FORBIDDEN BONDS

REIGN’S POV.

“SEAN!” I call in horror as I rush over to my mentor who is groaning in pain as he tries to rise from the floor. “Oh my God I'm so sorry.” I apologise from the depth of my heart with pity filled in my heart.

“Reign, how many times have I told you not to apologise when this happens? I’m used to this and besides, it’s training and getting beat tup by you means I'm doing my job properly. Your father will be proud.” He tells me with a big smile on his face and sadness overwhelms me at the mention of my father’s name.

Being extraordinarily powerful should have its perks, but so far, I haven’t seen any perks or pros, just cons. I see my extraordinary strength as a curse. I am the most powerful werewolf in my family and dare I say, my entire pack, except for the Alpha.

At least that’s what my father told me. My mother died at childbirth because of my powers and since then, my father has despised my entire existence.

He hid me from the public until I turned four years old and when I did, he hired a mentor who has been with me for fourteen years now, teaching me how to control and use my strength the right way. I have never been out there in the world. My father has a big mansion and I stay locked up and heavily guarded in it. For eighteen years, I have been locked up in here. I have just one friend, who’s my mentor and my elder sister, Wilma, comes to see me in my secluded section once in a while, when she’s in a good mood.

She doesn’t like me very much.

My father never comes to see me. It’s been years since I last saw him.

I am his greatest nemesis.

“Why are you lost in thought?” I shake out of my thoughts and look up at my mentor who is smiling down at me.

“Well…” Shrugs. “I’m just thinking about how boring my my life is.” He smiles.

“We both know that it will change when tomorrow comes.” A bright smile forms on my face when he says that.

Tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday and it is also the day my father will let me go out there and live like a normal werewolf girl with my fellow pack members. If I'm lucky, I will be able to find my mate and we will leave happily ever after.

Just the thought of that makes me smile again. I hop over to the nearby couch and perch on it, still fantasising about how tomorrow is going to look like, but it doesn’t take long before nervousness overwhelms me. I shoot Sean a perplexed glance and he creases his brows. He knows me more than anyone else in this world, so he knows right now, I'm nervous.

“What are you nervous about?” His voice is calm as he asks and sits beside me.

“What if other people get scared of me when they find out about my strength? What if they hate me like my father does? What if I have a hard time out there?” I give him worried looks as I ask those very disturbing questions. He sighs and places a hands on my shoulder.

“Wanna hear some bitter truth?” I nod my head in silence. “Not everyone out there will like you and you will have some very hard times. Good thing is, everyone else experiences these things, all you have to do is try to focus on the good side of things. Focus on the people who will like you and on the things that make you happy. You are a good girl, Reign. You are brave, confident… you are beautiful, both in and out and well mannered. If anyone dislikes you, it’s their loss. So, don't overthink things and just live life one day at a time. You are a wonder.”

Sean always has a way to suppress my nervous and let my confidence sprout and grow healthily.

He is my knight in shinning armour.

“Thank you for these words of encouragement. You are the best!” I crash into his chest and he wraps his arms around me, giving me a big bear hug.

“Isadora Reign Callan!” A familiar voice calls from the door and I shake in fear, disengaging myself from Sean’s hug. We both look at the door, only to see my sister standing by it with a fat smile on her face.”

“Wilma.” I call in shock. It has been months since she last came to see me. I wonder why she is here.

“I’ll excuse you girls.” Sean leaves the training room and Wilma rushes over to me looking all excited and giddy. The moment she sits by my side, she tilts her neck to the side and pushes off the chunk of hair away from her neck, completely exposing the side of her neck that’s visible to me.

There’s a bright red mark on the neck and looks like a bite. I gasp in fear as I look at her.

“What happened to you? Who bit your neck?” I ask in horror and her smile only widens. Now I'm confused.

Isn’t she supposed to be in pain? Why then is she smiling so widely?

“Don’t be silly, Reign. I got marked by the Alpha, my boyfriend.”

“Marked? As in, he has chosen you as his mate even though you are not?” I ask innocently and she nods so hard that I fear her head will fall off her neck. “But… but I thought male werewolves can only mark she-wolves who are their destined mates.” There’s a confused look on my face and my sister is not helping things by smiling the way she is right now.

“Well, I thought so too, but Alpha Hardin Alonso just proved otherwise.”

“But… the last time you were here, you told me you found your mate, how then did…”

“I rejected him.” She cuts me off and my eyes snap wide open. “He’s nothing compared to the Alpha, so I rejected him.”

“No you did not! What about the Alpha? Did he also reject his mate?” I ask in complete shock.

“He hasn't found his mate yet, but he told me he would reject her the moment he finds her because I am the one he wants to be with. He has chosen me.” She is still smiling widely and I still have my frown on because this makes no sense.

Sean has explained this whole mate saga to me and he made me understand that mates were assigned by the moon goddess. Rejecting one’s destined mate to be with someone else is disobeying the moon goddess and that is tantamount to severe punishment.

The Alpha of all people.

“Why that look? I thought you’d be happy for me.”

What?

I give a surprised look.

“I’m actually really scared for the two of you, Wilma. There will be consequences and I feel bad for the two people you have displaced. Your mate must be devastated right now and Alpha Hardin’s mate will be crushed when he rejects her.”

“That’s their problem to deal with.” She says nonchalantly. “The most important thing is that the Alpha has chosen me. I’m going to be the Luna of this pack!” She squeals excitedly and I just keep shaking my head.

She has definitely lost her mind if she thinks what they just did should be celebrated.

“So, you aren’t happy for me.” She calmly states and I shrug.

“I’m scared for you.” I tell her flatly. “I don't think you’ll be able to handle it if this backfires.”

The smile on her face disappears and she rises to her feet, giving me a hard glare.

“You know, you really don’t have to be such a sadist. I came here, hoping you’ll be happy for me as my sister, but it's clear you aren’t. Have a nice day!” She starts marching towards the door.

“Wilma!” I call out worriedl

Once she’s out, she slams the door hard behind her.

Was I too blunt?