~Vincent ~
It had barely been five minutes since the aftermath of our bonding, and although I had already pulled out of her, my body still thrummed with a hunger I hated admitting.
I wanted more. More of her warmth.
More of her softness.
More of the little sounds she made when she thought she was being too loud.
I didn't know if it was the mating mark intensifying everything or if it was simply lust clawing at my insides again. I had always had a big appetite...no point lying to myself. But even then, something in me had held back tonight. Something that insisted I shouldn't break her.
She was unconscious now, breathing softly beside me. I turned to her, eyes tracing the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She looked fragile, almost ethereal in the dim light.
Beautiful… painfully beautiful.
My hand moved before I could stop it. I brushed her brown hair away from her shoulder, revealing the mark I had left on her neck. The sight sent a sharp surge of possessiveness straight through me.
A crescent-shaped shadow mark, like a black moon formed of inked smoke, with faint lines spiraling outward like wisps of dark flame.
It looked as though the night itself had kissed her skin.
I exhaled sharply and ran my fingers through my hair, trying to think. I'd done that more times in the last few minutes than I had in the entire week.
She wasn't meant to be my romance partner. That was never the deal.
She was here for the show, and more importantly, she was a bridge that I could use to get to her father.
I didn't want her forming expectations. I didn't want her hoping for affection I would never give. Tonight was our first night together, and it would be our last. She needed to understand that when she woke up.
My hand hovered over her neck again, aching to trace the mark I'd put on her. But I forced my fingers into a fist and pulled back.
With a steady breath, I slid from the bed and gathered her carefully into my arms. Her head fell against my shoulder, warm and light, stirring something unfamiliar in my chest.
Ignoring it, I carried her into the bathroom.
The warm water washed away the blood, the sweat, the evidence of what we had done. I kept my movements gentle, more gentle than I should have allowed myself to be. When I finished, I dressed her in a simple nightdress, tying the ribbon around her waist with careful fingers.
I dressed myself quickly after that, and before leaving the room, I hesitated at the door and gave my one final glance on her.
Her hair spilled like silk across the pillow, the faint glow of my mark on her neck visible even in the darkness.
I swallowed hard.
Then I forced myself to step out, closing the door behind me.
As I descended the stairs, the murmur of voices met me before I even reached the first floor. The elders were still gathered in my living room.
Privacy was a luxury Alphas never truly had, not even on the night meant to be their wedding night. It was so fucking annoying.
Mother Lunar noticed me first. Her head lifted, the silver strands of her hair catching the warm light as she rose from her seat with a soft, pleased smile.
"Alpha, did you mark her?"
"Yes."
I kept my answer short. This was not a topic I intended to linger on, especially not with them.
Her smile widened with satisfaction. "I shall go see her then."
She brushed past me gently, walking toward the stairs while I moved into the living room. I lowered myself onto one of the couches, as I joined the other elders where we talked about arising matters in the pack.
We discussed our expansion plans, the recent tension along the borders, and the negotiations I needed to finalize in the coming weeks. Their voices filled the room, steady and strategic, grounding me in responsibilities that were expected from me.
A few minutes later, Mother Lunar descended the staircase with a radiant expression.
"She bears your mark beautifully," she announced as she rejoined us, clearly pleased with herself. "I'm so glad our pack finally has a Lunar. I was beginning to worry you would never take a bride."
I didn't respond. There was nothing to say.
The elders must have sensed my patience thinning, because not long after, they began gathering their files and cloaks. Formal bows were exchanged, respectful murmurs offered, before they finally left.
******
I sat there for a long moment, staring at nothing but the blank stretch of wall across from me. My thoughts were too loud, my pulse still too aware of the woman unconscious upstairs. Eventually, the quiet suffocated me enough that I pushed to my feet and walked toward the counter. I poured myself a cold drink, downed it in one long swallow, and set the glass aside with a dull click.
I moved upstairs and slipped back into my room.
Ella still lay on my bed, small and still, her breathing soft and even. The sheets were rumpled around her, her hair spilling across the pillow. The scent of our bonding still clung to the air, reminding me of everything that had just happened… and everything I could not afford to feel.
This was the first time I had ever brought a woman into my room. Hell, I rarely let women step foot inside my house at all. Boundaries were easier that way. But she was an exception...only because I had married her. Only because she needed to be here for the sake of appearances.
She was not meant to share my bed.
I walked to her and slid my arms beneath her, lifting her carefully. She didn't stir, not even when I adjusted her against my chest. She was exhausted, drained from the bond, her body still recovering from the pain of her first time.
I carried her down the hallway to the room I had prepared for her. Her clothes had been delivered earlier, arranged neatly in the wardrobe I had chosen. A room fit for a Luna. A room she would use through the span of this so-called marriage.
A room separate from mine.
Distance was necessary. I couldn't afford any attachments—especially not to her. She was a tool, a bridge to her father, and nothing more. The mark on her neck would make things complicated, but complications could be managed.
After placing her on the bed, I pulled the blanket over her and stepped back, letting my gaze linger on her for a second longer than I should have. Then I turned and left.
Back in my own room, I stripped out of the remnants of the evening and changed into formal clothes. There was someone I needed to meet tonight, and lingering here would do me no good.
Without a final glance, I left the house and stepped into the night's cold air.