Page 59 of Shattered Omega

“Like a dark bond?”

“Not exactly.” I’d thought about this. “It did require consent from the pack lead, unlike a dark bond. But the nature of the connection between pack and pack is… parasitical.”

“So they used the auras from one pack in order to stabilise the other?”

“Yes,” I said. “We think they needed alphas with extremely powerful auras, and the bond is now slowly devouring the host. It’s not stable.”

“I very much doubt it is,” he murmured, scratching his chin. “What’s extraordinary—and extremely dangerous—is that they’ve done something I haven’t heard of in a long time. In fact, tampering with what the Institute calls Established Arkologic forces, which include all known aura contracts, is one of the greatest crimes you can commit—it can result in the death penalty. The last time we tampered with those forces, we were left with an abomination we’ve never rid ourselves of.” His eyes slid, for a moment, to the bond on my neck. It was a grim piece of ancient Arkological history.

Dark bonds weren’t natural, and they had never been intended, either. Arkologists had intended to form the princess bond in order to further incentivise alpha and omega packs. In the end, they were successful.

But nature balanced out; with the stable formation of the princess bond came its equal and opposite, and dark bonds had joined the ranks of nature’s law.

“Still,” Uncle went on. “It doesn’t seem they’ve found success on a level that will change the foundation of pack bonds. It does explain why it was kept so quiet. Disturbing these energies may violate international law, but that hasn’t stopped governments and terrorist groups over the centuries. Mother nature isn’t just vengeful—she’s stubborn. Most attempts result in failure and death, and continued experimentation of this kind will often see a massive decline in alpha-omega populations. Even the most desperate countries don’t try it. They’re too afraid that their own populations will dwindle if they do.”

“But this parasitical bond they created?—”

“Does not sound near stable enough to even begin to seep into natural Arkologic forces. But that—while good news for the world—does not mean good news for you.”

“If it’s unstable, then might there be a way to break it?”

“Not that I would risk,” he said. “An unstable aura contract is more likely to result in self destruction. When tampered with, auras can turn on their own hosts.”

My blood ran cold. “That’s… what is happening to them.”

“If I were to make my best guess, the connection was created by the sick aura. A waning aura is energy breaking down, and until it dies, it seeks healing. That, most likely, is where they found an opening.”

“You’re saying the contract was built around the sickness?”

“Most likely.”

“If that was the case, then… if the aura was healed—would that sever the connection?”

I think I knew the answer he would give, yet I had to ask.

Uncle considered me carefully, but, to my relief, didn’t address the elephant in the room. That the only true known cure to aura sickness was a princess bond with a scent match.

He nodded, instead. “If the connection was established via the sickness, then curing it would sever the connection.”

I looked back down at the papers in my hand.

“You said you were their scent match…” Uncle said quietly. “I didn’t think it was possible after studying your aura. Yet, if you were to cross a pack who had, somehow, seen their own share of… unusual experimentation…”

I glanced back up at him, a lump caught in my throat.

“And if those alphas were in an impossible bond with another pack…” He trailed off, a frown on his face.

“You… believe me?” I asked, voice small.

“I should have believed you at the start,” he replied. “I have seen enough years in this field to know I don’t know everything. It was arrogant of me to dismiss you. I’m… I’m sorry I did.”

There was a long pause, and I warred with my tears, adjusting the papers on the desk so I could remember where we’d been.

“What of the flip side?” Uncle asked. “How did the victimised pack become a part of this contract?”

I thought back to what Umbra had said. “The pack lead’s bond mate died, and the pack should have fragmented. Instead, he says he found something to hold on to, to keep it together.”

“So, the pack lead accepted the bond?”

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