"A mate bond."
The words echoed in my head like a gunshot.
Loud.
Violent.
Unavoidable.
"No."
The response came out instantly.
Sharp.
Defensive.
The Alpha King didn't move.
Didn't argue.
Didn't even look surprised.
"That's not possible," I continued, shaking my head as I stepped back. "I already had a mate."
My chest tightened at the memory.
The rejection.
The humiliation.
The pain.
"That bond was broken," he said calmly.
I let out a bitter laugh.
"Yeah. I remember that part very clearly."
But this?
This was different.
This wasn't just some emotional connection.
This was something deeper.
Stronger.
Terrifying.
"No," I repeated, more firmly now. "You don't just get a second mate. That's not how it works."
His gaze darkened slightly.
"For normal wolves, yes."
That word again.
Normal.
"And I'm not 'normal,' right?" I snapped.
"You stopped being normal the moment you were born," he replied.
Silence.
That should have annoyed me.
Maybe even offended me.
But instead…
It scared me.
Because a part of me knew—
He wasn't wrong.
I turned away from him, running my hand through my hair.
"This doesn't make any sense," I muttered. "A rejected mate… a sealed past… a royal bloodline… and now this?"
My wolf stirred softly.
Not angry this time.
Not restless.
But…
Calm.
"He's ours."
My breath hitched.
"No," I whispered under my breath.
"You feel it too."
I clenched my fists.
"I said no."
"Arguing with yourself won't change the truth."
His voice came from right behind me.
Too close.
Too steady.
Too real.
I turned sharply.
"Stay out of my head."
"I'm not in your head," he said. "But I can feel you fighting it."
That made my heart pound harder.
"Good," I shot back. "Then feel this too—I don't want it."
There.
I said it.
For the first time—
Something shifted in his expression.
Not anger.
Not disappointment.
Something sharper.
"You don't get to choose," he said quietly.
That hit a nerve.
"Oh, I don't?" I challenged, stepping closer to him now. "Funny. I didn't get to choose my first mate either—and look how that turned out."
The air between us thickened instantly.
"Don't compare me to him."
The warning in his voice was clear.
"Then don't act like him," I snapped.
Silence.
Heavy.
Tense.
Dangerous.
For a moment—
I thought he might actually lose his temper.
But instead—
He stepped back.
Creating distance.
Not because he was weak.
But because he was in control.
"Whether you accept it or not," he said, his voice calmer now, "the bond is there."
My chest tightened again.
"And it will only grow stronger."
I hated how certain he sounded.
"I'll fight it," I said.
His gaze held mine.
"Then it will hurt."
A pause.
"For both of us."
Before I could respond—
A sudden commotion erupted from the direction of the pack house.
Voices.
Shouting.
Urgent.
The Alpha King's head snapped toward the sound instantly.
"What now?" I muttered.
A warrior rushed toward us, breathless.
"My King—someone has arrived."
"Who?"
The warrior hesitated.
Then—
"He claims… he knows her."
My heart skipped.
"Me?" I asked.
The warrior nodded.
A strange feeling settled in my chest.
Uneasy.
Familiar.
"Bring him," the Alpha King ordered.
We returned to the main area, where a small crowd had already gathered.
The moment I stepped closer—
I saw him.
And everything inside me froze.
"No way…" I whispered.
He looked exactly the same.
Maybe a little older.
Stronger.
But unmistakable.
"My guy…" he said softly.
My breath caught.
"Long time."
Memories hit me all at once.
Laughter.
Running through the forest.
A boy who always stayed by my side.
"Ethan…?" I said slowly.
He smiled.
But it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You remember me," he said.
Of course I did.
Ethan was…
"My childhood friend," I said, more to myself than anyone else.
The one person who never treated me like I was weak.
The one who always protected me.
The one who—
"Disappeared," I finished quietly.
The crowd murmured.
"You just vanished," I said, my voice tightening. "No goodbye. No explanation. Nothing."
His expression shifted slightly.
Guilt.
Regret.
Something else.
"I didn't have a choice," he said.
"Funny," I replied coldly. "Seems like everyone in my life makes decisions for me."
The Alpha King stepped forward slightly.
"Explain yourself," he said, his tone sharp.
Ethan's eyes flickered to him.
Then—
Something unexpected happened.
He smirked.
"Still as intimidating as they say," he said casually.
That alone was enough to set off alarms.
Because no normal wolf would speak to the Alpha King like that.
"Answer the question," the Alpha King said, his voice dropping dangerously.
Ethan's gaze shifted back to me.
"I came because of her."
My heart skipped again.
"Why?" I asked.
His expression turned serious.
"Because they've found you."
Silence fell instantly.
My stomach twisted.
"We already know that," I said.
He shook his head.
"No… you don't understand."
A pause.
"This isn't just about the creatures that attacked."
My chest tightened.
"Then what is it about?"
He took a step closer.
And lowered his voice.
"It's about who sent them."
I felt it again.
That unease.
That dread.
"I already know someone is after me," I said. "So what's new?"
Ethan's eyes locked onto mine.
"The person hunting you…"
A pause.
"…is someone you already know."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
He didn't look away.
Didn't hesitate.
"Someone you trust."
The words hit harder than anything else.
And slowly…
My mind started racing.
Because there weren't many people in my past.
Not many people I trusted.
Not many people who had access to me as a child.
And suddenly—
One terrifying thought crossed my mind.
"No…" I whispered.
But deep down…
I already feared the truth.
The Alpha King stepped beside me again, his presence steady.
"Say the name," he ordered.
Ethan hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then—
He spoke.
And everything changed.