THE BOND THAT COULD SAVE US

The words hung between us, heavy and unforgiving.

You have to bind her to an Alpha.

The room felt smaller, suffocating. I couldn't look away from Cassian, couldn't breathe around the weight of what this meant.

Because I knew it.

I felt it.

The moment the traitor spoke, something shifted between us.

Something undeniable.

Cassian’s jaw tightened, his body as still as stone. His silence was an answer in itself.

No.

I swallowed hard, my pulse hammering in my ears. "What does that mean? Bind me?"

The traitor leaned back, pleased with himself. "A bond, little wolf. One that makes it impossible for them to touch you. A claiming. A vow. A connection so strong that the Council would never dare interfere.”

Cassian exhaled harshly, dragging a hand through his dark, messy hair. His entire body was coiled, wound so tight that I thought he might snap.

Then.

"That’s not happening."

The words landed like a slap.

I flinched, heat rushing to my face.

Cassian wouldn’t even consider it.

The traitor raised a brow. "You’d rather watch her die, then?"

Cassian's teeth clenched. "There has to be another way."

"Maybe," the traitor said lazily, "but not one that you can reach before the Council does.”

A cold shiver ran through me.

Cassian turned to me, his red eyes dark with something unreadable. "Sienna."

I cut him off. "So I don't get a choice in this?"

Cassian stiffened.

I shook my head, letting out a humorless laugh. "You get to decide whether I live or die, and I just have to accept it?"

His nostrils flared. "That’s not what this is."

"Then what is it, Cassian?" My voice rose, my heart pounding. "Because it sounds a lot like you're choosing your own comfort over my survival."

His hands curled into fists. "You don’t understand what you're asking me to do."

I stepped closer, my chest heaving. "Then explain it to me!"

Cassian exhaled sharply, his control cracking.

Then—his eyes locked onto mine, and when he spoke, his voice was ragged, raw.

"Because if I bind you to me, I will never let you go."

My breath caught.

Cassian wasn’t just refusing because of me.

He was refusing because of himself.

Because he knew.

If he claimed me, if he let the bond take root, there would be no going back.

Cassian wasn’t afraid of the bond itself.

He was afraid of what it would mean.

For him.

For us.

For everything.

The room was silent, the weight of his confession thick between us.

The traitor grinned. "Well, this is interesting."

Cassian’s snarl was immediate.

The man chuckled, stepping away from the wall. "You think you have a choice, wolf? You don’t. The second the Council finds her, they’ll rip her apart. And you’ll be left with nothing but the knowledge that you could have stopped it."

Cassian’s body locked up.

He knew it was true.

I knew it, too.

I swallowed hard, my heart slamming against my ribs.

I stepped closer to Cassian, ignoring the way his breathing hitched as I did.

My voice was softer now. Steadier.

"Would it really be so bad?"

Cassian’s eyes snapped to mine, wide and sharp.

I swallowed again. “You say you won’t let me go. But Cassian… do you really think I would want to leave?”

His throat worked, his fingers flexing like he wanted to reach for me but couldn’t allow himself to.

I took another step closer.

This time, he didn’t move away.

My voice was barely above a whisper. “I trust you.”

Cassian exhaled shakily, his control fracturing.

Then, suddenly.

His hand was on my waist, his fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt, as if he needed something to hold onto.

"Don't do that," he muttered.

My breath shook. "Do what?"

Cassian’s jaw ticked. "Make this sound like something it isn't."

I stared at him. "And what is it, then?"

He didn’t answer.

Because we both knew.

Because it was something.

Something neither of us could keep denying.

The traitor clapped his hands, shattering the moment. "Well, this has been incredibly entertaining, but I’d suggest making a decision soon.”

Cassian’s grip on me tightened, almost reflexively.

And I made my choice.

I turned to the traitor. "How do we do it?"

Cassian tensed beside me. “Sienna.”

I lifted my chin. "I’m not dying because you’re scared, Cassian."

He cursed under his breath.

The traitor grinned. “Smart girl.”

He stepped forward, his eyes glinting. “To seal the bond, there are two requirements.”

I swallowed hard, bracing myself. “What are they?”

The traitor smirked. “First, it has to be consensual. Meaning, he has to accept you, too.”

My chest tightened.

I turned to Cassian.

His eyes burned into mine.

A storm.

A war.

His hands were still on me, his breathing unsteady.

But he didn’t say no.

Didn’t push me away.

Then.

The traitor gave a mocking grin. "And the second thing?”

His eyes flickered with amusement as he said it.

“The bond has to be consummated.”

I froze.

Cassian went utterly still.

The traitor laughed. “Ah. There it is.”

Heat rushed to my face, but I held my ground. “You’re lying.”

The traitor raised his hands. “Afraid not.”

He tilted his head, watching Cassian, not me.

“I wonder,” he mused, “what’s harder for you, Cassian—the idea of claiming her, or the idea of what happens if you don’t?”

Cassian’s breathing was sharp, his fists clenching and unclenching.

I watched the war rage inside him.

But I already knew.

I knew that no matter how much he wanted to deny it, no matter how hard he tried to keep his walls up—

Cassian would never let me die.

He couldn’t.

And maybe.

Maybe I couldn’t let him go, either.

His red eyes flicked to me, searching, desperate.

I let out a shaky breath.

And then, barely above a whisper.

"Cassian. Choose me."

He broke.

His lips crashed into mine.

And in that moment, I knew.

There was no turning back.