His Wolf

Chapter 23: Making A Claim

Bright light hit him at just the right angle to blind him when he first cracked an eye. Arthit moved tentatively, certain everything he'd done with Kongpob the night before would leave a mark but he felt fine. In fact, he felt great.

"Good morning..." Husband.

Excuse me?

You have to get ready for work.

What are you talking about.

It's Monday. You've been in bed all weekend so you must have had enough sleep. I thought you'd want to get to work on time, just to keep the gossip hounds at bay.

Are you joking?

About what?

Husband. Weekend in bed. Work. "Why are you talking about these things at the same time?"

Kongpob gave him a cheeky smile. "Which one is confusing you?"

"All of them."

"Would you like me to explain?"

"Huh!?"

"You seduced me into completing our mating ritual and tying with you again, my dear darling, which means you are no longer just my mate, you are my husband." Arthit chocked on nothing and stared at Kongpob in awe, "You didn't want to get out of bed because I remember you saying, "We need more practise at this tying business just to make sure'."

"I didn't say that..." Out loud.

"And lastly, just because you are now my unbelievably handsome, insatiable lover for life, doesn't mean you get to play hooky. So up and in the shower so I can drop you off at work before I head to university."

Kongpob smacked his bare ass and that finally got Arthit to move. He did what he was supposed to because Kongpob had said so but he was still caught up in the run-down of the last two days events.

He and Kongpob had mated—truly.

He looked in the mirror in search of a sign and it was there. An impossible scar where a wound should have been. A bite mark he knew matched Kongpob's wolf's teeth.  Nothing like the hickey he'dbeen left with the first time. He expected it to be tender to the touch but stroking his skin and the silver edges of the scar just filled him with arousal when memories of the number of times he'd begged Kongpob to take him surfaced.

"Kongpob," he called. When his mate walked into the bathroom, he pointed at the mark, "It healed differently. How?"

"You're my mate. It healed once we were tied—both then and now. It's different because you wanted it and I wanted togive it to you. Proof positive of all the things that didn't make sense before."

"That's how you knew P'John wasn't affected by the bite. Because his didn't heal?"

"Yes."

"You could have told me."

I didn't know how it would work for us this time. With all the changes we've gone through, I wanted you to understand the danger. "An alpha's bite is much deeper. But the union of true matesis much more...intense. If I failed you...."

"You didn't." Mine.

What was that?

What was what? Arthit looked around him like he expected something to show up and make sense of his husband's question. Then he got distracted by Kongpob's frown. Smoothing it with a finger to his forehead, Arthit dismissed it. "I don't know. Are you joining me?"