Bound By Bloodlines

The Mating Ritual Ends

I gasped softly, my whole body jolting like I'd been struck by lightning. A sharp surge of energy shot through me, wild and hot, like fire spreading through my veins. My eyes flew wide open, and without thinking, I held onto Dorian’s hand tighter. Whatever it was, it didn’t feel normal. It felt… powerful.

I looked up at him quickly.

Dorian’s eyes widened too, even if just for a second. I saw it. He felt it. But then, just as fast, he masked it. His face went blank again, his hand still holding mine, firm and steady, like nothing had happened.

But I knew. I knew he felt it too.

“What... what was that?” I whispered, my voice shaky as I leaned toward him.

“You better stay calm,” Dorian muttered through gritted teeth, so low only I could hear.

“I can’t,” I whispered back, breathless. “You felt it too, didn’t you?”

He didn’t answer. He just rolled his eyes away from me and held my hand tighter, like he was trying to keep me from doing something stupid. His jaw clenched hard. “Don’t make a scene, Irwin,” he warned.

I swallowed hard. My heart was racing. I had a hundred questions in my head, but now wasn’t the time. I could feel the pack staring at us from all sides. Judging me. Judging us. Dorian was right—this wasn’t the moment to fall apart.

But the energy hadn’t left me. It still buzzed under my skin, a spark like an invisible thread pulling me toward him. I didn’t know what it meant, but it was real.

The elder kept talking, but I barely heard a word. My focus was glued to Dorian. I could feel his heartbeat through our joined hands—steady, strong, but fast, just like mine. He was pretending not to care, but his body was betraying him.

Then the elder motioned for us to step forward.

Dorian let go of my hand without a word. The sudden loss of contact sent a shock through me. My hand tingled where we had touched, and I hated how empty it felt now.

“What just happened?” I whispered again, more to myself than to him.

Dorian didn’t say anything. His face had gone stone-cold again. The elder was getting ready for the final part of the ceremony.

---

As the last vows were said, I felt even more distant from him. The tension between us only grew heavier. Dorian didn’t speak. He didn’t look at me. But his jaw was tight, and I noticed how his shoulders were stiff. He was trying hard to stay composed. Too hard.

The elder raised his arms to signal the end of the rites, but my mind was somewhere else. Everything felt blurry. Like I was walking through fog. I didn’t even know what had just happened—only that something had.

The ceremony ended. The crowd was gone. Only Dorian and I stood there now.

“Are you going to tell me what that was?” I asked softly. My voice was low, but it carried all the urgency I felt.

Dorian still didn’t meet my eyes. “Lady Irwin, by now you know your role here,” he said flatly. “You shouldn’t ask silly questions.”

My chest tightened. I wasn’t sure what hurt more—his words or his tone. “Am I that bad that you won’t even give me a straight answer?”

He sighed. Deep and heavy. “It’s done,” he said finally. “You’re my mate now.”

Mate.

The word hit me hard. It echoed in my head like a bell that wouldn't stop ringing. I looked up at him, hoping to see anything—kindness, warmth, truth—but there was nothing. Just ice.

“What was that, Dorian?” I asked again, taking a small step toward him. "When we touched… I felt something. Don’t pretend you didn’t.”

His eyes narrowed fast. “It was nothing. Whatever you thought it was, forget it.”

My mouth parted in disbelief. “Nothing? Don’t lie. I know what I felt.”

“I said it was nothing!” he snapped suddenly, louder this time. His voice was sharp, slicing through the air between us. “Don’t turn it into something it’s not. Don’t dare, Irwin.”

I flinched.

“But—” I tried again, but his glare cut me off. Cold. Hard. Unforgiving.

“That’s all there is to it!” he barked. “The ceremony is over. You’ve served your purpose, Irwin.”

Purpose?

That word hit me like a slap across the face. I stared at him, stunned.

I took a breath, trying to steady myself. “I’m not imagining things. There was something when we touched. Like a spark. A connection. You can’t deny that.”

“I can. And I will,” he growled. His voice was lower now, but even more dangerous. His eyes burned—but not with desire or interest. No. What I saw was rage. “There is no connection between us. You are nothing to me beyond the title. I did what the pack required. Now you’ll do the same.”

I felt a sharp lump form in my throat, but I swallowed it back. “Why are you being like this? What did I do to deserve this kind of hate?”

Dorian turned away, his fists clenched so tightly I could see the veins in his arms. “You should’ve known,” he muttered, voice raw with something that sounded like buried pain. “There was never going to be anything more.”

I stood frozen in place. I didn’t know how I got here. Married to a man who looked at me like I was a stain he couldn’t wash away.

People were leaving now. The room was nearly empty. And still, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

“Dorian…” I called gently, my voice trembling with the weight of everything I couldn’t say. “Why are you doing this to me?”

He turned to me again, eyes dark and full of anger that I didn’t understand. His words came like ice daggers.

“Because you exist.”

That broke something in me. My heart squeezed tight in my chest. He wasn’t just angry… he hated me. Hated me for simply being here.

Tears burned in my eyes, but I blinked them away. I wouldn't cry. Not in front of him. Not now.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I whispered.

“Neither did I,” he shot back. “You could’ve rejected the offer.”

Could I? Could I really have?

A servant walked in and bowed slightly. “Alpha, the preparations are complete. Should we escort Lady Irwin to your chambers?”

Chambers.

My heart sank.

“No,” I whispered, but Dorian didn’t even glance at me.

“Yes,” he said firmly. “Take her to my chambers. Make sure she stays there.”

I turned to him, disbelief washing over me. “What do you mean, ‘make sure I stay there’?” My voice trembled with anger now.

Dorian looked down at me, his stare cold as frost. “You’ll remain in my chambers. The pack must believe we’re... bonding.”

“Bonding?” I repeated, my voice rising. “You want them to think we’re—”

“That’s the expectation, Irwin,” he cut in flatly. “I don’t care how you feel about it. But we will keep up appearances.”

My chest tightened with fury. “So you’re lying to everyone? Is that who you are now?”

His jaw flexed hard. “Do not test me, Irwin.”

I could feel the heat rising in my body. I clenched my fists to keep from shouting. “I don’t know what I’ve done to earn your hatred,” I said, voice shaking. “But I won’t be treated like this forever.”

He stepped closer, towering over me, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “You don’t have a choice.”