4 – When the Bond Snaps
731 Words
The capital rose from the horizon like something out of a legend.
Tall black stone walls surrounded the great city, their towers cutting sharply into the morning sky. Banners of the Lycan kingdom fluttered in the wind as soldiers guarded the massive iron gates.
Elara stepped down from the carriage slowly.
Her breath caught.
The city was enormous.
Crowds moved through the streets—merchants shouting, soldiers marching, wolves from many different packs passing through the gates.
Everything felt louder.
Stronger.
Alive.
But the moment Elara stepped inside the city walls…
Her heart began to pound.
Hard.
Too hard.
She pressed a hand against her chest.
“What is happening to me…” she whispered.
The strange pull she had felt for days suddenly became stronger.
Much stronger.
Almost painful.
Like an invisible thread was pulling her deeper into the city.
Toward something she couldn’t see.
Or someone.
⸻
Inside the royal palace, tension filled the air.
King Alaric sat in the great council chamber while several pack leaders argued about border conflicts. Maps covered the large stone table between them.
But the king wasn’t listening.
Not really.
Because his wolf was going wild.
Restless.
Pacing.
Growling.
Demanding.
Alaric clenched his jaw.
“What is wrong with you?” he muttered quietly under his breath.
The feeling was overwhelming.
Something was approaching.
Something powerful.
Something that made his wolf surge with dangerous excitement.
Suddenly—
His wolf spoke again.
One word.
Clear.
Certain.
Mate.
Alaric’s chair scraped violently against the floor as he stood.
The entire council room fell silent.
“My king?” Marcus asked carefully.
But Alaric was already walking toward the doors.
Fast.
Too fast.
Something primal had taken over.
He didn’t know where he was going.
Only that he needed to find the source of that scent.
That intoxicating scent that suddenly filled the air.
Warm.
Wild.
And dangerously addictive.
⸻
Meanwhile, Elara had just entered the palace gates.
Her escort led her through the massive courtyard where royal guards trained with swords and spears.
But Elara barely noticed them.
The feeling in her chest was unbearable now.
Her heart raced.
Her skin tingled.
The world suddenly felt too sharp.
Too bright.
Too alive.
Then—
She smelled it.
A scent she had never experienced before.
Dark cedar.
Storm air.
Wild power.
Her body froze.
Her breath caught.
Footsteps echoed across the stone courtyard.
Heavy.
Dominant.
Approaching.
Every wolf in the courtyard suddenly went silent.
The guards immediately stepped aside.
Heads bowed.
Because only one man walked like that.
The Lycan King.
Elara slowly lifted her head.
And saw him.
King Alaric walked through the courtyard like a storm given human form. His tall frame radiated raw power, and his golden eyes burned with intensity.
The moment his gaze landed on her—
Time stopped.
The world went silent.
The bond snapped.
The force of it hit both of them like lightning.
Elara gasped.
A strange warmth exploded through her chest, spreading through every part of her body.
Her knees nearly gave out.
Across the courtyard, Alaric froze mid-step.
His wolf roared inside his mind.
MATE.
The word echoed like thunder.
The scent.
The pull.
The connection.
It was undeniable.
His golden eyes locked onto the young woman standing in the courtyard.
Silver eyes.
Dark hair.
And a scent that made his wolf absolutely feral.
His mate.
Impossible.
The courtyard held its breath as the king slowly walked toward her.
Every step made Elara’s pulse race faster.
Something deep inside her responded to him instinctively.
Power called to power.
When he finally stopped in front of her, the air between them felt electric.
Dangerous.
Alive.
Alaric’s voice came out low and rough.
“Who… are you?”
Elara swallowed.
Her voice trembled slightly.
“Elara.”
The moment she said her name, the bond pulsed again between them.
Stronger.
Possessive.
Unbreakable.
Alaric’s wolf surged forward with dangerous excitement.
Mine.
The word echoed inside his mind.
But Alaric forced it back with brutal control.
His expression darkened.
Because fate had just done the one thing he swore would never happen again.
The Moon Goddess had given him another mate.
And standing right in front of him was the woman destined to become his second chance.
But the king who once believed in fate…
Now trusted nothing.
Not even the bond pulling him toward her.
- Writer
