003: THE BOND.

~~~ELENA~~~

The door slammed shut behind us with a heavy thud that echoed through the hall.

The same hall I had once walked through as his fated mate.

Now, I was nothing but his captive.

I struggled in his arms, my nails clawing at his shirt. “Put me down! I can walk on my own!”

“You will run,” he said simply, not even looking at me. “And I am too tired to chase you twice in one day.”

He carried me until we reached a corridor that smelled faintly of cedar and roses. My old room.

The memories came rushing back. The laughter by the balcony, the night he whispered promises under the moonlight, and the scent of pine on his skin when he kissed me for the first time.

I swallowed hard, pushing the memories away.

“Open it,” he ordered one of his men and the door swung wide.

He stepped inside, dropped me gently on the bed, and straightened up. My eyes roamed the untouched room. “You kept it,” I whispered before I could stop myself.

He didn’t answer. He just stood there, watching me with that unreadable calm that annoyed me more than any shout could.

“Why, Darius?” I asked, my voice shaking. “Why bring me back? Why now?”

His jaw tightened. “Because I was done waiting.”

“Waiting for what? For another chance to own me?”

“For answers.” His eyes darkened. “You disappeared the night before our mating ceremony. You left without a word, without a trace. You think I won't come for you eventually?”

My throat went dry. “You don't understand.”

“Then make me understand.”

I looked away, clutching the bedsheet like a shield. “There’s nothing to say.”

He moved closer, each step slow, deliberate, until the space between us was thick with tension. “You think I stopped looking for you? I tore through half the continent trying to find you, Elena. I thought you were dead.”

“Maybe you should have left me that way.”

His gaze hardened, the mask slipping just enough for me to see the softness beneath. “Careful,” he warned softly. “I’m not your late husband. I won’t tolerate your venom.”

My laugh came bitter and sharp. “No, you could never be Antonio even if you tried. You are worse.”

For a moment, the air stilled. He looked very pissed, it was very evident that I thought he would cross the room to hit me.

But, instead, he exhaled, stepped back, and turned toward the door.

“You will stay here until I decide otherwise,” he said, his tone measured again. “The windows are guarded. Don’t waste your breath trying to escape.”

“And if I try?”

He paused at the doorway, glancing over his shoulder. His golden eyes glowed faintly. “Then I’ll remind you exactly what happens to runaways.”

The door closed behind him with a heavy click and u heard the lock turned.

I sank onto the bed, shaking. Every wall of that room felt alive with ghosts of who I used to be.

And for the first time in four years, I let myself break.

Tears burned down my cheeks as I clutched my stomach.

The place where life had once bloomed and died before I even had the courage to tell him.

He didn’t know.

He would never know.

It was his fault. God, it was his fault.

________

The room was silent for hours after he left.

So silent that I could hear the beating of my heart.

I had counted every tick of the clock, every shift of the wind outside, waiting for the sound of his men changing guard, and for the faintest chance to run.

But deep down, I knew there was no escaping him this time.

When the door finally opened, it was not gentle.

The door pushed open fully, and he came in.

Darius.

Still in his dark shirt, sleeves rolled to his forearms, eyes faintly glowing from the low candlelight. His presence filled the room like the night itself had followed him in.

I straightened instantly, my nerves on edge. “What do you want?”

He shut the door behind him slowly, “To talk.”

“I have nothing to say.”

“Then you will listen.”

He came closer, his gaze never leaving mine.

“I waited four years, Elena,” he began softly, his voice low but filled with anger. “Four years of silence and wondering if you were even alive. And now you think you can come back under my roof and give me silence again?”

“You dragged me here!” I snapped. “You destroyed my life once, and you’re doing it again!”

His jaw flexed. “Your life was mine to begin with.”

That did it.

My palm connected with his cheek before I even realized I had moved. The sharp crack filled the air but he didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink.

He just stood there, his head tilted slightly, and eyes dark with something unreadable. Then, slowly, almost lazily, he exhaled softly, and dangerously.

“Are you done?” he murmured.

I took a step back, chest heaving. “You are insane.”

“Possibly.” His mouth curved slightly. “You should have remembered that before running from me.”

“I ran because you left me nothing to stay for!”

His eyes flickered with confusion but it vanished as quickly as it came. “You think you know what is good for you, but you don't.”

He stepped closer again. I tried to back away, but my knees hit the bed frame.

His hand came up. Not to strike, but to catch my jaw, forcing me to look at him.

“You can’t escape this, Elena.”

“Let me go-”

His grip tightened just slightly, his voice dropping to a dark whisper. “You’re mine, and tonight, the entire pack will remember that. We will complete the mating ritual whether you like it or not.”

The air left my lungs. “You wouldn’t dare…”

“Oh, I would.” His eyes burned gold again. “And you know I will.”

Before I could speak, he leaned down and his mouth crashed against mine.

It wasn’t gentle or tender.

It was a punishment . Like a reminder, and a claim. My hands pushed against his chest, but he didn’t waver. The kiss was deep, unyielding, and full of everything I hated him for and everything I hated myself for still feeling.

When he finally pulled back, his breath was rough against my lips.

“You can hate me all you want,” he murmured, his voice a low growl. “But soon, you will be mine again. In front of everyone. For the rest of your life”

Then, just as calmly as he came, he turned and walked out, the lock clicking shut behind him once more.

I stood there, trembling, my heart torn between fury and something far more dangerous.

Because even as the tears burned behind my eyes, I could still taste him.

And I hated that I didn’t want to forget.