Chapter 1- The Bond I Never Wanted

ELYSSIA’s POV

No, no, no, no, no.

I couldn’t let this happen. Of all the Alphas in Velmoor, Darian had to be the one chosen to become my mate?!

The one man I despised with every fibre of my being was the very man I was expected to bond with for the rest of my life.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. There had to be a way out of this. I would find one before the ritual began, and I had to be quick. The Blood Moon was already rising, and the ceremony would begin in thirty minutes.

“…and of course, Mom has already sent a truckload of gifts to the Veymonts.” Vaelisse’s voice gradually pulled me out of my thoughts.

“Hmmm.” I nodded absentmindedly, staring at my reflection in the mirror while my younger sister fastened the straps of my dress’s corset behind me.

“You’re not listening to me, are you, Ellie?” she asked, tightening the straps. “You’re still thinking about escaping, aren’t you?”

“Of course, Vaelisse.” I shrugged. “Do you expect me to smile and celebrate just because that rabid dog agreed to mate with me?”

Her eyes widened. “Language, Ellie!”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Language? Really, Vaelisse? That’s what you’re worried about right now?”

She pressed her lips together. “Ellie, I’m only saying—”

“If only you knew how lucky you are,” I turned away from the mirror to look at her, my frustration spilling over before I could stop it. “Your wolf manifested when it was supposed to, and you have the chance to choose your own mate—you’re lucky you don’t have to spend your life wondering why you’re the only different one, or whether the Moon Goddess has some cruel joke planned for you.”

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, but it did nothing to ease the ache in my chest.

“If only my wolf had manifested on time, I would have found my mate when the time came, just like everyone else. I wouldn’t be here, getting dressed for a bonding ritual I never wanted, with a man I can barely stand, all because of some sickly prophecy that had dictated my life for the past twenty two years.”

“Elysia…” Vaelisse’s voice came out barely above a whisper.

“What?” I demanded, looking up to the mirror—at her reflection, and the hurt in her eyes made me want to take the words back.

But I didn’t. I was too angry, too tired of pretending I was fine.

“That’s the truth, Vaelisse,” My voice was softer now. “Have I ever been allowed to make a single decision about my future without someone reminding me that I might die before my twenty third birthday?”

She looked at me for a moment before she blinked and tore her gaze away.

I could see the tears that she was trying to blink away, gathering in her eyes, and for a moment, guilt pricked at me, but it was quickly swallowed by the panic of the bonding tightening around my chest.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, drawing a shaky breath. “I shouldn’t be taking this out on you. I just… I can’t do this, Vaelisse. I can’t spend the rest of my life tied to Darian.”

She looked up at me again. “I know you don’t want this, Ellie, but your life is at stake.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Exactly, Vaelisse. And the only way to save it is to hand it over to that—“ I clenched my fists and stopped myself before I could curse him any further, taking in a deep breath. “He thinks he’s doing me a favour by agreeing to take me as his mate, because apparently, no one would want a wolfless girl as their mate.”

I turned fully towards her and caught both her hands in mine. “Vaelisse, please. You have to help me get out of here.”

She stared at me as though I had asked her to set the entire Bellrose estate on fire. “Ellie, no.”

“Please. I’m begging you.” I tightened my grip on her hands, pleading with her softly, tears glistening in my eyes. “I can’t go through with this. I would rather leave everything behind than spend the rest of my life tied to Darian.”

“Do you hear yourself?” she whispered, glancing anxiously towards the door. “The ceremony starts in less than thirty minutes. Even if I help you get out of the house, where would you go? You can’t just disappear without Father finding out.”

“Then we’ll figure something out once I’m gone.”

“And when he discovers I helped you?” Her voice trembled. “You know Father, Ellie. He won’t believe I had nothing to do with it. He’ll blame me for letting you leave, and he won’t forgive me for helping you defy him.”

“He wouldn’t hurt you.”

“You don’t know that!” she exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears. “You know how he gets when someone disobeys him, especially when it concerns this family. He could send the guards after you and punish me for helping you escape. And if he finds you before the Blood Moon passes, he’ll bring you straight back here and make sure you go through with the bonding anyway.”

I stared at her, my grip slowly loosening around her hands.

“I can’t risk it, Ellie,” she continued, her voice breaking. “I’m scared of what Father would do to me, yes, but I’m even more scared that helping you run away won’t save you at all. What if you get caught? What if you end up somewhere alone, with no one to protect you, and your birthday comes before we can find another solution?”

“So you’re just going to let them do this to me?”

“No!” Vaelisse shook her head vehemently, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I don’t want this for you. I hate that you’re being forced into it, and if I could change Father’s mind, I would. But I can’t fight him, Ellie. I can’t risk making things worse for you when I don’t even know how to help you.”

I looked away, swallowing the painful lump in my throat. I knew Vaelisse loved me. She was frightened, not heartless. But knowing that didn’t make me feel any less alone.

“There has to be another way,” I whispered.

“Ellie, please—”

“Another way to what?” A voice came from the doorway, and I turned around slowly—then I froze.

Oh my gosh!

Did Mother actually hear me?