No one spoke for a moment.
Panic lit through my veins. “They can’t make me go with them, right?”
Mason’s jaw tightened. “It’s happened in the past. They’ve made the case for a particularly powerful female to be housed in one of the Great’s packs for her protection. But that’s usually a female who hasn’t found her bond.”
“And won’t ever be able to find it because they lock her away,” Anson muttered.
I blanched, my fingernails digging into my knees.
“Anson,” Knox barked.
“Shit. Sorry.” He moved behind me, dropping a kiss to my head. “That’s not going to happen to you. We won’t let it
“We need to leave with her,” Vaughn said again.
“They’ll only track us down and take her for sure,” Caspian argued. “We need to play the game.”
Mason nodded. “Caspian’s right. We need to show the council that her destined place is here with us. Even the council won’t go against the fates.”
River flowed more calming energy through me, but I shook my head. “Please don’t.” He looked hurt for a moment, and I took his hand. squeezing it. “I need to feel all of this. To have all my faculties.”
He pressed a kiss to the spot behind my ear. “Okay.”
I focused on Mason. “How do we make them believe my destiny is here?”
“The mark is a good place to start.” He looked around at our group. “If more of the bond were cemented, that would help.”
My breaths started coming faster. The last thing I wanted was to push the guys into bonding. I cared about all of them. Knew I was falling faster than was wise. But I didn’t want to force them into something they weren’t ready for. My gaze found Vaughn, and a pain lanced through my chest. It already hurt too much to know he didn’t want this. It would destroy me if I found out any of the others felt the same
I tore my gaze away from those ice–blue eyes and stared down at the floor. “I thought there was no way to make the bond happen more quickly unless it was against someone’s will.”
“Not exactly true,” Mason said. “You can spend time together. Be open with one another. The more you let down your walls, the easier it will be for the bond to form.”
Vaughn hadn’t let his walls down around me. I’d crashed through them like a wrecking ball. Completely against his will. My eyes found him again. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered
His pacing halted. “What?”
“I forced the bond. I never should’ve done that. I didn’t know…” I pushed to my feet. I needed out. Air, I couldn’t seem to get my lungs to inflate.
I started for the back door as voices called for me to wait. Vaughn barked something in response, but I just kept moving, down the steps and across the grassy backyard. I tried to suck in air, but my lungs wouldn’t obey.
Branches slapped at my arms as I charged through the woods. I didn’t know where I was going until I reached the lake. My chest heaved as oxygen slowly began to make its way through my body.
10:13
Screw My Childhood Sweetheart–His Alpha Brother Marked Me First!
83.06
Chapter 94
I knew someone was behind me. I could hear the footsteps in my wake. The scent on the breeze made my rib cage constrict.
“Senna.”
Had Vaughn ever actually said my name before? It sounded different on his lips somehow. Beautifully unique. I still couldn’t turn around. Couldn’t force myself to look at him.
“Senna.”
There it was again. But this time, it was a plea I was powerless against. I slowly turned.
There was so much pain in Vaughn’s expression. It filled his eyes and carved deep grooves in the planes of his face. “It’s not your fault.”
“Isn’t it? I shoved all of my energy into you. It’s no wonder we honded. I’m like one of those monsters that forces a bond on someone who never
wanted it.”
Vaughn’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “I wanted you, Senna. But there’s nothing in this world that’s ever scared me more.”
“What?“It came out as part word, part breath.
Vaughn’s chest rose and fell in a ragged rhythm. “When we talked about someone forcing the bond, that’s not what we meant. You gave selflessly and I took. We’re true mates. That’s why we bonded.”
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