11- The Accidental Bond
POV Lunara Grimwald:
I stepped aside, wanting to escape his burning gaze.
His release still dripped down my thighs, humiliating me further. His scent clung to me so completely that I felt no bath could ever wash it away.
I hated the disdain in his eyes. And... shame. Edric felt shame, just as I did, for what had happened.
Not even Alessio’s rejection had hurt me this much.
"I’m leaving," I warned, glancing at my shredded clothes scattered on the ground.
He laughed harshly.
"You really think I’m going to entrust my life to you?" He looked me over again from head to toe.
I clenched my teeth, anger rising.
"I don’t give a damn what you think—I’m leaving, period."
In the blink of an eye, he was in front of me.
"I don’t know where you came from, little wolf," he whispered, threat heavy in his tone, "but in case you’re unaware of how mating works—wolves become one. So if you die, I die."
I swallowed hard and forced myself not to flinch before him. I’d been submissive long enough in my life. I wouldn’t accept that anymore, even if he was a far more powerful alpha than my father ever was—or Alessio would ever be.
"That’s your problem!" I spat, sliding away from him. I grabbed my tattered clothes, but they were useless. I went to my backpack and pulled out a dress, slipping it over my head as fast as I could, avoiding his piercing stare. "Let’s just pretend this never happened."
Once dressed, I slung my backpack over my shoulders. I turned to him as he pulled up what remained of his jeans. The pants had no button, no zipper left.
"You don’t understand, little wolf. You have no choice but to come with me. I’m not giving you an option—I’m giving you an order."
My whole body stiffened in rage.
"And I already told you no."
He closed the distance and wrapped his hand around my arm, gripping hard enough to hurt, and he didn’t seem to care.
"Shut your damn mouth," he growled. "I’ll find out who you really are, even if I have to—"
I laughed, irritating him further.
"Kill me?" I mocked.
His jaw clenched, as if he had reached the same conclusion I had. There was no solution to our case.
He began walking through the forest, dragging me by the arm. His aura radiated fury—so much fury. But beneath it, I could feel something else. Regret. Guilt. Shame. Contradictory feelings that only left me more confused.
I tried to free myself from his grip several times, but I couldn’t. Edric dragged me mercilessly, hauling me deeper into the forest.
I studied the surroundings, memorizing each tree, calculating our steps. I wouldn’t stay with him long—I would escape to find Elowen, no matter the difficulty.
The muscles in my legs grew heavy as we approached a village, though we didn’t enter it. I could hear the clinking of cutlery in some houses, the hurried footsteps of pups playing in the moonlight. Conversations blended together, too many to distinguish any.
I longed for some sense of direction, anything to know where I was.
I tripped over a hidden branch, and Edric shot me a murderous look but kept pulling me, his iron grip bruising my arm.
"I’m not going to run—you can let me go," I snapped, wanting to rip his head off with my bare hands.
He only glanced at me from the corner of his eye.
"And who said I trust you enough to let you go free?"
I let out a harsh, mocking laugh.
"Don’t trust yourself, Alpha? I thought an omega as fragile as me couldn’t possibly scare you..." I taunted, feeling his aura shift with each word. "Don’t tell me you can’t handle yourself..."
I fell silent when he yanked me against him, our noses brushing.
"Listen here, little wolf..." Each word came out more strained than the last. "Don’t test me and don’t make me any angrier than I already am. I may be forbidden to kill you, but nothing stops me from hurting you." His threat was clear in his eyes—he meant every word. "And don’t be stupid enough to try running, or things will get much worse for you."
I bit the inside of my cheeks, holding my tongue.
Before my disastrous wedding, I would never have dared to defy a powerful alpha like him. I followed every rule I was taught. But after being betrayed by everyone I loved, I realized staying silent and compliant served me nothing—to Elowen’s pride, since she always despised my other personality.
Edric pulled away and kept walking, still dragging me along. His grip would leave marks that would heal quickly—it was always that way since my first transformation. My healing was fast.
"What’s your plan now? Keep me prisoner while you decide what to do with me?"
He growled, eyes fixed on the path ahead.
"First, I’ll find out who you really are—even if I have to rip your tongue out for it. And then I’ll discover how you managed to enchant me, forcing me to mark you."
I scoffed, truly offended.