Chapter 4: The Bond Begins
Ethan pressed his forehead against the icy mirror in his dimly lit bedroom. His breath misted against the glass in shaky clouds. His pulse seemed to tremble under his skin, a restless thunder threatening to break him from within.
The red rune—the strange marking that appeared after his encounter with Ava—pulsed faintly on his forearm, a rhythmic glow in time with his own heartbeat.
He turned away from the mirror and pressed a shaky finger against it.
"What are you?" he whispered under his breath.
The marking remained silent. But something within him responded—a rush of warmth flowed through his body, not painful but intimate, as if a thread tying him to something, or someone, were growing tighter.
---
Ethan hadn't gotten much rest in the two nights following the attack in Blackridge. His nights were filled with vivid dreams—the face of a woman with piercing violet eyes, a barren throne made of bone, a wolf stranded in a labyrinth of ashes.
He awoke each time feeling more confused… more connected… and more vulnerable.
---
He decided it was time for answers.
He found Eli in the estate's war room, hunched over a stack of ancient texts.
"Eli."
Eli looked up, weary but resolute. "Ethan."
Ethan held up his arm. "Tell me what this means."
Eli pressed forward and turned his wrist, examining the rune. His knuckles whitened. "…Impossible."
"What?"
"It's a soul-mark. The kind you find in ancient stories… when two fates become bound."
Ethan's pulse faltered. "Bound… to what?"
Eli whispered, "…To another soul. To your mate."
---
Ethan staggered back.
"It… it can't be. The stories say soul-marked mates are rare… mythical… meant for those destined to unite two warring worlds."
Eli nodded gravely. "Your marking signals a bond with someone not of your pack. The stories say it may be a vampire… the ultimate taboo… or a creature from a forgotten bloodline."
Ethan pressed his knuckles against his forehead. "Ava."
Eli fell silent. "…So you know her."
Ethan nodded. "I think… we're connected in a way I shouldn't be."
Eli sighed. "Your fate is not your own, Alpha… it's intertwined with hers."
---
Meanwhile, across town, Ava walked through abandoned ruins beneath Blackridge—the hidden catacombs where her clan had gone into hiding. She pressed her hand against a stone wall and whispered a vow into the dark:
"I will not let the past destroy us. Whatever you and I are meant to be… we will face it together."