Feya’s POV
I heard my father’s voice reverberating through the walls, his words still searing through my thoughts. The echo of his anger seemed to crawl under my skin, a constant reminder of how I could never get things right, never be enough. I didn’t have the energy to face him again, to hear him tell me how I was a disappointment, how I failed him, how I failed everyone.
I couldn’t breathe with his voice hanging in the air, so I did what I always did when I wanted to escape: I walked. My feet carried me down the hall, though I didn’t have anywhere in mind. Just somewhere away from the heaviness of this house, away from my father’s rage.
I ended up in the living room, standing by the window, staring out at the empty yard. The air was stale, and the mansion felt suffocating, cold even though it was summer. I felt cold. And that’s when I spotted it: the landline sitting on the side table.
It was a relic, an old lifeline I hadn’t used in ages, but right now it felt like the only thing that could ground me. I picked it up, feeling its cool plastic against my skin.
My fingers trembled slightly as I dialed my best friend’s number. I needed someone who could make sense of this chaos. Needed someone who could make me feel like I wasn’t drowning in it all.
“Feya?” Her voice came through, warm and concerned. “What’s going on? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“I need answers,” I muttered, a tightness forming in my chest. “I’ve been thinking about... the mate bond. I just don’t get it. How did you know it was the right person? How did you know without everything falling apart?”
She paused for a moment, and I could almost hear her thinking, processing what I said. “You mean, how did I know it was really him?” she asked carefully, her voice softening. “Honestly, Feya, it’s not something you can just know right away. It’s a feeling, something deep inside. It pulls you in, and you can’t ignore it. But it’s not just about the bond. It’s about trusting that the bond is real, even if it doesn’t make sense. You’ll feel it when it happens.”
I closed my eyes, my stomach twisting. I didn’t want to feel it. Not with him.
“Yeah, but... What if it’s not right?” My voice cracked as I said it. “What if it’s someone you don’t want it to be?”
I heard her sigh on the other end of the line. “Feya, the bond doesn’t care about what you want. It’s already there. The best thing you can do is not fight it.”
I clenched my teeth, the weight of her words sinking into me, suffocating me further.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” I whispered, staring down at the landline in my hands. “I don’t know if I can... be with him.”
There was a pause, and then I heard a soft, “What do you mean? Who is it?”
The question hit me like a punch to the gut, and I stood there for a long moment, my chest tight. I didn’t want to say it. I didn’t want to believe it. But it was the truth. And the truth felt like acid on my tongue.
Before I could respond, it hit me. The pull. The surge of energy that ran through my entire body, making my heart race and my breath catch in my throat.
I didn’t have to look to know who it was. I could feel it.
Killian.
His presence was undeniable. My skin prickled as I felt his arms wrap around me from behind. That moment—when everything shifted—was almost suffocating. My breath caught in my throat, and my body froze.
His touch was like fire against my skin, and I wanted to rip away from him, but I couldn’t. The pull, the bond—it was too strong. It was like a force greater than myself was pulling me toward him, no matter how much I wanted to resist.
I hated it.
I hated the warmth of his body against mine, hated the way it felt like my heart was being torn in two.
“No,” I gasped, pulling away violently, my voice shaking with disgust and disbelief. “No, no, no... This can’t be happening again. Not you, sick head.”
He didn’t say anything at first. Just stood there, a painful silence stretching between us. His arms fell to his sides, and I saw him take a small step toward me, his gaze soft but with an edge of frustration that matched mine.
“Feya,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “You can feel it, can’t you? The bond. It’s real. We’re—”
“I don’t care!” I snapped, the words spilling out in a rush of frustration and fury. I could feel the tears threatening to rise, but I refused to let them fall. “I don’t care about any bond. I hate it. I hate you being my mate. I don’t want this.”
His eyes widened, and I could see the hurt flash through them, but all I felt was rage. I couldn’t stand it—couldn’t stand the thought of him being my mate. It felt like a betrayal, like everything in my life was a lie, and now this... this bond was just another part of that lie.
“You don’t understand, Feya,” he said softly, reaching out again, but I stepped back quickly, nearly stumbling. “I didn’t want this either. But it’s not something we can control. It’s fate.”
“Fate?” I scoffed bitterly. “I don’t believe in fate. I don’t believe in any of this. You—you’re my brother. How am I supposed to... how am I supposed to be with you like this?” My voice was shaking now, my chest heaving with anger and something else. Something I couldn’t quite name.
He took another step toward me, but I held up my hands, desperate to keep him away. “Don’t touch me,” I hissed, my voice breaking. “I can’t stand it. Don’t touch me.”
The words hit harder than I expected. I saw his jaw tighten, the muscles in his face clenching. But still, he didn’t leave. He didn’t pull away.
“Feya,” he said again, his voice low, almost pleading. “I’m not asking you to accept this right away. But you can’t run from it.”
I shook my head violently. “I don’t want this! I don’t want you!”
The words felt like knives in my throat, but they were the truth, and in this moment, the truth was all I could hold on to. I couldn’t accept this. Not with him.
“I don’t care,” I whispered through clenched teeth. “I hate it. I hate you being my mate.”
“Feya,” his voice was low, his grip firm but not painful. “If you’re not going to accept me, then reject me. It’s the only way. If you don’t want this—if you can’t handle it—then tell me. Reject me.”
His words cut through me like a blade. I froze, my entire body trembling as his words settled in. Reject him?
The thought of doing that... it twisted my insides, my heart skipping in my chest. I didn’t know if I could. I didn’t know if I even wanted to.
“I... I can’t,” I whispered, my voice shaking with emotion. “I can’t reject you.”
His eyes searched mine, full of pain and something else—something I couldn’t understand. “Then why are you fighting this so hard, Feya? Why won’t you just accept what we are?”
My hands trembled at my sides. “Because I hate it, Killian!” My voice broke, and I took a step back, my heart pounding in my ears. “I hate that it’s you. I hate that you’re my mate.” The words burned as I said them, but they were the truth, no matter how much they hurt.
I saw his face fall, the flicker of hurt flashing in his eyes, but there was something else there too—something that I couldn’t ignore. “I didn’t ask for this, Feya. I never wanted it to be like this, but we don’t get to choose. This bond... it’s real. It’s pulling me to you, just like it’s pulling you to me.”
“I don’t care!” I snapped, the anger I’d been holding inside now bursting free. “I don’t want it. I don’t want you as my mate!” The words spilled out before I could stop them, the rawness of my emotions flooding the room. “You’re my brother. I can’t be with you like this. This isn’t right.”
His grip on me tightened, but not in anger—he wasn’t forcing me. He was trying to hold me together, to stop me from falling apart. But I couldn’t let him. I couldn’t let myself feel this way.
“I’m not asking you to love me yet, Feya,” Killian said, his voice barely a whisper now, as if each word was weighing on him. “But I can’t let you go. Not like this. Not when we’re bound together like this.”
I shook my head fiercely, backing away from him. “I don’t care about the bond! I don’t care about any of it. I don’t want to feel this. I don’t want you.”
His face twisted with a mixture of frustration and desperation. “Then reject me,” he said again, his voice strained. “It’ll hurt, but at least you’ll be free of this. You won’t have to feel the pull anymore. You won’t have to feel me. You can walk away, you've always wanted us to be separated, it's just your opportunity to break the hound between us.”
Feya's POVThe hum of chatter from the workers drifted to my ears as I stepped into the hallway. At first, it was just the usual buzz, the mundane talk of everyday chores, but then I caught something that made my heart skip a beat. I lingered on the top step, letting the voices of the two workers below seep into my mind."Did you hear? Alpha Blake's coming back to the pack tomorrow," one of them said, her voice a little too light, too excited.I leaned against the railing, my fingers gripping the wood just a little too tightly, but I couldn't stop myself from feeling the rush of anticipation that surged through me at the mere mention of his name. Alpha Blake. I smiled, trying to mask the flutters in my chest, but the other worker’s response soon wiped the grin off my face."I know, I heard. He's my crush too," she said with a giggle.My breath hitched, a knot tightening in my stomach. I couldn’t have heard that right. She couldn’t be serious. I clenched my jaw, fighting to keep my com
Killian’s POVI gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary as I drove Feya back to the pack house. The silence between us was almost suffocating, but I could sense something in her that had shifted. She’d been more energetic than I expected when we went shopping—practically bouncing through the aisles like a child, her excitement impossible to miss. It was like she was on cloud nine, and for some reason, that made my chest tighten in a way I couldn’t quite explain.I stole glances at her as we drove, noticing how her smile seemed to linger long after we left the shop, how her fingers gently grazed the bags as if she were holding something precious. But the closer we got to the pack house, the more I began to wonder what was really going on inside her head. She hadn’t said much since we left the store, only occasionally looking out the window, lost in her thoughts.The tension was building in the pit of my stomach, gnawing at me. I wanted to ask her what had her so happy, but so
Feya’s POVThe table was set, the silverware glinting under the soft overhead light, and the scent of freshly prepared food filled the air. It was the kind of dinner that had always been meticulously planned by my father—a display of power and status. Tonight, though, it felt different. Tonight, the guest of honor wasn’t just some high-ranking pack member; it was Alpha Blake.I had barely slept, and my mind had been racing ever since I’d heard the announcement. Alpha Blake would be here tonight. I had never been more excited. And why wouldn’t I be? He was everything. Charismatic, powerful, magnetic. When I’d seen him just once before, he’d looked at me like I was the only person in the room. That look, that energy, had stayed with me.Killian, on the other hand, was a storm cloud in the distance. He was seething. His anger had only intensified the moment he’d heard the news. I could feel it, the heavy tension that had thickened the air between us. The way he kept avoiding my gaze, the
Killian’s POVThe cold air hit me like a slap in the face as I walked down the long, winding path away from the house. My hands were shoved deep into the pockets of my jacket, the bitterness of the evening biting through the fabric. I could still hear the faint sounds of laughter and clinking glasses from the dining room, but I couldn’t stay there. Not with him in there, with her sitting so close to him.I should’ve left sooner. I should’ve known it would eat me alive, but no. I had to watch it unfold. Feya, sitting beside Alpha Blake, all radiant and doe-eyed. It’s like she didn’t even see me anymore. She didn’t see the bond we had, didn’t care about the things we had shared. She was lost in the idea of him. And that hurt. It hit harder than I wanted to admit.I gritted my teeth and shoved the thoughts aside. No. I wasn’t going to let this mess with me. Not tonight. Not anymore.I pulled out my phone, tapping on the contact I had been avoiding for far too long. Zane. The only one who
Killian's POVI don’t know what the hell came over me, but the moment I pulled Feya’s debit card from my pocket, I felt like the whole club was at my fingertips. The glint of gold was almost too tempting.“Another round for the whole damn bar,” I said to the bartender, flashing the card with a grin. He raised an eyebrow at me, but when he saw the card, he nodded without hesitation.Zane, standing next to me, looked like she’d just seen me steal a diamond. “Wait a minute. You’re really doing this?”I shrugged, leaning against the bar, watching the bartender start pouring shots and cocktails for anyone within arm's reach. “Why not? It’s a night to remember, right?”Zane was still staring at me, her head tilted like she was trying to figure me out. “You don’t strike me as the type to throw around money for no reason.”I chuckled darkly, grabbing the drink the bartender slid my way. “It’s not about the money. It’s about the moment.”Her eyes narrowed, a smirk playing at the corner of her
Feya's POVI was sitting beside Alpha Blake in the grand living room of the pack house, the flickering fire casting shadows over the stone walls. The low murmur of conversation filled the room as everyone continued to enjoy the festivities, but I couldn’t seem to focus. My fingers tapped nervously on the armrest, my mind elsewhere. Alpha Blake was talking, his words slipping by me like water, not really reaching me.Then it came—the beep. A soft sound at first, almost inaudible over the low hum of chatter. I ignored it. But then, it came again. Another beep, then another. My phone.I glanced down at it, the persistent vibrations vibrating through the surface of the coffee table. I almost dismissed it, but something told me I shouldn’t. My fingers shook as I reached for my phone, pulling it towards me with a deep, unexplainable sense of dread in my chest.The screen lit up, and my heart sank when I saw the string of notifications. Debits. So many debits.I blinked, staring at the numbe
Faye’s povTonight is going to be the best night of my life.I have dreamed of this night since I was a child. The night where I will finally find my mate. The night where the person destined to love me will complete me in ways no one ever could. I had always known who it would be — Young Alpha Blake, the man I had loved in silence as long as I can remember. The one whose name I had written in my diary. He's the man I had always prayed to the Moon Goddess for, in hopes that, no, believing that on the day of the Mating Ceremony he would choose me. That he would be mine.And it was today.Music, laughter, and chatter filled the air. The golden decorative lanterns swayed from the tree branches, casting low glow over the sea of faces in the crowd. The night was thick with excitement as the pack gathered under the full moon. Everywhere I looked, couples were finding each other, happy and glad that they had found each other. It was the last selection. I was next.I walked to the center
Faye’s povEver since the mating ceremony, I had been avoiding Killian like a plague. And that as a very difficult task because avoiding him was like trying to run from my own shadow — No matter how fast I moved or how I always tried to stay out of his way, he was always there. His presence was a constant reminder to me that the mating bond between us was unbreakable but I refused to accept it. I skipped meals when I knew he would be in the dining hall,I trained at odd hours, hoping to miss him at the pack's training grounds,I even started sleeping in the Beta's quarters pretending in needed space from the Alpha's Wing. I tried all of that and more but…None of it worked.Why?Because tell me why Killian went everywhere I went. If I left a room, he would enter seconds later. If I avoided his gaze, he made sure to find ays to steal my attention and wors of all, everytime he said my nickname — just my nickname — I felt the bond tug at my soul. No matter how much I avoided him, h
Feya's POVI was sitting beside Alpha Blake in the grand living room of the pack house, the flickering fire casting shadows over the stone walls. The low murmur of conversation filled the room as everyone continued to enjoy the festivities, but I couldn’t seem to focus. My fingers tapped nervously on the armrest, my mind elsewhere. Alpha Blake was talking, his words slipping by me like water, not really reaching me.Then it came—the beep. A soft sound at first, almost inaudible over the low hum of chatter. I ignored it. But then, it came again. Another beep, then another. My phone.I glanced down at it, the persistent vibrations vibrating through the surface of the coffee table. I almost dismissed it, but something told me I shouldn’t. My fingers shook as I reached for my phone, pulling it towards me with a deep, unexplainable sense of dread in my chest.The screen lit up, and my heart sank when I saw the string of notifications. Debits. So many debits.I blinked, staring at the numbe
Killian's POVI don’t know what the hell came over me, but the moment I pulled Feya’s debit card from my pocket, I felt like the whole club was at my fingertips. The glint of gold was almost too tempting.“Another round for the whole damn bar,” I said to the bartender, flashing the card with a grin. He raised an eyebrow at me, but when he saw the card, he nodded without hesitation.Zane, standing next to me, looked like she’d just seen me steal a diamond. “Wait a minute. You’re really doing this?”I shrugged, leaning against the bar, watching the bartender start pouring shots and cocktails for anyone within arm's reach. “Why not? It’s a night to remember, right?”Zane was still staring at me, her head tilted like she was trying to figure me out. “You don’t strike me as the type to throw around money for no reason.”I chuckled darkly, grabbing the drink the bartender slid my way. “It’s not about the money. It’s about the moment.”Her eyes narrowed, a smirk playing at the corner of her
Killian’s POVThe cold air hit me like a slap in the face as I walked down the long, winding path away from the house. My hands were shoved deep into the pockets of my jacket, the bitterness of the evening biting through the fabric. I could still hear the faint sounds of laughter and clinking glasses from the dining room, but I couldn’t stay there. Not with him in there, with her sitting so close to him.I should’ve left sooner. I should’ve known it would eat me alive, but no. I had to watch it unfold. Feya, sitting beside Alpha Blake, all radiant and doe-eyed. It’s like she didn’t even see me anymore. She didn’t see the bond we had, didn’t care about the things we had shared. She was lost in the idea of him. And that hurt. It hit harder than I wanted to admit.I gritted my teeth and shoved the thoughts aside. No. I wasn’t going to let this mess with me. Not tonight. Not anymore.I pulled out my phone, tapping on the contact I had been avoiding for far too long. Zane. The only one who
Feya’s POVThe table was set, the silverware glinting under the soft overhead light, and the scent of freshly prepared food filled the air. It was the kind of dinner that had always been meticulously planned by my father—a display of power and status. Tonight, though, it felt different. Tonight, the guest of honor wasn’t just some high-ranking pack member; it was Alpha Blake.I had barely slept, and my mind had been racing ever since I’d heard the announcement. Alpha Blake would be here tonight. I had never been more excited. And why wouldn’t I be? He was everything. Charismatic, powerful, magnetic. When I’d seen him just once before, he’d looked at me like I was the only person in the room. That look, that energy, had stayed with me.Killian, on the other hand, was a storm cloud in the distance. He was seething. His anger had only intensified the moment he’d heard the news. I could feel it, the heavy tension that had thickened the air between us. The way he kept avoiding my gaze, the
Killian’s POVI gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary as I drove Feya back to the pack house. The silence between us was almost suffocating, but I could sense something in her that had shifted. She’d been more energetic than I expected when we went shopping—practically bouncing through the aisles like a child, her excitement impossible to miss. It was like she was on cloud nine, and for some reason, that made my chest tighten in a way I couldn’t quite explain.I stole glances at her as we drove, noticing how her smile seemed to linger long after we left the shop, how her fingers gently grazed the bags as if she were holding something precious. But the closer we got to the pack house, the more I began to wonder what was really going on inside her head. She hadn’t said much since we left the store, only occasionally looking out the window, lost in her thoughts.The tension was building in the pit of my stomach, gnawing at me. I wanted to ask her what had her so happy, but so
Feya's POVThe hum of chatter from the workers drifted to my ears as I stepped into the hallway. At first, it was just the usual buzz, the mundane talk of everyday chores, but then I caught something that made my heart skip a beat. I lingered on the top step, letting the voices of the two workers below seep into my mind."Did you hear? Alpha Blake's coming back to the pack tomorrow," one of them said, her voice a little too light, too excited.I leaned against the railing, my fingers gripping the wood just a little too tightly, but I couldn't stop myself from feeling the rush of anticipation that surged through me at the mere mention of his name. Alpha Blake. I smiled, trying to mask the flutters in my chest, but the other worker’s response soon wiped the grin off my face."I know, I heard. He's my crush too," she said with a giggle.My breath hitched, a knot tightening in my stomach. I couldn’t have heard that right. She couldn’t be serious. I clenched my jaw, fighting to keep my com
Feya’s POVI heard my father’s voice reverberating through the walls, his words still searing through my thoughts. The echo of his anger seemed to crawl under my skin, a constant reminder of how I could never get things right, never be enough. I didn’t have the energy to face him again, to hear him tell me how I was a disappointment, how I failed him, how I failed everyone.I couldn’t breathe with his voice hanging in the air, so I did what I always did when I wanted to escape: I walked. My feet carried me down the hall, though I didn’t have anywhere in mind. Just somewhere away from the heaviness of this house, away from my father’s rage.I ended up in the living room, standing by the window, staring out at the empty yard. The air was stale, and the mansion felt suffocating, cold even though it was summer. I felt cold. And that’s when I spotted it: the landline sitting on the side table.It was a relic, an old lifeline I hadn’t used in ages, but right now it felt like the only thing
Feya’s POVI stood at the balcony, my arms crossed tightly against my chest, watching them from a distance. There they were—Killian and Zane—sitting together on that bench in the garden, like some perfect pair, laughing, talking. His laughter, a sound that used to feel like home, now grated against my nerves like sandpaper. The way Zane lounged against him, as if it was normal for them to be so close, so comfortable.I couldn’t take it. My stomach churned. I hated seeing them together like that. Especially with Zane. I really don’t like her. The thought echoed in my mind like a mantra. I hissed several times under my breath, the anger bubbling beneath my skin, like a hot wire I couldn’t control.I felt so exposed standing here, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I should’ve been used to it, used to the way she always managed to slip into places she didn’t belong. But I wasn’t."Why are you snickering, Feya?"The voice came from behind me, cutting through my thoughts. I
Killian povWeeks laterI shifted uncomfortably as Zane's fingers dug into my thigh, and I let out a sharp wince, the sudden pain snapping me out of my thoughts. Her gaze was teasing, but there was an underlying seriousness behind it."What was that for?" I hissed, shooting her an irritated look.Zane didn’t seem to care much, her lips curving into a playful smirk. "You weren’t listening to me," she replied, her tone light and carefree, though I could hear a hint of concern buried in it. She tilted her head back, eyes searching the sky above us.I grunted, rubbing my thigh absently. "What were you saying again?"Her expression softened as she settled back into a more comfortable position on my legs. “I asked if you’ve settled your issues with Feya. Both of you are siblings, you don’t have to keep dancing around each other like this."I sighed, the weight of her words sinking deeper into my chest. The truth was, I hadn't settled anything. I hadn’t even been able to look her in the eyes