It was a pain that even if I banged my head on the wall to divert it, it would not lessen.
Instead, as time went by, it got worse.
In the end, I couldn't endure it anymore and passed out.
I didn't know how long had passed before I woke up again.
The pain was gone. All that was left was a dull ache and itching on my back where I had been whipped.
'What happened?' I whispered to no one in particular.
"The bond." A faint voice came from within my consciousness.
"Lizzie?" I asked cautiously inside my mind.
I didn't dare to speak loudly for fear of being discovered.
"It's me, Val. Sorry I can't be around all the time." Lizzie apologized but I could hear the fatigue in her voice.
"Did something happen to you?" I asked in concern.
"Nothing to bother you with. But you need to stay away from Mike. He is your mate and the bond is hurting you." Lizzie warned.
"What do you mean?" I didn't understand. How could the mate bond hurt me?
"The closer you are to him, the more the bond solidifies. This makes the bond stronger. It also means that if he betrays the bond, you will feel it more intensely." Lizzie explained.
"So, in other words, the pain I experienced was because Mike was with another woman?" I asked directly.
"Yes. As long as he touches another woman, you will feel the pain of the bond being betrayed. And it will get worse the more the bond strengthens." Lizzie continued to explain.
"Then what can I do? For now, I still have to pretend I don't have a wolf. So, I am not supposed to feel the mate bond so clearly.
I can't reject him because I have to pretend I don't know he is my mate. What should I do?" I was confused about what to do.
Was I going to experience that kind of pain every time Mike decides to have a go with other women?
"For now, you can only endure. But I have to warn you. Never let him claim you. If you engage with him sexually, then the mate bond will be complete and the pain will be ten times or even a hundred times worse than what you felt today. So, no matter what he does or says, never let him claim you." Lizzie was more serious this time.
I felt as if this was more than just being marked or claimed but I trusted my companions so I immediately agreed.
"I won't let him touch me. He doesn't want me as a mate anyway. Even if he wants to sleep with me it's only to conquer and I am no prize for anyone." I reassured Lizzie.
"That's good to hear. I have to go back to sleep. Be careful during this time." Lizzie said then went quiet even before Valerie could reply.
"All alone again." I muttered under my breath before getting up from the floor.
I walked over to my dirty mattress and lay down without even applying medicine.
Because Lizzie had woken up for a short time, her power had already healed the wounds.
Now, even if someone checked, they would only find falling scabs.
The following morning, I woke up at 4:00 am to prepare breakfast for the pack members who ate at the dining table.
Today I wasn't late. But something under my skin bothered me.
That was the conversation I had with Lizzie. I still didn't understand why Lizzie would specifically wake up to emphasize on not completing the mate bond with Mike.
Not that I was interested, but I felt that there was more than Lizzie was letting on.
I was just finishing making the bacon when I felt all my hair at the back of my neck stand on end.
Someone had entered the kitchen while I tuned the world around me out and worked on autopilot.
Without even turning, the pull I felt coming from the depths of my soul told me that it was Mike.
My breathing quickened and my heartbeat increased.
Mike hadn't come close yet, but his presence was so amplified it made me panic.
How was it that the bond seemed to have grown stronger after only one night?
I focused on slowing down my breathing. I couldn't afford to let Mike notice any difference.
I remembered my father and how he would kneel beside me when I was younger, teaching me how to handle stress and unexpected situations.
He was a top warrior and he needed his mind to stay sharp, because in battle, the slightest distraction could get you killed.
I remembered how my father had taught me to stay calm even when the world was loud by just adjusting my breathing pattern, and I implemented that.
Like magic, Mike's presence seemed to disappear within my surroundings and I was alone.
I was calm again. And even when Mike moved closer, he elicited no reaction from me.
I behaved as if he was just another pack member coming to torment me.
Since the alpha presence didn't give me any pressure, I could pretend that no one was there.
Mike's POV
I stood behind Valerie for a long time but saw no reaction.
Even though I had always thought she was beneath my notice, for some reason today the urge I felt to hold her in my arms was stronger than before.
I wanted to undress her and run my hands all over her body.
However, looking at her almost flat back, and equally flat chest, the desire rising from the core of my being turned to disgust once again and without knowing the look in my eyes turned violent.
What was I supposed to do with a mate who didn't even have any redeeming qualities?
Not to mention that she was a slave, she didn't even have the body to pleasure me.
For the three-thousandth time, I wondered if the moon goddess was playing a joke on me.