Fated reborn - Chapter 233: Chapter 233

Dorian pov.
Turning away from the mirror, I grabbed my jacket off the chair and threw it on, not bothering to button it. The halls were still empty as I made my way down, the lanterns flickering faintly. The night was deep, and most of the pack was asleep.
I stepped outside.
The cold air hit instantly, sharp against my skin, but it helped. The scent of pine was stronger here, mixing with the faint hint of snow on the wind. The sky was clear, stars stretching endlessly above, distant and steady.
I took a deep breath.
It wasn’t enough.
Nothing was.
My fingers curled into fists at my sides, and I closed my eyes for a second, willing my heart to slow, my breathing to even out.
This was gonna be a long night.
The night stretched on, endless and unforgiving.
I stood outside longer than I should have, letting the cold air bite at my skin, hoping it would do something—clear my head, ease the restless energy twisting inside me. It didn’t.
By the time I finally gave up and went back to my room, the sky was already shifting. Night was slipping away, the first streaks of morning bleeding into the horizon. And I hadn’t slept. Not even for a second.
Lying down was pointless. My body was exhausted, but my mind wouldn’t shut off. I sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on my knees, rubbing my temples as if that would somehow quiet the storm in my head.
It didn’t.
I could still feel it.
The bond.
Tangled around me like a rope, pulling, tightening with every breath.
Trini.
Damn it.
I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair.
She ran last night. Not just hesitated. Ran. Like she wanted nothing to do with me.
I wasn’t an idiot. I knew what it meant. She felt it—I know she did—but she wasn’t ready to accept it. Maybe she never would.
The thought settled like a weight in my chest.
What if this was one-sided?
I had heard of it happening before. A mate bond that latched onto one person, but not the other. A cruel joke from the universe. It wasn’t common, but it was possible.
And now, for the first time, I started to wonder—
What if she wasn’t mine at all?
A knock at my door cut through the silence.
I glanced up, frowning. The packhouse was quiet this early. Who the hell—
Another knock.
Sighing, I pushed myself up and pulled the door open.
Marcus stood there, arms crossed, a knowing look on his face.
“You look like hell,” he said flatly.
“Morning to you too,” I muttered, stepping back so he could walk in.
Marcus shut the door behind him, leaning against the wall, studying me like I was some kind of puzzle.
“You didn’t sleep,” he said. Not a question. Just a statement.
I didn’t bother denying it.
He exhaled, shaking his head. “I figured. The way you were acting last night…” His eyes narrowed slightly. “You gonna tell me what’s going on?”
I stayed quiet.
Marcus sighed, rubbing his jaw. “Look, man, I don’t need details. But you’re off. I can see it. And I’m guessing it has something to do with her.”
I clenched my jaw.
I hated how easily he could read me.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, voice lower than I meant it to be. “I thought I did, but now—” I shook my head, exhaling sharply. “I don’t know anymore.”
Marcus didn’t say anything right away. Just watched me for a moment, like he was waiting for me to say more.
When I didn’t, he finally spoke.
“She ran.”
Again, not a question.
I nodded once.
Marcus hummed, pushing off the wall. “And now you’re thinking… what? That she’s not your mate?”
I hesitated. “I’m thinking… what if she doesn’t feel it?”
Marcus scoffed. “Oh, she feels it.”
I frowned at him. “You don’t know that.”
“I do.” He tilted his head slightly. “Because if she didn’t, you wouldn’t be feeling like this.”
I didn’t respond.
Because part of me knew he was right.
The bond wasn’t one-sided. It couldn’t be. Not when it felt like this. Not when every damn breath felt like it was tangled up in her.
Marcus watched me for a second longer, then sighed. “Look, I don’t know much about mate bonds, but I know people. And running doesn’t always mean rejection. Sometimes it just means…” He paused, thinking. “They need time.”
Time.
The word tasted bitter in my mouth.
What if she needed time? What if she needed space?
Could I even give her that?
I wasn’t sure.
I ran a hand down my face. “I don’t know what to do with this.”
Marcus clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Then don’t do anything yet.”
I looked at him.
“Let her come to you,” he said simply. “Or don’t. Either way, this bond isn’t going anywhere.”
I exhaled slowly.
Marcus had a point.
Not that it made anything easier.
The knock at the door pulled us both out of the conversation.
I frowned, glancing toward it. “Now what?”
Marcus shrugged, stepping back as I opened it.
And then, I felt it.
The second the door swung open, something shifted.
The air tightened.
My chest pulled.
And there she was.
Trini.
Standing there, stiff as hell, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but here.
I stared.
She didn’t move.
Didn’t say a word.
But her eyes flicked to mine—just for a second.
And in that second, I knew.
She felt it.
The pull. The bond. The same thing tearing me apart was digging into her too.
But she was still fighting it.
Her lips parted slightly, like she wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
Then, before I could even think of what to say, She turned.
Not ran. Not bolted like last night.
Just… walked away.
My hands clenched at my sides.
Marcus exhaled behind me. “Well, damn.”
I barely heard him.
I was already stepping forward.
Not chasing. Not forcing.
Just following.
She wasn’t running this time.
She just wasn’t ready to stay.
And for now, that was enough.