Chapter 5: IT'S DUTY

The guards entered then, formal and stiff as they addressed Dorian. “Alpha, shall we escort Lady Irwin now?”

Dorian didn’t even glance her way. “Yes. Take her to my chambers.”

The guards moved toward Irwin, but she stepped back, her voice rising in protest. “I can walk on my own.”

One of the guards, a younger man with kind eyes, hesitated before nodding. “As you wish, Lady Irwin.”

Dorian turned away from her, dismissing her like she was nothing more than an afterthought. “Make sure she stays there,” he commanded once more.

Irwin’s blood boiled. "How dare he treat me like this?"

As she followed the guards out of the hall, she shot one last look at Dorian. “You may not care about this now, but one day, you’ll regret it.”

Dorian didn’t respond. He kept his back to her, his posture rigid, as if her words had no effect. She gritted her teeth, refusing to let the tears fall. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

" The mistake you made is accepting the offer given to you by the council... You had a chance to decline the offer" Dorian cursed under his breath and spat in disgust.

   ***************

The walk to Dorian’s chambers was heavy with silence. Irwin could feel the weight of the guards’ gazes, but they remained silent, their faces expressionless. The cold stone corridors of the stronghold felt more like a prison than a home. Every step she took felt like a step deeper into a cage she couldn’t escape.

When they reached the chamber doors, one of the guards, the younger one from earlier, hesitated before speaking. “Lady Irwin,” he said softly, “if you need anything, we’ll be stationed outside.”

Irwin gave him a tight smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you.”

The other guard, older and more serious, opened the door for her. “We’ll ensure your privacy, my lady.”

She stepped inside, the heavy wooden door closing with a dull thud behind her. And just like that, she was alone again.

The room was grand, luxurious even. But the grandeur felt hollow, like the walls were closing in on her. The bed was massive, draped in expensive fabrics, and a fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows on the stone walls. But none of it brought her any comfort.

Irwin paced the room, her mind racing. She couldn’t shake the memory of the ceremony, the way she’d felt something....Something real when she touched Dorian. It had been like a surge of energy, electric and undeniable. But now, as she stood alone in this grand, empty room, she was left questioning everything.

"Had I imagined it? Was it all in my head?"

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "No, it was real. It had to be."

But why would Dorian deny it? What was he hiding?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open. She turned to see one of the servants from earlier entering, a tray of food balanced in her hands. The servant set the tray down on the table by the window, bowing slightly before speaking.

“Is there anything else you require, my lady?” the servant asked, her voice soft and deferential.

Irwin shook her head, unable to muster much of a response. “No, thank you.”

The servant hesitated for a moment, her eyes lingering on Irwin with a look of quiet sympathy. “If you need anything,” she said softly, “we’re here to help.”

Irwin gave a faint nod, and the servant bowed again before leaving the room.

The silence of the room was suffocating, but her mind wouldn’t stop racing.

She couldn’t stay here, locked away like a prisoner, with no answers. She needed to understand what was happening between them. What Dorian was so determined to deny. 

The door opened again. This time, it wasn’t a servant or a guard. It was Dorian.

His presence filled the room, tense and cold, as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“Are you comfortable?” he asked, his voice clipped.

Irwin looked up at him, narrowing her eyes. “Comfortable? You locked me in here like a prisoner.”

Dorian crossed the room, standing by the window, his back to her. “You’re not a prisoner, Irwin. But you need to stay out of sight.”

“Out of sight?” she repeated, her voice rising in disbelief. “Why? So no one finds out how little you care about this? About me?”

Dorian turned to face her, his eyes hard as steel. “This isn’t about caring, Irwin. This is about protecting you. Whether you realize it or not, this union was for your protection as much as mine.”

“Protection?” Irwin demanded, her voice rising. “From what? From the pack? From you?"

Dorian stepped closer, his gaze dark and intense. "From enemies you don't even know about. You think this marriage was just about the pack? You're in this now, Irwin, whether you like it or not. The sooner you accept that, the better."

She stood her ground, her heart pounding in her chest. "I will accept it when you tell me what’s really going on! Why are you hiding things from me?"

Dorian’s jaw clenched, his face hardening into a mask of anger. For a moment, he looked as though he might actually answer her. His lips parted, but then they pressed together again, as if he were holding something back.

"You don’t need to know everything," he finally said, his voice low and controlled. "And There's nothing to tell you Irwin"

" I believe it's Not yet time, right?" Irwin’s frustration boiled over, her voice trembling with anger. "That’s what you keep saying. But when, Dorian? When will you finally tell me the truth?"

Dorian took a step closer, towering over her, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. "Don't play games with me Irwin, I'm not patient. "

Irwin's chest tightened with fury. "I’m not some puppet you can control! You can’t just lock me in here and expect me to stay quiet forever."

"You will do what I say," Dorian growled, his voice growing darker with each word. "Or I will make sure you have no choice."

She took a step back, but her eyes remained locked with his. "Make me? Is that how you handle everything? With threats?"

Dorian's control snapped. He moved so quickly that Irwin barely had time to react. In an instant, he was in front of her, his hand wrapping around her throat, pinning her against the stone wall of the chamber. His face was inches from hers, his breath hot and ragged as his grip tightened.

"You think I won't?" he hissed, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly intensity. His face began to contort, shifting into something more primal, more dangerous. His wolf form was surfacing.