Alpha Bond

Ella’s POV

The uneasy feeling grips my heart, causing my anger to simmer down a bit.

Placing my hand over my heart, I stop when an abrupt jolt of pain causes me to intake a sharp breath. I can feel my heart racing as the searing pain engulfs me.

Suddenly, I start walking straight with no direction in my mind. I can sense that I am searching for something, but what I am searching for is unknown to me.

Before I know my walk turns into a sprint as I follow the direction which my heart is taking me to.

I find myself moving further away from the campus and nearing the border of the guardians’ territory, but I don’t stop. My wolf is on edge because even she is going through the same emotions.

I stop a few steps away from the old red brick building just outside the territory. Strangely, I haven’t crossed any guardian on the way. I can feel some invisible force marks the border, but it doesn’t harm me.

Curiosity gets the best of me as I take cautious steps towards the building. I can hear some sounds coming from inside the building, which makes me frown.

Something doesn’t feel right.

Taking a deep breath, I form a protective circle around me, making sure to cover my scent. Pushing the metal door open, I slip inside the building as silently as possible. This place seems like it had been used as a prison back in the days. Suddenly I feel like I am walking back into that Emmet’s prison.

The sounds become louder as I near the room at the end of the hallway. At this time, my heart hammers feverously against my ribcage when I identify this sound.

Again I hear the whooshing sound, and a second later loud clap echoes from behind the door when the whip makes contact with someone’s skin.

I can’t help but flinch each time when I hear this sound, and it almost feels like someone is hitting me.

"Go inside; we can’t let this happen."

I hear my wolf growl when I don’t move from my spot. Her assertive tone snaps me out, and I push the door open.

I watch in horror as a guardian pulls his hand back and swings the whip across the bare back of a man who is tied against the wall with heavy chains.

His skin slices open more the impact of the whip, but he doesn’t make any sound as he keeps facing the wall with his head hanging downward.

His back litters with old and fresh wounds. His entire back is raw as there is hardly any part of it where his skin is left. Blood taints his back red as more fresh blood drips from his newly formed wounds.

This place is filled with the metallic smell of blood mixing with sulphuric scent. My nose burns with the acidic smell, and I can guess the whip is dipped in wolfbane. Since we are young, we are injected with a small amount of wolfsbane into our system so that through time we develop our tolerance against it.

Even though I am almost immune to wolfbane, it doesn’t mean that it will not irritate my senses.

“Enough!” Anger rolls off of me as I enter the room and glare at the guardian when the guardian again strikes the whip on that man’s back.

He looks surprised when he notices me but then narrows his eyes in anger.

“Are you insane?” I stand protectively in front of that man. “This is not the way you treat anyone, even if he has done something wrong.”

This doesn’t seem right. The Guardians must have prisons inside their territory, so why is this guardian torturing this man in this old building away from the territory?

“Get out of the way, and don’t question our ways. He disobeyed the commands, so now he has to face the consequences of his actions.” The guardian in whose name I am not interested glares at me, “If you don’t move, I will not care if even you get hurt while I deliver his punishment.”

Suddenly, the entire room shakes with a terrifying roar, and the sound of the snapping of chains forces me to turn around.

“Oh, God!” My hands fly to my mouth while my eyes widen with shock.

“Oliver!” Not caring about anything, I throw my arms around him and hold him tightly.

How is this possible? He is one of them then how they can treat him in this way.

My hand gently moves to his wounds, and tears slip from my eyes when I feel his raw skin against my fingertips. My heart clenches painfully while a silent sob escapes from my lips.

His arm around me tightens when I press my face against his neck, trying to stop my tears which seems impossible because seeing him hurt is breaking me from inside.

He has hurt me, but this doesn’t mean I can be happy to see him in this state.

I can’t still wrap my head around what he did that they have decided to punish him in such a brutal way?

Suddenly, I feel him stiffen as I hear the sound of a whip. I brace myself for the blow as Blaze’s anger surges through me, ready to kill this guardian who dares to make the gravest mistake of his life.

But the blow never came. Leaning back slightly, I look at Oliver to find him staring straight at that guardian while the fall corded around his forearm as he held the lash with his hand.

“Emerson, you are making things worse.” The guardian growls as he tries to yank back the whip from Oliver’s firm grasp.

Oliver’s yellow eyes are blazing with fury when he looks in his direction, while I notice his skin is shimmering with a hint of golden light.

Guardian’s face loses his bravado as he takes a step back while the handle of the lash falls from his hand.

When I try to move away from Oliver, his gaze turns to me, making me freeze in my spot. My body becomes aware of his presence as suddenly I am engulfed in the same emotions I experienced in that dream.

That addictive earthy scent fills the air, which I breathe as the thousands of sparks cover my skin with his touch.

I am in a trance-like state, and from the look of serenity that is gracing his features, I am sure even he is feeling the same.

“They will not be happy to find out that you are unable to control your wolf.” The guardian walks backward while trying to look brave as he glares at us, “I will inform them that you are going against our orders because of this girl. Be prepared to face their wrath.”

Something shifts in Oliver’s stance as his gaze falls on the ground as soon as the guardian leaves from there. His whole demeanor screams defeat and helplessness.

“You shouldn’t have come here.” Stepping away from me, he shakes his head defeatedly, “This shouldn’t have happened.” He closes his eyes.

I am unable to focus on anything when my sole focus is on just one thing. One thing that has the power to turn my entire life upside down... the one thing which changes everything.

“He is my mate,” I whisper in disbelief, yet my heart flips a little inside my chest when I say these words out loud.

“You are my mate.” This time my words come out more confident when my gaze locks with his.

Thank you so much for the encouraging comments which you have left in the previous chapter. Your encouragement means a lot to me. I know ups and downs are part of life, but the support and love you have shown me make things so much better for me. This gives me the strength to keep moving forward and work hard to achieve my dreams.