CHAPTER THREE: THE AGONY OF BONDS

The quarters of the Omega felt a sepulcher, air heavy and thick. I moved mechanically, my body a symphony of throbs and aches. Every step sent a shock of agony to my ribs, a reminder of the brutal beating that I had taken at the hands of Elara. My cheek hurt, a dull throb that was echoed in hollowness in my chest. I wished to lie on the thin mattress, to retreat in the oblivion of slumber, yet the day was not yet done. There was yet work to be done, drudgery that was the existence of an Omega.

I emerged from the quarters of the Omega and into the dim corridor, a stabbing, searing agony erupting in my chest. It was a body blow, a punch to my heart that stole my wind. I gasped, my hand on my chest, my fingers digging into my rough tunic. The agony spread, spreading outwards, engulfing my entire body. I felt my heart was being torn in two, torn to shreds.

I stumbled, my vision fading, walls of the corridor spinning around me. I knelt, my face in contact with cold stone floor. The agony was such, such that I was unable to even scream. I was able to do nothing more than gasp, my breathing in ragged, shallow gasps.

Images flashed in my mind's eye - Damien's hard, cold face, Elara's smug one, the burn of the branding iron. The visions passed quickly, to be replaced by a more vivid, more painful vision - Damien and Elara, their bodies in a passionate clinch, their faces flushed red with desire. The realization hit me like a wave, a weight that was suffocating, threatening to smother me. They were together. My husband, my bondmate, was in love with a different woman. The bond, that invisible string that connected us, was screaming in agony, stretched to its limit.

The pain in my chest surged, a burning fire that was consuming me. I felt my soul was being torn in two. I squeezed my eyelids tight, trying to push the visions aside, to hide from the pain, but it was pointless. The bond was a constant reminder, a merciless tormenturer. 

I felt a hand on my shoulder, a gentle one that shocked me. I opened my eyes to find Maya kneeling next to me, concern etched on her face.

"What's happening?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

I was unable to speak. The pain was too great, the words stuck in my throat. I was able to shake my head, tears streaming down my face.

Maya's eyes went wide, a look of realization dawning on her face. "It's him, isn't it?" she whispered, her voice a mere whisper. "He's with her."

I nodded weakly, not even looking up to meet her eyes. I felt a wave of humiliation wash over me, a scalding, burning humiliation. The other Omegas even knew what was happening. They knew my mate was in someone else's arms, that I was being betrayed, humiliated.

“It’s okay,” she said softly, tightening her hand around my shoulder. “It’s not your fault.”

Her sympathetic words brought little comfort. The hurt in my chest was a living, breathing creature, a reminder of my rejection, my uselessness.

“I… I feel I’m dying,” I gasped, my voice a whisper.

Maya’s face was shocked. “You’re not dying,” she said in a rush. “You’re just… you’re going through the bond.”

“The bond?” I croaked, my throat rough.

“Yes,” said Maya, her voice trembling slightly. “When an Alpha and his mate… when they become intimate… the bond is created between them. The mate feels everything, the pleasure, the pain…”

She didn’t continue, but I knew what she was talking about. I was feeling Damien's pleasure, Elara's pleasure, their intimacy. I was feeling the ultimate betrayal.

The hurt was getting stronger, and I screamed, my body arching in spasm. I felt I was being ripped in two from the inside out.

Maya’s face was in a panic. “Something’s going wrong,” she whispered. “This isn’t natural. The hurt… it’s too strong.”

She touched my forehead with her hand, her touch unexpectedly cool on my scalded skin. “You’re burning up,” she said, her voice tight with concern. “You’re going into heat.”

The words hit me like a lightning bolt. Heat? No. I was not yet due for months. I always had a regular cycle.

“No,” I breathed, my head in shock. “It’s impossible.”

Yes,” said Maya, her face stern. “The stress, the hurt… it can set it off. Especially in lone wolves.”

My heart was racing in my chest, my body shuddering in fear. Heat. The mere sound of it was in my head, making me think of ravening wolves, their eyes blazing with lust. Omegas in heat were helpless, at the mercy of every unmated male in their pack. They were slaves to their bodies, their control overruled by their basic desires.

“But… but I’m not ready,” I stuttered, my voice shaking. “I’ve not prepared."

Maya's eyes were sympathetic. “I know,” she said softly. “There's nothing to be done. The heat… it's coming.”

The hurt in my chest was still there, but it was compounded by a new feeling, a spreading heat that coursed through my body, making my skin burn. I felt a queer trembling in my loins, a basic desire that I was helpless to control.

“What… what am I going to do?” I breathed, my voice choked in desperation.

Maya glanced around nervously, her eyes scurrying in every direction. “We need to get you out of here,” she said hastily. “The scent… it will attract the unmated males. They'll be here soon enough."

She helped me to stand, her grip stronger than I would have anticipated. I stumbled, my legs weak and shaky. The heat was getting stronger, making my head spin.

"Where… where can we hide?" I whispered, my words little more than a whisper.

Maya's face was twisted in terror. She trembled, her body shaking. "There is nowhere to hide," she gasped. "Not for a heat-addled Omega."

She looked at me, her face a portrait of pity and desperation. "You need to be strong," she said, her voice quivering. "You need to get through this."

And then, as if on a signal, a low growl sounded in the corridor, a second, a third. The growls closed in, more intense, more predatory. The unmated men had scented my blood. I felt my blood curdle. The hunt was on.