All Chapters of The Seal and The Bond: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Katherine Lark's POV:The full moon was too bright tonight.It was always like this on gathering nights. The huge moon left nowhere to hide so I stayed at the edge.I leaned against the old oak and feeling the rough bark through my cloak. My face looked calm and almost bored. But deep inside, I was watching everything. The politics of our pack were always easy to read if you knew how to look at it in a different perspective.The center of the clearing only belonged to the powerful. Alpha Matteo, our pack's leader, stood tall with his mate beside him while the betas hovered nearby and the strong warriors formed loose circles around them. And there was me. Katherine Lark, an omega and a wolf-less at that.All of a sudden, a low snort broke the silence."Heh. You're still standing there?" a young warrior said and did not bother lowering his voice. "I didn't know a wolf-less omega like you were still allowed to attend the gathering!"I slowly turned my head and met his eyes. I didn't spe

Katherine Lark's POV:The moment I stepped into Darkblood territory, it felt alive but unwelcoming. My chest was still burning from rejecting the mate bond and making my breath tight.But I forced myself forward. My survival couldn't wait for any comfort.I was thinking how to enter their territory when the clearing suddenly opened before me. But before I could move far, several figures closed in from all sides."Stop right there!"The voice was sharp and commanding. I looked up to see a group of elders stepping forward. Their faces were hard and wary. The warriors behind them fell back with their hands near their weapons."This is Darkblood land." one elder coldly said. "State your name and the reason why you are here!"I swallowed and straightened my back. My chest was still burning from the bond's aftershock. But I refuse to bow or lower my gaze at them."My name is Katherine Lark." I said. "I was sent by the Silvermoon Pack.""Sent?" another elder hissed. "But why?""To show that

Harrison Hale's POV:The bond between Katherine and I were still burning.It was not the sharp and intoxicating pull that the old songs or council lectures had promised. This was worse. It was uneven, raw and damaged. There was a constant sting burning in my chest where the bond should have settled.She was rejecting it even now.I lay awake in my quarters and staring at the ceiling while my wolf paced under my skin. Even from a distance, her shallow breaths and restless movements tugged at me like a hooked blade.Katherine Lark was not sleeping. And neither was I.Her constant refusal was gnawing at me. This was not about pride or dominance anymore. I know a bond was meant to be shared although I had forced it shut after our earlier conversation. But the backlash left my wolf bristling and restless.She was struggling. I felt it even from here. The pressure was rising and her distress, pain and resistance came through the bond in broken flashes.And underneath it all, there was want.

Katherine Lark's POV:The throbbing pain in my chest woke me up before the sunrise did.At first, it was just a dull ache under my ribs. Then it slowly spread through my body like a slow fire. I closed my eyes and put my hand on my chest. Then I took a sharp breath.But I suddenly gasped when I opened my eyes and looked at my chest. The symbol was still there. I know I had to see it properly so I gathered my courage, stood up and looked at my chest in the old mirror in the corner.The mark had grown darker overnight. The faint symbols were now clear enough for me to see. There are thin lines that curved inward and meeting at a point over my heart. It looked like a seal closing itself.I hesitated then slowly lifted my hand and touched the edge of the mark. I traced the lines on my chest with my finger and carefully moved it. But when I reached the center part, a sharp pain shot through my chest."Hiss..."I pulled my hand away and took a quick breath. The pain was not only on my skin.

Katherine Lark's POV:After that, the days that followed it turned into a strange routine. Alpha Harrison did not bring up what I overheard that day. He didn't bring up our bond either. He simply gave me space and I tacitly took it.True to his words, I was allowed to leave my room now. I could continue joining the others for meals, walking around the courtyard and watching the warriors train from a distance. No one stopped me, but no one crowded me either.I also stayed quiet. I did not give my opinion or ask too many questions. I kept my head low and made sure I was never in anyone's way. For now, it was safer to observe my surroundings than to speak and become their center of attention.The Darkblood Pack was too different from the Silvermoon Pack. They were stronger and more organized. Their movements were sharp and controlled especially during training. Everyone also knew their role and they all carried it well.It was also clear to me that power ruled them. They were strict but