The bond hit me like a punch I didn't see coming.
I staggered, clutching the cold stone wall of the Great Hall, trying to steady my shaking legs. My heart hammered in a way that made my chest ache. I'd read about mates before—how it was supposed to feel like warmth, like belonging. This? This felt like fire in my lungs and ice in my stomach at the same time.
Everyone froze. Conversations stopped mid-word. Even the guards' hands hovered over their swords. I could feel their shock like a ripple across the room.
And then I saw him.
Alpha Kael. Towering, armored, golden eyes sharp as daggers, every inch the fearsome Alpha everyone whispered about. His gaze locked on me—and my chest tightened again. The bond screamed between us. A voice I didn't recognize as my own whispered, This is real.
I swallowed hard. I can't be his mate. I'm nothing. Just a servant.
But fate doesn't care about logic.
He took a step closer. My stomach lurched. My fingers dug into the wall like I could anchor myself. My head urged me to run. My legs… didn't listen.
"You," he said, and even though his voice was low, everyone heard. "Step forward."
My knees wobbled. I wanted to disappear. I wanted the ground to swallow me. But I moved—slow, trembling.
When I was close enough for him to see every misstep, every flinch, he stopped. The golden eyes narrowed. And then…
"This bond is a mistake."
My breath caught. My chest felt hollow, like someone had scooped the air out. A mistake? He means me?
He turned to the hall. "I reject it," he said, voice cold and certain. "I reject her."
The words hit me harder than the bond itself. Pain exploded, sharp and burning, radiating through my chest and limbs. I fell to my knees, hands clutching at the cold floor, trembling.
The whispers rose around me:
"No way… the omega?"
"The Alpha King's mate?"
"Impossible…"
I didn't notice the murmurs. All I felt was the fire in my chest and the dizzying emptiness that followed.
And yet… the bond didn't break.
I could feel him, unwillingly pulled toward me, whether he liked it or not. His jaw tightened. His hands curled into fists at his sides. For the first time, I saw something flicker behind the golden eyes—confusion. Surprise. Something… human.
I lifted my head despite the ache in my chest. "I… didn't ask for this," I whispered, voice shaking. "I swear I didn't."
Alpha Kael didn't answer. He just stared. The bond throbbed between us, a constant reminder that no matter how much he tried, fate had already chosen.
And somehow, I knew, this was only the beginning.