MARKED FOR PRETEND - Chapter 24: Chapter 24
You are reading MARKED FOR PRETEND, Chapter 24: Chapter 24. Read more chapters of MARKED FOR PRETEND.
“She’s asking for the maid.” Dax’s voice had been level, unreadable. As always.
Kaden didn’t answer right away, his eyes were on the fire, but they weren’t really seeing it. He hadn’t spoken much since Kael had taken control in the dungeon.
“After what Mira did,” Kaden muttered, “she wants an audience?”
“Not everyone wants revenge, Alpha,” Dax replied.
“Sometimes people just want the truth.”
Kaden’s jaw clenched.
“There is no truth that justifies betrayal.”
“Still, she asked.” Dax paused. “And I think she needs to understand why it happened. Don’t you?”
Later that night, Chelsea didn’t sleep.
She hadn’t, not since the dungeon.
Not since Mira.
Not since Kael.
Something in her still trembled when she remembered the growl, the eyes, the overwhelming sense that something ancient had looked at her—and known.
It was late. The wing was silent. She had barely moved from her bed.
Then she heard it.
A soft thud.
Not a guard.
Not a maid.
The air shifted. And she felt him before she saw him.
“Kaden?” she whispered, heart thudding.
“No,” came the voice—deeper, not cruel, but wild.
“He’s… not here."
The man who stepped inside was familiar but different.
He had Kaden’s face, Kaden’s shoulders, but not his stillness.
This man moved like a creature barely restrained.
Like his control was a suggestion—not a rule.
“Kael,” she breathed.
He didn’t reply, he just looked at her.
“What… do you want?” she asked, voice small.
“Nothing,” Kael said simply.
“I’m not here to harm you. I’m just… tired.”
“Then why are you here?” she asked, pressing her back to the bedpost.
Kael took a long breath, the scent of her soaking into his lungs like calm after a storm.
“Because this place,” he said, “is the only place I can breathe.”
⸻
He crossed the room in a few steps. She stiffened when he sat beside her. But Kael didn’t reach for her.
He just lay down—long limbs folding into the edge of her bed like it belonged to him.
“I won’t touch you,” he said softly.
“Unless you want me to.”
She didn’t answer. She didn’t know what to say.
For a few moments, she just listened to the sound of him breathing—calm, steady, warm.
The quiet was strange, so was the weight of his presence.
Not threatening. Not exactly.
Just… undeniable.
Eventually, sleep crept in.
And when it came, it came deep
The sun slipped into the corners of her window, painting gold across the walls.
He stirred beside her—still clothed, still silent.
But the eyes that opened now were not Kael’s.
“Kaden?” she whispered.
He didn’t reply at first. Just stared at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up, scrubbing a hand down his face.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep here,” he said.
“But you did,” she murmured.
“And you stayed.”
“Kael did,” he corrected quietly.
“I just… took over now.”
“I know.”
He looked at her then.
Not with the cold of the past.
Not with the fear either.
Just with something like… hesitation.
“I’m not going to apologize,” he said finally.
“But maybe I moved too fast.”
“No,” came the voice in his head. “You moved too slow.”
Kaden closed his eyes as Kael rumbled somewhere deep inside.
“I shouldn’t be here,” he said to her.
“But you are,” she said, matching his honesty with her own.
A silence stretched.
And for the first time since the scroll, since the selection, since the rumors—
They simply sat.
Together.
Kaden didn’t answer right away, his eyes were on the fire, but they weren’t really seeing it. He hadn’t spoken much since Kael had taken control in the dungeon.
“After what Mira did,” Kaden muttered, “she wants an audience?”
“Not everyone wants revenge, Alpha,” Dax replied.
“Sometimes people just want the truth.”
Kaden’s jaw clenched.
“There is no truth that justifies betrayal.”
“Still, she asked.” Dax paused. “And I think she needs to understand why it happened. Don’t you?”
Later that night, Chelsea didn’t sleep.
She hadn’t, not since the dungeon.
Not since Mira.
Not since Kael.
Something in her still trembled when she remembered the growl, the eyes, the overwhelming sense that something ancient had looked at her—and known.
It was late. The wing was silent. She had barely moved from her bed.
Then she heard it.
A soft thud.
Not a guard.
Not a maid.
The air shifted. And she felt him before she saw him.
“Kaden?” she whispered, heart thudding.
“No,” came the voice—deeper, not cruel, but wild.
“He’s… not here."
The man who stepped inside was familiar but different.
He had Kaden’s face, Kaden’s shoulders, but not his stillness.
This man moved like a creature barely restrained.
Like his control was a suggestion—not a rule.
“Kael,” she breathed.
He didn’t reply, he just looked at her.
“What… do you want?” she asked, voice small.
“Nothing,” Kael said simply.
“I’m not here to harm you. I’m just… tired.”
“Then why are you here?” she asked, pressing her back to the bedpost.
Kael took a long breath, the scent of her soaking into his lungs like calm after a storm.
“Because this place,” he said, “is the only place I can breathe.”
⸻
He crossed the room in a few steps. She stiffened when he sat beside her. But Kael didn’t reach for her.
He just lay down—long limbs folding into the edge of her bed like it belonged to him.
“I won’t touch you,” he said softly.
“Unless you want me to.”
She didn’t answer. She didn’t know what to say.
For a few moments, she just listened to the sound of him breathing—calm, steady, warm.
The quiet was strange, so was the weight of his presence.
Not threatening. Not exactly.
Just… undeniable.
Eventually, sleep crept in.
And when it came, it came deep
The sun slipped into the corners of her window, painting gold across the walls.
He stirred beside her—still clothed, still silent.
But the eyes that opened now were not Kael’s.
“Kaden?” she whispered.
He didn’t reply at first. Just stared at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up, scrubbing a hand down his face.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep here,” he said.
“But you did,” she murmured.
“And you stayed.”
“Kael did,” he corrected quietly.
“I just… took over now.”
“I know.”
He looked at her then.
Not with the cold of the past.
Not with the fear either.
Just with something like… hesitation.
“I’m not going to apologize,” he said finally.
“But maybe I moved too fast.”
“No,” came the voice in his head. “You moved too slow.”
Kaden closed his eyes as Kael rumbled somewhere deep inside.
“I shouldn’t be here,” he said to her.
“But you are,” she said, matching his honesty with her own.
A silence stretched.
And for the first time since the scroll, since the selection, since the rumors—
They simply sat.
Together.
End of MARKED FOR PRETEND Chapter 24. Continue reading Chapter 25 or return to MARKED FOR PRETEND book page.