Chapter 4 Heat Of The Bond

ELENA

The heat of the mate bond burned through my skin, leaving no feeling of warmth. 

It felt like hot oil, bringing back the bitter taste of wolfsbane and the cold sheets of my deathbed. 

“Mate! Mate! Our mate!” My wolf howled inside my mind, eager to submit to the male holding us, but I slammed a mental wall down between us, forcing her into silence. “No, he’s not our mate!”

Lucian’s fingers tightened on my waist. His grey eyes widened, his lips parting slightly as the mate bond hit him too. He could also feel it. The undeniable, soul-binding connection the Moon Goddess had forced upon us. In my past life, this was the exact second I had fallen to my knees, practically begging for his affection. I had looked into those eyes and seen my future.

Now, all I saw was my murderer.

Panic flared in my chest, not from fear of him, but from disgust. The touch of his hands felt like crawling insects.

I shoved against his chest with both palms. "Who are you? Let go of me."

Lucian blinked, startled by the harshness in my tone, but his grip loosened just enough for me to scramble backward. My heels made clattering noises against the floor as I put three full paces between us. I smoothed down the front of my dress with hands that barely trembled, refusing to show him a single trace of weakness.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Lucian asked. His voice didn’t hold the mocking edge from our past life. It felt soft, kind and strange. Probably the same voice he had used to make me fall for him. He reached a hand out toward me, his brow furrowed as he stared at his own palm, as if confused by the spark of the bond. "You felt it too? Is that the reason it looks like you've seen a ghost?"

"I don’t know what you are talking about. I am fine," I said, my voice as flat and cold as ice. "Thank you for catching me, Alpha."

He stepped closer, his intense eyes searching my face. He was waiting for the traditional reaction. He obviously expected the blushing, the breathless confessions, the hesitation of a young woman who had just found out she was looking at her fated mate.

"Princess Elena..." he started, taking another half-step forward. "Did you not feel that?"

"I felt myself lose my balance…" I interrupted, cutting him off before he could speak the word mate. “…that’s all. I believe we are done here. If you will excuse me, I need to check on my father."

Lucian opened his mouth to say something, his jaw working as he tried to find the words, but the utter lack of warmth in my eyes stopped him cold. The confusion on his face was almost comical. He was used to people bending to his presence, used to being the most powerful man in the room. He clearly didn't know what to do with a princess who looked at him like he was dirt on her shoe.

Instead of pushing, he closed his mouth and gave a polite nod, stepping back to give me space.

I turned my back on him without another word and walked toward the grand dais where my father sat. Every step away from Lucian felt like a small victory. It hurt remembering how I had spent three years chasing a man who treated me like a ghost. Thank the moon goddess, I was back to rewrite my fate. 

"Elena, my heiress," my father muttered as I approached his high-backed chair. Alpha Elijah looked weary, his hand resting weakly on the armrest. "Do you know what on earth happened to Nora down there? She looked entirely out of her mind. Why?"

"I have no idea, Father," I lied smoothly, scrunching my face together so I would look sad and a little concerned. "She seemed very eager to wear my royal dress. Perhaps the fabric didn't agree with her."

My father sighed, rubbing his temples. "She embarrassed us. In front of the entire territory, no less. I am glad you at least retain the composure expected of my bloodline." He paused, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on the tall, dark-haired Alpha standing near the balcony. "Have you met that man?”

He pointed, and my eyes followed to find Lucian. Before I could think, my father's voice came again. “That is Alpha Lucian of the Northern Ridge. He is strong and very ambitious. I trust he will make a good match for the pack, should you choose him."

No way! He was my killer too. He had ended me without a second thought.

"I know, father, but there are other options. I need to take my time to find the suitable Alpha for the Pack," I said, stepping closer to his chair so I could lower my voice. "Our pack needs stability, not a rush into a binding contract."

He looked at me, his eyes squinting at me with a glint of surprise, before he gave a slow nod. "Perhaps you are right. I didn’t think you would give such a wise response, Elena. I am proud of you."

If only he knew how much that wisdom had cost me.

The Mate Hunt ceremony dragged on for hours. Music filled the grand hall, and young wolves danced, laughed, and flirted with each other. I stayed near the head table, sipping water and speaking only when spoken to by visiting elders.

Yet, no matter where I stood, I could feel Lucian’s eyes on me.

He didn't mix with the other Alphas. He didn't dance with any of the noble daughters who lined up to catch his eye. He stood by the windows, holding a glass of wine, his gaze fixed entirely on me. Every time I accidentally glanced in his direction, he was already watching. He looked frustrated, like a man trying to solve a puzzle that made no sense.

His ego was hurting because firstly, I denied the mate bond, and secondly, being the most eligible Alpha amongst all other Alphas present didn’t seem to impress me. Good. Let him bleed his brain out trying to figure me out.

Near the end of the evening, I made my move to exit through the side doors toward the garden path. I needed fresh air away from the scents of perfume and wolf pheromones. And also from…

"Princess."

I paused at the threshold of the doors.

The very person I was running from was here too?!

I closed my eyes for a brief second to compose myself before turning around.

Lucian was standing a few feet away in the hallway, the lights shining over his face. 

"Alpha Lucian," I said, keeping my hands folded neatly in front of my dress. "Hmm, why are you here? The ceremony is over. Or is there something you need from the Moonspire Pack before you retire?"

He took a slow step closer, his eyes dropping to my hands before rising back to meet mine. "You're avoiding me."

"Mmm. Serious accusation. I am hosting dozens of guests," I replied plainly. "I do not have the leisure of spending my evening entertaining one person."

"That isn't what I mean, and you know it," he said, his voice dropping into a low, rumbling tone that usually made weaker wolves submit. "When I caught you earlier... the bond snapped. You felt it. I know you did."

I tilted my head, looking at him as if he were discussing the weather. "And what if I did? A mate bond is a biological fact, Lucian. It is not an order. It does not mean I owe you my time, nor does it mean I am obliged to hand you a crown."

It felt like I saw him flinch slightly at the mention of the crown. Something dark also seemed to cross his eyes, but he quickly masked it. "I didn't come here to demand anything. I simply wanted to talk to my mate."

"I am the Crown Princess of this Pack," I said, stepping closer to him until I was looking straight up into his eyes. "I suggest you remember that title before you address me so casually again. Have a good night, Alpha."

I didn't wait for his response. I hurriedly walked out and shut the doors behind me with a firm thud.

I walked down the stone path, my breath coming out in white clouds. My heart was pounding because of the adrenaline of taking control.

Yes, that was how strong the mate bond could be. Being close to one’s mate without being marked makes it harder to breathe, to stay away, to resist. 

But I wasn’t going to bow to it because the pain would become worse eventually.

Back then, after we had marked each other, Lucian used the mate bond to his advantage because I was the weaker partner. He would intentionally pull women into his orbit to cause me and my wolf pain. 

Refusing to accept the bond this time around would save me from all of that. He wouldn’t be able to push me without looking desperate in front of my father, and he couldn't force a bond on a Crown Princess who clearly despised him.

Not yet, I thought, looking up at the silver moon hanging in the sky. It isn't time to strike yet.

Destroying Lucian and Nora right now would be too quick and merciful. If I exposed them today, they would just be cast out. I wanted them to build their hopes up, to think they were close to getting everything they ever dreamed of, only to tear it down from the inside out.

I paused near the edge of the fountain, looking toward the guard barracks in the distance.

Julian was standing near the main gate, his tall frame clad in his guard armor, monitoring the perimeter. Even from here, I could see his alert posture, his eyes scanning the grounds to ensure my safety. He was the only man who had stayed by my side until my last breath, taking a blood vow to avenge me even as I died in his arms.

This time, I wasn't going to let him carry that burden alone for nothing. He deserved to be more than a guard.