Price of the Bond

“Ki—Killian,” Eve gasped between her shallow breaths. Driven entirely by the sudden rush of the mate bond burning through her veins, her arms instinctively locked around his neck, surrendering completely to the overwhelming biological tie.

The moment her lips returned his kiss, Killian’s human restraint shattered. A low growl vibrated deep within his chest as his hands clamped tightly around her waist, pinning her under his heavy grip.

Killian’s sudden, fierce movement caught Eve off guard. Her eyes flew open, wide with a mixture of pain and pleasure that rippled through her entire body. Her fingernails dug into his back, leaving faint scratches against his skin. Above her, Killian moved without mercy, driven entirely by his wild, untamed wolf instincts. Within seconds, the initial sting dissolved into a blinding, molten heat. The warmth coiled tight in the depths of her belly before radiating outward until her entire frame felt weightless. Above her, Killian’s breathing turned into heavy, fractured groans as his wolf pushed toward the absolute edge of control.

Killian surged forward one final time, his movements erratic and consuming as he reached his peak. His deep, breathless groans echoed loudly right beside Eve’s ear.

Suddenly, Killian stopped moving. He let his massive frame fall heavily over Eve, who lay utterly flushed and spent beneath him. But just as she thought the storm had passed, a strange sensation bloomed within her. Despite his stillness, Killian’s body tensed rigidly once more. In the next second, a piercing, agonizing pressure flooded her core. She wanted to scream, but the sound caught in the back of her throat. Tears instantly welled up, spilling over the corners of her eyes.

Knotting.

Killian buried his face back into the crook of her neck. His ragged, uneven breaths brushed against her skin, which was now slick with a fine layer of sweat.

"Calm down, Eve. This won't take long," Killian rasped, his voice thick and low.

With what little strength she had left, Eve wrapped her arms tightly around Killian’s shoulders. She held him with a desperate grip, wishing she could channel the crushing pain she was enduring back into the man who remained immovably locked over her.

A few minutes later, it was finally over. Killian pulled away, shifting his weight as he stood at the edge of the bed, fixing her with a deathly cold gaze. He looked visibly shaken, unable to believe he had just done something he never could have imagined—especially to the Omega lying before him.

"Damn it!" Killian cursed under his breath.

With her face still stained with tears, Eve weakly pulled the duvet up to cover her shivering, exhausted body. One of her hands rose to touch her neck, where the fresh mate mark was still throbbing with a dull, burning ache. She shifted her gaze toward Killian, who was already buttoning his shirt and preparing to leave.

"Consider this the price for our marriage."

His parting words echoed cruelly through the quiet room, instantly shattering whatever restraint Eve had left as she broke down into uncontrollable sobs.

***

The next morning, Eve woke up with her eyes heavily swollen from crying all night. After putting on her clothes and preparing to head down to the kitchen, a familiar maid hurried over to her. The woman looked visibly panicked, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps.

“Eve, thank goodness I found you,” she whispered urgently. “Madam Helena is waiting for you in the family room. Go there immediately.”

Eve caught her breath the moment the maid mentioned Madam Helena’s name. A heavy weight settled in her chest; she felt as though she was about to be put on trial for the second time.

“Thank you,” Eve replied quietly.

With heavy steps, Eve walked down the long, quiet castle corridors. From a distance, she spotted Helena sitting alone on a plush velvet sofa, elegantly sipping her warm tea.

Sensing Eve’s presence, the older woman set her teacup down with a soft click—a sound that felt heavy and ominous in the silence of the room.

“Sit,” Helena commanded, her tone sharp and completely hostile. "Killian and Gideon are currently attending a preparation meeting for the inter-pack banquet tonight. And as the future Alpha of the Blackwood family, he needs a true Luna from a distinguished background standing by his side."

Madam Helena paused mid-sentence. She rose from her seat and glided closer, stopping right in front of Eve until her sharp eyes could look down disdainfully at the girl, who could only keep her head lowered in submission.

"Prepare yourself," Helena added coldly.

Without another word, Helena turned on her heel and swept out of the room, leaving Eve frozen in place. A cruel, triumphant smirk curled at the corner of Helena’s lips. She had already set a wicked trap to eliminate Eve once and for all tonight.

***

By nightfall, the grand ballroom at the pack's border was filled with the elite nobles of the capital. In the midst of the bustling crowd, Eve stood frozen and isolated, looking utterly beautiful yet deeply uncomfortable in her elegant black gown.

Every now and then, Eve stole a glance toward Killian, who was deeply engrossed in conversation with several Alphas from neighboring packs. More than once, her chest tightened as she watched those Alphas eagerly introduce their beautiful daughters to him.

From her right, a suffocatingly powerful aura approached. Helena stepped into view, looking radiant yet menacing in a rich maroon gown. She held out a glass filled with a dark drink toward Eve.

“Eve, dear, there is an elder who wishes to greet the new daughter-in-law of the Blackwood family. Go on. He is waiting for you in the VIP room upstairs,” Helena murmured smoothly.

“Am I supposed to go alone?” Eve asked, a flicker of confusion crossing her features. Helena’s sudden request made her deeply uneasy.

“Why? Do you need me to hold your hand?” Helena mocked with a sharp tilt of her head.

Eve shook her head quickly. Eager to escape the stifling interaction, she turned around and hurried down the dimly lit hallway toward the room Helena had specified.

At the far end of the corridor, she found a door left slightly ajar. The room inside was pitch-black, the lights intentionally left unlit. Eve crossed the threshold with hesitant, cautious steps.

“Hello...?” Eve called out, her voice trembling softly. “Is anyone in here?”

The moment she took a few steps into the darkness, the heavy door behind her slammed shut with a sharp click. The lock turned, cutting off the last sliver of light from the hallway.

Startled by the sudden noise, Eve scrambled backward, retreating deeper into the dark room to get away from the door. “W-who’s there?”

From the thick shadows near the locked entrance, a low, predatory growl rippled through the air, followed by heavy, deliberate footsteps. A pair of crimson eyes flashed in the dark, staring at Eve with a ravenous hunger that had completely consumed his sanity.

“No... Don’t come any closer!” Eve gasped, her voice tightening with panic. “Get away from me!”

With blinding speed, the man lunged forward, shoving Eve roughly onto the mattress. Before she could scream, he pinned her down, trapping her completely under the crushing weight of his massive body.

Her senses were instantly overwhelmed by the suffocating scent of his Rut—a rancid, metallic stench of rotten pine and blood that choked her lungs. Under the pressure of the foul aura, the mate mark on the back of her neck flared with a stabbing, agonizing pain. Every cell in her body reacted violently, her inner Omega screaming in absolute rejection of a wolf that did not belong to her.

“Please, let me go!” Eve shrieked desperately. She thrashed against him with all her might, but his iron grip on her wrists was unbreakable. The Alpha had completely lost his mind to the primal madness of the Rut.

His large hands clamped brutally onto her shoulders. With one powerful, savage jerk, the sound of tearing fabric shattered the silence of the room.

Sret!

The delicate bodice of her beautiful black gown was ripped open, exposing her bare shoulders to the cold night air. In the next terrifying second, Eve watched in horror as the man's fangs began to descend toward her exposed skin, threatening to overwrite the bond she shared with Killian.