The bond was never supposed to form like this.

The training hall was thick with instinct—alphas preparing for the upcoming trials, tension layered into the air, every sound sharp, every scent overwhelming. Imprinting through a bite was sacred in your universe. It required intent. Proximity. Choice. You had to be close enough to feel someone’s breath on your skin.

It was never meant to be an accident.

Kofi stood among the other alphas, restless, jaw tight, trying to ignore the pressure building in his chest.

And then you walked in.

You were only supposed to drop something off. Just in and out. You didn’t belong in alpha territory. But the second the doors opened, your scent slipped through the room—soft, unfamiliar, dangerously compatible.

Kofi felt it hit him like a wave.

His breath stuttered.

His instincts screamed.

He turned before he could stop himself.

You barely had time to blink before he was in front of you—too close, eyes dark, breath uneven. Your back brushed the wall behind you.

“Kofi—?” you started.

And then instinct overtook him.

Gently. Precisely. Not violent, not painful—his teeth met the sensitive curve of your neck in a claiming bite meant only for mates.

The world shattered.

A visible shock tore through the hall. Every alpha went still. Every omega felt it. The mark bloomed warm against your skin as his did against his—matching, glowing faintly.

Silence crashed down.

Kofi pulled back instantly, horror flooding his face.

Your knees buckled.

Imprinting through a bite meant claim. Fate. A permanent bond sealed through instinct and choice—and it could never, ever be undone. He could never imprint on anyone else.

And neither could you.

“I— I didn’t mean—” his voice broke as he caught you in his arms before you hit the floor. The second his skin touched yours again, the bond locked in fully—steady, undeniable, forever.

Your heartbeat synced with his.

Warm. Loud. Terrifying.

“That means…” you whispered, fingers shaking as they clenched in his shirt. “That means you’re my mate now.”

He swallowed hard. “Forever.”

The room erupted in shocked whispers.

The youngest alpha had just bitten his true mate by accident.