Ivy's POV.A new date was set for the test, and while most students groaned about having to retake it, I felt hopeful. But I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that I was being set up for failure all over again.That evening, I decided to talk to him, hoping that maybe he’d give me some sort of hint, a warning, anything to let me know if I was expected to “behave” again.So I casually slipped into the living room and found him sprawled out on the couch, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, his other hand scrolling through his phone like he didn’t have a single care in the world.I hesitated for a second before walking over, pretending like my heart wasn’t slamming against my ribs.“Hey.”No response.I perched on the armrest of the couch, forcing my voice to stay casual. “So… Mrs. Reynold mentioned the upcoming oratory contest today. The Global Oratory Championship. She thinks I have a good shot at winning.”Still nothing.I swallowed and tried again. “I still have to prepare my s
Ivy's POV.I pressed my back against the rough stone wall, my hands bracing against it as if I could somehow sink into it and disappear. I needed space, distance, anything to break the suffocating tension between us.But there was nowhere to go. Brandon had me effectively trapped, his body blocking any possible escape, his presence overwhelming every inch of air between us.I refused to look down.I refused.But my gaze had a mind of its own. No matter how hard I fought it, it kept slipping, kept betraying me, drawn to the very thing I swore I wouldn’t acknowledge. And Brandon, the smug bastard, noticed immediately.Of course, he did.“No girl has ever been able to look away,” he mused, voice low and self-satisfied.His words sent a sharp pulse of irritation through me, snapping me back into myself. I forced my eyes up, locking onto his with a glare that I hoped masked the heat rising up my neck.“I came here to talk,” I bit out, keeping my expression neutral.Brandon chuckled, the so
39.Ivy's POV.I can’t do this.That was the only thought running through my mind as I knelt there, my whole body was tense, and my hands curled into fists at my sides. Brandon towered over me, his expression unreadable, though there was a glint in his eyes that made my stomach turn.He was watching me like a predator watches its prey, like he was waiting for something.“Well?” he prompted, cocking a brow. His voice was smooth, expectant, dripping with that familiar taunting edge that made my skin crawl.I swallowed hard. My mouth felt dry, my hands trembling at my sides. I had no idea where to start, no idea what to do.He must have noticed my hesitation because he sighed and cupped my chin, tilting my head up further. “Open.”I did. Automatically.He slid into my mouth and I took him in, inch by inch. His taste exploded on my tongue, salty and musky. I didn't know how to do it. I've never been in this situation before. “Use your tongue,” his voice was a harsh groan, “pretend this
40.Brandon's POV.I couldn’t get her out of my head.Even now, as I stood in front of the mirror, buttoning up my shirt, my mind was stuck on Ivy. On the way she had looked at me, those wide, shocked eyes, the way her lips had parted, like she was about to protest but couldn’t quite form the words. Like some part of her, deep down, didn’t want to.She had that look about her. That perfect, innocent look, like she was made to be corrupted. Like she was just waiting for someone to lead her straight into sin. And the way she responded to me, her body, her breath, the way she trembled, made it painfully obvious she wasn’t as untouched as she wanted to pretend.I could still picture it. The way she tried to steel herself against me, to fight back, but her own body kept betraying her. The shaky breaths, the way her pulse fluttered at the base of her throat, the slight waver in her voice when she said my name like she didn’t know whether to hate me or give in.And the worst part? I wanted
41.Ivy's POV.When the test papers were handed back, I almost couldn’t believe my eyes.98. The highest score in the class.Relief and pride swelled in my chest, spreading through me like warmth on a cold morning. I stared at the bold red marks on my paper, my fingers tightening around the edges."Excellent work, Ivy," Mrs. Reynold announced, nodding at me approvingly. "This is what I was expecting from you. Keep it up."I nodded, still slightly dazed, barely able to register the praise. It had been so long since I had been recognized for something good, something I had earned."And speaking of excellence, the application for the International Oratory Championship is now open. Ivy, Brandon, you both shouldn’t forget to apply. I expect great things from you two."With a smile, she walked away.A hand landed on my desk, dragging me back to reality. Jackie grinned down at me, eyes twinkling with amusement."God, you’re actually blushing," she teased, her voice dripping with exaggerated
Ivy's POV.I cried all night.Silent, aching sobs that I tried to muffle with my pillow, but they didn’t stop. They just kept coming, wave after relentless wave, until I had no tears left, until my pillow was soaked, my throat raw, my body too exhausted to move.But sleep never came.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. My mom, in a pool of blood, gasping for air. I heard her voice, weak and desperate, calling for me. And beneath it all, looping in my mind like a sick, twisted echo, was Brandon’s voice from weeks ago.Pregnancies are easily aborted.By morning, I felt hollow. Empty. Like something inside me had been scraped out and discarded.I didn’t wait for Brandon. I didn’t even consider it. I arranged for a different ride and left the house without seeing him, without giving him a single chance to look at me, to speak to me, to exist anywhere near me.But, of course, luck wasn’t on my side.Because the second I stepped into school, I ran right into him.Brandon was already the
43.Brandon's POV.I must be running mad. That was the only explanation for why I felt this way.Nothing else made sense. Nothing else explained why Ivy’s accusation had gotten to me the way it did. People had said things about me before, and I had never once cared. Never lost sleep over what someone thought of me.But this?This wasn’t the same.This felt like something sharp had been driven straight into my chest, lodged between my ribs, refusing to let me breathe properly. It sat there, heavy and unmovable, pressing down on me in a way I couldn’t shake off.Ivy had looked at me like I was capable of something that vile. Like I was the lowest kind of filth. Like I had hurt her mother and the baby out of pure malice.I had tried explaining, but she hadn’t let me. She hadn’t even given me the chance. She had just screamed at me, her voice shaking with fury, telling me exactly what she thought of me. Telling me how despicable I was. How vile and horrible I had to be to do something lik
Ivy's POV.I couldn’t stop thinking about it.The way Brandon had leaned in so casually, as if asking me to let him have me was the most normal thing in the world. As if it was inevitable. Like sooner or later, I was going to give in, and he was just waiting for me to accept it.The worst part? The way my body reacted. The vivid images that flashed in my mind, so clear, so intense, I could almost feel them.And he knew.He had smelled it.He had teased me for it.He wanted to touch me. And I—I would have let him.If the driver hadn’t interrupted. If we hadn’t gotten to school when we did. If the moment had stretched even a few seconds longer, I might have let it happen.The realization made my stomach churn.What the hell was wrong with me? What was I becoming?And why was it him, of all people?I absently nudged a fry across my plate, my appetite long gone. The cafeteria was filled with its usual chaos, students laughing, sneakers squeaking against the tiled floor, trays clattering a
94.Ivy's POV.I was not prepared for this.The second Brandon opened the door, my mind just blanked. Completely.He stood there, freshly showered, damp hair falling messily over his forehead. Water still clung to his skin, glistening in the dim light, dripping down the sharp lines of his collarbones, trailing over the hard ridges of his abs before disappearing beneath the loose waistband of his sweatpants. Every inch of him looked like something out of a damn magazine, and I couldn’t stop staring.My throat felt suddenly dry, my grip tightening around the tray in my hands.Brandon smirked, clearly amused. “Are you just going to stand there gawking?”His voice snapped me out of it. My eyes jerked up to his face, and heat rushed to my cheeks so fast I thought I might combust on the spot.“I—no, I—” I stammered, struggling to gather a single coherent thought.His smirk deepened.I swallowed, trying to shake off the embarrassment. “I brought you food,” I muttered, shifting the tray in m
93.Ivy's POV Brandon had been gone for two days. Not that I was keeping track, or that I cared.I wasn’t noticing how quiet the house felt without him. I wasn’t catching myself glancing at the door of my room every night, half-expecting to hear his footsteps. I wasn’t wondering where he had gone or why he had left without saying anything. It wasn’t any of my business.I kept telling myself that. Over and over again.But by the second night, the silence was gnawing at me.I finally gave in while helping Mom clean up after dinner. She washed the dishes and I dried, with the warm scent of dish soap filling the air. I tried to keep my voice casual, like I wasn’t fishing for information.“Mum, where’s Brandon?”She hummed as she rinsed a plate. “Oh, he went on a weekend getaway with Amari.”My fingers clenched around the dish towel. “Oh.”Just like that, my mood shifted.Mom didn’t notice. She kept talking, smiling as if it was the sweetest thing in the world. “It’s nice that they’re spe
92.Brandon's POV Amari spun around the second I stepped inside, her face instantly paling.She looked startled, like a kid caught sneaking out past curfew, like she had been in the middle of something she didn’t want me to see. Her hands twitched at her sides, fingers curling slightly as she took a small step back.“W-what are you doing here?” she asked, her voice unsteady. Her wide eyes flicked from me to the hallway, like she was already calculating an escape route.Before I could answer, her father turned to me, wearing a warm, practiced smile. Completely unfazed.“Brandon,” he said with an approving nod. “Amari told me you two went on a weekend getaway. That’s good. It’s nice to see you both spending quality time together.”I didn’t respond.I was too focused on her. The way she wouldn’t meet my eyes. The way her shoulders were drawn tight, her stance stiff like she was waiting for something, dreading something.Her father didn’t seem to notice the tension radiating from her. Or
Chapter 91My mind was a tangled mess, thoughts twisting in every possible direction, colliding and unraveling all at once.The witch’s death wasn’t some freak accident. Someone had killed her, ripped her heart out before she could finish the ritual. That wasn’t just a coincidence. That was deliberate. That meant there was something to find, something someone didn’t want me knowing.If the mate bond was real, there would be no reason to stop me from checking it. No reason to go as far as murder just to keep me from questioning it.Which meant there was something off about it.I exhaled through my nose, gripping the wheel a little tighter. This should have unsettled me, should have made me feel worse than I already did. But beneath the frustration, beneath the questions and the chaos, there was something else.Relief.Because if this mate bond wasn’t real, if it had been manipulated, then I wouldn’t have to be bound to Amari. I could sever it completely. I could be free of it.The thou
90.Brandon's POV Amari didn’t say a word for the rest of the drive.She just sat there, arms crossed, staring out the window. Her expression was unreadable, but the way her fingers gripped her sleeves told me enough. She was holding something in, whether it was anxiety, anger, or fear, I wasn’t sure.By the time we reached Hex Hollow, the town was draped in mist, making the narrow roads seem endless. It was smaller than I expected. The trees by the road side weren’t normal. Their trunks twisted like they were in pain, and their bark were covered in strange carvings.What the hell is this place?The witch’s house sat at the very edge of the area, partially hidden behind some trees. It was old, the wood had darkened with age, and the windows concealed by heavy, dust-coated curtains. The place had a presence, something subtle but undeniable, like the house itself was watching us.I knocked once.The door creaked open just enough for a woman to peer out from the shadows. Her face was s
Brandon's POV I didn’t even have to think twice.The moment I stepped out of my father’s office, my decision was already made. I was going to Hex Hollow. No second-guessing, no hesitation. It didn’t matter how far it was or how much of a pain in the ass the trip would be. I needed answers.For days, I had been reading up on manipulated mate bonds, digging through every scrap of information I could find. The more I read, the more the pieces started falling into place.Black magic had been bound centuries ago, forbidden and sealed away. But that didn’t mean it was completely inaccessible. There were still ways to tap into it. And the ones who could were those who had given themselves over completely, souls already claimed, corrupted beyond saving.Those people were the only ones capable of forging a mate bond.And my gut told me that was exactly what had happened to me.The day I decided to leave came faster than I expected. I had smoothly lied to Amari that we were going on a weekend
Brandon's POV I found my father in his study. The heavy scent of old books, leather, and his colonge filled the air, a smell I had long associated with him. The fireplace crackled softly in the background, casting flickering shadows along the walls. He barely looked up when I stepped inside, his eyes scanning the documents on his desk with focus, the soft scratch of his pen filling the silence.I shut the door behind me. “Dad.”His pen paused mid-signature, then he set it down carefully beside the paper, finally lifting his gaze to meet mine. “Brandon.” He gestured toward the chair in front of his desk. “Have a seat.”I walked further into the room and sank into the chair, leaning forward slightly, resting my elbows on my knees. “I need to talk to you about something.”His expression remained unreadable, but he leaned back in his chair, interlacing his fingers over his chest. “About?”“The mate bond.”For a brief second, something flickered in his gaze, mild amusement, maybe, but
87Brandon's POV.The entire day was shit.It felt like something had burrowed under my skin, clawing at me from the inside, refusing to let go. No matter what I did, training, schoolwork, anything, I couldn’t shake the feeling off.Ivy’s words kept playing in my head, over and over, like a damn broken record.She had said it so firmly, so convincingly, like she actually believed it. Like she could just walk away from this and pretend none of it had ever happened.It pissed me off more than it should have.I tried to focus. Tried to let it go. But my punches in the gym were off, my movements were sluggish. School was even worse. I barely heard a word any of my teachers said, staring blankly at my notes only to realize I hadn’t written a single thing down. Every little thing irritated me, the scraping of chairs, and the way the clock seemed to drag on endlessly.And, of course, Amari noticed.She had been watching me all day, her gaze sharp and calculating, waiting for the right momen
Ivy's POV.Dinner was quiet, the only sounds filling the space were the soft clinking of cutlery against porcelain plates. It was just the three of us. Brandon, my mother, and me. I pushed a piece of chicken around my plate, watching as the sauce smeared across the white ceramic. Then something clicked in my mind, a memory from yesterday that I hadn’t fully processed until now. Setting my fork down, I glanced up at my mother. “Hey, Mom,” I said, keeping my tone light, casual. “Were you at the carnival yesterday?”She froze.For a split second, I saw it, the way her expression flickered, a flash of something almost like panic before she smoothed it over, replacing it with her usual warm, easy smile. It happened so fast that I might have imagined it."The carnival?" She let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head as she reached for her glass of water. "No, sweetheart, of course not. Why would I be there?"I frowned, studying her face carefully. There was nothing there now, no trace of th