Rebecca's POV.

Rebecca's POV.

His golden eyes glowed like twin moons in the room, pinning me in place. I couldn’t move.

Then, he moved. Faster than I could blink.

His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist, yanking me forward. I screamed, as I landed chest-first against his body.

His other arm came around me, locking me against him with so much strength that it made me wonder if he had actually been pretending or if he had fallen sick.

“Mate…” he rasped again, voice deep and coarse, as if he hadn’t spoken in centuries.

I thrashed against him, shoving at his chest, trying to pull away, but it was like I was trying to fight a mountain.

“Let go of me!” I cried. “What are you?!”

But he held me tighter, burying his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply like I was the first breath of fresh air after drowning.

That was it. I lost it.

I let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed off the walls.

Almost instantly, the door to the room burst open with a loud crash.

Chris and two guards rushed in, weapons drawn, eyes wide with disbelief.

“My lady!” Chris gasped, eyes darting to where I was pinned against the Alpha King’s chest.

“He’s awake!” I shrieked, still struggling.

Chris didn’t move for a second. Then he barked out orders. “Secure the King! Now!”

The guards rushed forward, but the Alpha let out a low, guttural growl that shook the floor beneath us.

Charles turned sharply. “You!” he pointed at one of the guards. “Get the pack doctor. Now!”

The guard bolted out of the room, while Charles and the remaining man approached carefully, holding silver restraints.

“Don’t hurt me please,” I whispered.

The Alpha King let out another feral snarl, his body tensing as they approached.

“Easy, Your Majesty…” Charles muttered, as he would when speaking to a wild animal.

But the Alpha wasn’t hearing any of it.

In a blur of movement, he threw out his free arm, sending the approaching guard flying across the room. The man hit the wall and slumped to the floor in pain.

Charles lunged in, trying to drag me from his hold, but it was useless.

Then suddenly, his nose brushed against my skin. His lips grazed the sensitive spot just below my jaw.

And then his mouth opened.

He was going to bite me.

“No!” I screamed, but it was too late.

His teeth clamped down.

A bright flash of pain and power shot through me, blinding my senses.

“This bastard has marked me without my consent.” That was my last thought as my consciousness went bleak.

When I roused moments later, it was to the low hum of murmured voices.

The world around me was hazy at first, but the ache in my neck where he had… bitten me, was enough to clear my head

“She’s fine,” a calm voice said from somewhere near my side. “Her vitals are stable. No internal damage. Just the mark.”

I turned my head slightly and saw someone dressed in white who seemed to be the pack doctor. He noticed my movement and gave me a short nod.

“Good, you’re awake.”

My mouth felt dry. “What… happened?”

“You fainted. The shock and the marking overwhelmed your system,” he explained gently. “Just rest. You’re safe now.”

The room was dim, but I could see it was crowded. Charles stood stiffly at the foot of the bed, crossing his arms. Beside him were three elders. Their voices were hushed, but I could hear them clearly.

“The King hasn’t stirred again,” one of the elders said. “It was the girl. Her presence must’ve triggered his wolf.”

“She’s not just any girl,” another muttered. “No wolf reacts like that without something powerful making them.”

Charles shook his head. “He’s been in a coma for two years. Not even the moonstone rituals stirred him.”

The third elder’s tone was clipped. “It wasn’t a conscious act. His wolf reacted on instinct. That tells us one thing, her aura, is more than what we’ve been told.”

I swallowed quietly, listening intently.

I had been struggling lately with how hard it had been to suppress my aura since the bracelet got lost. Or should I say…stolen.

I looked down at the mark on my neck with tears of anger and disgust.

“Easy,” the doctor said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“I need to get out of here,” I whispered.

“You need to rest,” he countered. “Your body is still adjusting to the bond.”

Bond?

My head spun.

“Bond?” I echoed weakly, the word felt like a rusted nail was stuck in my throat. “What bond?”

No one answered.

A bitter laugh bubbled up from my chest. I laughed like as if I had gone mad.

“Oh… I get it now,” I said, eyes gleaming with a wildness I didn’t even recognize in myself. “You think because he marked me, I’m bound to him?”

They stared at me with confusion.

“Well, guess what?” I whispered, dragging myself upright in the bed despite the dizziness clawing at my eyes. “I know the old ways too. And I reject this cursed bond!”

I threw back my head and began the sacred words.

“I, Rebecca of the—"

“Enough!” a voice thundered.

I froze. A silver sword was resting inches from my neck. One of the guards stood there, holding the blade with cold eyes.

“Try that incantation again, and I’ll spill your blood where you sit,” he said without flinching. “Severing the bond will kill the Alpha. And if you kill the Alpha King, you will die where you stand.”

My heart slammed against my ribs. “What?”

Charles stepped forward, “His soul is tied to yours now. The bond was incomplete when he marked you, but it's strong enough to keep him alive. If you sever it now, with him unconscious… he won’t survive.”

I stared at him, horror dawning like a storm.

“You’re saying… I’m his life support?”

“In every sense of the word,” one of the elders said gravely. “His wolf stirred because of you. You are the only connection he has to this realm.”

I clenched my fists, trembling. “I never asked for this.”

“No one’s claiming you did,” Charles said, softening his tone slightly. “But if you want a chance at rejecting the bond when he wakes, you must help him now.”

I looked down at the mark on my neck, raw and red like a cursed stamp.

“If I keep him alive…” I said through gritted teeth, “You’ll let me reject the bond the moment he wakes?”

“You have our word,” Charles replied.

So if he dies? I die?

“Then so be it. I’ll keep him alive,” I whispered. “But the moment he opens his eyes… this bond dies.”