Chapter 4: Marked Without Touch
955 Words
Ella’s POV
I couldn’t stop shaking.
Even after Nate left, his words stayed with me.
> “Are you safe from him?”
I wanted to say yes.
I wanted to believe it.
But the truth was… I didn’t know.
Xander hadn’t hit me. Hadn’t shouted. Hadn’t even touched me beyond a brush of the cheek.
But his presence weighed on me. Heavy. Intoxicating. Like smoke in my lungs that wouldn’t clear.
And now I had to live in the room beside his.
Sleep beside a man who didn’t believe in love. Didn’t believe in mates. Didn’t believe in me.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at the door that connected our rooms — closed now, but unlocked. Just the thought of it made my chest tighten.
I couldn’t let him know what I was carrying.
Not yet.
Because he’d never believe me.
Because I didn’t know how it even happened.
And worst of all… because I wasn’t sure if he’d see the child as a threat — or an heir.
---
Xander’s POV
She was hiding something.
I could feel it every time she looked away too quickly or clutched at her stomach like she was in pain.
But when I pressed, she gave me nothing.
I wanted to shake it out of her.
I wanted to rip the truth from her lips.
Instead, I locked myself in my study and drowned in silence.
Until I heard her crying.
Soft. Muffled. Barely a sound.
But my wolf heard it.
Felt it.
And it broke something in me I didn’t know still worked.
I stood outside her door for nearly ten minutes before walking away — because if I opened that door, I wouldn’t walk out the same.
And I couldn’t afford that kind of weakness.
Not again.
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Ella’s POV
The next morning, I woke up to a fresh dress laid out on a chair.
Ivory white. Off-shoulder. Delicate lace.
A note rested on top.
> “Be ready by noon. Wear this. — X”
I ran my fingers over the handwriting. Clean. Precise. Like him.
Yara arrived fifteen minutes later to help me dress.
> “What is this for?” I asked.
> “Marking ceremony,” she said flatly.
My heart dropped.
> “But he hasn’t—”
> “He won’t mark you. But the Council expects a public claim.”
> “I thought we were faking this.”
Yara didn’t meet my gaze.
> “The Alpha doesn’t fake anything. He makes it real — or destroys it.”
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Xander’s POV
She walked into the main hall and the entire world stopped.
The white dress.
The bare shoulders.
The way she moved — hesitant but proud.
Even my wolf paused.
> “It’s just a show,” I reminded myself.
But my hands itched to pull her closer.
The Council had arrived again. So had several high-ranking pack leaders. They all gathered for the traditional witness ceremony — a claiming event without the bite. A declaration of matehood for public eyes.
I didn’t believe in it.
But they did.
And keeping the illusion alive meant power stayed in my hands.
> “You don’t have to say anything,” I whispered to her as I approached.
She looked up at me, eyes full of fear… and something else.
> “I know,” she whispered back.
Then I did it.
I slid my fingers beneath her hair and tilted her head gently to the side. My mouth hovered over the spot where I should have sunk my fangs.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I pressed a kiss to her neck. Slow. Deliberate. Possessive.
Her breath caught.
My wolf howled inside me.
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Ella’s POV
I wasn’t prepared for the way his lips felt on my skin.
Soft.
Hot.
Like fire searing something permanent into my bones.
And for a moment… I wanted him to bite me.
I wanted it all to be real.
But when he pulled away, his eyes were guarded again.
The mask was back on.
The act was over.
The crowd cheered politely.
> “The Alpha has claimed his Luna,” someone announced.
But the ache in my chest told me it was all still a lie.
A dangerous, convincing lie.
---
Xander’s POV
She stayed by my side through the rest of the ceremony, speaking only when spoken to, never once stepping out of place.
She was perfect.
Too perfect.
And perfection always hid something.
When we returned to the estate, she tried to retreat to her room.
> “Wait,” I said.
She froze.
> “You did well today.”
> “Thank you,” she murmured.
> “But tomorrow… Damon Grey arrives.”
She turned to face me slowly.
> “Who is he?”
> “An Alpha. Obsessed with power. And mates.”
Her eyes widened.
> “Will he know I’m not your real mate?”
> “If he gets close enough, yes.”
I stepped toward her.
Too close.
Her breath hitched again.
> “So you’ll have to convince him otherwise.”
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Ella’s POV
His voice was low and rough. The kind of tone that made my knees tremble.
> “How do I convince him?”
He leaned down until his mouth was just beside my ear.
> “Sleep in my bed.”
I gasped.
He pulled away, eyes flat.
> “Just for show. Nothing more.”
> “Right,” I whispered.
But as I walked away, I felt my body trembling.
Because I didn’t know what scared me more — Damon Grey…
Or sharing a bed with Alpha Xander Black.
- Writer
