Breaking the Bond

True Identity

She thought she knew pain. She thought she‘d known suffering. She laughed ironically, how wrong she had been. As soon as Ryan had reached Natalie, he bent down and kissed her passionately. Lexis heart had almost travelled up her throat as if wanted to escape from her mouth.

“Natalie, love, I missed you, how was your mother?” Ryan held the blond woman in his arms. They looked like a prefect young couple in love.

When he had said those words, Lexi had physically felt the strings of the bond unwind and start to sever. The bond almost snapping under the strain of betrayal with the remaining fibres fraying, clinging on, set as a cruel reminder that he was meant to be hers. It was written in the fates.

The pain became never ending, like a hot poker being plunged through her rib cage right to her heart before being pulled out then plunged back in again. The cycle repeating over and over again, each time the pain increased.  She had fallen in love with her captor and now the fates had found a new way to taunt her. Lexi froze in the car.

“RYAN!!”. Toms shout brought Lexi to life. Ryan shot him a glare as if he was disturbing him and turned back to the woman.

Lexi couldn’t understand what was happening to her, why her fated mate couldn’t feel the burn of rejection, of betrayal. From all the books, she was convinced at least the wolf part of Ryan would never hurt her, yet, there he was, man and beast, arms around another. She hated this, this bond that made her feel like her whole world was being gifted to another. She hadn’t wanted a mate, she never asked for one. Yet she found herself wanting Ryan, she had tried to fight against the bond, heck she had tried to break the bond by rejecting him. When he had said that he hadn’t rejected her to save her, a part of her basked in the idea that they may end up together, she held onto that as if her life depended on it against her gut instinct. She started to dream of a life with another instead of alone. Not for a moment did she think that there was someone else, he had come to the apartment each night and left each morning.

He was already mated. She didn’t know that was even possible. How could another werewolf have a mate bond and still feel their fate mate, surely the bond between Lexi and Ryan should have broken once he had mated with another, but no, Lexi could still feel it. It was so strong.

From the car, Lexi looked at the man that should love her unconditionally as he stood there by Natalie’s side, looking down at the woman with such adoration and care it almost made her wretch with jealousy. He had a love. He had a mate. He had a Luna.

Lexi was just a simple human.

A weak human.

An imprisoned human.

Unknown to Lexi a large crowd of pack wolves had started to gather in front of the pack house. On shaky legs, Lexi let herself out of the car. She had looked for Tom but he stood by Ryan as they whispered only taking quick glances at Lexi. She didn’t know what to do, part of her surprised that she could even stand.

Everyone had their eyes on the Alpha couple, all looking on with such love for their leaders, and Lexi was thankful for that she had almost vanished into the crowd. Except one pair of eyes were fixed on her. Toms. His heart had almost bled for his little star. He had watched her, the little colour that had appeared on her face over the weeks she had spent at the apartment, drained as she turned an ash grey. Her lips formed into a thin line and he could see the tears threatening to spill in her eyes. He had watch as she raised her thin arm and place her dainty hand over her heart, gripping onto the clothing. Her body seemed too retract, as if it was trying to make her appear smaller. A shiver ran down her body and Tom could almost see the life leave her. Tom had been commanded to stand by his Alpha but his whole body wanted to reach out to Lexi.  His wolf yearned to comfort his true Luna. This whole thought had Tom twisted.

“Alpha alpha...who dis?” A young girl with long ginger hair had spotted Lexi in the crowd. Her pretty face covered in small freckles and her smile beaming up at a shaking Lexi. She had tried to smile when she noticed the young girl wearing a spider man top. Everyone had gone quiet including the Alpha who had just taken in Lexi’s shell shocked appearance. She looked like death.

“You like spiderman then?” Lexi sounded monosyllabic but she needed to fill the silence that started to crush her.

“Yesh hes me fave vingers”. The little girl gave her a gummy smile.

“Nice. Have to say the hulk is totally mine favourite avenger.” Lexi watches as the young girl thinks tilting her head to the side. “I mean he’s a totally smart guy, kinda cute in real life”. A small growl comes from the stage but Lexi fixes her eyes on the kid. “Then he gets to turn into this big green beast. I mean who doesn’t love a huge raging monster who wants to smash the bad guys”.

The little girl laughs.

“He smashes everything. I like him too”. She nods then runs through the crowd, leaving Lexi on the lawn with a crowd of werewolves staring at her, baring their teeth at the unwanted human.

“You're good with kids”. Tom stood by her side as she started to fidget with her hands.

“Not really”. She sighed. “So what happens to me?”  She didn’t want to stay but he said he’d never let her leave.

“You'll stay here”. Tom pointed to the pack house carrying on the conversation like they were the only two people standing there.

“What like, forever”. Surely Ryan wouldn’t want to keep his fated mate so close to his chosen one.

“Tom”. Ryan bellowed from the stage. The pack looked on in confusion. “Pack. This is Lexi. She is here while we conduct further investigations. She will be treated with civility. No one is allowed to harm her. If you have any issues please raise them with me in my office before any action is taken”. He wasn’t telling his pack her true identity.

Everyone looked at her with disgust; they all assumed she had something to do with their Alpha’s disappearance, due to the ambiguity in his statement. She picked up on the putrid atmosphere and lowered her head.

“Honey, what’s going on?” Lexi heard Natalie, while she tried so hard to fix her eyes on Tom, on the pack house, on anything by the couple. “Who is this”.

Lexi did not miss Toms frown as he looked at Natalie. “This is Lexi, Nat, Ryan told you about her”. Lexi could feel Natalie’s eyes burning into her.

“Tom, what…. I have no idea who she is…”

“Everyone back to work, or get on with your business, I will be holding a pack meeting in due course. Natalie, Tom, my office now. Bring Lexi”. Ryans tone was demanding and both Tom and Natalie slightly cringed at his voice. Lexi stood there, unaffected.

It took all her will power, every ounce of energy but Lexi finally looked Ryan directly in his beautiful green eyes. All she saw nothing. His face was void of emotion. Natalie’s hand rested on his bicep as the she-wolf surveyed her. Lexi so wanted to hold her head high, to hold herself together, she fought back the tears and she tried to wish the bond away but something churned in her stomach. Something made her insides burn. She couldn’t stop it as the bile raced up her throat and burst through her mouth like a dam breaking. Lexi had missed the slight waiver in Ryan, the small set that he took forward in order to reach her. Tom didn’t miss it, even though he was now rubbing Lexi’s back, making the Alpha growl until Natalie’s hand rested in his large one.

“Shall we go to the office then, don’t want to smell the yucky sick”. Tom stared at the she-wolf. Lunas were meant to comfort those in need, Lexi was not a prisoner, Natalie should have at least shown compassion. Tom looked upon the chosen Luna. Something was odd. Something was off.

“Yes, Tom. Bring Lexi.”

Lexi hadn’t even realised she had moved her feet when the four of them reached a large room. The office was windowless, modern with trendy furniture similar to the one in the apartment. To Lexi, it seemed cold, unwelcoming. There was a mini fridge where Tom had strode over to retrieve a bottle of water and handed it to Lexi. She sat on a black leather settee that had a high back and arms, making her look smaller.

Ryan sat on a large black leather office chair, leaning back, both elbows on the arm rests while his finger interlaced the index fingers over his lips. He cleared his throat.

“Natalie, this is Lexi, my fated mate".