What was it that he and Rhune were arguing about? A… mate bond?I’m not sure exactly what it means, but Dravik seemed fairly certain that whatever happened between us, it means I can’t go home.
Dread settles in the pit of my stomach like a stone. I had been so caught up in the pleasure, in all my desires, I never stopped to question what would happen if I gave in.
Oh God… am I going to be trapped in this frozen hellholeforever?
“Willow? Is everything okay?” Rhune slides his hand up and down my arm, soft and questioning. My skin tingles with his touch, and a surge of heat floods my core. Even though it’s the last thing I want to do, I force myself to wiggle out of Rhune’s hold. I need a clear head right now, and if he’s touching me, I won’t be able to focus.
Pulling the blanket up to my chin, I back up against the far wall, feeling like a lost little lamb as Rhune and Nyx’s hungry gazes trail my every move.
“Um…” I clear my throat, wondering why this is so damn hard. “So… I need to know what the hell just happened.”
Rhune perks up, his lips tipping into a bright smile as if this isn’t the worst thing to ever happen. “We’re bonded!” he says. “Soulbonded. The fates picked you just for me, and me for you.” With a deep purr, he begins crawling closer, his eyes filling with the same desperate hunger from earlier. “It is a gift, pup. The most wondrous thing to ever happen.”
“But… what does thatmean?” My hand reaches up to press against my heart. Even now, that thread is tugging, demanding I take my rightful place in Rhune’s lap.
“It means that you and Rhune were fated to be together.” Nyx’s gaze is intent. “Your souls are tied, forever. If you spend too much time apart, it will affect your body physically.” His eyes spark with a mischievous glint. “You’ve already seenoneway your body reacts to the bond. Picture the intensity of that, only… horribly painful. You physically cannot be parted from Rhune now.”
“Is there… Is there any way to get rid of the bond?”
As soon as the question is out of my mouth, I regret it. The thread curling around my heartsqueezes,sending ice and agony flooding through my system. At the same time, Rhune lets out a pitiful whine—one that shudders beneath my skin and shoves an iron poker straight through my heart.
“You can’t get rid of it.” Nyx’s mouth twists in sympathy. “Not unless one of you dies.”
My breath seizes.Death is the only thing that will break it? How could this be?
Sure, I like Rhune—maybe a little more than I should—but I’m not ready to be bound to himforever.It’s all so… final. And the worst part is, I feel like I didn’t get any choice in the matter.
“Did you know?” I’m unable to look at Rhune as my pulse pounds in my ears. “Did you know this could happen?”
He whines, reaching for me, but I jerk out of reach. “Willow…”
“Did you know?” I repeat. “Did you know that there was a possibility for us to bond?”
“I… I hoped,” he says. “I did not expect it to ever happen. You’re a human, after all.”
Nyx’s gaze turns inquisitive. “Rhune did mention hefelthis soul call for you in the forest. I just thought it was infatuation…” He shakes his head, incredulous. “If you have demon ancestry, then I guess it’s possible… though, there were no signs…”
“So what you’re telling me is that youknewthere was a possibility—no matter how unlikely—that this could happen, yet you didn’t tell me. Didn’t bother to prepare me for something that could change my whole life.” I shake my head, my face heating from the anger and betrayal pulsing through my veins. “Are these feelings… Are they evenmine? Or is it the bond that’s making me feel this way for you? That made me… want you both so much?”
“I… I don’t…” Rhune gazes at Nyx hopelessly, his expression crumbling. “Nyx?”
“It’s a combination of both. The fates wanted you together for a reason, and will pull you two together by any means necessary. If the bond needs to speed things along… Itcanheighten your feelings.”
I drop my gaze, my body shuddering with horror. “So,no,they’re not my feelings. Notreally. This…thingbetween the three of us happened because of some mystical bond, not because I really wanted it.”
“That’s not true!” Rhune cries. “It’s not true, right, Nyx?”
Nyx swallows hard, looking incredibly uncomfortable. “The mate bond is very powerful,” he says. “No one truly knows how it works...”
“So I’m stuck here. With no options. No choice in how I want to live my life.” My voice is a deadpan. “My life is basically over, is what you’re saying.”
“That’s not true! Youdohave choices!” Rhune’s voice quakes with desperation. “You’ll like it here, Willow. You’ll see.”
“I doubt it.” My mouth thins into a tight line as I stand from the bed of furs. “I don’t want toseeanything right now. And I certainly don’t want to see either ofyou.”
With a huff, I turn and storm out of the room, much like Dravik did just a bit ago. If I was in a better mood, I might laugh at the irony, but right now, all I want to do is scream.
“Willow! Wait!”
