Chapter 3: The Bond That Binds, Yet Holds Back

Nathan

It had been three weeks.

Three long, torturous weeks since I found Elizabeth in the woods, three weeks since the Moon Goddess blessed me with my mate, which I had begged for my entire life.

She was here. She was mine. Every breath she took in this house reassured me that she was real, yet something felt terribly wrong, and I couldn't place my hands on exactly what it was.

I should have marked her by now. I'd waited too long. She was all healed up; I should have claimed her as mine, sealed our bond, but I didn’t know what was happening. Just the thought of it felt like invisible walls were stopping me from actually getting to her.

I sat on my bed, pressing my palms to my face. “What the hell is wrong with me?” I muttered frustratedly to myself.

“You are asking the wrong person,”

Zade’s voice rumbled low through me. He’d been quiet lately—for someone who should be demanding we mark our mate and bind her to us permanently, he was as lost as I was.

“You want to mark her?” I asked, frustrated.

“Of course I do.” His growl was sharp, almost pained. “I want to sink our teeth into her, make her ours, but something stops me every single time, and even when I push through, it feels like there’s a wall.”

I dragged in a deep breath, my fists clenching. “So it’s not just me then?”

“No.”

For once, my wolf and I were on the same side of confusion.

“She’s ours, Zade—everything we’ve ever wanted

and she’s actually here. I can’t lose her.” My voice cracked at the end. I felt ashamed. I was an Alpha and I couldn’t mark my mate. In all of history I’d never heard of such a thing. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

No one has. Everyone I had indirectly asked, who had found their mate, didn't have a problem marking their mate once they found her. So why's my case any different?

“Nathan, I don’t understand it either,” Zade admitted reluctantly. “Her scent drives me crazy, the bond burns hotter between us, yet… something doesn’t feel complete.”

I leaned back against the headboard, my eyes on the ceiling like it had all the answers I needed. “Then what the hell is wrong with us?”

Zade didn’t reply, but I didn’t blame him. I just let the confusion settle over me like a cloud.

The door to my room cracked open. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

Elizabeth.

She walked into the room like she measured every step she took. Her dark hair framed her face in loose waves, her lips soft. She wasn’t overly dressed, but she didn’t need to be to look absolutely magnificent. She had on a black dress that brought out her curves, and damn just looking at her took my breath away.

She was beautiful, innocent, seductive without realizing it.

My chest tightened with guilt at the thought of not being able to mark her. I didn’t feel like an Alpha. I felt weak. She was everything I’d ever asked for. She was perfection. But I just couldn’t do it—and I knew it was hurting her. I hadn’t given her any proper explanation for why I hadn’t sealed our bond.

She didn’t deserve that.

“Hey,” she whispered, her voice gentle, a warm smile on her face as her eyes searched mine.

I tried to smile, but it didn’t feel real. “Hey, Elizabeth.”

She crossed the room, stopped just before me, her hands fiddling with her dress as though she wasn’t sure whether to touch me or not. But the bond hummed between us, undeniably pulling us closer. I couldn’t resist anymore; I reached for her, tugging her onto my lap.

Her breath hitched as I cupped her face in my hands. One kiss was all it took soft at first but then hunger slowly took over. Our mouths moved in perfect harmony, her chest pressed against mine as my hands ran down her back. She gasped as I trailed kisses down her neck, her scent driving me insane.

Zade whispered, “Let's try to mark her now.”

I parted my lips against her skin, my teeth brushing over the spot meant for me, meant to seal us forever. The bond surged, fire burning through my veins. I bit down—

And nothing.

My jaw locked. I was ready to sink my teeth in. Zade snarled in frustration, but something invisible slammed against me, instantly stopping me. Slowly, I pulled away.

I stumbled to my feet, my heart racing so fast I heard it in my ears. I dragged my hands through my hair, every nerve in my body on fire. Why? Why couldn’t I do it?

Elizabeth’s eyes went wild, her breathing still heavy. “Nathan?” Her voice cracked as she stood slowly, her eyes tearing up. She tried to hide it, but I could already see it.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, a tear dropping from her eyes. The sight broke my heart. I couldn’t face the shame cutting me deeper than a blade.

“Why don’t you want to mark me? Am I not your mate?” she asked, her voice broken. I couldn’t look away from her anymore. “Did I do something wrong? Am I not enough?”

The sight of her tears shattered me. I spun around, grabbing her before she could pull away. “Don’t you dare think that. You are everything to me, Elizabeth—my mate, my Luna. Nothing is ever going to change that.”

“Then why?” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Why can’t you mark me? Your pack looks at me like I don’t belong by your side. They feel you don't want me because I don’t bear your mark.”

Her pain twisted the knife already buried in my chest. My wolf whimpered inside me, furious at the unseen barrier neither of us could break.

I pulled her against me, my forehead pressed to hers. I couldn’t tell her I couldn’t mark her, it would break her even more. “I will mark you when the time is right, Elizabeth.” I whispered softly. “You will be my Luna and the pack will respect you. So please… stop crying. My heart is yours, and it always will be.”

She cried quietly against my chest, and all I wanted was to mark her. But I couldn’t and

for the first time, I felt powerless.

An Alpha who couldn’t even mark his mate.