Chapter 28 CHAPTER 28

Chapter 28 CHAPTER 28
Bronte's POV

Alexander's meetings run longer than expected.

By the time he's done, it's mid-afternoon and the lake trip he mentioned never happens.

"Tomorrow," he promises, kissing my forehead. "I'll make it up to you."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. I want to spend time with you." He glances at his beta who's waiting in the doorway. "But right now I need to handle this border situation. Will you be alright on your own for a few hours?"

"Of course."

He leaves and I'm finally alone.

I go to my room and lie down, exhausted from pretending all day.

There's a soft knock on my door.

"Come in," I call.

Irina slips inside and closes the door behind her.

"We need to talk," she says.

"About what?"

"The spell. I did it last night."

I sit up. "And?"

She crosses the room and sits on the edge of my bed, pulling something from her pocket. A small cloth bundle.

"There's a bond," she says quietly. "Between you and Sebastian. A real one."

My heart stops. "What?"

She unwraps the bundle to reveal two pieces of string, one red and one silver, twisted together so tightly they look like a single cord.

"What is that?"

"A physical manifestation of the bond. When two people are mates, their energies connect. The spell makes it visible." She holds up the twisted strings. "Red is yours. Silver is Sebastian's."

"But that's impossible. Alexander is my mate."

"Is he?" She pulls out another cloth bundle and unwraps it. Two more strings, red and gold, but these ones are barely twisted together. The gold looks faded. "This is you and Alexander."

I stare at the two sets of strings.

"I don't understand."

"You have two bonds, Bronte. One with Alexander, one with Sebastian."

"That can't happen."

"It's rare, but it happens. Dual mates. Split bonds."

"Why would the Moon Goddess do that?"

"I don't know. A test. A choice. A mistake."

"The Moon Goddess doesn't make mistakes."

"Then maybe you're supposed to choose."

"Choose what?"

"Which bond to keep. Which mate to bind yourself to."

I stand and move to the window. "And what happens to the other bond?"

"It breaks. Snaps like a physical thing."

"Does it hurt?"

"Yes."

"How much?"

"I don't know. I've never seen it happen." She pauses. "But from what I've read, it can be devastating. Some wolves don't survive it."

I turn to face her. "Don't survive?"

"The pain of a broken mate bond can kill. Especially if it's a true bond."

"So if I mate with Alexander, Sebastian could die?"

"Or be severely damaged. And you'd feel it too."

"And if I don't mate with Alexander?"

"Same risk, same pain, but reversed."

"That's not a choice. That's impossible."

"I know." She stands and comes to the window. "But you need to know before you make any decisions."

"Does Sebastian know?"

"Not yet. I wanted to tell you first."

"Don't tell him."

"Bronte—"

"I mean it. If he knows it could kill him, he'll do something stupid."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Leave. Try to break it himself. Something." I press my hands against the glass. "I need time to think."

"You don't have much time."

"I know."

"There's something else," Irina says.

"What?"

"The bond with Sebastian is stronger than the one with Alexander. Look at the strings."

I look at the twisted cords in her hands. The red and silver practically glow. The red and gold barely touch.

"What does that mean?"

"It means Alexander might have been chosen first, but Sebastian is your true mate. The real one."

"How long have I had both bonds?"

"I don't know. The spell doesn't show time." She wraps the strings back in their cloths. "But I'd guess the bond with Sebastian formed recently. When you came here. When you first saw him."

"So everything I've been feeling—"

"Is real. A real bond pulling you toward him."

"And Alexander?"

"The bond exists but it's weak. Fading."

I take the cloth bundles from her hands and stare at them.

"What do I do?"

"I don't know. But you need to decide soon." She moves to the door. "The longer you wait, the stronger both bonds get, and the more it will hurt when one breaks."

"Does Alexander know?"

"No. And I won't tell him unless you want me to."

"Don't. Not yet."

"Okay." She opens the door. "But Bronte? You need to figure this out. You're hurting all three of you by staying in the middle."

She leaves.

I sit on my bed and unwrap the strings again.

Red and silver, wound so tight they're one piece.

Red and gold, barely touching.

I shove them under my pillow when someone knocks.

"Come in," I call.

The door opens.

Sebastian stands there, covered in dirt and sweat from patrol.

"We need to talk," he says.