Page 144 of Fractured Fate

“It’s similar.”

“Is it?”

She walked to the side of his bed, looking across it out the only window to the courtyard below. He moved to stand at the head of his bed after moving a pair of dumbbells from the floor near the foot of his bed so she didn’t trip. He wanted to give her space, but he felt uncomfortable too far away, as if she’d disappear if he looked away a second too long.

His Korrena stood in front of him, and he didn’t know what to do. If he touched her, would she scream and run away? He never thought a pair bond would happen for him, and even now, it wasn’t guaranteed, not with her fear so potent.

“Aiden?”

He blinked. She stood staring at him, no longer focused on the window.

“I asked you a question.”

His hand ran over his face. “Yeah, it’s similar. But it’s also not. It’s more.” Not able to stand any longer, he sank onto the edge of the bed and clasped his hands together in front of his mouth, putting his elbows on his thighs. He stared ahead at the opposite wall where his TV sat, video games strewn around the stand. She probably hated how untidy his space looked.

“I don’t know what all they told you, but sometimes Korrena pairs connect right away. Either they were former lovers, friends, or had some strong connection that made it easy to accept the bond. Then whatever relationship they had going into the awakening grows into something more. Pairs who develop romantic relationships could call themselves boyfriend and girlfriend, but it’s deeper than that.”

The bed shifted as Charlotte perched on the edge of the mattress at the foot of his bed, which formed a corner with the head of the second bed. She still wore the slinky outfit from the club, which looked out of place in the dorm room. He’d need to get her something else to wear soon.

“Sealing the bond is similar to what you experience with marriage, except there’s no divorce. Not without a lot of pain. We didn’t know it was even possible to break a bond until it happened to Blaire and Lukas when she was kidnapped.”

“What?” Her voice pitched high, and he looked over at her again.

“Remember the psycho TA who kidnapped her? Everything we told you was true. He was obsessed with her, but the former heads of the academy covered his actions because he was stealing her blood for them to experiment on.”

Charlotte’s hand flew to her mouth when a gasp escaped.

“He ended up severing their bond in some fucked-up ritual.”

Charlotte lowered her hand from her mouth. “So they don’t have a bond now?”

“They do. It’s restored. It’s a long story, and I’m sure Blaire will fill you in on it, but that tattoo on their neck is a symbol of their sealed bond.”

“So they are sort of married?”

“It’s the closest thing I can compare it to in human terms. Our kind marries. My parents are married. It’s the same thing you would do. The sealing of a bond is an extra layer of commitment. Where marriage has rings as a symbol, the mark shows the binding of souls.”

“That actually sounds incredibly romantic.”

He scoffed. “Think so?”

“Binding yourself to someone forever? The headmistress said you live for hundreds of years. To have someone who loved you and connected with you on that level always by your side? That’s a hopeless romantic’s dream.”

When she put it like that, it sounded wonderful. It was how he felt about it. But he didn’t think she considered the long-term ramifications associated with binding her soul to another’s; to his.

Charlotte toyed with the tip of her thumbnail. “What if you get angry with each other, though? What if you get tired of one another? What if the other person cheats?”

“You work it out, just like you would in a marriage.”

Charlotte shook her head, the curls that had fallen from the bundle on her head swishing around cheeks still stained with black tears. “Not everyone works out their problems.”

“I’ve never heard of a Korrena pair not working through their issues. As for cheating? It’s unheard of. The intense yearning for your other half is too great.”

Silence descended as Charlotte looked down at her hands, flicking her thumbnails against each other. He didn’t know what was going through her mind, and her feelings weren’t strong enough to give him any insight into her emotional state.

With both sex and blood passed from one side of their pair, their connection had already surpassed that of others. After speaking with Seth while Charlotte was being treated by the medical team, he gained greater insight into how close their connection had come to a fully sealed bond. It wasn’t far off at all. All she had to do was drink his blood while he was buried deep inside of her. While he claimed her body. Stop. She’s not going to do it.

He didn’t need to get his hopes up.