A cool breeze whispered through the dense forest, rustling dry leaves and carrying the earthy scent of pine. Silence ruled, broken only by the crunch of twigs under the wind. Alpha Kaelin stood beneath a tall, moss-covered tree, his black cloak swaying with the wind. Behind him, a tall young woman with blonde hair — Natalie, his fiercest warrior — stood alert, eyes scanning the trees.
"Are you sure this isn't a trap, Alpha?" she asked in a low tone.
"I'm certain," Kaelin replied calmly, his gaze focused ahead. "We just have to wait for Ray —" he paused mid-sentence, nostrils flaring slightly. "Vampires," he said with narrowed eyes, his voice edged with distaste.
Natalie stiffened. "Too many of them. It's a trap, Alpha. We should—"
"Shame," a mocking voice echoed from the darkness, interrupting her. "Alpha Kaelin only just noticed us? Seems like your nose is losing its touch."
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward — tall, smug, with pale skin and glinting eyes. Julian.
Kaelin's eyes darkened. "Mr. Julian," he said coldly. "This land lies along the werewolf border. Should I assume you're lost?"
"I'm merely passing through," Julian said with a twisted smile. "Though I did hear you mention Ray. Interesting choice of company. Where is he, I wonder?"
"He's here," came a calm voice. Raymond stepped out of the shadows, hands casually in his pockets, gaze cold and unreadable. "Let me guess — Father sent you?"
Julian's smirk faltered slightly. "He's worried about you. Come with me quietly, and no blood has to be shed."
Raymond scoffed. "You insult me. Just the four of you?"
Julian sighed. "Very well. Get him."
In a blur of motion, the vampires charged. Julian and another vampire lunged at Raymond, while the remaining two attacked Kaelin and Natalie. The clearing erupted into chaos — claws slashing, fangs gleaming, snarls and shouts echoing through the woods.
Kaelin and Natalie fought like seasoned warriors. In moments, they had overpowered their opponents, their bodies covered in cuts and blood, but still standing strong. Raymond had already killed one and was locked in a vicious fight with Julian, both moving too fast for mortal eyes to follow.
With a growl, Raymond grabbed Julian by the neck, fangs bared, ready to tear him apart.
"No!" Natalie screamed, rushing forward. She tackled them both, rolling across the ground with Julian before pinning him beneath her. Her hand pressed against his chest, and in that instant, a jolt of electricity surged through them both. Her eyes widened.
Sparks. Connection. The bond.
Raymond stood over them, frustrated. "Don't tell me… he's your mate?"
Julian's expression twisted in shock, confusion—and something else.
Still straddling him, Natalie ignored the ache in her heart and the disgust in his tone. She knew he felt it too. The pull. The bond. The same overwhelming longing.
"Alpha, a moment, please," she said quietly, never breaking eye contact with Julian.
Kaelin and Raymond exchanged a glance before walking off.
Julian scoffed. "Get off me, dog."
Her heart winced, but she didn't move. He didn't push her away either.
"You feel it," she said softly. "You know what this is."
He growled. "I know I'm not supposed to."
Natalie leaned down and whispered, "Then let me show you what we 'dogs' do."
Without hesitation, she kissed him — fiercely, desperately. Julian tensed, then slowly gave in. His arms wrapped around her, lips claiming hers in return. The kiss turned savage, both unable to contain the primal instinct blazing between them.
Blood stained their mouths. Neither cared.
Julian's fangs sank into her collarbone, marking her. She gasped in pain, clutching him as the bond sealed.
Then, as if jolted by reality, Julian pulled back in horror. His eyes met hers — regret, shock, longing — before he vanished into the air, leaving only wind and silence behind.
Natalie lay on the ground, breathless and bleeding, staring into the empty space where her mate had fled.
After a while, Alpha Kaelin emerged from the trees with Raymond beside him, the aftermath of the battle still clinging to their scent and their skin. They came to a sudden halt as they saw Natalie still on the ground, curled slightly, her breathing uneven. Blood stained her collarbone where a distinct bite mark pulsed with the fresh seal of a mate bond.
"Natalie!" Kaelin rushed forward and crouched beside her, gently helping her to her feet.
Her eyes, normally sharp and unwavering, were filled with pain and brimming with tears. As she rose shakily to her feet, a single tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another, then another, falling silently.
"Where is he?" Kaelin's voice was low but laced with fury.
"He… he left," she whispered, her voice cracking as more tears rolled down.
Raymond's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "He left? After marking you?"
Natalie nodded, unable to speak through the tightening in her throat.
Raymond scoffed bitterly. "Julian may be ruthless… but a coward? I didn't think even he would sink that low." He looked away, jaw clenched, fury simmering just beneath the surface.
Kaelin wrapped his arm around Natalie's shoulders, grounding her as her knees threatened to give out. "We'll deal with him," he said, voice cold and dangerous. "No one dishonors one of mine and walks away."
———
Far from the forest, deep into the mountains beyond the borderlands, Julian finally collapsed to his knees in a clearing. The shadows of the trees cast long, jagged shapes across the rocks as dusk began to fall.
His breaths came in ragged gasps, his entire body trembling—not from exhaustion, but from the storm raging inside him. The pain seared through his chest, not his own, but hers. Natalie's heartbreak was flooding into him through the bond, burning with betrayal, sorrow, confusion… and longing.
Julian clenched his fists in the dirt. The more he tried to shut it out, the more the bond fought back. Her pain was his now. Her tears, his shame. But still, he couldn't turn back. He had left with a mission—capture Raymond, restore his honor, return with victory for the vampire court. But instead, he had found a mate.
A werewolf.
The very creature he was bred to loathe. The irony struck deep. The cruel twist of fate mocked him.
His head fell forward, forehead pressed against the cold earth.
Why her?
He gritted his teeth and sat up, wiping the blood from his lips. His eyes were no longer confused—they were cold, resolved. The pain in his chest screamed at him to turn back, but his mind… his name… his legacy would not allow it.
To return now would be to abandon everything his family stood for. To accept her would mean shame—condemnation from his father, exile from his people, a permanent mark of disgrace.
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stand. His shoulders were tense, jaw tight. Each step he took away from the forest was heavier than the last, but he didn't stop.
And with that, Julian vanished into the darkness, leaving the bond screaming behind him.