Fractured bonds

Virelle’s POV

Alicia paraded through the pack with her growing belly, crown always gleaming. I avoided Kai each time he passed by, my eyes never meeting his. He matched the energy, making it easier for me to hide my secret from everyone including Ric.

But every night I pressed my palm to my stomach and whispered to the tiny heartbeat only my sharpened senses could hear.

“You’re safe,” I promised. “I’ll keep you safe.”

Kaelric changed slowly at first—he stopped caring like he used to, stopped asking how I was feeling, and stopped touching me completely. Everything was now much easier.

He snaps at warriors during training, shattering a chair against the wall when a patrol report came late. His eyes followed me everywhere—hungry, starving, and protective.

I kept my distance. Every time he reached for me, my skin remembered Kairox’s hands instead. The baby growing inside me made everything worse, I no longer feel any connection with Ric even when his bond still pulls him to me. I couldn’t let him close, and he noticed every movement but respected it.

After the training for the day had ended, Ric cornered me in our rooms after supper.

“When will you stop torturing me virelle? You flinch when I touch you, you are not always like this,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “You used to melt under my touch, what changed?”

“I’m tired, Kaelric.”

“You’re lying.”

He stepped closer. The scent of whiskey rolled off him again.

“I can smell it on you—you smell different. I can’t place it but I know something is off.”

My pulse spiked. I backed toward the window and he lunged closer.

His hand clamped around my wrist, yanking me against him. His other palm pressed flat tightly to my stomach—I gasped.

His nostrils flared, his eyes widened. Rage ignites slowly.

“Are you pregnant, Virelle?" he breathed.

“Kaelric—stop—” I screamed, pushing him off me like he was some hot iron.

He grabbed me and shoved me onto the bed. Pinned my wrists above my head with one massive hand.

“You think you can carry his pup and still wear my mark?” His canines lengthened. “What part of I want you and only you do you not understand? Hun?” he yelled, his eyes laced with tears as his fingers trembled against mine. “I’ll fix that. I’ll claim you over and over again. You’ll be mine—completely.”

I thrashed. Summoned my tribrid strength—claws out, fangs bared—but pregnancy dulled me. He was heavier. Raging.

His mouth descended toward my neck, aiming for the faded scar Kai had left weeks ago.

I screamed and cried for help until I could no longer help myself. Then the door flung open.

“What the fuck, Ric,”

Kai snapped, his golden eyes locked on Kaelric’s teeth inches from my skin. He bolted in like lightning, landed his fist across Kaelric’s jaw before flinging him off me, he crashed through the bedside table but Kai didn’t stop.

He dragged Ric up by the throat and drove him straight into the wall, his golden eyes flared with rage

“You touch her again,” Kairox snarled, “and I’ll rip your heart out and feed it to the crows.”

Kaelric coughed, blood trailing down his lips. “She’s my wife—”

“Yet you treat her like she’s not?” Kairox turned to me. His expression softened the instant our eyes met.

He lifted me gently over his shoulder and I winced.

“Kai no, my baby!” The words slipped out before I could stop them. He paused sharply, putting me down slowly.

“What baby?” Ric asked.

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stammered. Ric crossed the bed over to me but Kai stood between us before he could reach me.

“Whose pup are you carrying, Virelle?”

I remained silent as Kai suddenly pulled me out without another word. I glanced back to see Ric broken and fallen to the ground, his head buried in his palms—sobbing.

Kai took me to his private quarters at the top of the pack house—rooms I hadn’t seen since before he rejected me.

He set me on the wide bed. Kneeled in front of me.

“Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. Tears are burning through my cheeks.

He cupped my face. Brushed away my tears with his thumb.

“I’m so sorry for everything that happened, I never stopped loving you,” he whispered. “Everything I did—the rejection, Alicia, the crown—was to keep you alive. Kaelric planned to kill you at the ceremony, and Alicia came to tell me she was pregnant. I had to do what I did to protect you.”

I stared at him before parting my lips to talk.

“You… you called me a prostitute and rejected me in front of every goddamn person out there—and you expect me to forgive you? You broke your bond with me just when I thought everything was fine between us, you make me feel worthless at every fucking oppor…”

His lips suddenly clutched mine without a warning, he sucked, pulled, and captured my lips in a violent kiss, leaving no room for gasps. Then he pulled away, leaving a pop sound behind.

“I love you, Virelle, I’ve not been able to think straight since you left” he said fiercely. “I’ve been dying every day watching you with him.”

The dam broke.

I surged forward and kissed him again—harder, desperately, tasting every inch of his lips. He could barely keep his hands to himself, he yanked my clothes off and lay me back carefully and deepened the kiss like I was going to run away. But he pulled back for a split second and looked into my eyes like he was scared.

“Whose pup are you carrying?” he asked and I breathed.

“Yours,” I answered and he smiled, relieved. Then he pushed his hard length inside me slowly—and out, and deeper again.

My cunt tightened around his cock when he pulled out causing him to groan at every pull and push.

“We shouldn’t do this,” I stated and he caught my lips in another soft kiss.

“I miss you so much, I can't help it,” he answered and I stopped fighting—melting into his touch, moaning and aching into his touch like they were made for me.

“Then don’t stop, I want more, I need you, Kai.”

I arched into him, nails scoring his back, whispering his name like a prayer.

He moved softly inside me—plunging without force, fucking me without guilt until my orgasm was close.

“Let’s finish together vie,” I nodded and we came together—shuddering, breathless, crashing into each other’s arms. Then he pushed his cock back in, fucking me with a faster pace this time.

Kaelric’s POV

I woke up on the floor, my eyes heavy and burning from tears—blood still crusted on my lip.

Then it dawned on me, I’d become a monster, I had let jealousy consume me, and I had hurt Virelle so much. I hated myself.

I staggered to my feet. Wash the blood away. Changed my clothes. Then I walked to Kairox’s quarters.

I was sober, ready to apologize and make things right with my wife.

I would beg on my knees if I had to.

I paused at the door, thinking of how to put my words together before pushing it open quietly.

And froze as I watched Virelle on kai on the bed—head thrown back, lips parted on a moan. Kairox’s hands gripped her hips, guiding her in slow, deep rolls. His mouth on her throat. Her fingers tangled in his hair.

They were lost in each other completely, they barely noticed my presence.