Chapter Twenty-Eight

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Luca's mark hurt. Everything about it.

But, Damon's mark came with absolute bliss.

With a lick to my neck, Damon sealed his claim on me. A wave of pleasure rolled through me and crashed into my soul. My whole body felt elated, like I was in the clouds, frolicking on the soft airy substance and refusing to come down.

A cheeky smile stretched across my face. One that I couldn't and didn't ever want to wipe off.

Damon gazed down at his mark, a proud smile on his face. His eyes drifted to mine. "You're finally mine," he breathed as if he didn't believe it.

My heart tightened. I was finally his. I couldn't wait to love him the way he deserved to be loved.

"Yes, Damon. I'm yours."

"I... I can't believe it." His eyes studied my face and then he pulled me to his chest, falling onto the bed next to me. His grip on my tightened as if I would disappear into nothingness between his fingers.

I pulled away slightly, looking into his eyes. "I want to show you the beauty you never knew existed in your broken world." My palm rested on his chest, feeling his heart racing in his chest.

His lips trembled, his eyes glossing over. "I don't deserve you."

My fingers grazed against his lips. "You do. You deserve a life filled with happiness and not suffering. You deserve a family. You deserve years and years of bliss at your cabin when our son is an alpha. Don't think for a minute that you don't deserve everything you've worked so hard for."

A tear escaped his eye, rolling down his cheek.

And, from that single tear I understood him completely. He had wanted a family, so he could provide a better life for them than he had. He worked so damn hard, so his pack could have a prosperous life. He wanted our family and the families around him to live without suffering because he knew how it could tear someone down to the bone.

But, not once did he think of himself. He put all of the pain and suffering on himself so everyone else could have a good life. He felt he was unworthy of love.

I wiped away the tears rolling down his cheek with my thumbs. And, felt a tear slip down my cheek.

He smiled through his tears. The smile that could make my heart flutter for eternity. He let out a small chuckle, his chest rumbling.

His hands stroked back my hair. "Mae Cogan. I can't wait to spend eternity with you. You are my everything. I'll do anything to protect you."

A smile broke out onto my lips and I wrapped my arms around him.

We stayed in each other's embrace for a while, just drinking in our passion for each other. My eyes watched the window as the sky turned from darkness to light. When the birds began chirping and flying back and forth from one side of the window to the other, I sat up and turned to Damon.

"How about we get some-" he began. His eyes glazed over as if he was listening to someone in the mind link.

"Mae!"Valerio rung in my head. "The pups you saved from Damon's pack are gone. Our spy found them missing this morning."

My eyes widened, and I jumped up, my heart racing. Damon's eyes were flashing gold. He must be informed too.

"Who? Did he find who took them?"I asked frantically. There was silence for a moment. "VALERIO! ANSWER ME NOW!"

My heart beat a hundred miles an hour as it thrashed inside my chest. The pups were gone? How could they just be gone?

My nails dug into the palms of my hands. Who took them?!

"No... I'll be at Damon's pack in a few minutes. Meet me and Nakida at the training area."

I stormed out of the room with Damon following. Small vicious growls rumbled from his chest as we jogged down the hallway. We both ignored the polite stares on onlookers, not worried with who they were. They obviously didn't know what was going on and I wasn't sure if Damon wanted them to know.

When we arrived at the training platform Valerio was standing there, running his hand through his hair; dark circles laid under his eyes. "Do we have any information at all?" I asked.

Valerio grimaced, then shook his head.

"Fuck... I should've been on watch." I paced back and forth on the platform, trying to think of a plan. After a few moments of not coming up with anything, I growled. "FUCK! Where the fuck was this goddamn spy when this happened? Why wasn't he there?!"

Valerio pursed his lips together.

"Luna, please do not get angry at Valerio. This is my fault. If I stayed watching Luca, the spy wouldn't have to. He was watching Luca when it happened."

My eyes closed, and I shook my head, trying to shake away the thoughts. This wasn't Valerio's fault. He was doing his job. The spy was doing his. "I'm sorry."

I glanced over at Damon, whose jaw was clenched, and his eyes glazed over. The once forest greens in his eyes were now midnight black. His nostrils flared as he talked through his mind link. Suddenly, two warrior wolves sprinted out of the forest towards him.

They stopped right in front of him, transforming into their humans. Their chests heaved up and down. "Who was last seen with the pups?" Damon asked.

"Uhm... I don't know alpha," one of them said. The other's eyebrows furrowed together, looking as if he had information he didn't want to speak.

"What do you know?" I asked.

"I... uh... the last person I saw with the pups is Samuel. They were in his hospital room," he scratched the back of his head.

My eyes drifted to Damon. He had a hard expression on his face. "Where is he?" I asked. Nerves pinched at my stomach.

"I've been trying to mind link him, but he isn't responding," Damon said with a shake to his head.

"As soon as you informed us of the missing pups, I checked his hospital room to make sure he got your message, but he wasn't there," one of the warriors said.

Damon turned to the men. "Find him."

Once they departed, Damon turned to me, giving me a look that I've never saw him give me before. Fear. Anger. Betrayal. And, in the pit of my stomach, I knew something wasn't right.


A/N

7m views for The Marking?! You guys are AWESOME! Thank you so much!! I love and appreciate all of your support <3

Samuel?

SAMUEL?

Thoughts?!

The pups are gone again!

Next chapter we see one of Mae's visions play out!

What are you doing this weekend?

Warmly, Destiny <3

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