Ties That Bind Book Novels & Stories

Its walls, once a symbol of security, now felt like they were closing in on me, locking me into a future I couldn’t escape. I slipped into a simple white dress, the fabric light against my skin but heavy with unspoken expectations. Kneeling down on the floor, I folded my hands in my lap and waited, the silence of the room pressing down on me like an invisible weight.

We both stared at each other mesmerised by the other's presence. Jaimie cleared his throat, grabbing our attention. We both turned to look at him. He smiled. "We gather tonight, two very different packs, once divided, now standing as one. Piper of the Eclipse pack and Thane of the Tempests, do you come freely, to bind your bond and unite your packs?" Thane and I watched each other. It wasn’t even a question at this point. “We do." We both responded. Jaimie smiled and nodded. "Then at this point, I will invite you to share your vows.”

“Your turn little brother.” Sylvia released Alsie hand and shook her hands out. Sylvia then rubbed her palms together. When Sylvia was done, she held her hands out. Alsie took one of her hands and Reilly took the other. Again, Sylvia chanted something under her breath, and a few seconds later Sylvia opened her eyes. This time the look on Sylvia’s was different. “This is different, the bond is true, but it’s a secondary bond.” Sylvia squeezed Reilly’s hand a little tighter, “Ah, that’s genius. The bond is a true bond, it is a fated bond, but as I said it is a secondary bond, secondary to the Lycan King’s bond.” “What does that mean?” Reilly asked, panic starting to creep in.

"This year has shown that peace is possible, if we choose it. I hope for a future where our families cooperate, not out of fear, but because it is wiser, and maybe… even fruitful for everyone. Thank you." His words sounded right and polished and an eruption of applause rippled through the room. Yet, beneath the surface, tension crackled. Everyone watched everyone else and anything was good to create the spark that would ignite the flame. And me… I couldn’t stop glancing at Luca Vitale across the room. Our eyes met for a moment, and I quickly looked away. Then he turned his attention elsewhere, but i couldn't shake the heat of that look. It wasn’t friendship but something else, something I di

“You don’t trust her to protect herself.” I shake my head. “Libby couldn’t hurt a fly. She’d apologize to it first. Offer it tea. Probably name it.” Luca’s mouth tightens. “I’m worried anytime she’s not around,” I add, quieter now. “Anytime I can’t see her.” He nods once. Understanding. Then—The bell jingles again. I straighten instantly. Libby walks in carrying two heavy boxes of books, hair pulled back, cheeks flushed. The sight of her hits me right in the chest like it always does. My smile snaps into place. Easy. Bright. Harmless.

Kenna closes her eyes and exhales, surrendering, but it’s Maeve who speaks, her voice tight to shield the same feelings her mother can’t help but show. “Binding is highly illegal and so rare it’s been, what, centuries since the last recorded case?” She arches a brow at Minerva and her mom, who nod in agreement, before I slowly turn around to face her. “You said Marianna mentioned to you that Dean imprinted on her before she turned twenty-one. Imprinting is not the same as being fated mates. It’s a different kind of bond, surface level. Rejection and the death of a mate wouldn’t carry the same kind of weight as it would for those who are fated, whose timelines cross, or however you see it.” S

Scattered puzzle pieces waiting to be forced together. One book drew me—an old thing, its binding frayed, its pages yellowed and fragile. The script inside was dense, archaic, but I pieced together enough to understand. It spoke of bonds. Unnatural ones. A vampire bound to a dragon. A rider tied not by choice but by something deeper, something carved into the marrow of their being. A sacred link that transcended survival, dictating loyalty, instinct, obedience. Trust bound in blood. My skin prickled as I traced the faded ink.

I flinch at the sound of her voice, the ache I didn’t know I still carried cracking in my chest. She softens. “I came,” she whispers, stepping forward and holding the book between us, “because the time for pretending is over.” I take the book from her, it's heavier than it looks. “This belonged to your mother,” she says. “She started it the moment she knew she was carrying you both. It’s her magic, her binding, her warnings… and her hopes for you and your brother.” My fingers tighten around the cover. “You told me once that you didn’t know what she used her powers to bind, other than our wolves. But she bound me entirely.”

But as long as they continue talking to each other they knew that they were going to make it in a way that most people didn't have the opportunity to. “well here's to the ties that bind us.” Jonathan said as he kissed her again, “you never have to fear telling me that you're pregnant with our children. Whether it be one or nine it really doesn't matter not to me at least. Because they are everything that will bind you to me and me to you for the rest of our lives and beyond though. I'm extremely lucky to have found you when I did. I wouldn't change anything in our lives and that I love you more than anything else could possibly be.” “to the ties that bind us forever and eternity.”

“We need to complete the binding now.” But as Emily chanted the words she had learned from the journal, something twisted in the air, a distortion like the fabric of reality itself was beginning to tear. The vine recoiled as if it had felt the weight of the words and the force of the binding spell. And for a moment, just a moment, there was hope. The eye at the center of the vine flickered, dimming as the shadowy form of the creature writhed in place. The vine tightened like a noose around the figure, pulling it inward, closing it in.