Chapter 106

AURORA

I struggled and screamed, but no amount of tears or begging could convince Holden not to complete the binding ceremony with me. Once the ribbon was tied around our wrists, the hooded figure started chanting in a strange language. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Binding ceremonies were tricky for me without my wolf. It had taken five pack Elders from Broken Forest, plus Waylon and Esther Reed, to bind me to Dane the first time.

But the strange energy crackled in the air, and the magic smelled and felt wrong. The robed figure never pulled the hood down from their face, so I couldn’t see them. But I could tell, somehow, they weren’t a wolf. This wasn’t wolf magic—wild and free and crystalline as the moon. It was something that felt like dirt in my mouth and smelled like death.

But I still couldn’t fight it. The magic rose to a crescendo and broke over us… And then I could feel him.

Holden. In my mind.

Looks like it worked… mate.

“NO!” I shrieked. I struggled, fighting my bindings like a feral thing. One of my arm restraints snapped. I immediately started clawing at the silver ribbon, sobbing, tears flowing down my face.

Dane… Dane… I didn’t want to do this… goddess, please let this not be real.

“Remove the ribbon before she shreds it!” the mysterious robed figure hissed.

I clawed at Holden’s arm, leaving bloody streaks across his skin. If I could rip it before he could take it off….

“Ah!” he cried.

Holden’s hand flashed. He slapped me so hard my head snapped to the side. I saw stars. By the time I recovered from being dazed, he had the ribbon off our wrists and hidden away. In one of his pockets? Or had he given it to this… thing?

Stop fighting me, Holden snapped inside my mind, Or I’ll make sure you never see the twins again.

“Stop talking in my head!” I clawed at the restraint that held my other arm.

Holden leaned forward and undid it. I sat up and started untying my legs. I got them free and swung my feet over the side of the stone altar I’d been tied to. I felt like I couldn’t get my breath, and my throat was clogged with tears.

I was out of control. So desperately out of control. I couldn’t get a full breath. And then… something calm pressed into my mind. I started to sink into it. Then I realized the calm feeling was coming from Holden.

“Get out!” I wrenched my mind away from his and tried to jump from the altar.

Holden grabbed my wrists. He squeezed them so hard I yelped in pain. There would be bruises there when he let me go.

“Listen to me,” he growled, yanking my face close to his. “You’re mine now. Like I told you that you would be. You might as well stop fighting it. You’ll never break this binding. Besides, I’m a better match for you than Montague ever was.”

“Holden, please,” I said through my tears. “If you were ever my friend, if you ever cared for me, you wouldn’t make me do this. Please, cut the ribbon. Sever this bond.”

Even as I spoke, I could feel his mind connected to mine. I wanted to gag. To be sick.

But he only gave me a faint version of his charming grin. No. Mm… goddess, it feels good to be able to have you like this. To possess your emotions. Your thoughts.

“You don’t possess me,” I retorted, sickened even more by his words. “You never will.”

He leaned back. “Your grandmother will be pleased with this alliance. Fall Line is almost as old a pack as High Alpine.”

“She won’t be pleased,” I retorted. “She’ll go to war with you for doing this.”

He smirked. “No. If she didn’t want me to make you my mate, she would have made me leave. Instead, she’s the one who talked Montague into letting me stay. We both know it.”

I hated his words for making sense. I wanted to believe my grandmother wouldn’t do that to me, but I knew her. She would sacrifice anything for the security of the pack. It was what made her such a terrifyingly good Luna.

“Now,” Holden said, grinning at me. “You’re going to do some things for me. The first order of business is this.”

He held up a book. My book. The one only I could translate. “You’re going to figure out what needs to be done for the final ceremonies. Then…” his smile grew wicked, “I’m going to send you back to Montague as a spy. I’m going to use you to bring down Blue Ridge, and you’re going to do everything I say.”

I snarled. “No, I won’t. I’d never do that to Dane.”

Now, Holden laughed. The laugh sent chills down my spine. “You think so? How about this. I command you to do it. As your Alpha. I’ll show you. Lift your hand up like a good mate.”

“You’re not my…”

A feeling closed around my throat, like hands strangling me. Magic pressed down on me, domineering and powerful. I felt compelled to raise my hand. The more I fought it, the less I could breathe. I clawed at my throat, choking.

Just as I was about to black out, I lifted my hand.

Air rushed into my lungs. Holden smiled. “I can’t wait to use the woman he loves to break him.”