Bound By Blood

Helios’ POV

I never wanted a mate. Not like this. Not her. Yet, here I was, sitting at the edge of an oversized hospital bed, watching over the runt who had somehow bound me to her with something stronger than a mere mate bond, her blood.

It had been three days since I woke up to find Starlight beside me, pale and unmoving. Three days of watching her remain locked in that damn coma, her breathing too shallow for my liking. Three days of listening to my father and Elysia command me to stay by her side.

Three days of my wolf growing increasingly restless every time I thought of leaving. I hated it. I hated how trapped I felt. Hated the way my instincts screamed at me to protect her, touch her, keep her close. I equally hated how my wolf refused to let me pull away.

I clenched my fists, trying to ignore the way my body gravitated toward hers. Even now, with her unconscious, she had some kind of hold over me. "You shunned her. You denied her. And now you're stuck with her." My wolf had been mocking me since the moment I woke up. "She's ours.We need her and you were a fool to ignore the bond."

I scoffed under my breath. A fool. That’s what I had been. No. I had been smart. Who in their right mind would have willingly accepted a runt omega as their mate? It had been bad enough that fate had given me someone weak, but now the entire pack knew.

They knew that their powerful Alpha was tied to a nobody. Knew that I had hidden my mate because I was ashamed of her. And yet, she had saved me. I ran a hand down my face, exhaling slowly. The pack had started whispering the moment they found out.

“No wonder he never announced her. Who would accept an Omega Luna?” “He must have been hoping for a second chance mate.” Another chimed in. “An Alpha and an Omega? That bond won’t last.” The worst part? I had thought the same. But now? Now, my own body betrayed me every time I thought of rejecting her.

I felt it in my bones, in my wolf’s resistance. I was bound to her. And that terrified me more than anything else. I heard the door creak open and didn’t bother looking up. Elysia stepped inside, her knowing gaze immediately pinning me in place.

“She’s still unconscious,” I muttered, staring at Starlight’s still form. The healer sighed. “She lost too much blood, Helios. It’s a miracle she’s alive at all.” I gritted my teeth. The darned witches!

They had known about my mate before I did. They had known about the bond, and they had cursed me to reject any blood that wasn’t hers. Had they been planning to kill me? Or had they wanted me to realize, too late, that the mate I had ignored was the only one who could save me?

Either way, they had played their hand well. “I need her to wake up,” I muttered, voice harsher than I intended. Elysia hummed. “Do you?” I stiffened, looking at her sharply. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She gave me a knowing look. “You may not have accepted the bond before, but your wolf has. That’s why you haven’t left her side.” I stared her down, trying to suppress the rage bubbling inside me. “I stay because I’m ordered to,” I snapped.

Her lips curled into something annoyingly amused. “If that were true, you wouldn’t be holding her hand.” My heart skipped a beat. I hadn’t even realized it. My fingers were curled loosely around Starlight’s fragile wrist, her skin too cold beneath mine.

I dropped her hand instantly, jaw tightening. “Your wolf wants to keep her close,” Elysia continued. “It’s why you feel like you can’t leave. The bond will only strengthen from here.”

I clenched my jaw, refusing to respond. She was right. That was the worst part. I had spent years training my body, my mind, my willpower to resist weakness. Yet one unconscious girl was unraveling me in a way no enemy ever had. To make it worse, she is the one whom I've always despised.

Elysia sighed and turned toward the door. “She will wake soon, Helios. And when she does, she will remember everything.” I swallowed hard. She would remember. She would remember the years of torment. The way I ignored her. The way I pretended not to feel the bond.

She would remember every time I let the pack treat her like she was nothing. And I....I would have to face what I had done. Elysia left without another word, and I turned back to the girl lying in my bed, frustration boiling inside me.

What was I supposed to do when she woke up? Would she be grateful that I stayed? Or would she hate me? I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. There was only one thing I knew for certain.

No matter how much I wanted to resist. No matter how much I wanted to pretend the bond meant nothing. I was never going to be able to let her go. Not now. Not ever. And that realization gave me a splitting headache.