Claimed By The Mistborne Alpha-Chapter 55: Bound

The glow of the Green Moon was still burning behind my eyelids as we stepped back underground. The others were busy chattering about the turn of events, about everything Avelora had heard Darek say, but no one approached me yet.

It was like it never happened. Like I wasn’t involved.

My finger still pulsed at the tiny wound that his teeth had made while I was distracted with the kiss. I clenched my fist to hide it from myself.

Out of sight, out of mind.

But I knew it would catch up to me soon. Darek had marked me even without an official ceremony. But it didn’t matter, because I had failed to reject him on the night of the mating ceremony. Which means he had let the bond shimmering between us to complete in its entirety today.

This was why he wanted to talk to me today, out in the open. He wanted to do it when the moon shone the brightest.

I hated myself for not figuring it out.

"Maeve?" Lesra’s voice cut through the fog. "Are you alright? You look a bit out of it."

"Yeah," I said quickly. "Just tired."

Valden was right beside her and was watching me like he was trying to strip back the layers of the wall I was trying to put up. His eyes flicked down to my hand before I quickly tucked it behind my back.

I turned away before he could figure out something was wrong and I pretended to listen to Avelora’s orders. Something about moving him into the pit for the night and doubling security. I didn’t even have anything to do with it.

The walls were spinning around me and I jumped as Valden’s voice spoke next to my ear. "What did he do to you?"

"What?" I stuttered.

"Don’t play dumb with me, Maeve. Something happened, I’m sure of it. Especially because you now look like you’ve seen a ghost."

"I told you, Valden. I’m just tired. Not everything is about him."

His jaw clenched, but thankfully, he didn’t push further.

When I finally reached my room, I locked my door and collapsed against it, my breathing fast and laboured.

The mark on my fingers burned with a fiery intensity. The blood no longer oozed, leaving behind a crescent-shaped mark on the pale skin.

The burn seemed to spread up my arms like wildfire beneath my skin. I was feeling emotions I knew weren’t mine, scents I knew didn’t surround me.

My head hurt and I pressed my palms against the throbbing pain.

"Don’t fight it, sweetheart."

I startled as the voice rang out in my head, clear as day. Way clearer than before. It felt like he was standing right before me, saying the words to my face.

Darek.

The mark throbbed along with the pulsation in my head. I could feel the bond gaining strength, causing warmth to flow through my body like electricity, and it took everything in me not to cry out in frustration.

He had done it.

He had really marked me under the Green Moon.

In front of all the other Lycans who had unknowingly been witnesses to our mating ceremony.

And I ran.

I ran all the way past the cavernous hall, past all the other Lycans giving me odd glances, and all the narrow paths that finally led to his bolted cellar door.

I marched in, ready to confront him. Ready to wring his neck for completing the bond when I clearly never wanted him to. And he was waiting for just that.

Darek was sitting on the cot pressed against the wall, his legs folded underneath him and his face a mask of serenity.

"What have you done?" I was seething, my teeth clenched, holding back the rage I wanted to unleash so badly. Because how dare he...How dare he do something like that when he clearly knew I wanted to reject him?

"Relax, Maeve. This was bound to happen sooner or later. I just wanted to make sure I did it in front of your boyfriend so he could back the fuck off from now on."

"Are you serious?" My mouth dropped open.

"Let’s be clear. I had no intention of letting you stay here to bow down to the delusional demands of these incels. I came to take you back. You knew why I had come here. You knew I wouldn’t leave without you. So why are you even surprised?"

"You had no right." My voice trembled and my eyes burned as I tried to will the tears back. "You had no right to complete the bond when I wasn’t aware of it. I never wanted this. You knew that."

"Sometimes, Maeve. You can’t get everything you want." He narrowed his eyes. "This was the only way I could keep you safe."

"Keep me safe from who?" I was screaming now and I almost wanted to push him against the wall and choke the life out of him. "You? You’re the only one I need to be safe from."

"It might take you a bit more time to understand this but I’m not your enemy here. I know you thought I was only in it for your powers and because it would make mine stronger...and it was true. But not anymore. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. You’re on the losing side, Maeve. Believe me. These people here are not your friends. And anyway, aren’t they trying to take advantage of your powers just as much as you thought I did?"

That shut me up for some time.

It was something I didn’t want to think about. But they wanted to use my powers for good. To stop the killings.

"They’re not like you, Darek. They want to help. They just want to end the violence."

"Keep telling yourself that. In truth, they’re just a bunch of hypocrites who would kill the same amount of people to get their so-called peace. But it doesn’t matter, because I won’t be letting that happen." Darek smiled, and my heart stopped. "I think it’s time for us to finally get out of here. Together."