CHAPTER 3 Breaking The Mate Bond
Adeline's POV
I slowly opened my eyes, stretching lazily on the soft, oversized bed, as my body enjoyed its warmth.
But the moment my fingers brushed against something hard—something undeniably masculine—my eyes snapped open.
I panicked instantly as I turned my head.
Theodore!
I was in Theodore's arms.
"Fuck," I whispered as I sat up in shock. My heart began to pound really fast as my gaze darted around the cool room.
I was naked.
Not just me. We were both naked.
The duvet pooled around my waist, and as I peeked over the edge of the bed, I saw our clothes—our damn clothes—scattered across the floor.
"Oh my God," I gasped, pressing a trembling hand to my lips.
Everything hit me at once.
Theodore beside me.
Our clothes on the floor.
The fact that we were utterly, completely alone.
I squeezed my eyes shut, gripping my head as last night's memories came running back in a dizzying flood.
His hands on my body. The heat of his skin resting on my bare body.
His lips. His touch. His voice—deep and hot—whispering my name in the dark.
And then…
Him inside me. His big hard cock, right inside me.
I became breathless instantly.
I hadn't been with a man before.
Theodore was my first.
My breath began to shake as my fingers trailed its way slowly over my bare neck.
I felt a sharp sting there, a reminder of what happened last night. I wasn't hallucinating when it happened, it wasn't a dream.
It actually did happen.
I gulped hard as my fingers traced the fresh mark again.
It really wasn't a hallucination.
Theodore had marked me.
"Oh God," I breathed, my hand flying to my mouth.
I couldn't explain exactly how I felt at that moment. Confusion, desire, disbelief, or probably regret?
Never—not even in my wildest, most forbidden dreams—had I imagined becoming Theodore's chosen mate.
But here I was.
And there he was.
Lying beside me, sleeping like a damn baby, as if he hadn't just taken my virginity. As if he hadn't just marked me for life. As if we hadn't done something unforgivable.
My stomach twisted painfully.
He was supposed to be Iris's.
Her fiancee.
And today—today—was supposed to be the day before their wedding.
A wedding that now might not happen.
My chest felt really tight, like something was squeezing the air out of my lungs. I never meant for this to happen.
I had spent years burying my feelings for Theodore, keeping them locked away, hidden where they could never cause harm.
Because Iris was my sister.
And I loved and respected her.
And now?
I was the worst sister in the world.
Suddenly, Theodore shifted beside me, his arm stretching toward me as he let out a groggy sigh.
His eyes slowly opened too, still heavy with sleep, before they landed on me.
He blinked.
I stared at him.
I didn't say a word. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know what to say.
Then, in that deep, unreadable voice, he said, "Go take a shower."
That was it.
No apology. No explanation. No, what the hell did we do?
Just a command.
I gulped hard and nodded, grabbing the duvet and wrapping it tightly around me before slipping off the bed.
My legs were shaky as I made my way to the bathroom. I was just an absolute mess.
Once inside, I turned on the shower, letting the cool water hit my skin. I actually did need a very cold bath.
But it wasn't enough.
It couldn't wash away what I had done. I was still feeling guilty.
I squeezed my eyes shut, and placed my hand on the tiles as I took a deep breath and tried to think.
I liked Theodore.
I always had.
But I never, never, meant to destroy his relationship with Iris.
And now?
Now, I was marked.
Tears filled my eyes as I whispered, "I have to break the mate bond."
I had to.
There was no other choice.
I had ruined everything, but maybe—just maybe—I could still fix this.
I stepped out of the shower, my body was still damp, but my mind was clearer than it had been all morning.
I knew what I had to do.
The mate bond had to be broken.
I wrapped myself in a towel, exhaling slowly before stepping back into the bedroom. But the moment I walked in, I froze.
Theodore was already dressed.
His black shirt fit him perfectly as he buttoned the last one near his collar.
"Oh… you're dressed already," I murmured.
He glanced at me briefly.
"I thought we…" I stuttered, my fingers tightening around the towel. "I thought we could talk."
"I need to handle some wedding matters," he said simply, smoothing out his cuffs.
My stomach pinched me.
The wedding.
I nodded slightly, forcing myself to stay composed. "Oh… I see."
"I—I was thinking we could probably talk?" I hesitated before adding, "I need to talk to you."
"Sure," he said. "We can talk before I leave today."
I felt so relieved. "Oh," I exhaled. "Okay. How's six this evening?"
"Perfect," he said.
"It works fine," I replied quickly with a smile. And then—just like that—he was gone.
No extra words. No glances. No hesitation.
Just gone.
I stood there for a long moment, staring at the door he'd walked out of.
I didn't know why I expected something different. It wasn't like he owed me anything before leaving.
This was already a mistake.
A mistake that could cost me everything if I didn't try to fix it now.
I ran a shaky hand through my damp hair, whispering, "Oh, Adeline, what were you even thinking?"
There was no answer.
It had to be the alcohol. It had to be.
It made sense. It was the only thing that made sense.
Clenching my jaw, I moved quickly, getting dressed before anyone could start looking for me. I needed to go home, now.
I couldn't even imagine facing Iris, let alone looking her in the eye.
So I rushed back, with my heart almost escaping from my body. My only plan was to slip inside and go straight to my room—act normal, pretend nothing had happened.
But the moment I stepped through the front door, my steps faltered.
Everywhere was in a mess.
People were everywhere—maids whispering, my mother pacing, my father talking to someone in a hushed but urgent voice.
Something was wrong.
My chest felt really tight.
I stood there frozen, scanning the room with my eyes. Has something happened?
What the hell was going on?
Suddenly, I quickly remembered something.
The text.
My mind snapped to it in an instant.
The message I got at the bar that I had ignored.
The one that said Iris was missing.
Fuck!
I rushed toward the living room, with my trembling hands to see what was happening myself.
And then I saw something on the table.
A note.
Right there, on the center table.
It sat in the middle of the chaos. It looked powerful enough to bring this house into disarray, and I could tell someone had read it already.
I reached for it, my fingers feeling numb as I unfolded the paper.
And then, I saw the words.
"I am going to search for my true love. —Iris."