Chapter 6: The Bond That Haunts Me

A week crawled by at a stubborn pace. The wound on Selina’s arm had healed about eighty percent, but her heart was still torn open by the loss of her baby. That pain felt fresh, raw, like time simply refused to touch it.

Alaric still hadn’t accepted her rejection. Selina had hoped he would give up quickly, but that hope burned out fast. He hadn't shown up at the hospital since that night, yet the bond between them kept clawing at her mind.

Meanwhile, Raven hadn’t left the hospital once since that encounter with his cousin. His presence was constant and alert, as if the outside world had suddenly turned hostile and Selina needed guarding from it. Every four hours he checked on her. Even when she insisted she was fine, he would show up to make sure she ate, drank, and took her medication. He had become a silent shield she never asked for.

But even from a distance, Alaric kept reaching for her through their mate bond every single day. His voice echoed in her mind, repeating the same line over and over, like an old record stuck in place.

'I finally understand how deeply I love you, Selina. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.'

She never responded. She shut him out, refusing to acknowledge a single whisper.

When the bond tugged again for the third time that day, Nyra’s voice floated into her thoughts, soft and hesitant.

"Maybe he really is sorry."

Selina let out a sharp breath, irritated. "If he really loved me, he wouldn’t have chosen Lyra over us. He wouldn’t have treated us like nothing but blood bags." Underneath her anger, she could feel Alaric’s pain bleeding through the bond, trying to seep into her emotions.

Nyra’s sigh trembled. "If he didn’t love us, why would he hurt this much and keep trying to reach out?"

"Enough. I don’t want to talk about him."

Selina wasn’t the only one breaking. She carried wounds she never got the chance to let heal, as if the world refused to let her forget she wasn’t allowed to recover.

When the bond brushed against her mind again for the fourth time, rage simmered. Her head throbbed. She needed peace, not another crack in her already-fragile calm.

How had she ever tolerated this?

In the midst of the chaos, Raven’s voice cut through her thoughts, steady and warm. "Come to the hospital garden. I’m waiting."

"Alright, I’m coming."

Selina pushed herself up and walked down the hallway. A few staff members smiled at her gently, sympathy in their eyes.

Along the way she crossed paths with Beta Logan and Thomas. They looked awkward, gave a stiff nod, then hurried away without meeting her eyes.

Selina frowned. Strange behavior. They were hiding something. Her instincts tightened.

"Stop thinking about that. Raven is waiting," Nyra murmured.

Selina drew a slow breath. Maybe Logan and Thomas were just busy. She picked up her pace toward the garden.

Her lips softened when she saw Raven waiting. Broad shoulders, solid stance, the kind of presence that made the air feel a little more grounded.

"Hey," she said as she approached.

"You came," he replied, voice low.

She nodded and glanced at the flowers and sunlight around them. Over the last few days she’d learned Raven wasn’t just harsh edges and silence. Beneath the rigid discipline, there was calm. Strength that steadied instead of destroyed.

Hard to believe he and Alaric shared blood. Raven was a pillar. Alaric was a storm that shattered anything in its path.

"I wanted to thank you. For everything," Selina said quietly.

"You don’t need to thank me. I’m glad I can help." Raven exhaled slowly and looked over the garden. "But if you insist... do you like flowers?"

She blinked, thrown off by the sudden shift. "Yeah. I do."

"If you ever feel ready... pick one for me. Consider it a thank you."

Selina smiled. "Sure. I’d like that."

She crouched to look at the flowers, though there were no red roses here, her favorite. She turned slightly. "There aren’t any roses. Is it alright if I pick something else?"

"Whatever you want."

She gathered a small bunch, feeling his gaze follow her movements. When she handed the flowers over, her voice softened. "Thank you for taking care of me."

He accepted them without looking directly at her face. The tips of his ears were red. It startled her, and her chest stirred with something uncomfortable, warm in a way she didn’t have a name for yet.

"I saw Beta Logan and Thomas earlier," she said, breaking the moment. "I feel guilty leaving the Nightclaw Pack. They were always so kind to me."

Raven opened his mouth to speak, but a nurse rushed over.

"Doctor, a critical patient in room eighteen!"

Raven straightened. "I have to go."

Selina nodded and watched him leave, the flowers still in his hand.

She sat on a bench. Warm sunlight touched her skin, a gentle breeze brushing her cheek. For the first time in days, she felt just a little lighter.

Until a hushed conversation nearby cut through the peace.

"We've been giving the Alpha the medicine every day, but he's not getting better," Thomas said, anxiety in his voice.

Logan replied, tense and low, "It's time to free Lyra. The Alpha needs her."

Selina froze. The words crashed over her like a warning bell, sharp and cold.