A Bond Forged in Secret, Erased by Command

Rhys's back stiffened as he stood from my bed, his normally cheerful face twisted with concern. His eyes darted between me and Kaelen, clearly torn.

"Are you sure about this, Vance?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically serious.

Kaelen's jaw tightened. "I'm sure. Miss Thorne and I need to speak privately."

"Her heat—" Rhys began.

"I'm aware of Miss Thorne's condition," Kaelen cut him off. "I can handle it."

I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly feeling vulnerable in my sweatpants and oversized t-shirt. The tension between the two men was palpable, filling my small bedroom like a heavy fog.

Rhys looked at me, eyes filled with an unspoken apology. "Hazel?"

"It's okay," I said, though my voice betrayed my uncertainty. "I want to hear what he has to say."

Reluctantly, Rhys moved toward the door. As he passed Kaelen, he paused. "Don't hurt her," he murmured, too low for me to catch the rest.

Then he was gone, and I was alone with the man who, according to Rhys, was my fifth bond—the one who'd been keeping this connection secret all along.

Kaelen closed the door behind Rhys and leaned against it, studying me with those intense blue eyes. Neither of us spoke for several seconds, the silence stretching between us like a living thing.

"So," I finally said, my voice brittle, "you're my bond."

"Yes." The single word fell between us like a stone.

"And you've known since the beginning."

His expression remained carefully controlled. "Yes."

Anger flared inside me, hot and sudden. "Were you ever going to tell me? Or was I supposed to go through my entire life not knowing?"

Kaelen ran a hand through his dark hair, a rare gesture that betrayed his discomfort. "It's not that simple, Hazel."

"Then explain it to me," I demanded. "Make me understand why you would hide something this important."

He took a step toward me, then stopped himself. "You're very young."

I laughed without humor. "That's your reason? My age?"

"One of them," he admitted. "I'm the headmaster of this academy, Hazel. You're a student—a new Grey who needed guidance, not... complications."

"So you decided what was best for me without even asking?" I challenged.

"Yes." His bluntness took me by surprise. "And I would make the same decision again."

I shook my head in disbelief. "You had no right—"

"I had every right," he interrupted, his voice hardening. "You have no idea what's at stake."

"Then tell me!" I shouted, taking a step toward him. "Stop treating me like a child who can't handle the truth!"

Something in his expression shifted, a crack appearing in his carefully maintained facade. "It wasn't just about your age," he said more softly.

"Then what?" I pressed.

He hesitated, then seemed to come to a decision. "I'm fertile, Hazel."

The admission hung in the air between us, and I stared at him, not immediately processing the significance.

"Fertile," I repeated slowly. "You can... have children?"

He nodded once, his gaze unwavering. "It's extremely rare among Greys, as you know. I've kept it secret from almost everyone. Only a handful of people are aware."

Understanding dawned on me. "And if people knew I was bonded to a fertile Grey..."

"You would become an even bigger target than you already are," he finished. "Our enemies would stop at nothing to either control you or eliminate you."

I sank onto the edge of my bed, trying to absorb this revelation. "And Jaxon knows about this? About us?"

"Jaxon figured it out," Kaelen said. "He's more perceptive than most give him credit for."

A thought occurred to me. "Wait... if we're bonded, why haven't I felt it? With the others, there was this immediate pull, this connection..."

Something flashed across Kaelen's face—pain, perhaps, or regret. "Because I've been blocking it," he admitted. "Using my power to suppress the bond."

"You can do that?" I asked, stunned.

"At great personal cost, yes."

I stood up again, needing to move, to process. "So all this time, you've been suffering? Feeling the bond but fighting it?"

He gave a short, humorless laugh. "Suffering is an understatement."

"Why would you put yourself through that?" I asked, genuinely confused.

His eyes met mine, and for the first time, I saw raw emotion there. "To protect you, Hazel. To give you time to adjust to this world before burdening you with another complication."

"I didn't ask for your protection," I said, though some of the heat had left my voice.

"No," he agreed. "But it was mine to give nonetheless."

I moved closer to him, studying his face. Now that I was looking—really looking—I could see the strain around his eyes, the tension in his jaw. How had I missed this before?

"How long?" I asked. "When did you know I was your bond?"

His expression changed, became almost haunted. "Since you were in the coma."

I froze. "The coma? You mean..."

"The Spark bond formed while you were unconscious," he confirmed. "I felt it happen—felt you connect to me in a way I've never experienced before."

My mind reeled. "So that's why you were there when I woke up? Not just because you're the headmaster, but because..."

"Because I couldn't stay away," he admitted, his voice low. "I tried, Hazel. I tried to distance myself, to treat you like any other student. But it was... difficult."

I shook my head, trying to reconcile this new information with the cold, distant man I thought I knew. "All those times you were harsh with me..."

"I was fighting the bond," he said. "Fighting the need to be near you, to protect you, to claim you."

The intensity in his voice sent a shiver down my spine. I was suddenly acutely aware of how close we were standing, of the heat radiating from his body.

"Does this change anything?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

His eyes darkened. "It changes everything and nothing at all. You're still in danger. I'm still the headmaster. And you're still bonded to four other men."

"Who all knew about this," I said, anger flickering again.

"Don't blame them," Kaelen said firmly. "I ordered them to keep this from you."

"You ordered them?" I repeated incredulously. "They're my bonds!"

"And I used compulsion to ensure they obeyed," he admitted, not looking the least bit apologetic. "Your safety was more important than your feelings, Hazel."

I stared at him, stunned by his audacity. "You had no right—"

"I had every right," he cut me off. "As your bond, as headmaster, as someone trying desperately to keep you alive."

We glared at each other, neither willing to back down. But something else was building between us—something electric and undeniable, a pull that seemed to grow stronger with every passing second.

"I can feel it now," I whispered. "The bond. You're not blocking it anymore, are you?"

His expression softened marginally. "No. There seems little point now that you know."

Almost against my will, I took another step toward him. "Why did you come here tonight? Just to explain after Rhys let it slip?"

"No," he admitted. "I came because your heat is affecting me, despite all my efforts to resist it. I needed to see you, to make sure you were safe."

"Safe from what?" I asked. "Or should I say, safe from whom?"

His gaze burned into mine. "From me, Hazel."

My breath caught in my throat. "And are you safe to be around now?"

For a long moment, he didn't answer. Then, with a movement so swift I barely saw it coming, he closed the distance between us, one hand cupping my face while the other circled my waist, pulling me against him.

"No," he murmured against my lips. "I'm not safe at all."

Then his mouth was on mine, and the world seemed to explode around us. This wasn't like the kisses I'd shared with the others—there was nothing tentative or gentle about the way Kaelen claimed my mouth. It was desperate, hungry, the culmination of weeks of suppressed desire.

I melted into him, my arms winding around his neck as I returned his kiss with equal fervor. All the confusion, all the anger—it was still there, but overshadowed by this overwhelming need to be closer to him.

When we finally broke apart, both breathing heavily, Kaelen rested his forehead against mine. "I've wanted to do that since the moment you woke up," he admitted.

"You have a funny way of showing it," I said, but there was no bite in my words.

His lips quirked in a small smile. "I've never been particularly good at expressing my feelings."

"No kidding," I murmured, then grew serious again. "So what happens now?"

The smile faded from his face. "Nothing can happen, Hazel. Not yet. It's still too dangerous."

"But the others—"

"The others provide you protection," he said. "They give you strength, support. But if our enemies learned you had access to my power as well..."

"They'd come after me even harder," I finished for him.

He nodded gravely. "And they'd use me to get to you, or you to get to me."

I pulled back slightly, studying his face. "So you're saying we have to keep pretending we're not bonded?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "For now, at least."

"That seems impossible after..." I gestured vaguely between us.

"After this?" he asked, his voice softening. "It will be the hardest thing I've ever done, Hazel. But I have to protect you—even from myself."

"I don't need protection from you," I insisted.

Kaelen's expression darkened. "Don't be so certain. There are things about me you don't know, powers I possess that could—"

He stopped abruptly, seeming to catch himself.

"Powers?" I prompted. "Like what?"

For a moment, I thought he wouldn't answer. Then he said quietly, "Dream walking, for one."

My eyes widened as connections formed in my mind. "The dreams... those vivid dreams I've been having—that was you?"

He at least had the grace to look slightly abashed. "Yes. It was the only way I could be with you without endangering you."

"You invaded my dreams?" I wasn't sure if I should be outraged or touched.

"I visited your dreams," he corrected. "There's a difference."

I shook my head, trying to process everything. "This is all so much to take in."

Kaelen stepped back, putting space between us that felt almost physical painful. His face hardened, the tender expression disappearing behind his usual mask of authority.

"I know," he said, his voice suddenly cool and detached. "And I apologize for burdening you with it."

The abrupt shift in his demeanor left me disoriented. "Wait, what—"

"I should go," he interrupted. "I only came to get my jacket and to update you on your mother's condition."

I blinked, confused by the sudden mention of my mother and the complete change in his tone. "My mother? What about her?"

"She's stable," he said clinically. "I've assigned additional security to her facility, given recent events."

Something wasn't right. This cold, distant man wasn't the same one who'd just kissed me with such passion.

"Kaelen," I said cautiously. "What's going on?"

His blue eyes met mine, and for a split second, I saw conflict there. Then his expression hardened further.

"I've made a decision," he said. "You cannot know about our bond, Hazel. Not yet. It's too dangerous—for both of us."

A chill ran down my spine as I realized what he was saying. "You're going to make me forget," I whispered. "Using compulsion."

He didn't deny it. "It's for the best."

"No," I backed away from him. "You can't do this. I have a right to know the truth!"

"Sometimes the truth is a luxury we cannot afford," he said, his voice resolute. "I'm sorry, Hazel."

"Kaelen, please—" I reached for him, desperate to change his mind.

But his eyes were already beginning to glow with that eerie blue light, and I felt my thoughts growing fuzzy around the edges.

"Forget," he commanded.