Chapter 9

“Aiden... stop,” I whispered, though my voice was weak.

He released me, stepping back with a grim look on his face. “You can deny it all you want, Layla, but that won’t change what’s happening between us.”

Frustration boiled inside me. “You rejected me, Aiden. You can’t just show up and act like we’re supposed to be together now.”

His eyes flickered with something unreadable. “I rejected you because I thought it was the right thing to do. For you, for the pack, for everyone. But I was wrong.”

“Wrong?” I echoed, disbelief flooding my chest.

Aiden’s jaw clenched. “You’re my mate. The more I tried to push it away, the more I realized I can’t. And now, with this mark... it’s not just about the bond anymore. There’s something deeper happening, something neither of us can control.”

I didn’t know what to say. Everything in me screamed to reject what he was saying, to push him away, but a small, traitorous part of me wanted to believe him.

Wanted to believe that maybe this wasn’t all just the bond’s doing. Maybe there was something real underneath it all.

But that wasn’t fair to James. Or to me.

“I don’t care what you feel, Aiden,” I said, my voice finally finding its strength. “I’ve moved on. I’m with James.”

Aiden’s face tightened at the mention of James, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to.

The tension between us was thick, and I could feel the possessiveness rolling off him in waves.

“You think you can run from this?” he asked quietly. “You think being with James is going to change what’s happening between us?”

“I love him,” I said, and it wasn’t a lie. I did care deeply for James. But as I spoke, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the bond between Aiden and me was starting to cloud everything, even my own emotions.

“Maybe you do,” Aiden said softly. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine.”

The words hung in the air like a dark promise, and I hated how much they affected me.

I wanted to scream at him, to push him out of my life for good, but I couldn’t. Not with the bond pulling at me so fiercely, not with the mark burning on my skin.

Aiden took a step closer, his eyes locked on mine. “You can’t fight this forever, Layla. One way or another, we’ll be together. You can pretend all you want, but deep down, you know it’s true.”

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way my pulse raced at his words. “I’ll fight it as long as I can. You have Zara, go be with her!”

He studied me for a moment longer, then nodded. “Fine. But don’t think for a second that I’ll stop fighting for you.”

With that, he turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him. I stood there in the silence, my mind racing, my heart torn.

The bond was growing stronger, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could resist.

That night, sleep refused to come. My mind replayed the conversation with Aiden over and over again, and no matter how much I tried to push it away, his words lingered like a shadow.

I was his. And no matter how hard I tried to deny it, some part of me knew it was true.

But I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t let Aiden control my fate, my choices.

Morning light crept through the windows as I made my decision.

I would find a way to break the bond, no matter what it took. Even if it meant leaving everything behind, James, the pack, my old life, I would do it.

I wouldn’t let the bond dictate my future.

But deep down, I knew that fighting fate was never that simple.

The morning after my encounter with Aiden, I went straight to James. He was in the archives, bleary eyed and surrounded by stacks of books and scrolls that he had been studying late into the night.

When he looked up and saw me, his face softened, and he gave me a tired smile. “Couldn’t sleep either, huh?”

I shook my head, sitting down beside him. “I had a… visit from Aiden last night.”

James’s jaw tightened. “Did he...?”

“He didn’t hurt me,” I interrupted quickly. “But he’s… he’s not letting this go, James. He’s determined to fight for the bond.”

James’s expression darkened. “And you? How do you feel?”

I hesitated, biting my lip. “I don’t want this, but… there’s something stronger at play here. I can feel it, and I don’t know how much longer I can keep resisting.”

He nodded, looking away, the hurt evident in his eyes. “I promised I’d help you, and I will. No matter how difficult it gets.” He reached out and took my hand, squeezing it firmly. “We’ll break this, Layla. We’ll find a way.”

Despite his resolve, I could see the strain it was taking on him.

It was unfair to keep dragging James into the mess my life had become, but I couldn’t bring myself to let him go.

“Have you found anything new?” I asked, gesturing to the pile of books around him.

He shook his head. “Nothing concrete, but I found a few passages about a ritual that was once used to sever blood bonds.”

He reached for a dusty old book, flipping it open to a page covered in faded writing. “It was used in ancient times, but there’s little information on how it’s actually performed.”

“A blood bond ritual?” I repeated. “Could it work on a mate bond?”

“It might,” he replied cautiously. “But it’s dangerous. The passages mention the risk of… well, let’s just say it could go wrong in more ways than one.”

I felt a chill run down my spine, but desperation pushed me forward. “If it’s the only way, I have to try.”

James looked at me, worry creasing his brow. “It would require both of you to agree, Layla. Both you and Aiden. He’d have to be willing to let you go.”

A hollow feeling settled in my chest.

I knew Aiden, I knew the relentless intensity with which he held on to things he wanted. Letting go wasn’t in his nature. I didn’t know how I would convince him to risk such a ritual.

But I had to try.

I found Aiden later that day in the training grounds. He was working with the younger warriors, his gaze sharp and focused as he demonstrated a series of advanced moves. When he noticed me standing on the sidelines, he excused himself and walked over, wiping sweat from his brow.

“Layla,” he greeted, his voice measured. “What brings you here?”

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what I was about to ask. “I found a possible solution for breaking our bond. But it’s… it’s dangerous, and it would require both of us to agree.”

His expression darkened, a hard edge creeping into his gaze. “What kind of ritual?”

“It’s called a blood bond severance ritual,” I explained, my voice steady even as my hands trembled. “It was used in ancient times, but there are risks involved.”

Aiden crossed his arms, studying me. “Risks?”

“It could be painful. And if it goes wrong… there’s a chance one of us could die.” I forced myself to hold his gaze, waiting for him to process the gravity of my words.

For a moment, he said nothing, just watching me with those intense, piercing eyes. Then he took a step closer, his voice low and unwavering. “And you’d risk that? You’d risk dying just to be rid of me?”

The question took me by surprise, and I felt a pang of guilt at the hurt in his tone. But I forced myself to nod. “I can’t keep living like this, Aiden. This bond… it’s consuming me. I need to be free, even if it means taking that risk.”

His jaw clenched, and I could see the struggle in his eyes, the war between his desire to keep me close and his reluctance to see me suffer. Finally, he exhaled, looking away. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

The answer was unexpected, and relief flooded through me. “Thank you.”

“But on one condition,” he added, his voice firm. “You give me three days. If, by the end of those three days, you still want this… I’ll go through with the ritual.”

I hesitated, sensing an unspoken challenge in his words, but I didn’t have a better option.

“Three days,” I agreed.