Page 22 of Bound By Song (Evie Quad Omegaverse #1)

XAR

T he wind is howling as we approach the farmhouse, but I barely hear it over the pounding in my ears.

Blood, trepidation, or something else? Every step forward only strengthens the gnawing urgency in my gut.

We’ve already gone too far to turn back, but the closer we get to the house, the more obvious it is – Eviana is fighting us.

She’s doing everything in her power to keep us out.

And fuck, it stings.

I glance at Dane and Blaise. Their faces are drawn tight, mirroring my own thoughts. Is this too much? Are we pushing her too hard?

We move forward cautiously now, our eyes sweeping the ground for more surprises. The tension thickens with each step – she doesn’t want us here, but we’re not leaving. Not after everything we’ve felt.

A loud snap sounds underfoot.

Before I can react, a burst of white powder explodes in my face. Flour. Fucking flour . I cough, waving my hand to clear the air as Blaise snorts beside me.

“She’s messing with us.”

Dane wipes some off his sleeve, his expression unreadable. “She’s testing how far we’ll go to get to her.”

I step forward again, more alert now. A sudden creak from above makes me freeze. I glance up just as a small metal pail swings down from the porch beam, barely missing Blaise’s head. It crashes onto the steps with a loud clang.

He exhales sharply. “Alright, now I’m pissed. This crap is like we’ve stepped in for fucking Home Alone or some shit.”

We push on, dodging another crude trap – a slick patch of oil spread across the wooden porch steps. I catch Dane before he can slip, and we make it up without too much damage.

But when we finally reach the front door, a sense of unease grips my chest.

The windows are covered. The place is locked up tight. She’s done everything she can to keep us out.

I glance at Blaise and Dane. They’re both tense, but I see it in their eyes – the same thing I’m feeling. That pull . She’s ours, and we can’t just walk away from that.

“I don’t know about you guys,” I say, my voice low, “but this doesn’t feel right. She’s pushing us away harder than I expected.”

Dane’s face softens slightly, his gaze flicking back toward the house. “She’s scared, Xar. She doesn’t understand what’s happening. She doesn’t even know what she is to us.”

“I know.” Frustration curls in my gut. “But she’s ours. I feel it. I wasn’t sure before but now I know it. I’m certain. We can’t leave her like this.”

I know I’m not making sense. I know I’m not being rational. But this isn’t about logic anymore.

It’s about her .

“We need to be patient,” Dane says, his voice steady but firm. “She’s not going to come around overnight. If it’s true and she is meant to be ours, we need to court her, show her we’re not just going to force our way into her life.”

I grind my teeth. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take. It’s like she’s daring us to give up.”

Blaise steps forward, his jaw tight with conviction. “She doesn’t want us here. But we’re not leaving. Not without a fight.”

The words settle between us.

Blaise doesn’t hesitate. He steps forward and hammers on the door. He grabs the handle, jiggling it before throwing his shoulder into the door. To our surprise, it swings open.

“Eviana!” His voice is thick with something primal, demanding.

No answer.

Blaise storms inside first, growling low, his alpha energy spilling into the space like a burst of raw power. I stand there, frozen for a second, feeling the shift in the air.

This isn’t a negotiation anymore.

It’s about to get intense.

Dane sighs, muttering under his breath, but he doesn’t stop Blaise. Neither of us do. We’re already too deep in this, too committed to walk away.

I step inside next, and the second I do, a sharp wave of discomfort crashes over me.

The house is wrong .

Not just old. Not just run-down. But wrong for an omega.

The air is thick, stale and unmoving. Cold seeps through the wooden floorboards, a kind of deep, lingering chill that has no business surrounding someone like her.

I glance around the dimly lit hallway, my eyes adjusting to the space.

The furniture is old and mismatched like it was salvaged from different decades. A threadbare rug stretches down the hall, and the wallpaper is peeling at the edges.

The place looks like it hasn’t been cared for in years.

Something tightens in my chest.

This isn’t a home. It’s a prison.

And she’s been living like this?

A low growl rumbles through me before I can stop it.

Blaise’s boots echo against the floorboards as he moves deeper inside. “Eviana!” He calls again. “Come out! We’re not leaving until we talk!”

Silence.

I glance at a small, dusty shelf against the wall. A single ceramic mug sits there, a hairline crack running through its rim. There’s something about the sight of it – so lonely, so fragile – that makes my stomach twist.

She’s been alone here.

Too alone. But for how long? That’s the question…and it has my alpha all riled up and tied in knots.

I step into the kitchen, my hands clenching at my sides. The sink is empty, the counters scrubbed clean but worn down. A dented kettle sits on the stove, and the fridge hums faintly in the silence.

I pull it open and glance inside. There’s barely any food.

A single chair is pulled out at the small wooden table, like she’s sat there night after night, eating alone.

I exhale slowly, trying to push past the burning urge to fix this. To grab her, carry her out of here, and take her somewhere warm, somewhere safe.

Somewhere she doesn’t have to fight just to exist.

Blaise’s patience snaps. He steps into the main room, his voice sharper now.

“Eviana! Come out! Now!”

His alpha voice – a barking command – slips out, raw with the need to claim.

I feel the growl build in my own chest in response, but I shove it down. We can’t scare her.

Not again.

But then, I feel it.

That shift in the air.

The pull. The response.

My body tenses as I take another step forward, anticipation crackling in the room.

She’s close. I know she is.

And this time, we’re not leaving without her.