19/10/2024
CHAPTER TEN
TITLE: A FEARFUL REVELATION
I stood there, paralyzed by fear, dreading that any wrong move might lead to a snapped neck or a wolf's jaws clamped around a vital artery. Then, Ray's fingers grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his intense gaze. His eyes felt like they were probing my very soul. "You are my mate."
It couldn't be true. The fates couldn't possibly be this cruel, pairing me with someone like him. It had to be a sick joke. In our pack, mating bonds were sacred and held deep significance. If a wolf was fortunate enough to form one, it usually came with increased strength and other benefits, possibly even the power to break curses.
Ray must have known about that myth; he was likely trying to get in one last dig at me. "That's a messed-up thing to joke about, even for you."
"I wish it were a joke," he admitted, his expression serious. "I wasn't certain until recently. As we got closer to the time you should have shifted, my wolf made it abundantly clear that we're meant to be together."
My emotions churned within me, torn between conflicting feelings. I despised Ray, and the idea of being intimate with him turned my stomach. But there was that rumor about the bond breaking the curse. I had given up long ago on ever feeling my wolf awaken.
I had resigned myself to a mundane human life devoid of magic. What if he was telling the truth? What if there was a way to reclaim my shifting ability? "Are you sure? Are you not just messing with me?"
Ray's smirk was cruel, and I instinctively took a step back. He finally released my chin, but I recognized that self-satisfied half-smile—it was the same one he wore every time he took pleasure in beating me senseless. "You're lying to me," I said, though I feared it wasn't true. While Ray was many things, I didn't think he'd jest about something as sacred as a mating bond. Finding one's mate was rare, and it wasn't a topic most wolves would joke about.
"Now, I'd heard rumors that a mating bond might break a curse. You're attractive enough, a bit too mouthy, but we can work on that," he said, moving closer to me. Billy and Julian followed suit, boxing me in. If Ray believed that speech would make me willingly accept him as my mate, he was deluded. "I'd never submit to you."
"It doesn't matter. There's one thing about you I could never overlook. You're broken. Without the ability to shift, you're useless to anyone," he said.
I remained silent, realizing that Ray was enjoying his monologue. I just wanted this charade to end.
"If bringing you here on the full moon with your mate and the others didn't trigger the shift beyond your curse's constraints, nothing will. So, you're of no use to me," he declared.
"So, this was your plan all along? To test your theory?" Hope had evaporated. Even if being with Ray meant unlocking my wolf, it wasn't worth it. Nothing was worth being shackled to this tyrant. "Well, it failed. If you don't mind, I'll be on my way."
"That's the other peculiar thing about mating bonds..." Ray stepped back, and Billy and Julian moved closer, further trapping me. Both wolves had their hackles raised and growled menacingly. The hair on my arms stood on end, sensing something was terribly wrong. Ray had me surrounded by wolves, and we were alone. "Just let me leave, and I'll never return, as you requested."
"I'm afraid I made that suggestion before I knew that, in order for me to be free of the bond with you, you have to die. And here's the really amusing part: I can't kill my own mate."
"There are other ways to sever a bond," I offered, desperation creeping into my voice. "You know I don't want this. I'll do whatever it takes."
Ray shook his head. "And risk you having another chance with a new mate? Or worse, having everyone discover that I formed a bond with a broken wolf? Not a chance."
I didn't wait to hear what he had planned next. I took off running. What choice did I have? Ray wouldn't listen to reason. Cursing myself for not hiding in the woods the night before, I raced forward, my eyes fixed on the tree line ahead.
In the distance, I heard a wolf's howl, and several others answered in response. My heart pounded faster. There were wolves all around these woods, and I was sure Billy and Julian were right behind me. I must have been out of my mind to think I could escape this place alive. Now that I was so close to freedom, I wasn't ready to give in to the eternal slumber of death.
I wanted to experience life without feeling like a perpetual target. I had worked too hard to come this far, and I sure as hell wasn't going down without a fight.
That's when I felt sharp teeth clamp onto my calf, breaking through the flesh and sending a searing pain coursing through my body. I was yanked backward, landing face-first in the dirt. I managed to break my fall with my arms, but the impact twisted my right hand, and I heard the sickening snap of my wrist breaking.
Agony washed over me, and my vision momentarily blacked out. I cried out in pain, feeling the burn of the bite on my leg and the throbbing in my wrist. "Oh, f**k!"
Clutching my injured wrist, I rolled onto my back to face my assailant. In the nearly pitch-black forest, I could barely make out three imposing wolves standing over me, panting and growling. Ray had joined his friends in wolf form. Drool from one of the beasts landed on my cheek, and I wiped it away with my good hand before returning to cradling my injured wrist.
I tried to crawl away from them, but the movement sent another wave of excruciating pain through the bite on my leg. I winced and hissed, resigned to my fate. "If you're going to kill me, you might as well get it over with."
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