Chapter 7 Chains Of Blood And Bond

• DRAKE
• “She’s gone… because of you,” I growl, my face close enough to Laura’s that I can see the panic flicker in her eyes. The memory of everything that led us here burns fresh in my mind. Since she first came to Moonveil Pack ten years ago, Laura always had her way. My father, Marcus, bent to her every demand, too afraid of what her family might do to us if he refused. Anyone who ever stood against her either ended up dead—or packing their things to leave before nightfall.
• “We may be engaged because my father killed your mother, but don’t forget—it was your fault she died,” I remind her coldly. Rage surges in me, hot and dangerous, and I force myself to step back before I go too far. If I kill Laura, Blood Oath will come down on all of us.
• “I won’t tolerate you disrespecting my goddess-given mate,” I warn, my voice like steel. “I’m only marrying you to stop your father from tearing Moonveil Pack apart. Remember that. Now behave yourself, or I’ll be the one to end you.”
• With that, I shove Laura down to the floor. She gasps and coughs, clawing at her throat for breath. Seeing her like that should give me guilt, but all I feel is grim satisfaction. She crossed a line today when she attacked Briana.
• “You will act as my Luna, or else. Understood, Laura?” I demand, glaring down at her.
• “Yes, Dr—”
• I cut her off with a sharp growl. “You’ve lost the right to say my name.” She has taken too much from me already—my peace, my freedom, my mate. The only reason I’ll stand beside her at the altar is because my father ordered it. Respect, though? She’ll never have it again.
• “Yes, Alpha,” she spits bitterly. The title tastes sour on her tongue, and I smirk with cruel satisfaction.
• Turning away from her, I storm upstairs. My chest is tight, my anger boiling, and I need space. My sanctuary. My room.
• The door slams open under my hand, and I breathe in the one thing that keeps me from shattering completely—Briana’s scent. It lingers in the air, sweet and grounding, though spoiled now with faint traces of Laura and her friends. They’re not supposed to be in here. No one but a chosen few ever are. But Father allowed them, even ordered Laura to provoke Briana. That betrayal makes my stomach twist.
• My face throbs sharply, blood still oozing from the claw marks Briana left behind. A reminder of how deeply I hurt her. I head straight for the bathroom; I won’t stain the bed that still carries her scent.
• The sudden brightness stings my eyes as I flick the light on. In the mirror, the wounds glare back at me, jagged and raw. I press a cloth to them, wincing. They are deserved—I know that. I shoved her. I saw her fall, heard her scream, felt the bond twist inside me like fire as she hit the ground. My father claimed it was necessary, but the betrayal mark etched into my neck tells a different story. Dark burgundy lines, carved in the shape of a heart torn apart.
• Briana is no ordinary wolf. She carries beta strength, mixed with alpha blood. The goddess paired us for a reason. And I broke it.
• Growling, I drop the cloth in defeat and step into the shower. Hot water cascades down my skin, soothing the sting but not the guilt. The spray brings back her scent stronger, vivid, as if she were still here with me.
• I close my eyes and the memories rush in—the moment the mate bond snapped into place. We were tangled in mud after I tackled her, and she begged me to wait until we cleaned up. But I couldn’t. I wanted her, needed her. Her moans, her warmth, her purity—mine to claim, mine to keep. My mate.
• Now she’s gone, and all I have are echoes.
• The water runs cold, breaking the spell. Cursing under my breath, I scrub quickly and step out, wrapping a towel around my waist. But I don’t get the chance to breathe.
• A fist slams into my jaw. My head whips sideways, pain sparking hot.
• Snarling, I spin, ready to strike back—until I see who it is.
• “Peter,” I growl, my voice caught between relief and anger. Briana’s best friend. My best friend.
• “I get off patrol, only to find out Briana is your mate—and you rejected her?” His roar shakes me, his rage wild.
• My fist lowers, my jaw tight. “Peter, you’ve known for years about my engagement to Laura. You found out by accident, and my father forced you into a blood oath of silence. Do you think I had a choice? He threatened to kill you!”
• “Don’t twist this, Drake!” His voice cuts sharp, his eyes blazing.
• “I didn’t want to reject her!” My own voice cracks, my hands trembling with the confession. “Father put an alpha command on me. He made me say the words. He even tried to force me to hit her. But I couldn’t. The bond wouldn’t let me.”
• Peter stiffens, fury rolling off him like thunder. “He ordered you to hurt her?”
• “Yes,” I whisper, shame lacing my words. “That was the one part I fought. But it doesn’t matter. The damage is done.”
• His gaze drops, and only then do I notice the crumpled papers in his fist. They reek of Briana. My chest tightens painfully.
• “What are those?” I demand, my voice low and dangerous.
• “None of your business,” he snaps, hiding them behind his back.
• “They’re hers, aren’t they?”
• Peter’s jaw clenches. “She wrote everything down—how she discovered the bond, how she knows the trial was staged. You’re a fool, Drake. A blind, obedient fool for listening to Marcus.”
• I snarl at his disrespect, but guilt claws deeper than anger.
• “What would you have me do?” I fire back, desperation slipping into my tone. “Defy him? You know what my father is capable of!”
• “I would have expected you to act like a true alpha,” Peter hisses, his words like blades. “To fight for her. To fight for all of us. Briana had the strength to protect Moonveil Pack. She could have stood against Norman Joss. Instead, we’re left with you. A puppet dancing on your father’s strings.”
• The silence that follows is heavy, crushing.
• “You don’t know that,” I mutter weakly, crossing my arms as if they could shield me.
• “I do,” Peter says, quiet but firm. “And one day, you’ll regret it. More than you regret anything else.”
• With that, he storms out, slamming the door behind him.
• I stand frozen, my chest hollow, until I crumble onto the bed. Briana’s pillow is still here, carrying her scent. I clutch it to my chest, burying my face into it.
• I tell myself I won’t regret what I did. That it had to be done to protect Moonveil Pack.
• But the truth gnaws at me.
• If that’s true—why does my heart feel like it’s breaking?