All Chapters of Bound by faith : the rise of a rejected mate : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Melissa’s POVStrangely, the air in The Void writhed and twisted around me, shimmering as though it were alive. I knelt on the disintegrating dirt, breathing heavily, my heart thumping. With every second, my legs grew weaker and my arms felt heavy.I strongly convinced myself that this was not how it would end. I'm not going to give up. Not right now."Still fighting, are we? You can't win, Melissa. You're just delaying the inevitable," the Void Queen said, her mocking laughter echoing about me.Anger was rising in my chest as I glanced up at her. She was a perfect, warped replica of me, standing tall with fiery red eyes."You don’t know me," I clenched my teeth and muttered. "And you never will."My mind raced back to my pack's memories: Dennis's steadfast devotion, Damon's determined visage, and how the pack stood by one another during the worst of times. She would never be able to take away my strength, which was my relationship with them.I reached inside myself and closed my eyes

Melissa’s POVWhen I left the pack house, the temperature was lower than usual. Whispers appeared to infiltrate my head along with the unnatural chill of the wind. In the back of my mind, my wolf growled softly but steadily as she stirred nervously.Her words, "Something isn't right,"Silently, I nodded as the region began to feel the weight of the unease."Melissa!" Emily rushed toward me, her breathing laboured and her face white. "You need to see this."I went to the training fields after her. The once-vibrant area where wolves trained and sparred had devolved into a chaotic spectacle. A strange fog clung to the ground, the grass was wilting, and trees were charred.I questioned sharply, "What happened here?"Damon came over, his face serious. "The Void’s energy is leaking through the crack. It’s infecting the land, Melissa. And it’s not just here."A spine-tingling howl resounded from the trees as if at the same moment. A wolf, its eyes flashing an odd green and its fur matted, st

Melissa’s POVI felt waves of pain as the mark on my arm burnt once more. I looked down at the blazing symbol and winced. The harsh, unnatural edges of the sign were carved into my skin. I could feel it every time it pulsed, like an unseen thread drawing me nearer to something horrible and gloomy.Hey Melissa, what is it? Damon inquired in a worried tone. He was standing next to me, staring at the mark.With a trembling voice, I responded, "I don't know, Damon." Things are getting worse. Sometimes the ache is intolerable.I gritted my teeth to endure the piercing pain. For a minute, my eyesight became blurry as the mark seemed to hum with an odd energy. For a moment, I could see monsters from The Void, their eyes blazing red, moving in the corners of my consciousness.With his hand on my shoulder, Damon moved closer and asked, "What's happening?"To dispel the visions, I shook my head. "It’s like… like something’s calling me from within it. The Void, maybe."Dennis had been pacing clo

Melissa’s POVUnease permeated the air around the packhouse, making it feel heavier than usual. My heart thumped in my chest as I walked to the council room. I had seen the sidelong glances and heard the whispers. I was tormented by the betrayal I had heard, but I had to face the traitor before the rifts in our togetherness deepened.The place was quiet as I walked in. One of our reliable spies, Marcus, caught my attention. His eyes darted anxiously, and he stood stiffly. Dennis and Damon stood on either side of me, providing comfort but unable to quell the storm that was building within me."Marcus," I said in a calm yet icy tone. "We must speak."His shoulders sagged as he gulped forcefully. "I, Melissa..."I stepped closer and interrupted, saying, "Don't." "You were heard. I heard everything. You were addressing The Void's servant. You have deceived us.The room echoed with gasps. Marcus looked away, his hands shaking. He muttered, "I didn't mean for it to go this far." They put my

Melissa’s POVThe emblem on my arm burned like a flame beneath my flesh, and my entire body hurt as I stepped outside the packhouse. Since yesterday, the mark's eerie light had gotten brighter, telling everyone including myself that I was no longer just any wolf. But my concerns were more pressing now. At the brink of our frontiers, a stranger who claimed to be an ally stood.Despite my stomach churning, I said firmly, "Who are you, and what do you want?"Slowly and deliberately, the man took a step forward. His steel-sharp, calculating eyes glinted. "My name is Aelric," he introduced himself. "I’ve fought The Void before. I know what it wants and how to stop it."Damon protectively stepped in front of me and hissed, "You’ve fought The Void?" "How convenient. And you just happen to show up now?"Despite his wrath, Aelric's eyes shifted to Damon. "I’ve been watching. Waiting for the right moment. Now that Melissa has been marked, time is running out. If you don’t act, The Void will con