Chapter 4: THE MATING RITUAL ENDS

Irwin gasped softly, her whole body jolting as a surge of energy shot through her. Her eyes widened, and she instinctively tightened her grip on his hand. It was like a wildfire spreading through her veins, intense and overwhelming.

Dorian’s eyes widened too, just for a moment, but he quickly masked his surprise. His grip on her hand remained firm, but his expression didn’t change.

He felt it too, Irwin realized. There was no denying it.

"What... what was that?" she whispered, her voice shaking.

" You better, Stay calm," Dorian muttered through gritted teeth, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

"I can’t," she whispered back, her heart racing. "You felt it too, didn’t you?"

Dorian’s grip tightened slightly, as he rolled his eyes away from her. "Don’t make a scene, Irwin."

Irwin’s head spun. She had so many questions, so many things she wanted to demand answers to, but now wasn’t the time. She could feel the eyes of the pack on them, watching, and judging. Dorian was right, she couldn’t make a scene.

But the jolt of energy still pulsed through her, lingering like an invisible thread connecting her to Dorian.

The elder continued speaking, but Irwin barely heard him. Her focus was entirely on Dorian, on the strange, intense connection she had just felt. She could feel his heartbeat through their joined hands, steady but fast, just like her own.

When the elder motioned for them to stepped closer, Dorian released her hand abruptly, and the loss of contact was jarring. Irwin’s hand tingled from where they had touched, the energy still buzzing beneath her skin.

"What just happened?" she whispered again, her voice filled with confusion.

Dorian didn’t answer, his face hardening once more as the elder prepared the next step of the ceremony.

   ********

As the final vows were spoken, the tension between them only grew. Dorian was silent, but his expression had shifted slightly, just enough for Irwin to notice the strain he was trying to hide. 

The elder raised his arms, signaling the end of the initial rites, but Irwin barely heard him. She felt like she was walking through a fog, her mind racing with questions.

As the elder dismissed the gathering, Irwin and Dorian were left standing alone, side by side.

"Are you going to tell me what that was?" Irwin whispered, her voice urgent but quiet.

Dorian didn’t meet her eyes. "Lady Irwin, you by now know your role here…. You should not ask a silly question to me."

" Am I that bad, that you wouldn't give me a straight answer?" She responded quietly

 He took a deep breath “It’s done,” Dorian said, his voice cold and distant. Finally Dorian decided to give Irwin a fair answer “You’re my wife now.”

Irwin’s heart raced. "Wife."The word hung in the air between them like a heavy weight. She looked up at him, searching his face for something like anything beyond the icy indifference that clouded his expression. But there was nothing.

“What was that, Dorian?” she asked, stepping closer. “When we touched during the ceremony... I felt something. What was that?”

Dorian’s eyes narrowed. “It was nothing. What were you thinking before Irwin. There was nothing like what you thought”

Irwin blinked, confused. “Nothing? I know what I felt. Don’t lie Dorian.”

“I said it was nothing,” he growled, his voice sharper this time. “Don’t make it into something it’s not. Do not dare”

“But.....” she began, but his gaze silenced her. Cold. Hard. Like stone.

 Dorian continued, his voice as emotionless as. “That’s all there is to it! The ceremony is over, and you’ve served your purpose, Irwin.”

The words hit her like a slap. "Purpose." That’s all she was to him? An obligation fulfilled?

Irwin took a breath, willing her voice not to tremble. “I’m not imagining things, Dorian. There was something there when we touched. It was like a spark. You can’t deny that.”

“I can, and I will,” Dorian snapped. His eyes were blazing now, but not with the passion she had hoped for. “There is no connection between the both of us. You are nothing to me beyond this title. I fulfilled my obligation to the pack, and now you will do the same.”

Irwin swallowed hard, the lump in her throat tightening. “Why are you being like this? What did I do to deserve this kind of treatment?”

Dorian turned away, his fists clenched at his sides. “You should’ve known from the start, Irwin. There was never going to be anything more.”

Irwin stood frozen, her mind spinning. "How did I end up here? Married to someone who treats me like a burden?"

The ceremony had barely ended, and already, she felt suffocated. The pack members had left the hall, murmuring amongst themselves. Irwin stood alone, the weight of Dorian’s words pressing down on her. She didn’t even know what to do next.

“Dorian,” she called softly, her voice trembling with unspoken hurt. “Why are you doing this to me?”

He turned to face her, his eyes still cold and distant. “ Because You exist.”

The words were sharper than any physical blow. "You exist." As if her very presence was a nuisance to him.

Tears threatened to well up in her eyes, but she fought them back. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

“I didn’t ask for this,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

“Neither did I,” he shot back, his gaze hardening. “But here we are. You could have rejected the offer given to you”

Anger. Pain surged through Irwin.

A servant entered the hall, bowing slightly before addressing Dorian. “Alpha, the preparations are complete. Should we escort Lady Irwin to your chambers?”

Irwin stiffened at the mention of the chambers. The thought of being alone with Dorian right now was unbearable. She glanced at him, hoping he might offer some kind of reprieve, but his expression remained unmoved.

“Yes,” Dorian said, his tone firm and final. “Take her to my chambers. Make sure she stays there.”

Irwin’s heart sank. “What do you mean, ‘make sure I stay there’?” she asked, her voice rising with indignation.

Dorian turned to her, his dark eyes flashing. “You will remain in my chambers. The pack needs to believe that we’re... bonding.”

Irwin’s eyebrows shot up. “You want them to think we’re together?”

“That’s the expectation, Irwin” he said, his voice as flat as ever. “I don’t care what you think, but we must maintain appearances.”

Her anger flared. “So, you’ll lie to your entire pack just to keep up some facade?”

Dorian’s jaw tightened. “Do not test me, Irwin.”

The tension between them was palpable, both refusing to back down. Irwin’s hands balled into fists as frustration bubbled inside her. She couldn’t understand why he was being so cruel, why he was determined to push her away.

“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve your hatred,” she said quietly, her voice shaking with emotion. “But I won’t be treated like this forever.”

Dorian stepped closer to her, his voice low and threatening. “You don’t have a choice.”