All Chapters of THE CHOSEN ONE: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

AIYANA"We should help," I say, already pushing the blanket aside and standing up. I take a step toward where the men are repairing the destroyed palisades, but Alyssa grabs my arm."They suffer, Aiyana," she says, her voice a sharp whisper. "When they're apart, bonded souls suffer. Like pieces are missing."I freeze. The wind kicks up a swirl of fine snow between us."I'm fine," I mutter."Aiyana..."I inhale slowly, the cold air burning my lungs."We should stop talking about this," I snap, yanking my arm back harder than I meant to.I take two silent steps.

AIYANAI was about to ask something else when Icarus abruptly turned and grabbed a coat. I looked at him suspiciously. It wasn’t mine. It had a different scent too stronger, more masculine."Put it on," he said, his voice now sharper, almost a command."It’s not mine," I murmured, eyeing the coat with reluctance."Just put it on." He grumbled, clearly irritated. His expression was closed off, his eyes avoiding mine. It felt like he just wanted to get me out of there.I hesitated, still staring at the coat. I didn’t want to, but at the same time, part of me knew I had to do what he said. Without another word, I slipped it on, feeling the thick, warm fabric wrap around me.When I finished getting dressed, he paused for a moment, shot a quick glance at the bag he’d been packing, and then turned back to me."Let’s go, Aiyana. We don’t have time." His voice sounded deeper, more tense than before.I wanted to understand what was happening, but..."What did Isabela do, Icarus? What did she d

AIYANAWarm hands slid beneath my shirt, heating my skin. I let out a sigh of relief and shifted against the warm wall at my back, trying to press myself closer to Icarus’s body. His warmth was comforting in the midst of the biting cold. But then, a groan made me freeze. The cold wind pouring in through the cave entrance still wrapped around me, and I couldn’t get warm enough.The scent of damp earth and the snow piling up outside filled my lungs, but it was the deep, irritated voice that made me open my eyes.“I said no,” Maxim said.“Please, Max…”I blinked, trying to make sense of what was happening. My vision was still blurry, and for a moment

AIYANAI narrowed my eyes at Maxim, stepping even closer to him."No. You're going to tell me now," I insisted, taking another step. "I have the right to know what's happening to me. You can't just drop something like that and pretend you didn’t say it."He looked at me then. Really looked. And for a moment, he seemed tired. Not physically. But the kind of exhaustion that comes from holding everything in for too long."When the bond is activated, even if it's only one-sided... it starts to change us. The magic awakens. The senses get sharper. And so does the pain." His voice dropped. "Being apart starts to hurt. Physically. And over time... it can affect the mind. Cause confusion, impulsiveness, even... instability."