THE BOND THAT SHOULDN’T EXIST

Chapter 3

Lucia couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her.

The entire morning felt… off. The normal hum of her daily routine was muted, and distant, as if everything around her was happening in a fog. The sensation of being watched hadn't faded, and it made her skin crawl.

She had seen him again—the man from the alley. The one whose presence still haunted her mind. She'd caught glimpses of him a few times this morning…at the edges of her vision, fleeting shadows—but each time she turned her head, he was gone.

She couldn't escape the feeling that he was close, lurking just beyond her reach.

And it only intensified when she overheard a conversation in her father's study.

Austin Grand's voice cut through the air as he spoke to his guests, his words laced with tension.

"…an unfortunate situation," one of the men said, his voice low and careful.

Lucia's curiosity piqued.

Her father's tone was almost dismissive as he responded. "An animal attack?"

"Yes," the man continued. "Tore a man apart near the docks last night. No witnesses, no tracks…"

A sharp chill ran through Lucia, her breath catching in her throat.

No tracks?

She quickly moved closer to the doorway, barely daring to breathe.

The men's voices continued to rise in urgency.

"Wild animal," another man added. "Wolves have been spotted moving closer to the city."

Wolves.

The word echoed in her mind like a drumbeat, relentless and insistent. She hadn't heard of any wolves in the city before, but there had always been strange rumors—whispers of creatures that didn't belong. Could it be that they were real?

The cold man. The one who had stood in the shadows, watching her. The one whose eyes had pierced her soul.

Could he be one of them?

Her mind raced with the possibility. She was almost certain she'd seen his golden eyes, glowing faintly even in the dim light. Was it a trick of the moonlight, or was there something… more?

The conversation in the study blurred into the background as her thoughts spiraled. Her father's dismissive tone only made the unease grow. "The city is full of rumors. Wolves in the streets? Ridiculous."

But Lucia couldn't ignore the knot in her stomach. Something wasn't right.

She couldn't stay here, not in the suffocating atmosphere of the Grand estate. Her father's mansion felt like a prison, one she was desperate to escape from for even just a few moments.

Without a second thought, she slipped out of the study and walked swiftly down the hall, her feet carrying her toward the back door. She needed air. She needed space.

The expansive gardens were the only place she could find peace. The sounds of the city grew faint as she moved deeper into the lush greenery, past the stone paths and under the shade of ancient trees. She wandered, seeking solace in the stillness of the garden.

But the sensation of being watched remained, hanging in the air like a heavy fog.

The moment she reached the edge of the property, she felt it again—the cold presence.

She froze. Her body tensed, her senses on high alert.

There, standing just beyond the iron gate, was him.

The man.

He hadn't moved, but somehow, his presence seemed to reach her before she even laid eyes on him. He stood tall, his broad shoulders almost as if he were carved from stone, his black clothing blending into the shadows. His hair, dark and unruly, framed a face that was both beautiful and terrifying in its coldness.

His eyes…those golden eyes—glowed faintly, and she could feel their weight on her, as though they were pulling at her very soul.

Lucia's breath hitched. She shouldn't be here, not so close to him. But she couldn't look away.

He made no move to approach. Instead, he merely watched her, his gaze intense and unyielding.

What is he?

The question was almost desperate in her mind.

"You," she whispered, unable to stop herself. "Who are you?"

For a moment, the man didn't speak, and Lucia wondered if he would simply disappear into the shadows, like some figment of her imagination. But then, his voice sliced through the air—low, measured, and entirely devoid of warmth.

"You already know."

Lucia's heart pounded, and for the first time in a long while, she felt truly afraid.

She tried to steady her breath, but her body refused to obey. He's too close. Too dangerous.

But still, she couldn't bring herself to turn and run. Something kept her rooted to the spot, an invisible pull that she couldn't explain.

"I don't know you," she said, her voice trembling despite her attempt to sound confident.

The man's lips curved ever so slightly, a humorless smile that only deepened the mystery surrounding him.

"You will," he said cryptically.

Lucia's heart raced. Why do I feel like this?

The moment stretched out in tense silence, and Lucia realized she couldn't stay here forever. She took a hesitant step back, but as she did, the man's eyes never left her.

"Go home," he said quietly, his tone commanding, but not unkind. "You don't belong here."

The words struck her like a slap. She knew she should protest, demand to know who he was, but the weight of his presence crushed her words before they could form.

I don't belong here…

It felt like a warning. But she couldn't understand why it stung so much.

"I'm fine," she muttered, more to herself than him. She turned, though she could feel his gaze still on her back.

Every step away from him felt like a tug on her soul as if she were walking away from something…someone…that she should never have met.

But her curiosity burned, a fire she couldn't extinguish.

What was he? And why had he looked at her like that?

Lucia didn't know how long she walked before the unease faded, but it took longer than it should have.

As she reached the gates of the estate and looked back, she saw nothing. The man, the shadows—everything had vanished into the morning light.

But she couldn't shake the feeling. She wasn't just imagining him.

He was real.

And something told her that this was only the beginning.