Chapter 3 The Ties That Bind

Mira couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

It had been three days since her encounter with Ryder in the woods. Despite her best efforts to push him from her mind, his words clung to her like a persistent shadow. She had tried to ignore it, to push forward as if nothing had changed, but the warning he had given her echoed in the back of her mind, growing louder with each passing day.

Stay close to me, Mira. You might need me more than you think.

The words twisted in her gut, a constant reminder that there were forces at play that she didn't understand. Forces that Ryder knew more about than he was willing to share.

But Mira wasn't about to fall into his trap. She didn't need anyone. Not him, not anyone.

The school bell rang, signaling the start of another day, and Mira pushed through the front gates with her usual stoic expression. The students shuffled around her, chatting and laughing, oblivious to the storm that seemed to be brewing in the very air she breathed.

Mira's gaze drifted across the courtyard, her eyes scanning for anything out of the ordinary. As usual, she was alone. She preferred it that way. She didn't need friends, didn't need to be part of their world. But her isolation was becoming more and more of a prison, each step feeling heavier than the last.

Her gaze landed on him.

Damien.

The sight of him made her blood boil. He was standing near the entrance to the school building, laughing with a group of students as if he didn't have a care in the world. His dark hair was perfectly tousled, his smile a mix of charm and arrogance that never failed to make her want to punch him.

They hadn't exactly hit it off since the first time they met. In fact, "hit it off" was probably the farthest thing from what they had done. They had clashed almost immediately, and it had only gotten worse since then. He was everything she despised-overconfident, arrogant, and annoyingly persistent in his attempts to get under her skin.

Mira's eyes narrowed as she turned away, her steps quick and purposeful. She didn't have time for his antics today.

But as she walked into the school building, she felt the familiar presence of his gaze on her. She could practically feel the smirk on his lips, even though she wasn't looking at him.

"Hey, Vale," came Damien's voice from behind her, cutting through the crowded hallway. "Didn't think you'd make it to class today."

Mira didn't stop walking. She didn't have the energy to engage with him.

"Go away, Damien," she muttered under her breath.

But of course, he didn't listen. He never did.

Instead, his footsteps quickened until he was right beside her, his presence looming as he matched her pace.

"What's your problem?" he asked, his voice dripping with annoyance. "You've been acting weird lately. You've been avoiding everyone. Even me."

Mira stopped in her tracks and turned to face him, her eyes cold and unyielding. "Maybe I'm just tired of you following me around like a lost puppy."

Damien didn't flinch, his lips curling into a sly grin. "Ouch. Someone's a little testy today."

"Shut up, Damien," she snapped, her patience wearing thin. "I don't have time for your games."

He raised an eyebrow, his expression turning serious for just a moment. "You think I'm playing games? Maybe I'm just trying to figure you out. You're not exactly an open book, you know."

Mira didn't respond. She turned away and headed toward her next class, hoping he would take the hint and leave her alone. But, of course, he followed her.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of lectures and crowded hallways, with Damien's presence constantly lingering nearby. She could feel his eyes on her even when she didn't see him, could hear his voice in the back of her mind as he tried to provoke her at every turn.

And then, as if things weren't complicated enough, there was Ryder.

Mira hadn't seen him since their encounter in the woods, but she knew he was still out there. She could feel it, the weight of his gaze whenever she was alone, like a shadow waiting to strike.

After school, as she walked home, Mira found herself once again drawn to the woods. It was like the forest had a magnetic pull on her, a call she couldn't ignore. It had always been her escape, her sanctuary from everything she couldn't control.

She entered the forest, her boots sinking into the soft earth as she moved deeper into the trees. The familiar scent of pine and damp earth filled her lungs, grounding her, calming the storm inside her for just a moment.

But then, she heard it.

A sound. A footstep, soft but deliberate.

Mira froze, her heart skipping a beat. She knew this sound. She had heard it before.

Ryder.

She spun around, her eyes scanning the shadows.

"Ryder," she called, her voice tense. "If you're here, just come out."

The woods seemed to hold its breath as a figure stepped from the shadows, tall and imposing, his golden eyes gleaming in the dim light.

"I didn't expect you to come back so soon," Ryder said, his voice smooth as silk, his tone a mix of amusement and something darker.

Mira didn't speak. She didn't need to. She simply stared at him, her body tense, ready for whatever he was going to throw at her next.

"You've been avoiding me," Ryder said, his smile widening. "Don't think I don't notice. But that won't last long. Things are changing, Mira. You're going to need me whether you want to or not."

Mira's jaw tightened. "I don't need you."

But even as the words left her mouth, she knew they were a lie. There was a part of her that did need him. A part of her that couldn't ignore the warning he had given her, the warning she felt in her bones.

Ryder stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "You don't know it yet, but we're bound together. Whether you like it or not."

Mira clenched her fists, but before she could respond, the sound of distant footsteps echoed through the trees. She turned sharply, her body alert.

Damien.

Her heart sank as she saw him pushing his way through the underbrush, his gaze locking onto her and Ryder with a mix of confusion and anger.

"What the hell is going on here?" Damien demanded, his voice full of suspicion. "What's he doing in the woods with you?"

Mira's mind raced, her pulse quickening. She couldn't let Damien find out the truth, not yet.

"I told you to stay away, Damien," she snapped, her voice cold and sharp. "This is none of your business."

But Damien didn't seem to care. He took a step toward Ryder, his eyes narrowing in challenge.

"You've been following her, haven't you?" Damien said, his voice low and dangerous. "I don't care who you are, but if you're trying to hurt her-"

Ryder's smirk was slow and calculating, his gaze never leaving Damien. "She doesn't need protection from me."

Mira's chest tightened as the two men stood in the clearing, their tension crackling in the air like electricity.

It was clear that this was only the beginning.