MATE BOND

A year or so ago, Alexa's present anguish had its first beginnings; it had waxed and gathered strength; it had matured and concentrated until it had taken the form of a fearful, frenzied and fantastic question which tortured her heart and mind clamouring insistently for an answer. It gripped and tore her heart apart.

Things began to fall apart for her the previous year. Alexa, to her bewilderment, discovered that she had been betrothed, but the secret had been kept away from her all this while. She, as was wont to, kept wanting to be angry at her on both counts, but her hopelessness always died with each thought about Alpha Richardson- the beast whose son she was to get married to. Once again she looked at her frame in the mirror.