Page 2 of Bound By Song

The stage lights are blinding, casting an almost surreal glow over the sea of faces before us. My drumsticks are a blur, each beat resonating through my entire being. To my left, Blaise’s fingers dance over his bass strings with that fiery intensity he’s known for, while Xar’s voice soars, commanding the crowd as always.

But beneath the electrifying performance, a storm has been brewing. This tour, meant to be our triumphant return, has instead been a crucible, testing the very fabric of our band and our bond.

“London, are you having a good time?” Xar hollers into the mic and the crowd screams back at him.

“I can’t hear you! I saidare you having a good time?!” The noise intensifies and a satisfied smile spreads across his face as he flips his long hair back out of his eyes.

“Now this next song, you might not know…” Cheers rent the air. “Dane….what do you think?”

Xar turns to me with a wicked gleam in his eye and I shrug, playing along as I lean into my mic. “I don’t know. It doesn’t sound like we have anysuperfans in the crowd tonight.”

Screams go up and I grin as I belt out a quick drum solo. Xar turns to Blaise who’s scowling.

“What do you reckon, shall we give them a hint?”

Blaise doesn’t respond like we practised, but wordlessly plays the opening riff of the next song, making the crowd go wild.

“Ah! Maybe one or two of youdoknow it after all!” Xar yells amidst cheers. “This next song’s called “Throat Full Of My Name!”

Absolute carnage ensues as the crowd goes wild and I zone out as muscle memory takes over and I begin the beat that will guide the guys through one of our most loved songs.

Our journey began years ago, three alphas with a shared dream, forming not just a band, but a pack. Our bond was our strength, our music a symbol of our unity. But now, that foundation is cracking under the weight of our differences.

“You talk like you’re free, but I know what you do

When the lights go low and you’re choking on truth

Got my scent on your skin, still pretending you’re clean

But I hear every moan in the spaces between”

Blaise’s girlfriend, Lena – a beta with a penchant for stirring the pot – has been a constant source of tension the past few months. Firstly, we all agreed not to date. The odd hookup on tour was fine, but we all agreed we weren’t ready for commitment. And if we everwereit would be a joint effort as a pack to find an omega. But somewhere along the way Blaise changed his mind or got sucked in by her. It doesn’t help that her influence over him is palpable, and it’s been driving a wedge between us. She questions our decisions, sows seeds of doubt, and Blaise, ever the passionate one, is caught in the crossfire.

Xar, on the other hand, has been on a quest to find an omega since Blaise got himself a girlfriend. I guess he’s looking for someone to ground him amidst the chaos of our lives. His yearning has become a point of contention, especially with Blaise, who sees it as a distraction from our music, but doesn’t see his own double standards. We agreed as a pack to wait until the time is right to settle down and find an omega, but Blaise’s coupling up with a Beta must have stirred some sort of longing in Xar and now he wants to start actively looking for a mate.

And I have no idea what I want. I love our lifestyle – getting paid to make and perform the music that I live for is everything – but there’s no denying that this tour has felt…flat. And it’s not just the gigs or the strain between the band. It’s me too. I feel like something is missing. I’m just not sure what. Or who.

Creative differences have only added fuel to the fire. Blaise wants to take our next album in a new direction, experimenting with different sounds, while Xar is adamant about staying true to our roots. Caught in the middle, I’ve tried to mediate, but it’s like trying to hold back a tidal wave with a broom.

Tonight, the tension is palpable, a living, breathing entity on stage with us. I catch a glimpse of Blaise and Xar exchanging heated glances, their usual synchronisation faltering. My heartraces, but I keep the beat steady, trying to hold the performance together as Xar begins the vocals.

“You touch him like I’m not the one that you crave

But his hands don’t fit where mine used to lay”

It didn’t help that they came to blows mere minutes before stepping out on stage, Xar punching Blaise over something I’m completely out of the loop about and sending the makeup artist into a tailspin. But I was confident that once the show got underway, things would blow over. Or they’d at least step into their roles and turn on the professionalism. We may love what we do, but at the end of the day it’s still a job we get paid to show up for. All the fans who’ve paid good money for tonight’s gig deserve better than what they’re currently getting from us.

“You never needed safe?—

You needed war”

Suddenly, towards the end of our set but in the middle of the penultimate song, Blaise’s bass halts. He rips off his strap, mutters something under his breath, and storms offstage. The audience gasps, a ripple of confusion spreading through the crowd.

Xar hesitates for a moment, eyes wide with shock, before stepping back up to the mic, attempting to salvage the song while continuing to sing the final chorus.

What the fuck just happened?

But the empty space where Blaise should be feels like a gaping hole, impossible to ignore.

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