The underground didn’t smell like Soren’s usual cozy cellar.
There was no dried sage or lavender scent here like it usually was, rather, It now smelled like snow, heavy static air and old iron since the cellar was now stained with Kaelen sheer presence.
Soren stood in the middle of the dark room, his small frame almost lost against the giant walls of the cave.
Inside the underground heavy iron chains rattled and thrashed loudly as two guards pushed in Kaelen’s younger brother, Jesse, onto a stone table.
Jesse was thrashing like a trapped animal.
His skin was pale, covered in thick red veins that throbbed violently against his throat.
“Unchain his arms,” Soren said, keeping his voice clear and sharp.
“He’ll rip your throat out, spell-cutter,” one guard growled, resting his heavy hand on his sword.
“He’s out of his mind.”
“If his arms stay bound, his magical veins stay blocked,” Soren shot back and turned a fierce glare toward the guard while His blonde hair caught the light of the torches, making him look young and soft, but his eyes were pure steel.
“And if I slice a blocked vein, the magical shockwave will blow this entire underground into the sky.
Unchain him, or fix him yourself.”
A low, deep rumble echoed from the doorway, making the stone floor tremble under their boots.
“Unchain him,” Kaelen ordered.
The guards flinched immediately, hastily unlocking the chains before backing away toward the walls on standby.
Kaelen stepped forward into the dim torchlight room and this time he had only taken off his massive fur cloak, wearing only a tight vest that that didn’t reduce his Bulky build at all and even showed off his massive chest more the cloak hid instead while every single line of his strong body radiated with raw physical strength.
Kaelen stopped right in front of Soren.
Goodness!
The size difference was ridiculous and Soren barely reached the middle of the Alpha’s chest.
The air around Kaelen was warm and suffocating, smelling of dark pine, winter frost, and a possessive wolf aura that made Soren’s pulse race madly against his ribs.
Gods, he’s so massive, Soren thought, his mind screaming in panic while his face stayed completely calm.
If this brute decides to snap my neck right now, no one here could stop him.
“You have your space, little spell-cutter,” Kaelen said, his deep baritone dripping with smooth, arrogant confidence.
His golden wolf eyes swept down Soren’s face, lingering on his soft lips and delicate jawline.
“Now let’s see if that pretty mouth of yours can actually back up your claims.”
Soren forced himself not to roll his eyes, though his heart was hammering inside his chest like a trapped bird, aware of his intimidating presence that made him feel too small.
“Keep talking, Alpha.
It’ll make it much more satisfying when I bill you for this.”
Soren turned to Jesse, while ignoring the way Kaelen’s hot gaze stayed glued to his back then he pulled out his tools that are, a small silver bowl, a flask of mountain water, and a sharp, runed dagger.
“This isn’t a normal mate-mark,” Soren muttered, leaning over Jesse to inspect the black reddish vein lines crawling up the young wolf’s pale neck.
Then he gently pressed two of his fingers against Jesse’s jawline down to his neck to feel the pulse.
Jesse snarled, snapping his fangs, but Soren didn’t flinch.
“This is a Viper-bond.
An ancient blood-curse and whoever bound him is actively leeching and storing his core magic to feed someone else.”
Kaelen’s golden eyes narrowed sharply, all sarcasm vanishing.
“Can you sever it or not?”
“I can,” Soren said, setting his jaw tightly.
“But the backlash from a Viper-bond is pretty nasty and once I cut the main thread, the curse energy will look for a new body to jump into.
I need a massive magical anchor to absorb the shock, or your brother’s heart will stop the second the bond snaps.”
“Use me,” Kaelen said without a second of hesitation.
Soren blinked, looking up at the Alpha in genuine shock.
Is he insane?
“You?
Your wolf aura is too aggressive!
If the curse energy hits your core, it could drive you into a wild, bloodthirsty frenzy.”
Kaelen smirked, stepping even closer until his broad chest almost touched Soren’s nose.
“My body can handle it, sweetheart.
I rule this entire territory for a reason.
I am your anchor.
Take it or take it.”
Soren swallowed hard, his skin flushing from the sudden heat radiating off Kaelen’s body.
He shook his head, burying his fear deep inside.
He had a job to do and he needed to focus besides his freedom was on the way.
“Fine,” Soren breathed, rolling up his linen sleeves past his elbows to show his pale forearms.
“Stand at the head of the altar.
The second I slice the main thread, place your hands flat on my back and push your auras energy directly into my spine.
Do not let go, no matter how much it burns.
If you pull away early, the magic will crush both of us.”
“I have zero intention of letting go of you, Soren,” Kaelen whispered, his voice dangerously smooth.
Soren ignored the flutter in his stomach and faced the stone table.
He picked up his silver blade and drew the sharp edge on his wrist, slicing it cleanly across.
Immediately bright, crimson blood welled up, glowing with a faint magical light.
He smeared the blood along the dagger, whispering the old chant of the blood-cutters.
The temperature in the stone room dropped instantly, turning their breath into white mist while they witness the powers even a small body like his possessed, admitting the reason why it was forbidden.
Soren pressed his bloody palm from the cut on his wrist flat against Jesse’s burning neck.
With his right hand, he raised the runed magical dagger high above his head.
“By blood severed, by soul undone—break the tether, shatter the one!” Soren shouted.
He brought the dagger down hard, slicing straight through the air above Jesse’s chest.
A sudden, blinding flash of crimson and red light exploded across the room.
Jesse screamed, an agonizing sound as the black veins on his neck shattered like thin glass.
Instantly, a massive wave of dark, corrupted magic burst out from Jesse’s body, whipping through the air like a striking snake, looking for a target.
“Kaelen!
Now!” Soren gasped, his knees giving out as the heavy pressure slammed into his lungs.
Kaelen moved like lightning.
His broad, hot hands slammed flat against Soren’s upper back, pulling Soren’s small body flush against his solid chest.
A wave of golden Alpha energy flooded through Kaelen’s palms, rushing straight into Soren’s bloodstream.
The feeling was overwhelming and it felt like a burning, intoxicating heat that rushed through Soren’s veins like liquid fire.
Soren gasped, while arching his back into Kaelen’s touch as the two heavy forces slammed together inside him.
The dark curse energy hit Kaelen’s golden aura, destroying and disappearing into nothingness.
Jesse then went completely limp on the stone table, his breathing smoothing out as the dark marks faded from his skin.
The Viper-bond was gone.
“It’s…
it’s over,” Soren wheezed, his lungs burning as he tried to catch his breath from the impact of exhaustion from his overused magical power “You can…
let go now, Alpha…”
But Kaelen didn’t move.
His grip on Soren’s waist tightened instead, then he pinned Soren firmly against his chest and the Alpha’s heavy breath hit the side of Soren’s neck, hot and fast.
Soren’s eyes went wide as a terrifying, white-hot shock wave hit his chest.
The leftover crimson blood-magic in Soren’s veins and the golden Alpha aura coming from Kaelen’s hands weren’t separating.
Instead of fading, the two energies wrapped tightly around each other, merging into a blinding red light that swirled and danced around their forearms like living vines.
THUMP.
A sound like thunder cracked inside both of their minds.
A sudden, overwhelming wave of recognition slammed into Soren’s soul.
The scent of pine and frost coming from Kaelen didn’t feel dangerous anymore instead, it felt ancient, absolute, and deeply familiar.
His blood roared in his ears, screaming a single, undeniable truth that made his breath hitch in pure terror.
Mate.
Kaelen froze, his entire body immediately froze.
His golden wolf eyes went wide as he stared down at the small, pale spell-cutter in his arms while the arrogant smirk vanished completely from his face, and is now replaced by raw, disbelief and for the first time all night, Kaelen looked entirely speechless.
“No…” Soren whispered, his voice trembling violently as he stared up at the Alpha.
No, no, no.
This cannot be happening.
Not him.
Not an Alpha.
“You…” Kaelen rasped, his deep voice cracking slightly as his wolf roared wildly inside his mind, demanding he pull Soren closer, mark him, and never let him go.
“How…?”
Before either of them could process the mate-soul bond clicking into place, a deafening crack echoed through the dark underground chamber.
The glowing red energy around their wrists snapped tight like a whip wrapping itself on their wrist, and the impact burned straight through their skins.
Soren gasped in agony as intense heat marked his flesh, sinking deep into his bones.
When the light finally faded, a string of complex, glowing red runes was carved directly into the skin of Soren’s right wrist—matching an identical set of glowing golden marks burning on Kaelen’s left wrist.
Between their arms, a thick, shimmering red chain materialized, locking them together in a physical, magical bond.
Soren stared down at his wrist, his heart hammering in his throat.
He knew those symbols.
Every spell-cutter in the continent feared those ancient marks and to him it was clearly not an accidental mate bond.
The curse had twisted it.
It was actually the legendary, fatal Curse of the Three Moons.
Soren looked up, meeting Kaelen’s wide, golden gaze with pale, terrified eyes.
He tried to step backward, but the red chain yanked him right back against Kaelen’s hard chest.
“What did you do?” Soren whispered, his voice shaking as he gripped his burning wrist.
“What is this chain?!”
Kaelen stared at the burning runes on his arm, his jaw clenching so tight the muscle stood out under his skin.
The arrogance was completely gone from his eyes, replaced by a dark, deadly seriousness.
“We are bound,” Kaelen said softly, his voice heavy as his dark gaze locked onto Soren’s pale face.
“And according to the old lore…
my bloodline’s curse just gave you ninety days to live.”
OMGGGG you guys!
( *•*)
The mate bond clicked, but the curse locked them in a 90-day ticking clock!
Kaelen’s face when he realized Soren is his true mate was PRICELESS!
To my readers: How do you think Kaelen is going to handle having a sharp, sarcastic rogue spell-cutter as his mate?
And will Soren try to break the bond before the 90 days run out?
Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Chapter 3 is going to be intense!