Page 108 of Those That Are Lost

“Two days Aurora. And don’t think about leaving. I’m having one of the pack males keep an eye on you at all times until we’re bonded.”

Shit.

“Fine,” I grind out. I’ve no option but to comply. I take a deep breath and release it slowly, pretending I’ve given in.

“You’ll see this is the best option. Once we’re past the ceremony, everything will be so much better. Trust me.”

“What is this ceremony anyway?” I’ve read about mates celebrating a bond but it’s more of a party than a ceremony.

“You’re going to join the pack officially, and then we’re going to complete the mate bond to stabilise the magic.”

“Join the pack?”

“Yes, you’ll need to take the pack oath and drink my blood to join, and then the mate bond will kick in. If you’re not part of the pack, then it won’t help firm up our powers.”

None of this is making sense, it’s not how it works. “But surely if we’re mated and the others drink my blood then the pack will be established.”

“Aurora, you’ve got the bonds a little wrong.” Adicious strokes my thigh in the most patronising gesture.

“Have I?”

“Yes. The pack doesn't need to drink your blood. Your connection to me will be enough.”

It’s pure bullshit that he’s feeding me, but I’m not seeinghis end goal. “How am I to lead them if they’re not bonded to me?”

“I’m already the leader. All you need to do is form a pack bond to me and then the mate bond to cement the leadership powers.”

“For us both.”

“Aurora, you don’t want to be responsible for that lot.” Adicious gestures to the closed door, indicating the males outside. “Leave them to me. You can enjoy the power as the head of a pack without needing to bond to each of them.”

It clicks. Adicious has found a way to secure the strength of a mated pack without sharing any of the power. I have no idea if that would work but it would put me under his control without gaining any for myself. I’d have no pack members bonded to me and I’d be bonded to the male in front of me in two ways.

He’s playing on my lack of experience amongst vampires. He seems to have forgotten that I learned much of the workings through my own research. That I was working towards a degree which based itself around the intricacies of the pack and how the Fae exploited them to drive their rhetoric and propaganda to start a war.

If Adicious thinks me naive, I’m not going to correct him.

I swipe his hands off my thighs and stand. “Thank you for enlightening me, it's honestly a relief to know you’ve got all this in hand. But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about this.”

He follows me in standing, towering over me by a good few inches. He replaces his hand on me, this time by putting it on my shoulder and gently running it down my arm to my elbow. The touch leaves a cold slimy feeling on my skin.

“Don’t be nervous. You’re doing the right thing, helping all these vampires stay safe and protected.” His other hand comes to my hair, he twirls one of the curls around his fingers.I can’t help but think of how I feel when Ty does it versus now. Ty makes me feel seen, precious, revered. Adicious is touching me like he deserves to, like it's his right. I want so badly to put him in his place. For now, I’ll have to encourage him into the trap without letting him see the walls closing in.

“I’m sorry, for running before.”

“That doesn’t matter now. The day after tomorrow, everything will be as it should be.”

I nod, unable to say more.

Adicious lets me leave then. I don’t look back as I scamper away, up to my room. I want to immediately jump in a shower and burn my skin off after he touched me but I need to find Antares first.

He’s not in our room so I head along the corridor to Atlas’s. I find neither male there and return to try Mitch’s room. The door is slightly ajar and with a gentle knock, I push it further open. The room is as empty as the first two.

I know I should leave immediately but my gaze snags on the two beds. The one on the right is easily identifiable as Mitch’s. The sheets are rumbled and freshly slept in, Mitch’s scent strong on the cotton. The other bed draws my attention. It’s neatly made and looks untouched but I’m drawn to the pillows anyway.

It’s been months since Ty left this place but I swear I still smell his warm cinnamon scent lingering on them as I lift one to my nose. It's faint, barely there, but I wrap it into my arms anyway. The cold cotton under my fingertips makes me long for my mate. Knowing that Ty’s slept in this bed increases that longing. Knowing he’s not far away, tucked away in hiding in the city but that I can’t go to him, fills me with bone deep tiredness. I need his presence to stabilise me.

‘I’m right here Red.’Ty’s voice comes into my head as clear as if he were in the room.