The Bond

Lucien’s heart stopped.

The words Duke Valemont had been droning on about trade alliances and border expansions felt like a distant echo now. A ringing silence filled his ears, broken only by a strange, intoxicating scent that slammed into him like a physical blow.

Mate.

The word came as a jolt of electric heat. His wolf, always controlled, snapped to attention in the space of a breath. It was like his very soul knew—knew it was her. She was close. So close, and yet, Lucien couldn’t find her.

His grip on his goblet tightened, the wine sloshing out and staining his fingers, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about the broken glass or the startled looks of the guests. All that mattered now was that scent, cutting through the heavy colognes of the nobles, the perfume that clung to the air like fresh spring rain.

He could feel it. A pull. A bond.

His eyes shot to the crowd, scanning. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, drowning out the noise of the banquet. There were faces, too many of them. Ladies in jeweled gowns, men in silk suits. None of them mattered.

But there she was. At the far edge of the ballroom, just outside the grand archway leading to the east wing, standing like a ghost in the shadows.

Lucien’s body moved on its own. He didn’t think. He didn’t even acknowledge the questioning stares of those around him. All he could focus on was the sweet, intoxicating scent that grew stronger with each step.

A faint whisper echoed in his mind, a command from his wolf: Claim her.

He was barely aware of Celine stepping into his path, her voice warm and smooth, but somehow distant, like it was coming from a faraway place. “Lucien, you’ve gone pale. Are you well?”

He didn’t answer. His gaze was fixed on the woman in the shadows. She didn’t belong here. Her posture was all wrong for a noblewoman. Too quiet. Too careful.

The scent. He knew now. The bond had snapped into place. This woman, this omega, was his.

He had to get to her. He had to claim her.

Lucien pushed past Celine, not sparing her another glance. She called after him, but he ignored her. His body was on fire, a need to touch her, to mark her that consumed every rational thought. She was his mate. Nothing else mattered.

But when he reached the shadowed archway, she was gone.

Gone.

His heart skipped a beat. His wolf howled in frustration, thrashing inside him, desperate to find her.

The empty hallway stretched before him. The scent still lingered, faint, but unmistakable. He could track it. He could still catch it.

A curse left his lips. He couldn’t explain why he had never felt this way before, but it didn’t matter. The bond had already been made. There was no turning back.

Lucien turned sharply, his eyes darting to the other side of the hall, where a narrow corridor led to the servants’ quarters. He followed the scent there, not caring about the consequences. Not caring about anything.

He passed an elegant vase filled with roses, his pace quickening as he neared the servants’ wing. His heart was racing. His pulse thundered in his ears. The scent—he could almost taste it. She was so close. He could feel her.

But then it vanished.

The hallway was empty, quiet. The scent was gone, snuffed out like a candle in the wind.

His hands clenched into fists at his sides, the frustration boiling over. He couldn’t lose her. Not when he had just found her.

No.

The voice in his head snapped him out of his rage. He was an Alpha. He was Lucien—king of the pack, ruler of these lands. He couldn’t let his emotions control him. He needed to find her, but he needed to do it with patience.

He exhaled slowly, attempting to steady himself. He had felt the pull. It was real. She was real.

He would find her again. No matter what it took.

Back in the shadows of the scullery, Aria’s heart raced as the scent of the Alpha King hit her like a freight train.

He’s here. He knows. He knows I’m here.

Her fingers trembled against the cold stone as she curled into herself, her back pressed to the crates of flour she had hidden behind. Her breath was shallow, panic creeping up her throat. She had felt it. His presence. His power. His mate bond.

Aria shut her eyes tightly, as if that would block the sensation, the heat, the pull of him. But the truth was, there was no escaping it. Her wolf had already recognized him—just like his had recognized her.

Mate. The word echoed in her mind like a haunting melody. She had known about the bond since she was a child. She had heard the stories. Had heard the whispers of how mates were drawn together, how their lives changed forever in a single instant. But she had never expected this.

She wasn’t supposed to be his mate. She was a servant—an omega with no family, no standing. She was nothing compared to the highborn women of the court, especially not compared to the princess.

Aria pressed her hands over her ears, trying to block out the panic, the fear that gripped her. The Alpha King would never claim someone like her. He was already promised to another. To a princess.

But the bond, the undeniable connection, wouldn’t let her go.

The deep ache in her chest didn’t lessen. It only grew, like a wound that had been ripped open and refused to heal. She was torn between the primal urge to run and the compulsion to step toward him. To feel his touch, to feel the safety of his arms around her.

But that was impossible.

She had no place by his side.

I have to leave.

But her feet wouldn’t move. Her body was frozen, locked in place by the overwhelming force of the bond. It was too much. Too powerful.

She squeezed her eyes shut again. She couldn’t let him find her. Not now. Not ever.

Meanwhile, Lucien stood outside the servants’ wing, breathing heavily, his senses still alert, still seeking. She was close. He could feel it. He could feel her wolf, her presence, everything.

His wolf growled inside him. He couldn’t stand the distance between them, couldn’t stand the idea of anyone else touching her.

But he couldn’t just walk in there, could he? He was the Alpha King. He couldn’t just tear down doors and claim her in front of everyone. The consequences would be disastrous.

Still, he couldn’t let her go. Not now. Not when he had just found her.

His eyes darkened with intent. I’ll find you, he promised, even though she wasn’t there to hear it.

And when he did, nothing would keep him from claiming her. The bond was strong. The pull was undeniable.

In the silence of the scullery, Aria’s breath slowed, but the weight of her fear still pressed against her chest. She couldn’t escape this. Not anymore.

I can’t run from fate forever.