a slow breath, dragging my hand through my hair. “There has to be a way to break it.”
“There isn’t,” Selene said calmly.
I shot her a look. “You don’t know that.”
“I know enough.”
That confidence again.
I was starting to hate it.
Kael didn’t say anything.
He just stood there, watching me like he was trying to figure something out.
That annoyed me too.
“What?” I snapped.
“You’re not panicking,” he said.
I blinked. “What?”
“You should be.”
I let out a short laugh. “Oh, I am. I just don’t show it the way you expect.”
His gaze didn’t change. “No. You’re thinking.”
Of course I was thinking.
Panicking wouldn’t fix anything.
“There’s always a weakness,” I said, more to myself than them.
“There’s always a limit.”
Selene crossed her arms slightly. “You already found one.”
“Distance,” I muttered.
“Exactly.”
I frowned. “That’s not enough.”
Kael finally spoke again. “It’s a start.”
I glanced at him. “For what?”
“Control.”
That word again.
I didn’t like it.
“I’m not trying to control anything,” I said.
“You already are.”
I opened my mouth to argue—
Then stopped.
Because I remembered.
“Don’t come closer.”
And how he stopped.
Not by choice.
Not willingly.
Something in my chest tightened.
“That was different,” I said.
“Was it?” Kael asked.
Silence.
Because I wasn’t sure anymore.
Selene tilted her head slightly. “Try it again.”
I frowned. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not testing things on him like he’s some—”
“Command me.”
Kael’s voice cut through mine.
I stared at him. “What?”
“You want answers,” he said. “So do I.”
A pause.
“Command me.”
My chest tightened.
This felt wrong.
Very wrong.
“I’m not doing that.”
“Lyra.”
His tone shifted slightly.
Not forceful.
But firm.
“I won’t,” I said.
Selene watched us both, clearly interested now.
“You already did it once,” she said. “Accidentally.”
“I said I’m not doing it again.”
“Then you’re choosing to stay in the dark.”
That irritated me.
Of course it did.
I hated not knowing things.
I hated not being in control.
I looked at Kael again.
He hadn’t moved.
Still waiting.
Still watching.
Trusting me.
That made it worse.
“Fine,” I muttered.
One word.
One stupid decision.
But I needed to know.
I took a breath, steadying myself.
“Take a step back.”
Nothing happened.
Kael didn’t move.
My shoulders relaxed slightly.
Good.
That meant—
“Properly,” he said.
I frowned. “What?”
“Say it like you mean it.”
I glared at him. “I do mean it.”
“No,” he said calmly. “You’re holding back.”
I hated that he was right.
I could feel it.
That hesitation.
That resistance.
Because a part of me didn’t want to find out what would happen.
But another part—
Needed to know.
I exhaled slowly.
Focused.
Not on him.
But on that feeling.
That same place inside me that reacted before.
That pushed.
That reached.
“Step back.”
This time—
I meant it.
The air shifted instantly.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Kael’s body tensed—
And then—
He moved.
One step back.
Clean.
Controlled.
Not his choice.
Mine.
My breath caught.
Oh.
That wasn’t—
That wasn’t normal.
Kael stilled again.
His eyes locked onto mine.
Dark.
Focused.
“You felt that,” he said.
I nodded slowly.
“I didn’t force it,” I said quickly.
“You did.”
“No, I—”
“You didn’t hesitate,” he cut in. “That’s the difference.”
Selene let out a soft breath, almost like she was impressed.
“Well,” she murmured, “that confirms it.”
I ignored her.
My attention stayed on Kael.
“You could’ve resisted,” I said.
“No,” he replied immediately.
That made my stomach drop.
“What do you mean no?”
“I couldn’t.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Because that meant—
This wasn’t just influence.
This wasn’t just connection.
This was control.
Real control.
“I don’t like this,” I said quietly.
Kael’s expression didn’t change.
“Neither do I.”
Selene stepped closer, her voice softer now.
“But you should.”
I frowned. “Why would I like this?”
“Because,” she said, her eyes glinting slightly,
“You just forced an Alpha to obey you.”
My chest tightened.
That didn’t feel powerful.
It felt dangerous.
Wrong.
“Do it again,” Kael said.
I shook my head immediately. “No.”
“We need to understand it.”
“You already moved,” I snapped. “That’s enough.”
“It’s not.”
I clenched my jaw. “I’m not turning you into my puppet.”
“You’re not,” he said.
A pause.
“You’re revealing what you already are.”
That hit harder than it should have.
I stared at him.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Kael didn’t answer right away.
When he did—
His voice was lower.
More certain.
“It means,” he said,
“You didn’t just change the bond.”
A beat.
“You changed the balance of power.”
Silence followed.
Because that
That was bigger than anything I was ready to deal with.
And deep down
I knew he was right.
- Writer
