The Bethrothed

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• Marked by the wrong mate.    THE BREAK IN THE PATH

  The morning came slow.The sun peeked through the thick canopy above us, casting long stripes of light across the forest floor. I had barely slept, and what little rest I got felt thin, like I was only pretending to be unconscious. My body ached in strange places—from the mark, from the dream, from being dragged into something far bigger than I knew how to control.Rowan was already packing up camp when I sat up. He looked tired, too, but focused. Always focused.“You good to move?” he asked me without turning around.I nodded, then stopped and winced. “Yeah. Just sore. And the mark…”“It’s still there,” he said. “I can tell.”I touched the side of my neck gently. It wasn’t burning like before, but it pulsed faintly. Like Kael’s voice was sitting just behind my ear, whispering my name with every heartbeat.“I dreamed of him,” I said.Rowan paused. Then straightened up and looked at me.“He was reaching for me,” I continued. “Telling me I was slipping away. He looked… I don’t know. Lo

• Marked by the wrong mate.    THE WOUND AND THE WOODS

  When I opened my eyes, it took me a moment to remember where I was.The ceiling above me wasn’t smooth stone or carved wood. It was open sky, still touched with the faint, silvery blue of early morning. The air smelled like pine needles and damp earth, and somewhere not far away, I could hear birds beginning to stir.I was wrapped in a blanket—warm, surprisingly clean—and lying on soft moss beside a small fire. The flames flickered quietly, casting light that danced along the surrounding trees. For a moment, I felt safe. Hidden.Then the ache in my neck reminded me.The mark.It still throbbed, but not like before. This pain was duller now, like a bruise pressed too hard, but I could still feel it—still feel him. Kael. His presence lingered in my chest like a whisper I couldn’t shut out.I groaned softly and tried to sit up. My arms were weak, but I managed.Rowan sat a few feet away with his back against a tree, watching me. He didn’t look surprised to see me awake.“How long was I

• Marked by the wrong mate.    THE PULL OF THE BOND

  The hallways were darker than usual.Not because it was night. It was just that the mansion felt heavier, like the shadows had grown thicker on purpose, like they were trying to warn us not to do this.I moved slowly, one careful step after another. My heart was beating so loudly in my ears, I was almost sure one of the guards would hear it.Rowan walked ahead of me, his tall figure dressed in black, blending into the dim hallway like he belonged in the shadows. He looked back at me often, his eyes calm but alert. He had done this before—I could tell. He knew how to move without being seen.I, on the other hand, was a mess. My hands were sweating, my knees felt weak, and I kept feeling like we were going to get caught at any second.I clutched the bag in my hands tightly. It wasn’t much—just some food, a bottle of water, a change of clothes, and a little book I had been writing things in. Things I couldn’t afford to forget.Rowan raised a hand, motioning for me to stop. I froze behind

• Marked by the wrong mate.    THE CHAIN BETWEEN US

  After Kael slammed the door, the room fell into a silence so deep it hurt.I didn’t move. I didn’t cry. I just sat there on the edge of the bed, staring at the door like maybe it would open again and he would walk back in. Apologize. Say he didn’t mean it. Say he wasn’t really angry with me, just with everything going on.But the door didn’t open.And the silence stayed.His words echoed in my head, again and again, louder every time.“You’re under me. I am your mate. Whatever I say is final.”I clenched my hands in my lap, trying not to let them shake. I didn’t know if I was more angry, confused, or just… hurt. Maybe all of them. Maybe none. I just felt full. Like my chest was stuffed with something I couldn’t swallow, and now it was choking me.I knew I had lost control. I knew I could’ve hurt them—did hurt them. That part was my fault. I hated that it was. I hated remembering the way Rowan had flown across the room. The sound of Kael’s voice when I tore into him.But what Kael sai

• Marked by the wrong mate.    AFTERMATH

  I woke to the soft hum of silence.My eyes blinked open slowly, lashes heavy, head pounding like someone had driven nails through the back of my skull. The light was low, just enough to see by, but not sharp enough to burn. I groaned and shifted, trying to sit up.This wasn’t my room.The bed was softer—wider too—and the sheets smelled clean, not like the stale cotton of my usual cell. The walls were painted in warm gray tones, accented with muted wood. There was a massive door to my right—probably the bathroom, judging by the faint sound of dripping water. Across from the bed, a walk-in closet stood open, filled with neatly hung clothes, everything arranged like someone actually cared about order.The floor beneath my bare feet was wooden—polished, spotless. No scratch marks, no scuffs from pacing. It was… gloomy, but in a quiet, lived-in way. Like someone wanted comfort without calling attention to it. Whoever this room belonged to—it wasn’t someone who expected guests.It was way

• Marked by the wrong mate.    FRACTURED

  I staggered back, the walls of my room suddenly too close, the air too thin. Rowan reached out instinctively, his hands warm on my arms as he steadied me.“Hey, hey—Maya,” he said gently, his voice low and steady. “I know it’s a lot. Just… breathe for a second, okay?”I was barely hearing him. Marta—gone? Not just missing, but erased from memory, like some kind of ghost I had made up? My head was spinning, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.“She was real, Rowan,” I said again, the words cracking around the edges.“I know,” he said, nodding. “And that’s why I’ve been trying to convince Kael to let us go back to the village together. You and me. We could talk to the villagers ourselves, try to figure out what really happened. Maybe we can—”He stopped.I’d gone still.“Kael,” I repeated, my voice sharper now. Harsher. “You’re trying to convince Kael?”Rowan hesitated, like he knew exactly what was about to happen.“He’s just… hesitant,” he said carefully. “He thinks