Korrak’s jaw tightened with what looked suspiciously like barely contained frustration. Not directed at her, but at the situation. At the impossible position they’d been placed in through no fault of their own.
He exhaled slowly, the sound deliberate and controlled. “You’re right. There is pressure. Not just from the clan, but from our laws. Ancient ones that don’t bend for convenience or modern sensibilities.”
Winslet’s stomach dropped. “What kind of laws?”
“A mate bond isn’t indefinite. Once recognized, it demands resolution.” His ice-blue eyes never left hers as he delivered what felt like a verdict. “An Alpha must complete the mate bond and wed his fated mate within a year of recognition. If the bond remains incomplete by that deadline...”
He paused, running a hand through his golden hair. The gesture was so uncharacteristically uncertain that alarm bells started ringing in her head.
“It destabilizes the Alpha. Weakens his standing, clouds his judgment, invites challenge from internal and external threats. The law is blunt—if a mate refuses the bond, she must be sent away for her own safety and the clan’s future security. And the Alpha...” His voice roughened slightly. “Unfinished, unmated—lives alone. No partner. No heirs. A vulnerability the clan will never stop watching.”
The weight of his words crashed over her. This wasn’t just about love or safety anymore. This was about consequences that stretched far beyond her own fears and trauma.
A countdown.The thought made her chest tight with panic.Not a choice—a deadline.
“So if I can’t...” She swallowed hard, forcing the words out past the constriction in her throat. “If I’m not ready to accept the bond within a year, you lose everything. Your position, your respect, your future.”
Korrak’s expression remained steady, but she caught the flicker of pain that crossed his features before he could hide it. “The clan’s survival comes first. It always has.”
The mate bond suddenly felt less like destiny and more like a noose tightening around both their necks. Every romantic notion she’d started to entertain about fated love and belonging crumbled beneath the harsh reality of shifter politics and ancient laws that cared nothing for human trauma or the time it took to heal from betrayal.
I’m falling in love with him.But now I have to choose under pressure, with consequences I never asked for breathing down both our necks.
The unfairness of it made her want to scream. Just when she’d found someone who made her feel safe, who protected without controlling, who offered partnership instead of possession—fate had attached a timer to their connection.
Korrak crossed the room with that fluid grace that never failed to make her pulse quicken, settling onto the couch beside her with careful deliberation. Close enough that his warmth seeped through the blanket, but not so close that she felt crowded or trapped.
“The clan will come around,” he said, his voice carrying absolute conviction. “They always do when I stand firm on something that matters. I chose you, Winslet.”
His hand found hers beneath the blanket, fingers intertwining with gentle strength. “What Viktor and Bracken are doing is not your fault. My clan will learn that soon enough. You’re not the problem. Bracken is. And when they understandwhat kind of man we’re dealing with, they’ll rally behind you. That’s what the Icefang clan does. We protect each other.”
The certainty in his voice steadied something inside her that had been shaking since this morning.
“And if you choose to accept the mate bond,” he continued, his thumb stroking across her knuckles, “you will be one of us forever.”
The promise wrapped around her like armor, but Winslet couldn’t let herself lean into it just yet.
“Well, if your clan is ever going to respect me, I need to prove I’m worth the risk.” The words came out steadier than she felt, driven by a determination that surprised her. “I need to demonstrate that I can protect myself and others here. That I can carry my weight.”
He studied her face with that unwavering focus, listening intently while she reasserted her agency.
“Especially with Bracken about to escalate. I know him well enough to understand he won’t stop until he gets what he thinks is rightfully his. He’ll see Viktor’s failure as a challenge, not a deterrent.” Her voice hardened with grim certainty. “He’ll not only send more reinforcements next time. He’ll come himself.”
The thought sent a shiver down her spine, but she pushed through the fear. “I can’t be hidden away or shielded while others bleed on my behalf. If I’m going to stay here, I need agency. I need to learn how to defend myself, how to read threats, how to protect the people I care about instead of just being a liability they have to manage.”
She watched as something fierce and approving blazed in his eyes. The look made heat pool low in her belly despite everything they’d just discussed.
“Then it’s settled. You’ll train with me tomorrow,” he said, his voice dropping to that commanding tone that made her knees weak. “As preparation for what’s coming.”
His hand cupped her face, the touch grounding and electric all at once.
“Because I don’t intend to lose you again, Winslet. Not to fate, not to fear, and definitely not to men who think you’re easy prey.”
FOURTEEN
KORRAK
The warmth of the cabin, the solid certainty of Winslet beside him, the quiet crackle of the fire—Korrak felt the peace of the moment settle into his bones. This is what he hoped to have more of. But he knew there were still obstacles to overcome.
