Chapter 3: Awakening the Bond
Darkness peeled away slowly.
Tristana's first sensation was warmth.
Strange. Unfamiliar.
Safe.
Her lashes fluttered. The world came into focus in fragments—white ceilings, soft beeping machines… and a presence beside her.
Watching her.
Waiting.
She turned her head weakly.
And met his eyes.
Everything stopped.
The air shifted. Thickened. Charged.
It wasn't just recognition—it was collision. Two souls slamming into alignment.
Her breath caught.
His did too.
No.
No, no, no—
Her heart began to race, not from fear… but from something deeper. Something instinctive.
Ancient.
The bond snapped into place like a chain locking tight around her chest.
Mate.
The word echoed through her entire being.
Justin felt it too.
The moment their gazes locked, something inside him roared to life. A force so powerful it nearly brought him to his knees.
Mine.
But the word didn't bring peace.
It brought horror.
Because the scent that hit him next—
Bruised skin. Dried blood. Pain.
Suffering.
His mate had been hurt.
"Who did this to you?" His voice was dangerously quiet.
Tristana recoiled.
That was the moment everything shattered.
Because instead of relief…
She looked at him like he was just another cage.