MARKED FOR PRETEND - Chapter 29: Chapter 29
You are reading MARKED FOR PRETEND, Chapter 29: Chapter 29. Read more chapters of MARKED FOR PRETEND.
The bond wasn’t quiet anymore.It whispered to her when she closed her eyes.
It curled around her ribs when she slept.
And when he was near? It throbbed.
Chelsea used to find silence comforting. Now, it drove her mad. Especially knowing he was in the same house. He, who had promised to protect her. He, whose wolf had nearly shattered the dungeon for her.
And now? He barely spoke,like she was fragile. Like touching her again might break them both.
Chelsea stood by the window, the night air cold against her bare arms. Her skin tingled—no, it burned. She could feel Kaden out there, beyond the trees.She didn’t see him.
She felt him, she closed her eyes.
His heartbeat echoed inside her chest like a second rhythm not her own.
The door opened without a knock.
She turned, half-expecting Kael.
But it wasn’t Kael.
It was him.
Kaden.
And this time, he didn’t wear armor of the alpha. No mask of command. Just a man. Just Kaden.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked, voice low, almost hoarse.
She shook her head. “No.” She didn’t tell him why. She didn’t need to.
He stepped closer. Her breath caught. The bond tugged like a string pulled tight in her gut.
“Your scent,” he muttered, eyes darkening, “It’s… louder.”
Chelsea’s voice was barely a whisper. “So is yours.” and that was the truth.
He smelled like storm-wet cedar and something darker. Something electric. Her knees nearly buckled at the weight of it.
He looked at her then—not like a leader forced into duty, not like a man afraid of the bond—but like someone standing on the edge of a cliff, knowing damn well he was about to fall.
Like a man fighting a losing war inside himself.
“I need to walk away,” he said, voice cracking with restraint.
“But you don’t,” she answered.
Three strides. That’s all it took,and then he was there. His hands didn’t touch her—but they hovered, at her waist, at the sides, close enough to break. Heat radiating off him in waves.
“I don’t know what this is doing to you,” he said, the muscle in his jaw flexing.“But it’s tearing me apart.”
Chelsea’s breath hitched. “Then why are you still trying to fight it?”
His reply didn’t come from him.
It came from within.
Kael.
His answer was Kael’s voice—not his.
“Because if we take her now, we’ll never let her go.”
Her knees nearly gave out. His wolf. His wolf had answered her.
She looked up at him, eyes wide.
Her gaze snapped to his face. And for a moment, he wasn’t just Kaden.
He was both.
One soul, two forces, and both of them… hers.
Kaden swallowed hard. “Go to bed, Chelsea.”
But when he turned to leave, she whispered, “Stay.”
And he did.
Not by the bed. Not beside her.
But by the fire, his eyes never leaving her face.
Watching. Guarding.
His presence was a silent vow.
And when she finally closed her eyes, the bond didn’t throb. It didn’t ache.
It settled.
Because he was there.
And because Kael was watching, too.
It curled around her ribs when she slept.
And when he was near? It throbbed.
Chelsea used to find silence comforting. Now, it drove her mad. Especially knowing he was in the same house. He, who had promised to protect her. He, whose wolf had nearly shattered the dungeon for her.
And now? He barely spoke,like she was fragile. Like touching her again might break them both.
Chelsea stood by the window, the night air cold against her bare arms. Her skin tingled—no, it burned. She could feel Kaden out there, beyond the trees.She didn’t see him.
She felt him, she closed her eyes.
His heartbeat echoed inside her chest like a second rhythm not her own.
The door opened without a knock.
She turned, half-expecting Kael.
But it wasn’t Kael.
It was him.
Kaden.
And this time, he didn’t wear armor of the alpha. No mask of command. Just a man. Just Kaden.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked, voice low, almost hoarse.
She shook her head. “No.” She didn’t tell him why. She didn’t need to.
He stepped closer. Her breath caught. The bond tugged like a string pulled tight in her gut.
“Your scent,” he muttered, eyes darkening, “It’s… louder.”
Chelsea’s voice was barely a whisper. “So is yours.” and that was the truth.
He smelled like storm-wet cedar and something darker. Something electric. Her knees nearly buckled at the weight of it.
He looked at her then—not like a leader forced into duty, not like a man afraid of the bond—but like someone standing on the edge of a cliff, knowing damn well he was about to fall.
Like a man fighting a losing war inside himself.
“I need to walk away,” he said, voice cracking with restraint.
“But you don’t,” she answered.
Three strides. That’s all it took,and then he was there. His hands didn’t touch her—but they hovered, at her waist, at the sides, close enough to break. Heat radiating off him in waves.
“I don’t know what this is doing to you,” he said, the muscle in his jaw flexing.“But it’s tearing me apart.”
Chelsea’s breath hitched. “Then why are you still trying to fight it?”
His reply didn’t come from him.
It came from within.
Kael.
His answer was Kael’s voice—not his.
“Because if we take her now, we’ll never let her go.”
Her knees nearly gave out. His wolf. His wolf had answered her.
She looked up at him, eyes wide.
Her gaze snapped to his face. And for a moment, he wasn’t just Kaden.
He was both.
One soul, two forces, and both of them… hers.
Kaden swallowed hard. “Go to bed, Chelsea.”
But when he turned to leave, she whispered, “Stay.”
And he did.
Not by the bed. Not beside her.
But by the fire, his eyes never leaving her face.
Watching. Guarding.
His presence was a silent vow.
And when she finally closed her eyes, the bond didn’t throb. It didn’t ache.
It settled.
Because he was there.
And because Kael was watching, too.
End of MARKED FOR PRETEND Chapter 29. Continue reading Chapter 30 or return to MARKED FOR PRETEND book page.