break the bond

When the sunlight hit my lids, I opened my eyes to see Cole bareback facing me, and silently, I took in the sight of his nakedness when his towel dropped to the floor, unable to help the surge of heat that rushed through me at the sight of him. 

 The way his biceps flexed beneath his skin as he stretched and the broadness of his back revealed in its entirety caused my body to tingle, and I bit my lip.

Without thinking it through for a second, I pushed the cover off me and rested my feet on the cold tiles of the floor. As the coolness seeped into my feet, my legs began to tremble slightly, and I frowned as I stood up.

For a moment, I hesitated and then wrapped my arm around his waist, pulling him against me as I lowered my head, resting it against his shoulder. He tensed at the contact, and murmured, his voice soft, "You're awake,"

I nodded, closing my eyes as I held him tightly to me. His body was warm against mine, and a small smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I breathed him in. 

"Morning, Cole," I said, trying to sound nonchalant despite the butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

"Morning," he replied, his voice husky from sleep. 

My hands caressed further down his abdomen until I felt his tip and my finger rubbed against it slowly. For a few moments, neither of us moved, allowing our breathing to become even as the minutes passed. 

 I could feel his warm flesh under my touch with each stroke, and I smiled. He grew harder in my hand the longer I touched him, and I couldn't help but grin, pressing my index finger further into his flesh.

Suddenly he grabbed my wrist, halting my movements. I raised my head to meet his gaze, only to find him staring directly at me, his dark eyes piercing into my soul. 

I bit my lip, nerves tingling as I summoned the courage to broach the subject that had been weighing on my mind for what felt like forever. "Um, Cole, can we talk?"

He turned to look at me, his expression unreadable. "Sure, what's up?"

I hesitated for a moment, gathering my thoughts. "It's just... I've been wondering... You know, we've been sharing this space for months now, and..." I trailed off, feeling my cheeks flush.

 "And... what?"

"And... well, you've never passed phase one with me, and I have been here for a month now," 

"I'm not your mate, and you're not mine to touch," 

My heart sank at his words, a mixture of disappointment and realization flooding through me. "But... I chose you," I protested, my voice barely above a whisper.

He shook his head, his jaw set. "Choosing someone doesn't erase the bond you already have with another. You're still bonded to Alexander."

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as his words pierced through me. "But he doesn't care about me. He's using me," I argued, desperation lacing my tone.

Cole's gaze softened, but his resolve remained firm. "Using me to hurt him won't change that. I won't be a pawn in your revenge."

I felt a lump form in my throat as the reality of the situation settled in. The connection I longed for with Cole was nothing more than a figment of my imagination, a desperate attempt to fill the void left by Alexander's betrayal.

"I thought... I thought that we had meant something," I whispered, my voice breaking.

Cole reached out and gently brushed a tear from my cheek. "It does, but not in the way you think. Our friendship, it's real. But it can't be built on lies and manipulation. If you want me to break the bond with Alexander then-"

A sense of hesitation rose within me, but before I could even get past it, Cole noticed and he let out, "You... You don't want me to break the bond." 

"I-I..." I mumbled,  averting my eyes, unable to meet his gaze.

Pulling away from me, he walked off, grabbed his brief, and said, "Freshing up. We have guests coming to the pack house today and you need to attend." 

"Do I have  to go?" I whined, my hand reaching out to grab his arm.

Yanking his arm out of my grip, he shot me a warning glance and said, "Well, you are still the future Luna of this pack, and  your presence is mandatory."

"But..." I trailed off, staring at him helplessly.

"Enough whining," he growled, wearing his pants and shirt, before turning around to stare at my fluttering lashes. "Get dressed and come to the hall. Our guests will be here in five minutes."

Then he grabbed his boots,  slipped them over his feet, and stalked toward the door. Without looking back at me, he vanished through it without so much as a backward glance, leaving me standing there alone.

I closed my eyes, taking several steadying breaths as I tried to compose myself, and then I headed for the bathroom.

A couple of minutes later, I arrived in the hall. My gaze wandered from left to right, inhaling the smells of unfamiliar scent in the room. The was a bunch of people wining and dining, mingling with each other and laughing loudly. And then it hit me, they were here for the hunting festival... An event where werewolves from other packs visit our pack house and challenge us in a hunting game. The person with the highest number of kills gets to keep all the kills and request one demand and no one can deny their request.

As I scanned the room, I caught sight of Cole standing at the center of the hall, his posture rigid and authoritative as he conversed with some of the visiting pack members. Despite the casual atmosphere of the gathering, there was an underlying tension in the air, a silent acknowledgment of the competition that was about to unfold.

Taking a deep breath to steel myself, I approached Cole, trying to mask the turmoil of emotions swirling inside me. As I drew closer, I could see the intensity in his eyes, a reflection of the responsibility he carried as the leader of the warrior gammas of our pack.

"Cole," I called out, my voice barely audible over the din of the crowd.

He turned to face me, his expression softening marginally as his gaze met mine. "You're here," he stated, his tone neutral.

"Yeah," I replied, forcing a smile despite the unease churning in my stomach. "I'm here."

Looking over my shoulder, straight ahead for a bit, he sighed, and then looked back at me, "Good. Your seat is by Alexander. Go, sit. there."