Bonds at War: The Untouched is Mine novel Chapter 428

**TITLE: Attachment 428**

**ELIAS**

She was gone.

I didn’t witness her departure, but the absence was palpable, as if a part of my very soul had been yanked away. The moment that realization struck me, a tightening sensation coiled around my chest, constricting my breath. My surroundings faded into a hazy blur, the laughter and chatter of the crowd around me becoming an indistinct murmur, irrelevant to my spiraling thoughts.

Mina had left.

That single thought ignited a spark of urgency within me; I needed to follow suit.

I straightened my posture, shaking off the lingering sweetness that clung to my tongue like a stubborn syrup. “Thank you for the drink,” I said, forcing a polite nod toward Calista and Rowena, even as nausea churned in my stomach. “I need to leave.”

“Me too,” Aiden said, appearing at my side.

I shot him a quick glance, raising an eyebrow at his unexpected agreement, but decided against voicing my thoughts.

We maneuvered through the throng together, urgency propelling us forward. Beneath the surface of my frustration, my mind raced with thoughts of finding Mina. Suddenly, I felt Aiden’s hand wrap around mine.

What the hell? We were hardly close, not in this lifetime or any other.

I jerked my head toward him, confusion etched on my features. “What are you doing?”

“Just making sure you don’t fall,” he replied, his tone casual, but there was an intensity in his gaze that made me uneasy.

“I’m not going to fall,” I shot back, though even as the words left my mouth, I felt a tightening in my skull, a painful throb that coursed through my body like a warning bell.

Damn it. My vision flickered for a moment, and I could feel the world tilting dangerously.

Aiden slowed his pace, concern etched on his face, sending a chill racing down my spine. “You should be careful.”

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I thought I saw them slip something into the drink Calista gave you.”

I halted in my tracks, disbelief flooding my senses.

“Seriously? You’re telling me this now?” I couldn’t keep the incredulity from my voice.

He shrugged, a nonchalant gesture that belied the seriousness of his words. “I wasn’t entirely sure at first, but judging by how you’re moving right now, it looks like you might go into heat any second.”

I pursed my lips, irritation flaring. “Male werewolves don’t go into heat.”

“Fine, rut or whatever you want to call it,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “But listen, wizards and witches don’t experience heats unless they’re mated to a werewolf. So drugs like that aren’t exactly common here. I can’t even begin to imagine where they’d get it.”

“But if they really did give you something like that, you should head to your quarters and rest. I’ll have it investigated first thing in the morning,” he insisted, his expression serious.

I stared at him, and he stared back, our gazes locked in a silent battle. My head throbbed insistently.

A dull ache began to unfurl at the base of my abdomen, and I cursed under my breath.

Fuck.

I gripped the nearest wall, fighting back a curse as the heat began to coil beneath my skin, an unwelcome burn that spread with an almost eager intensity.

“You should go home,” he urged again, giving my shoulder a reassuring pat.

Yeah, I should. Logically, that would be the best course of action.

But I couldn’t bring myself to move, and I had a strong suspicion that Aiden was fully aware of that fact.

Aiden’s lips curled into a knowing smile.

“If you’re worried about Mina,” he said lightly, “I’ll go look for her.”

With that, he offered me a polite nod before turning away and disappearing into the night.

I watched him leave, my eyes narrowing in determination.

Alright.

That bastard was definitely testing me.

He knew we weren’t alike. Our principles and ranks were similar, yet the differences between us felt like vast chasms.

I pressed a hand to my abdomen as the sensation tightened again, heat pooling with an insistent urgency.

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