The Bond Pulls Tighter
The Thorne estate gate was already open when we arrived, which meant Dominic had been watching for us.
I killed the engine and sat there, hands locked on the steering wheel, my father's jacket suddenly suffocating in the truck's cab. The bond pulled like a fishhook lodged beneath my sternum, reeling me toward the main house where I could feel him waiting. Three months since the rejection. Three months of this constant ache, this gravitational pull toward someone who'd looked me in the eye and said no.
"You don't have to do this," Jax said from the passenger seat.
"Yeah. I do." I shoved the door open before I could change my mind.
The Thorne estate sprawled across the valley like something out of a magazine—all stone and timber and floor-to-ceiling windows that probably cost more than my entire pack house. My boots crunched on the gravel drive. Each step closer made the bond sing, a frequency that vibrated in my bones.
Dominic stood on the front steps, backlit by the house's warm glow. Tall, broad-shouldered, wearing a button-down shirt like he'd just come from a business meeting instead of dealing with dead pack members. His dark hair was longer than I remembered, curling slightly at his collar. The bond recognized him before my brain caught up, flooding my system with want and rage in equal measure.
"Maya." His voice was careful. Controlled. "Thank you for coming."
"Cut the shit, Thorne. What's the message?"
Something flickered across his face—surprise, maybe, or pain. Hard to tell with Dominic. He'd perfected the art of looking like a marble statue. "Perhaps we should discuss this inside. There are... details that require privacy."
"I'm not going inside your house."
"Maya—"
"Tell me here or we're leaving."
Jax shifted behind me, a solid presence at my back. Dominic's gaze flicked to him, then back to me. The bond pulled tighter, and I dug my nails into my palms hard enough to leave marks.
"They carved words into the trees," Dominic said finally. "At the attack site. 'The Castellanos bitch is next.'"
The world tilted sideways.
"They used your name specifically," he continued, his formal tone cracking at the edges. "Not 'Riverbend alpha.' Not 'the pack leader.' You, Maya. They're targeting you."
"How many rogues?" My voice came out steady. Good. That was good.
"Seven that we counted. But there could be more." He descended the steps, closing the distance between us, and the bond screamed. "The gray wolf was there. The one from your photo. He watched while his pack tore through my wolves, and then he carved the message himself. Shifted mid-attack to do it."
"A wolf who can shift that fast—"
"Is trained," Dominic finished. "Military, perhaps. Or someone who's been preparing for this."
Jax swore under his breath. I couldn't move, couldn't think past the roaring in my ears. They'd used my name. Carved it into trees while Dominic's pack members bled out.
"There's more." Dominic was close enough now that I could smell him—pine and smoke and something uniquely him that made my wolf whine. "One of my wolves survived long enough to shift back. He said the gray wolf spoke to him before he died."
"What did he say?"
"'Tell Thorne his rejected mate is ours now.'" Dominic's face hardened. "They know about us, Maya. They know about the bond."
The study Dominic led us to was all dark wood and leather, the kind of room designed to intimidate. Maps covered one wall, marked with red pins and handwritten notes. I recognized the topography—the mountain range between our territories, the valley where Riverbend sat, the river itself snaking through like a silver thread.
"They're moving in a pattern." Dominic pointed to the pins. "Three attacks over the last month, each one closer to Riverbend. Each one more brutal than the last."
I studied the map, forcing myself to focus on strategy instead of the way my skin prickled with awareness every time Dominic moved. "They're herding us."
"One might consider that possibility, yes."
"Don't do that."
"Do what?"
"Talk like you're giving a fucking TED talk." I jabbed a finger at the southernmost pin. "This is two miles from my border. They're not herding—they're hunting. And they want me to know it."
Dominic's expression shuttered. "I'm attempting to maintain professional distance."
"Professional distance." I laughed, sharp and bitter. "Right. Because that's what we are. Professional."
"Maya—"
"You rejected me." The words came out before I could stop them, raw and jagged. "You looked me in the eye three months ago and said you couldn't accept the bond. So don't stand there and pretend we're colleagues having a strategic discussion when we both know you can feel this." I pressed my hand to my chest, where the bond pulled and ached. "You feel it every second, just like I do."
the pause extended longer than comfortable between us, thick enough to choke on. Jax had positioned himself by the door, deliberately not looking at us. Smart man.
"I feel it," Dominic said quietly. "Every moment of every day, I feel you. Your anger. Your exhaustion. The way you push yourself past breaking because you think you have to carry everything alone." He took a step closer, and I should have backed away but I couldn't. "I rejected the bond because accepting it would have destroyed you."
"That's not your choice to make."
"Isn't it?" His control was cracking, emotion bleeding through. "You were nineteen, Maya. Barely alpha for six months. Your pack was still reeling from your father's death, and you needed to establish yourself without the complication of a mate bond to the Thorne heir. Especially one whose family—" He stopped, jaw working.
"Whose family what?"
"Nothing. It doesn't matter now."
"Bullshit." I closed the distance between us, close enough that the bond sang with proximity. "Finish the sentence, Dominic."
His eyes—gray like storm clouds—met mine. "Whose family has been trying to absorb Riverbend territory for three generations. My father made it very clear that if I accepted the mate bond with you, he'd expect me to use it to bring your pack under Thorne control. And I couldn't—" His voice broke. "I couldn't do that to you."
The confession hung in the air between us, sharp and terrible.
"So you rejected me to protect me." My voice was flat. "How noble."
"Maya—"
"No." I stepped back, needing distance, needing air. "You don't get to make that decision for me. You don't get to decide what I can handle."
"I was trying to do the right thing."
"The right thing would have been trusting me enough to tell me the truth." My hands were shaking. I shoved them in my jacket pockets. "Instead you just... walked away. Left me with this bond that won't break and no explanation."
Dominic looked like I'd struck him. Good. He should hurt the way I'd been hurting.
"The rogues know about the rejection," Jax said from the doorway, his voice cutting through the tension. "That's why they mentioned it. They're using it as a weapon."
I turned to him, grateful for the interruption. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it. They could have just said they were coming for you. But they specifically mentioned the rejected mate bond." Jax moved to the map, studying the pins. "They're trying to destabilize both packs. Make Riverbend question your strength, make Thorne question Dominic's loyalty. It's psychological warfare."
"He's right," Dominic said. "Which means they have inside information. Someone told them about us."
"Or they've been watching long enough to figure it out." I studied the map, forcing my brain into tactical mode. "The attacks started a month ago. Right after the full moon gathering where we—" I stopped.
"Where we avoided each other for three hours and everyone noticed," Dominic finished.
The full moon gathering. Neutral territory where all the regional packs met once a month. I'd felt Dominic arrive before I'd seen him, the bond pulling tight across the clearing. We'd stayed on opposite sides all night, and yeah, people had noticed. People always noticed.
"So we have rogues with military training, inside information about pack politics, and a specific vendetta against Maya." Jax crossed his arms. "That's not random violence. That's organized."
"The gray wolf is the key," I said. "He's leading them. We find him, we end this."
"And how do you propose we do that?" Dominic asked. "He's been evading patrols for weeks."
"We give him what he wants." I met Dominic's eyes. "Me."
"Absolutely not."
"It's the only way—"
"No." Dominic's voice went hard, alpha command bleeding through. "I won't let you use yourself as bait."
"You don't get a say in what I do."
"The hell I don't. You're my—" He stopped, the word mate hanging unspoken between us.
"I'm your what?" I stepped closer, challenging. "Your rejected mate? Your problem? What am I to you, Dominic?"
His control shattered. "You're everything." The words came out raw, desperate. "You're everything, and I can't—I can't watch you walk into a trap. I can't lose you."
"You already lost me. You threw me away."
"I was trying to protect you."
"I don't need your protection. I need—" My voice broke. "I needed you to choose me. And you didn't."
The bond pulled so tight I could barely breathe. Dominic looked wrecked, his careful composure completely gone. For a moment I thought he might reach for me, might close the distance and damn the consequences.
Then his phone rang.
Dominic answered on the second ring, his expression shifting from devastated to alert in a heartbeat. "Thorne." A pause. "When?" Another pause, longer this time. His eyes found mine. "We're on our way."
"What happened?" I asked as he ended the call.
"Another attack. But not on my territory." He grabbed his jacket from the back of a chair. "They hit Riverbend. Twenty minutes ago."
The world dropped out from under me. "What?"
"Your southern border. Three wolves injured, one critical. They're asking for you."
I was moving before he finished speaking, Jax right behind me. Dominic caught my arm as I passed, and the contact sent electricity through the bond.
"I'm coming with you," he said.
"Like hell—"
"They attacked while you were here, Maya. While you were on my territory." His grip tightened. "That's not a coincidence. They wanted you away from your pack."
He was right. God, he was right. They'd used Dominic's call to lure me away, and I'd fallen for it.
"Fine. But you follow my lead on my territory." I pulled free of his grip, ignoring the way my skin burned where he'd touched me. "Jax, call ahead. I want a full perimeter check and all non-combatants in the safe house."
"On it."
We took both vehicles—Jax and me in the truck, Dominic following in a black SUV that probably cost more than my entire vehicle fleet. The drive back to Riverbend took fifteen minutes that felt like hours. The bond stretched and pulled with distance, but I could still feel Dominic behind me, his presence a constant weight.
My phone rang. Sienna.
"Where are you?" My aunt's voice was honey-sweet, which meant she was pissed. "Your pack is under attack and their alpha is nowhere to be found."
"I'm five minutes out. What's the situation?"
"Three injured, like you were told. But there's something else." A pause. "They left another message. You should see it yourself."
"Sienna—"
"Just get here, dear. And perhaps leave your Thorne friend at the border. We don't need his kind of help."
She hung up before I could respond.
"Your aunt?" Jax asked.
"Yeah." I took the turn onto Riverbend land too fast, tires squealing. "She's going to be a problem."
"She's always a problem."
True. Sienna had made it clear from day one that she thought I was too young, too inexperienced, too damaged to lead. She'd wanted the alpha position for herself after my father died, and she'd never forgiven me for the pack choosing me instead.
The pack house came into view, lights blazing. Wolves in human form clustered near the southern tree line, and I could smell blood on the wind. I parked and was out of the truck before the engine fully died, Dominic's SUV pulling up beside me.
"Maya." Dominic's voice was low, urgent. "Let me help."
"Stay here. I need to assess the situation first."
"Maya—"
"That's an order, Thorne. This is my territory."
I left him standing by the vehicles and ran toward the cluster of wolves. They parted as I approached, and I saw the damage. Three wolves in human form, bloodied and bandaged. Claw marks raked across torsos and arms. One—Marcus, one of my best fighters—had a gash across his throat that had barely missed the jugular.
"Report," I said, dropping to my knees beside Marcus.
"Seven rogues," he rasped. "Led by the gray wolf. They hit fast, coordinated. We didn't stand a chance." He coughed, blood flecking his lips. "They weren't trying to kill us, Alpha. They were sending a message."
"What message?"
Marcus's eyes slid past me to something behind. I turned and saw it—carved into the largest oak tree at the border, letters two feet high and still bleeding sap.
COME ALONE OR THEY ALL DIE.
Below it, a date and time. Tomorrow night. Full moon.
"There's more," Sienna said, appearing at my elbow. She was immaculate as always, not a hair out of place despite the chaos. "They left this."
She held out a piece of fabric. My father's jacket—the one I was wearing—had a twin. My mother's jacket, the one that had been buried with her.
The fabric in Sienna's hand was unmistakably from that jacket. Bloodstained and torn, but definitely hers.
"They dug up Mom's grave," I said, my voice hollow.
"It would appear so, dear." Sienna's expression was sympathetic, but her eyes were calculating. "The question is, what are you going to do about it?"
I stood, the fabric clutched in my fist. Behind me, I could feel Dominic approaching despite my order to stay back. The bond pulled tight, and for once I didn't fight it.
"I'm going to kill them," I said. "All of them."
"Alone?" Sienna's voice dripped false concern. "Surely you're not considering actually meeting their demands. That would be suicide."
"I'm considering doing whatever it takes to protect this pack."
"Even if it means getting yourself killed? How very noble." She turned to address the gathered wolves. "Your alpha is planning to sacrifice herself. Perhaps we should discuss whether that's the leadership Riverbend needs."
"Sienna—" I started, but she cut me off.
"No, dear. You've made your position clear. You'd rather die than ask for help, rather throw yourself at rogues than show any strategic thinking." She smiled, sharp and cold. "Just like your father. And we all know how that ended."
The gathered wolves shifted uncomfortably. I could feel their doubt, their fear. Sienna was good at this—planting seeds, making people question.
"That's enough." Dominic's voice cut through the tension. He'd moved to stand beside me, close enough that our shoulders almost touched. "Maya is doing exactly what an alpha should do—putting her pack first."
"And who asked for your opinion, Thorne?" Sienna's smile didn't waver. "This is Riverbend business. You have no authority here."
"He's right though." Jax stepped forward. "Maya's not planning to go alone. She's planning to end this threat. There's a difference."
"Is there?" Sienna looked at me. "So you're not planning to meet their demands tomorrow night?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but Dominic spoke first.
"She's not going anywhere alone," he said. "Because I'm going with her."
The bond flared so bright I gasped. Every wolf present could probably feel it now, the connection between us suddenly visible.
"How touching," Sienna purred. "The rejected mate rides to the rescue. Tell me, Thorne, does your father know you're here? Does he know you're involving yourself in Riverbend affairs?"
Dominic's expression went cold. "My father doesn't dictate my actions."
"Doesn't he?" Sienna tilted her head. "Because I heard he's been quite vocal about his plans for Riverbend territory. Something about absorption and consolidation. And here you are, conveniently positioned to—"
"Enough." My voice came out alpha-command, and every wolf present straightened. "Sienna, you're dismissed. Jax, get Marcus and the others to the infirmary. Everyone else, double the patrols and report anything unusual directly to me."
The wolves dispersed, but Sienna lingered.
"This isn't over, dear," she said softly. "The pack is watching. And they're starting to wonder if you're strong enough to lead them through this."
She left, and I was alone with Dominic under the bloodstained message carved into my territory's oldest tree.
"You shouldn't have said that," I told him. "About coming with me."
"I meant it."
"Your father—"
"Can go to hell." Dominic turned to face me fully. "I rejected the bond to protect you from my family's politics. But I won't stand by and watch you die because of that choice."
"It's not your choice to make."
"Then make it yours." He stepped closer, close enough that I could see the gold flecks in his gray eyes. "Tell me you don't want my help. Tell me you want me to leave, and I will. But don't lie to yourself about why you're pushing me away."
"I'm not—"
"You are. You're so determined to prove you don't need anyone that you're willing to walk into a trap alone." His hand came up, hovering near my face but not quite touching. "I hurt you. I know that. But don't let my mistake get you killed."
The bond pulled so tight it hurt. I could feel his sincerity, his fear, his desperate need to keep me safe. And underneath it all, the love he'd tried to bury with rejection.
"Why now?" I asked. "Why are you willing to defy your father now when you wouldn't three months ago?"
"Because three months ago, I thought I was protecting you. Now I realize