Bonds that bind us (The Alpha’s Contract P2)
Chapter 0014

Brax

"Madison, stop!"

Blair shoots a glare in my direction. Placing her hands on Madison's shoulders, she stops her from looking back and pushes Madison forward. "Madison!"

"Fuck off, you traitor." Blair snaps as I jog to catch up with them.

"You are a fine one to talk, and this," I wiggle a finger between me and Madison, "doesn't concern you,"

"She is my friend. How could you be so cruel?"

"You're asking me why I'm cruel? You must be fucking joking, Lone Wolf?" I spit out the stupid name she once used.

Her eyes lock on to mine. "Don't call me that."

"Isn't that what they always called you?" I sneer.

"Let's go," Blair mutters to Madison.

Madison tries her best to avoid meeting my eyes until I block her path. Her chestnut orbs briefly focus on me and then shift to something behind me. Her face was already blotchy as she tried to hold it together. I was expecting this. No one wants to know their mate has tied themselves to another.

"Blair, piss off and leave us to talk."

"No chance. Right now, she needs a friend," Blair snaps.

I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be spouting off to me if I had a gun pressed up against her temple. It appears she had become a little too comfortable since I had been gone.

Bare hands could do just as good a job as a gun.

"Do I need to remind you that you might be playing happy families here, but it doesn't change what you did to my family."

"Neah...."

"Neah isn't here." I stare her down. "And don't even try to use the sibling card. I already know which side she will be on." Her face hardens. "You wouldn't dare."

"Are you sure you want to pull at that thread?" I muse.

"Stop. Please stop," Madison whispers. "Blair, it's fine, you can go. I will catch up with you later."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, she is." I snap.

Madison nods at her. "I will be okay."

"I will be watching. The front door to Ryken's is right over there."

Madison takes a deep breath as Blair stomps away, swinging her arms. It was odd to see her care for someone other than herself.

"You don't have to be so mean to her. She is trying."

"Trying with everyone else."I shake my head, "You have to realise I won't ever be able to forgive her for what she did to my family or the situation she put my kid in. I tolerate her purely because it is what I have been asked to do. But if she crosses that line, there will be no stopping me." She folds her arms across her chest and stares at me for a moment before dropping her gaze. Her red waves fall around her face as she squats to tie up her shoelace. "Why did you bind yourself to that woman?"

"We were in a life and death situation."

She stands up and bobs her head, "Yeah, you already said that. It doesn't explain why. Does she not heal? Were you trying to keep her alive?"

"We were trapped, with walls closing in on us. We were being watched, and we couldn't discuss anything. The only way was to link one another, which we couldn't do without the tie. We would have been crushed if I hadn't calmed her, and it helped her tap into her abilities."

She nods and looks directly at me, her eyes narrow, "Do you like her?"

"She's been very helpful, and her soul is..."

"That's not what I asked, Brax. Do you, Abraxas Adler, like her?"

"She is mated to Silas. You are mated to me."

"Yet you won't mark me. I know you are hesitant because I'm a Lycan, and you think you shouldn't be with me."

"I haven't thought that in a long time."

She rolls her eyes at me. "I don't think that's true. You have never considered a blood tie with me, but you did with her, and by the sounds of it, you didn't even hesitate. I don't understand why. Did I do something wrong? Are you that angry about my Lycan side? I can't even shift." Her eyes glisten with tears.

"It's not... it was the only thing I could think of. You have not done anything wrong, I promise."

She shakes her head. "I know you, Brax. You can talk your way out of most things. You have this way with words that either annoy people or somehow make perfect sense. But you haven't answered the one question I need answering.

She like you can't, or maybe you don't want to answer."

I frown. "I don't know anymore."

Her eyes widen, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"The blood tie does weird things. I can't fully explain it. I just know I want to make sure Indy is safe and unhurt. I have a need to protect her from Xavi. I want to know more about her strange bright soul, but if you are asking me if I want to fuck her, the answer is no; that has never crossed my mind. She is not mine. You are."

"From what I understand, the blood tie didn't work like that for Neah. So why is it doing it to you?"

"Neah came from a dark background; it wasn't ever going to work like that for her. Mine and Indy's tie was consensual."

She pulls her shoulders up around her ears. "Are you going to sever the tie?"

"That's the plan."

"Then, will you mark me?"

When I don't answer, she hits me in the chest and stomps off towards Blair, who is happily smirking at me.

"That looked like it went well," Damien mutters as he walks out of the trees.

"She's mad because I blood-tied myself to Silas's mate."

"Dane did tell me. Because it's you, I assume you thought it was your only chance at survival. Though, I am curious what you would have done if you had marked Madison?"

"I guess we will never know."

"She has a right to be angry."

"I know that." I tut. "I see her soul. I know she is hurt and frustrated, but she would be more upset if those walls had crushed us. Blair does not help the situation." I see Blair hug Madison. They disappear inside the house without so much as a glance in my direction.

"As much as I agree that Blair still has her issues. She won't change Maddie's feelings; those were not created by Blair."

I shake my head. I wasn't discussing this with anyone other than Madison. "What were you doing in the forest?"

"Helping to lay traps. If you go into the forest, I suggest you go no further than a mile, or you might not be coming back." "Shit's getting real."

"Shit has been real for a long time."