HIDING FROM THE MATEBOND

7.Conversations

Calista

The evening after the interview was quiet. Ethan was asleep, his little chest rising and falling with the kind of peace only children seemed to know. I watched him for a moment, brushing a strand of hair off his forehead. Seeing Aerion made me realize how much he looked like his father. It was by sheer luck his hair was more brown like mine or people would start asking questions I had no answers to.

As I turned away from Ethan, the familiar sensation of my wolf, Lyra, stirring inside me pulled my attention.

“So… Aerion.”

Lyra’s voice broke through the silence, her familiar presence pushing to the forefront of my mind.

I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly where this was going. “Don’t, Lyra.”

“What?” she asked, feigning innocence.

“You felt it too. The bond, it’s still there, Calista. You can’t deny it.”

I stiffened, trying not to let the truth of her words hit me too hard. Of course, I felt it. The second I walked into his office, the bond flared open as if reaching out to its half to complete the connection.

“And did you notice…” Lyra trailed off, her tone suddenly taking on a light, almost teasing tone. “He looks hotter. Like, way hotter than before.”

I blinked in surprise before letting out a short, surprised laugh. “Hotter? Seriously, Lyra? Are we just going to ignore everything that happened between us?”

“What?” she grumbled, a little defensive. “I’m just stating a fact. He’s aged really well. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t keep my eyes off him during the interview. It’s the bond.”

I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. “Oh, so it’s the bond’s fault now, huh? You don’t remember the banishment? Or how we were humiliated and cast out? You were the one most upset back then.”

Lyra huffed, clearly trying to deflect. “I do remember, Calista! But can you blame me for noticing? It’s not like I can control the bond. It does things to us, makes everything more intense… and I’m still part of you, so I notice when something looks good.”

All I did was roll my eyes. I was not going to even get into that topic with her.

" Is that why you are here? To tell me Aerion looked good?''

“No. Anyway, you should tell him. He deserves to know about Ethan. About us.” Lyra continued.

I shook my head firmly. “No, Lyra. We have been through this. I’m not telling him.”

Lyra growled softly, clearly growing more frustrated.

“You can’t keep running from this forever. You couldn’t even let Kyle get rid of the mate mark. And you think seeing him today was just a coincidence? The Moon Goddess brought us back here for a reason. It’s divine intervention!”

I scoffed, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

“The Moon Goddess? Divine intervention? No, Lyra.

I brought us back. Not her. I didn’t see any Moon Goddess stepping in to help when we were banished, when we were left to fend for ourselves. Don’t act like this was some fated reunion.”

Lyra’s huff was full of annoyance, but she didn’t push back. “Fine,” she said, conceding. “But you have to admit, it’s like it was destined. You can’t ignore the fact that you’re still bonded to him forever.”

“Yes, I can,” I replied sharply. “I’ve done it for four years. And he has Rose. He’s engaged. We were banished, and a pack traitor remember? We weren’t wanted then, and I am not delusional enough to think that has changed now.”

Lyra growled, the frustration returning.

“Which is exactly why you should tell him. Confess everything, let him know what he threw away.” She paused, bitterness seeping into her tone.

“They called Ethan a stain to the bloodline, even before he existed. I don’t think we should let that slide.”

Seeking revenge was what everyone would expect I was after, but I had someone else to think about, my son.

“We didn’t survive a pregnancy in an underground cellar just to put our son at risk now,” I replied. “Ethan’s safety comes first. Always.”

“I know,” Lyra grumbled, before muttering, “But we could at least leak his credit card info on the internet.”

I laughed, the absurdity of it breaking through the tension that had begun forming.

“Really, Lyra? That’s your idea of revenge?”

“It’s something!” she shot back, but her tone was lighter.

The laugh died quickly as reality settled back in. “I made my peace with Aerion not liking me a long time ago. He moved on. And I did too.”

“Oh, please,” Lyra scoffed. “Made peace? Moved on? If that’s true, why didn’t you let Kyle remove the mark? Ethan wasn’t a child then and you had your chance. You didn’t like him enough.”

I groaned, the memories of Kyle coming back like a wave.

“Kyle…” I shook my head, a half-sigh escaping my lips. It was funny how she was blaming me over the whole thing.

“You never liked him either, Lyra. You thought he was a weak Alpha because his only ability was scent tracking. You always said it wasn’t enough for someone like us.”

“Because it wasn’t!” Lyra huffed rolling her eyes.

“Kyle was... fine, but he wasn’t our match. And you know it.”

If there existed a prideful wolf in all the kingdom, they wouldn't come close to Lyra. She had not only told me we were special but shown me countless times.

I hesitated, chewing on the inside of my cheek. “You’re right. We didn’t like him enough. But it wasn’t just that…” I paused, swallowing hard before continuing. The moment of truth was upon us.

“The truth is, I didn’t let him remove the mark because… I just didn't want to.”

Lyra went silent, waiting.

“Because Aerion… he’s the one person who is meant to be mine. Like the Moon Goddess chose him for us. He is my special person in the millions that exist. How do you let go of someone like that when you’ve never had anyone else? It's weird, but that's the truth. ”

I could feel Lyra’s anger shift, softening ever so slightly. “I get it,” she admitted quietly.

“But holding onto that mark won’t change anything, Calista. It just keeps you trapped in the past.”

I let out a shaky breath.

“I know that. I do. But it’s not just about me, Lyra. If I let him know, everything changes. Ethan… he’s at risk the most. Aerion might feel obligated to claim him. And what then? What happens when politics come into play, when they start seeing Ethan as more than just my son but a piece of the pack’s legacy and take him away from me?”

“And Rose,” Lyra added with disdain. “She’ll do everything to keep him from us. Like what happened with Marcus.”

“Exactly,” I whispered. “That’s why I can’t tell him. I don’t think I ever will.

But if there is a chance, it will not be until I know who Aerion really is now. I didn’t know him before, and we can’t afford to be as trusting anymore.”

Lyra growled softly, though her anger wasn’t directed at me anymore. “Do you think he’s changed?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But we can’t risk Ethan’s safety on hope.”

There was a long pause, a silence that felt heavier than any of the words we had spoken.

“You’re right,” Lyra finally said. “We can’t be reckless, not when it comes to him. But watching Aerion from the shadows won’t solve anything. Sooner or later, we’ll have to confront him.”

“I know.” I closed my eyes, leaning back on the couch.

“We’ll watch him. We’ll figure out who he really is. And then we’ll decide.”