All Chapters of Bound By Blood: The Alpha's Human Mate: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Sophia's POVIdris had just unleashed a revelation that hung in the air like an unexploded bomb. What was the deal with his power, and why did it matter so much to Morwen? The memory of her icy, scheming grin felt like it was searing into my flesh. Unlock your legacy. Claim it. Her phrases churned in my stomach, now tangled up with Idris's stunning disclosure."Your... bond?" I finally got out through my shock. "You're tied to something? Something right here?"Idris eased back against his desk, appearing drained as his usual composure gave way to a different vibe. "It's not a bond in the sense of a mate connection, Sophia. It's a deal. An exchange. My shadow abilities, the force, the elements that aren't purely wolf—they don't stem from my heritage. They're loaned. Borrowed. Tied to me via an age-old contract."Ethan stood there, arms folded. "A deal with what?""A creature of this earth," Idris explained. "More ancient than packs, more ancient than witches. It mostly slumbers. Our...

Sophia's POVThe quiet that came after my announcement was a void that drained every bit of oxygen from the space. Ethan had gone from pale to a frightening fury."You will not," he stated, his tone unyielding."I will," I countered, my voice holding firm in a way that surprised me. "I'll take a week. Seven days. To reflect. To... evaluate. Without any pushing, without alpha orders." I made myself glance at the others.Marcus appeared shocked, Idris troubled, Lucas guardedly optimistic. "If, after that week, my decision is Ethan, then we carry on. But if it's not..." I gulped, pushing the words forward. "Then I'll go with whoever I pick, if they'll take me. And my existence, my ability, and my protection become their duty. Not Blackwell's."It was the biggest risk imaginable.Ethan leaped up, his chair hurtling back and smashing into the cabinet. "This isn't some joke! You're my mate! The connection isn't optional, it's reality!""And reality can be handled in various ways!" I yelled

Sophia's POVThe atmosphere in the office shifted to something brittle, like it could shatter. Ethan's calm query lingered between us, edged enough to slice.My eyes darted from his impassive expression back to the lit display, to those incriminating phrases: She's just toying with you.All the muddle, the dread, the churning feelings from the last week hardened into one icy stab of disloyalty. "Who's Jess?" I questioned, my tone misleadingly even.He stayed put in the entrance, a mute barrier to my way out. "A connection. From way back.""A connection who messages you about me. Who claims I'm toying with you." I allowed the pain to color my words, pivoting to confront him squarely. "While you've been preaching about Lucas's acts, you've been getting tips from some... some echo of your history?""It's not what you think." He stepped inside at last, easing the door closed. The snap of the lock carried a foreboding weight. "Jess is... was... a go-between. From an impartial group. She ha

Sophia's POVEveryone stayed silent for what seemed like forever, even though it was probably just a few seconds.Then, Ethan let out a sound. It was a deep, pained groan from way down in his chest, like an animal hit with a fatal blow. The spark in his eyes didn't just fade; it got buried under a rush of total, crushing heartbreak. He took one shaky step backward.Lucas's expression turned empty, a flawless front of soldier-like calm, but his fingers dug white into the chair's arm.Marcus... Marcus seemed stunned. Then, bit by bit, a deep, gut-wrenching realization lit in his eyes. He wasn't looking at a win. He was looking at an obligation he'd vowed to honor.I pushed myself to break the silence, my words shaking but steady. "Ethan... Lucas... I'm sorry. This isn't turning my back on who you are. It's picking what I need at this moment. And I have my reasons.""Reasons," Ethan repeated, the term sounding empty and rough. "What reasons? What could possibly..."He got interrupted as

Ethan's POVThe sound of Lucas's voice, low and venomous in the hallway, was the final straw. He caused all of this, so he had absolutely no right to feel wronged.I was out of the study and down the hall before the thought fully formed. I turned the corner to see him crowding her against the wall, his posture aggressive, his words a sharp, quiet assault. She looked exhausted, hollowed out, but her chin was still lifted in that defiant way that once made my heart swell and now made it feel like it was being crushed in a vise."Enough," I said, my voice cutting through the tension like a blade.They both flinched, turning. Lucas's eyes flashed with a mix of guilt and defiance. Sophia's were just... weary."Alpha, I was just...""I heard what you were just doing," I interrupted, my tone leaving no room for argument. I walked forward, inserting myself physically between them, forcing Lucas to take a step back. I kept my back to Sophia. I couldn't look at her. Not now. "She made her choic