Chapter four - Tangled Bonds

Aria returned to the cabins before dawn, mud streaked across her legs, her hair damp and clinging to her face. The glow on her wrists had faded to a faint warmth, a soft reminder that the power inside her was alive, restless, and waiting. She tried to steady her thoughts, but images of the forest, the stones, the mysterious wolf, and Damon’s presence twisted endlessly in her mind. The bond pulsed, relentless, refusing to be ignored. He had rejected her, yet she felt it everywhere, scorching and insistent, a tether she could not sever.

The cabins were quiet. Her mother slept, unaware of the storm Aria had walked through—both outside and inside her chest. Aria sank onto the edge of her bed, brushing damp strands of hair from her face. Her hands tingled faintly, a soft pulse under her skin. She clenched them into fists, willing the glow to return, searching for guidance, for control. But the forest had been her only teacher, and it remained silent.

A soft knock at the door startled her.

“Aria?” Damon’s voice, low and measured, came through the thin wood. Controlled, cautious, yet edged with something unspoken.

Her heart stuttered. Hesitation gripped her, uncertainty threatening to root her in place. She opened the door slowly.

He stood there, rain-damp hair plastered to his forehead, eyes sharp and calculating, radiating an intensity that made the air thick. His presence alone demanded attention.

“Why did you leave me in the forest?” she asked, her voice steadier than she felt.

He stepped inside without permission, silver eyes scanning her with caution. “You should not have been out there,” he said quietly. “The rogue could have killed you.”

“I am not a child, Damon. I can handle myself.” Her hands trembled slightly, though she masked it with determination.

Damon studied her, jaw tight, and for a fleeting moment, she thought she saw a flicker of regret in his eyes. “It is not safe for you to be alone. Your power… it is dangerous. You do not understand it yet.”

Aria lifted her hands, showing the faint shimmer of light lingering on her skin. “I am starting to understand. Just a little. Why did you reject the bond? I thought—”

“You do not understand,” he interrupted sharply. “The bond is not something to take lightly. It is not just desire, Aria. It is responsibility, danger, everything you do now matters more than you know.”

Her chest tightened at his words. They cut deeper than she expected. She wanted to shout, to demand answers, but the power inside her thrummed, almost impatient. The bond pulsed in response, straining against Damon’s restraint.

“You are afraid,” she whispered, more to herself than to him. “Afraid of me. Afraid of what this means.”

His eyes darkened. “It is not fear. It is caution. I cannot let anyone harm you because of what you are.”

“You already left me in the rain!” she snapped, frustration and hurt spilling over. “Do you even realize what that felt like? That you could just turn your back on me?”

Damon’s expression hardened. “Do you think it was easy for me? Do you think I wanted to leave you vulnerable? Everything I do is to protect you, even if it means rejecting you.”

Her hands glowed again, brighter this time, reacting to the turmoil of her emotions. Heat coursed through her veins, radiating into the room. She could feel the bond resisting, straining, desperate for recognition. Her chest ached with longing and confusion.

“You do not get to protect me by pushing me away,” she said, voice trembling but firm. “I will not hide. I will not run. If this bond exists, then we face it. Together or apart, I do not care.”

Damon stepped closer, silver eyes blazing, shadowed by frustration and something unspoken. “You are reckless. Foolish. And yet… I cannot ignore you. Not now. Not ever.”

The tension between them was electric, a force beyond reason. She felt the pull of the bond, ancient and inevitable. It was not just desire; it was something deeper, something that defied logic. Her pulse quickened, and the glow around her wrists flared, bright and untamed.

“You are mine, whether you accept it or not,” she whispered, almost involuntarily.

Damon froze. For a heartbeat, the hard mask fell from his face, revealing something raw and vulnerable. Then, he stepped back, expression unreadable. “You do not know what you are saying. This bond will change everything. Your life, your pack, your power. It is not a gift to be claimed lightly.”

Aria swallowed, hands still shimmering faintly. “Then teach me. I will learn. I will control it. But I will not let you reject me again.”

He studied her, a mixture of frustration, longing, and something darker flickering across his features. “Do not mistake my restraint for indifference. You are not safe, and the bond will make you a target. There are forces in this forest, Aria, things you cannot yet imagine. And they are already watching.”

The weight of his words settled over her like storm clouds. The forest, alive with secrets and danger, pressed in on her. She clenched her fists, feeling the glow pulse stronger in response, fierce and demanding. She would not be a victim of fear or rejection. She would face whatever came, even if Damon remained distant, even if the bond itself became a weapon against her.

For the first time, she understood the gravity of her powers, the depth of her connection to Damon, and the danger that lurked both outside and within her.

And she was ready.