Chapter 28 Sister in Everything But Blood
Wynter‘s POV
I could feel his pain through the Bond, sharp and cutting, matching my own. But underneath it, I also felt something else—understanding. Reluctant, aching understanding.
"Text me when you get back safe," he said quietly, his voice strained but no longer demanding.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and turned toward the door before my resolve could crumble completely.
---
The walk back to my dorm felt different this time. Every step away from Chase made the void inside me yawn wider. My skin felt too tight, too hot. My core clenched with phantom need, my body remembering the feel of him inside me and demanding more.
Even after coming—after that intense, overwhelming orgasm—I still ached for him. Worse than before.
This is what an incomplete Bond does, I realized with growing horror. The Mark creates constant craving, but without completion, there's no satisfaction. Just endless hunger that feeds on itself.
My wolf was pacing restlessly, her voice a constant whine of need. Go back. We need him. We need to be filled.
"We just were filled," I told her, my voice barely a whisper. "Multiple times. It didn't last."
Then we need to complete the Bond. That's the only thing that will actually satisfy us.
"We can't do that."
Then we're trapped, she said flatly. Trapped in a cycle we can't break. The need will just keep building, stronger each time, until we can't think of anything else.
She was right. And that terrified me more than anything Anne could do.
---
Rosalie was already dressed and gathering her books when I slipped into our dorm room. She glanced up, opened her mouth to greet me—then froze mid-motion, her nose twitching as she caught my scent.
"Wyn." Her eyes widened, not with surprise exactly, but with something closer to alarm. "Your scent—it's completely intertwined with his now. Even stronger than before." She dropped her bag, stepping closer to study me with growing concern. "What happened? The Bond—did something change?"
My hand flew instinctively to my neck, but it was too late. The high collar of my dress couldn't hide what she'd already detected through scent alone.
"Rose—"
"You were intimate with him." It wasn't a question. Rosalie's voice had gone soft, understanding dawning in her eyes along with something that looked like worry. "Your scents are completely intertwined, layered in a way that only happens when—" She stopped, her expression shifting to something more troubled. "Oh God. You've been with him again, haven't you?"
There was no point lying anymore.
"Yes," I admitted quietly, unable to meet her eyes. "We... ."
I couldn't explain it to her—couldn't put into words the way the Bond was consuming me from within, the endless loop of need and denial that left me hollowed out and aching.
How could I tell her that every touch only made the hunger worse? That satisfaction was impossible without completion, and completion was something I couldn't allow myself to want?
"This Bond, this connection to Chase—" Rosalie's voice dropped lower, thick with concern. "It's not just making you vulnerable physically. It's making you a target."
The shift in her tone made my chest tighten. "What do you mean?"
Her voice grew harder, more certain. "Anne damaged your gland because you're Chase's Mate. Because being connected to an Alpha heir makes you a threat she needs to eliminate." She paused, her grip on my hands tightening. "And now that the Mark is deepening, now that your Bond is progressing—her obsession is only going to get worse. She won't stop, Wyn. She can't afford to."
The certainty in her voice hit like a physical blow.
"Yes," I admitted, shame flooding through me. "My gland was damaged because I'm his Mate. Because being connected to someone from a powerful family makes me something that needs to be removed."
"That's what terrifies me." Rosalie's grip on my hands tightened almost painfully. "The inequality between your positions, your statuses—you're a Beta from a disgraced family. He's the heir to the most powerful Pack in the territories. People like Anne will always see you as someone who doesn't belong, someone who needs to be put in her place." Her voice cracked. "And I'm so scared that this Bond—this connection that should be sacred—is going to get you killed."
The brutal honesty of it made my chest ache. "I know. Believe me, I know."
"I wish—" Rosalie's voice broke, and she had to pause, swallowing hard before she could continue. "I wish so much that your Mate was just some ordinary wolf. Someone who could love you without putting a target on your back. Someone whose family didn't have the power to crush you if they decided you weren't good enough."
"So do I," I whispered. "Every single day, I wish that."
"But he is your Mate," Rosalie said, pulling me into a careful hug, mindful of my injured gland. "And I know you can't just walk away from that. The Bond doesn't work that way."
I let myself lean into her warmth, let myself accept the comfort I'd been denying myself for so long. "Thank you. For understanding. For not judging me."
"Never." She pulled back to look at me, her expression fierce. "Wyn, I need you to understand something. From the moment I decided to be your friend—from that first week when you stayed up all night helping me pass Shifting Control—I recognized you as my best friend for life. My sister in everything but blood."
Tears pricked my eyes at the intensity in her voice.
"So I need you to believe me when I say—I will never betray you. Never. No matter what happens with Chase, no matter what his family does, no matter what Anne tries—I'm on your side. Always."
"I believe you," I managed to choke out.
"Do you?" She searched my face. "Because I know how guarded you are, Wyn. Your childhood taught you not to trust easily. But I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm trying," I whispered. "I'm trying to trust you. To believe you won't abandon me like everyone else has."
"I know you are." Rosalie's thumb brushed across my knuckles. "And I'm not asking you to trust me completely overnight. I know that kind of trust is earned, not given. But I want you to know—I'm in this for the long haul. You're stuck with me, whether you like it or not."
A laugh bubbled up through my tears. "I like it. I really, really like it."
"Good." She smiled, then her expression turned more serious. "Can I ask you something?"
I nodded, bracing myself.
"Have you completed the Bond? Have you bitten him back?"
I shook my head, shame flooding through me again. "No. I can't. I'm not ready. I'm not brave enough."