Chapter 2

Nova

The morning sun filtered through the high windows of my room, but it brought no warmth. My body ached not just from the events of last night, but from the raw sting of rejection. Alpha Benjamin Had rejected me, declared me a curse, and yet the bond the Moon Goddess had forced between us refused to break.

Lyra stirred within me, her red fur rippling like fire. She prowled the edges of my mind, growling softly. “ Do you feel it, Nova? His power. It’s ours now, you cannot hide from it and neither can he.”

I pressed my hands to my temples, willing my heartbeat to slow. The bond hummed between us like a live wire, pulling me towards him even as my pride screamed at me to retreat. Every fiber of my body ached to run and to remain, to fight and to submit.

A knock at the door startled me, “Nova?” My mother’s voice was cautious, and gentle. “ Breakfast is ready and is almost time for training but I thought you might need a moment.”

I opened the door and forced a nod at my mum not trusting my voice. Lyra snorted with amusement, “ Moment? You’ve got more than that, little one prepare yourself.”

By the time I reached the training grounds, the pack was already gathered. Wolves of every rank moved about, whispering, eyes occasionally flicking toward me. I could feel their curiosity, their respect tinged with judgement. And somewhere at the far end, Alpha Benjamin stood like a dark monument.

The air between us was taut, humming with the bond that refused to yield. He didn’t look at me, it was like I didn’t exist, he treated me like air. But I could feel Draven, his wolf, prowling and snarling beneath his calm exterior. “ Control it,” I whispered to Lyra who wanted to go to her mate, her other half. “ Not yet, he rejected us.. remember?”

Marcus his beta called for training exercises, he had us paired with other pack members mostly the strong against the weak ones. I found myself paired with Alpha Benjamin. My stomach flipped, why him? My pulse surge as I met his eyes, black as midnight, glowing with restrained fury. He didn’t speak, didn’t move towards me but the bond pulled me closer anyway.

As we sparred, every moment was electric. Our body brushed once, twice and sparks of heat and instinct shot through me. Lyra stirred violently, her fangs showing in anticipation, her claws twitching. Draven mirrored her perfectly, growling low and deep.

I felt the undeniable pull of him, his scent filling my senses, the dangerous thrill that made my knees weak. He finally spoke, his voice a low growl, almost under his breath.

“ Do you understand what this bond means?”

“ Yes” I whispered barely steady. “ It means it won’t let us run.”

His eyes darkened further, “ It also means you will learn the cost of defiance.”

I shivered slightly not from fear, but from the heat rolling off him. Our training ended too quickly, and he didn’t release as we bowed out, instead he stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the power radiating from him in waves.

Lyra whimpered with excitement, of her mate being so close to her, she wanted to bare her neck to him in submission.

Alpha Benjamin’s hand brushed mine, one fleeting touch, but it set my blood on fire. “ You think you’re ready for this bond?” he murmured, his breath grazing my ear.

“ I am,” I whispered back, though my voice trembled. Inside, my wolf howled, fierce and wild.

That night, I went to my favorite spot in the forest, a secluded spot with a breathtaking view of a small lake that Lyra and I stumbled upon on our first run together. I sat down under the trees enjoying the peace and quiet then I heard a noise behind me, a crunch of heavy boots on the ground.

I turned around and came face to face with Alpha Benjamin, I stood up and took a step back as a look of caution crossed my face. He stood there in all his glory, he was in his usual attire, a black fitted shirt that strained slightly over his broad shoulders paired with black slacks and boots that thudded softly against the ground, he looked every bit of the dangerous Alpha he was.

He looked at me like a predator looking at his prey, his eyes feasted on every inch of my body. He didn’t speak, he just stared at me. Before I could even gather my thoughts, he covered the space between us in two large strides, his tall muscular build loomed over me.

My chest rose and fell as I tried to steady my breathing, but his nearness made it impossible. The air between us felt charged, alive, as if the universe itself is holding its breath. His eyes burned into mine dark, dangerous and full of an unspoken promise that made my pulse quicken.

He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my cheek, his fingertips grazing my skin like sparks. A shiver pass through my body, torn between stepping back and surrendering to the pull of the mate bond.

He closed the distance in a heartbeat, his lips crashed onto mine with a hunger that stole the air from my lungs. The taste of him was intoxicating, dark, wild and irresistible. His tongue slid against mine, coaxing, demanding, claiming every part of my mouth as if he had waited an eternity for this moment. I melted into him, my body pressed against the hard lines of his chest, heat flaring where our bodies touched. His hand cupped the back of my neck, angling my neck so he could take the kiss deeper, harder, until I was trembling in his arms. It was raw searing passion, a kiss that burned like fire and left me aching for more.

Just as I melted into him, just as the bond threatened to consume us both, he tore himself away.

His chest rose and fell, his eyes dark with something I couldn’t name. “ That was a mistake,” he ground out, voice rough and cold before turning his back on me.

I stood frozen, lips tingling, tears spilling from my eyes, heart racing and feeling utterly alone.

I closed my eyes, willing the tears to stop falling. No I won’t be broken, not by him, not by fate and especially not by the curse.