In you, I have finally found all I never dared dream I could deserve or have.
The kind of love that is rare.
Being known in a way that touches the deepest parts of me.
Accepted in a way that blows my mind.
_________________________
My neck burned with the heat of a thousand suns, the pain coming and going like the oceans waves. My entire body ached and tingled, and I felt utterly exhausted. But my soul... my soul felt oddly complete. As though a piece of me that I hadn't even known was missing had finally been restored.
And for the first time in weeks, Livius was laying beside me, his warm body curled around me as I leaned my head against his chest.
He was sleeping, his face so serene as he breathed through his nose. He looked so calm, so at ease. I smiled at the sight. He had the weight of an entire Kingdom bearing on his shoulders, but for once... he was able to close his eyes without worry.
Not to mention he was just as beautiful with his eyes shut as he was with them open. The sharp lines of his jaw and those cheekbones seemed to be accentuated by the morning light, and the silky strands of his black hair all but gleamed beneath its rays.
Carefully, I brought up a hand from beneath the covers to lightly trace the planes of his face, before stopping myself. He'd wake up. And if anyone needed rest right now, it was him.
So with a sigh, I slid closer to him, and settled for resting my head against his heart, my eyes closing with contentment at the gentle thuds beneath my ear. "I love you," I murmured, so quietly, though when his arms tightened around me, I knew that I'd been wrong to assume he was asleep as well.
"Y'know, love, you're adorable when you think I'm sleeping," he mused, his voice a deep rasp that made my entire body flush with a different kind of heat. "You should treat me the same way when I'm awake as well."
I rolled my eyes, my fingers trailing his chest. "Fuck you."
I could feel his smirk. "Oh, I-"
"Do not start with those jokes, Livius," I all but growled, cutting him off in his tracks and he let out a velvety chuckle.
And I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips when he bent down to press a kiss into my hair. "I love you too," he responded to my earlier words.
I beamed at that, and those pale eyes softening before he pressed another kiss to my temple, his gaze dropping to my neck a moment later. Slowly, he brought up a hand to where my neck met my shoulder, his fingers pushing my silver hair out of the way.
And when his thumb grazed my fresh mark, I all but trembled beneath his grasp.
His eyes narrowed with pleasure. "Still so tender..." he mused, and my hand came up to cover his own.
"Don't... don't do that," I chastised, the sensations from his touch somewhat overwhelming.
"Oh?" His lips slanted into a sly grin, and I attempted to pull back when he dipped his head to my neck. "Would you prefer I did this?" He didn't hesitate a moment before pressing his lips to that single spot, his perfect mark that was only mine to bear.
And when his tongue darted out, I closed my eyes at the feeling that ran up and down my body.
"You're horrible," I muttered, and I could feel him smirk against my skin before pulling back.
"Don't worry. You'll get your shot at retribution. You always do," he retorted, and my own eyes zeroed in on the crescent shaped puncture on his own neck. Memories of last night flooding me as I recalled the way my canines sunk into his skin.
The moment had been so primal, so real, as the wound immediately healed, our bond settling between us like melted gold that had finally been given the chance to solidify.
I could feel the shift. It was as though he was present within my very soul, his conscious thoughts lingering at the back of my mind.
I wonder if I can read his mind.
"No, moon, you cannot. But I can read yours."
I stiffened, my body going utterly rigid as I blinked a few times before raising my gaze to him. I did not... I did not just hear him in my head.
Judging by the way his sinful lips pulled into a knowing grin, I had not been imagining it.
"No." I shook my head. "That is an invasion of privacy."
"But, baby," Livius began, slowly sitting up, his eyes never leaving me. "You're my mate. There was never privacy."
"You can't read my thoughts. It's wrong," I argued, scrunching my nose, and he arched a brow.
My mate shrugged. "It's an Alpha thing. Take it up with the Moon Goddess if you have any qualms."
I scowled. "Unmark me."
Livius' face twisted into one of genuine offense, his jaw dropping. "Don't say such things, moon. It's too soon. Besides, it's not possible."
I fell silent. "That damned sky bitch," I muttered a second later under my breath, and he arched a brown.
A moment later Livius was flicking my nose, a pointed look on his face. "Again with that name? I didn't condemn you the last time you said it."
I brought up a hand to cover my nose, a pout on my lips as I glowered up at him. "That hurt."
"Hearing you insult our creator hurt."
I peered down at my shoulder, at the consequences that came with his mark. "Not leaving before you marked me hurt."
He shot me another offended look, and an instant later, he shifted so that I was beneath him once again, his eyes a blue flame that pinned me in place. "Is there something we need to talk about, moon?"
I shot him an indifferent look, my eyes darting over his shoulder to the ornate, gold encrusted ceiling. "Yes, actually. You never mentioned the mind reading before marking me."
"Hm? Is that it?" he mused, bringing his hand up to cup my cheek, his pale eyes daring me to shift even an inch. "We had an... interesting night. I never got the chance."
"Oh, but you had time to do other things," I retorted with a roll of my eyes.
He grinned again, the expression taunting and dangerous all the same. "As far as I'm concerned, you quite enjoyed those other things."
Eh, Zac was better.
I toyed with the thought of teasing him with those false words without noticing the way he went rigid above me. And when my gaze swung back up to meet his own, his eyes were as dark as the night sky and his jaw was set.
My eyes widened and I also stiffened as I took in his expression.
Fuck. Fuck. Fucking. Fuckity. Fuck. This is bad. He heard it. He definitely heard it.
Oh, God this mind reading bullshit is going to ruin me.
Livius tilted his head.
He regarded me like an Alpha would a misbehaving pack member, those primal instincts coming forward. But there was something darker in his gaze, something more intense, and when he leaned down to whisper something in my ear, I knew I had truly and undoubtedly slipped up.
"Such dangerous thoughts," he murmured, his voice low, quiet, calm. Too calm. "And to think you've been keeping them all to yourself this whole time..."
I turned my head to the side, ignoring the way my heart hammered in my chest, and my body responded to his touch. Still, I all but melted when he casually dragged his fingers down my toned stomach. "You know I was only joking," I added, my voice a low rasp.
"Were you?"
"Yes." I defended, searching his face though my entire being coursed with a new yearning for him. "It was a passing thought that was only meant to piss you off."
"Well, you've succeeded," he whispered back, and my breath hitched when he ran his fingers through my hair, his fingers tugging at the roots. "I suppose I shouldn't have been so gentle last night, moon. I should've known you'd like the opposite."
Well, he was right.
Still, I tilted my head up to meet his gaze, those eyes no longer unnerving me. "And what's the opposite?"
"You're about to find out."
I attempted to sit up. "Livius, come on. You can't actually be upset about a single thought."
His eyes narrowed into dark slits. "Yes, him having a claim on you in the past is enraging, but the fact that you still even think of that pup is what upsets me."
"A joke. J-O-K-E. Commonly defined as something said to cause amusement or laughter."
"I'm not laughing."
Ah, the negative side effects of the marking. How lovely.
"You're being territorial and possessive and overbearing and I'm going to need you to stop." I glowered up at him.
"And you," he began, his lips brushing my earlobe. "Are being a horrible tease, especially with that little 'joke' of yours."
My body heated at his tone, but the Fae side of me narrowed her eyes, and I found myself rising to meet him halfway. The words tumbled out before I could even mull them over. "Perhaps it wasn't a joke, then."
Livius laughed, a dark, velvety chuckle that sounded both musical and out of key. "Ah, what are we to do with that tongue of yours?"
Before I could shoot a sly retort, he was nipping at my neck, his teeth scraping my throat in a silent tease of what was to come. His fingers were no longer gentle as he gripped my wrist, the other curling at my waist. Gone were the soft caresses, and languid kisses. Not that I missed them anyway. I liked it much better this way.
Livius treated me like a porcelain doll last night. His fingers lingered on my frame as though it were made of glass and he made it a point to be gentle, his mind still glued to the delusions that I was truly feverish. But those delusions seemed to have escaped him this fine morning, and I was certainly not complaining.
When he bit down on another spot on my neck, my lips quirked.
"Well, good morning to you too, Alpha."
*****************
He marked me again.
Twice within the same twenty four hours.
If I were a human, I'd probably be dead, but lucky for him and his stupid territorial ass, I was a hybrid who could keep up with his ridiculous desires.
And oh, the wait was certainly worth it. But God, my entire body ached. So an hour and ten love bites later when he offered to draw me a bath, I all but pounced at the opportunity. When he offered to join me, however, I merely shot him a pointed look, knowing exactly where he would take it.
The bastard never got tired.
Even now as the scent of lavender, various bath soaps, and rose petals wafted into our room, I knew he was mulling over my answer before deciding that I needed to rest, and it was his job to care.
So, when I finally settled into the tub, my eyes closing as a relieved sigh escaped my lips, Livius was there behind me, his fingers running through my hair. "God, I love you," I mumbled, as he squeezed some shampoo into his palm before lathering it onto my hair. A second later, I cracked an eye open to add. "Sometimes."
He chuckled, and I smiled as well, my eyes once again closing in relaxation. "Moon, I hate to rain on this luxurious moment, but I've been thinking... there's something we need to acknowledge else it might blow up in your face."
"Hmm?" I hummed quietly, ignoring the concern in his voice.
"We were... how do I put this?" he paused searching for the words, before beginning once again. "A bit... irresponsible last night."
There was a tense silent for a long moment, Livius' actions stilling after the words escaped his lips.
I was going to hell for making him sweat. He was genuinely worried about this.
So a second later, I released a laugh, the melodic sound dancing across the ceramic tiling of the bathroom. "It's fine, Livius. Let's just say Fae anatomy is a bit different in comparison to you wolves."
"Oh, thank fuck," he sighed in relief, and I laughed again.
"Isn't this the part where you say something like 'I am an Alpha King, I need heirs' or some bullshit like that?" I asked, mimicking his deep voice as best I could.
He rinsed the soap out of my hair and dried his hands on a pale white towel as he spoke, "Moon, you've shared with me your dreams many times before this, and you should know by now that I have no intention of ever hindering you. Perhaps the elders on my council will argue it, but I don't care much for them.
"We're both so young. I don't see why we should already be worried about that." He paused and smiled, bright and genuine, those eyes luminescent beneath the bathroom lights. "Go become a lawyer. Or do whatever calls to your heart, whatever you choose for yourself. I certainly won't stop you. On the contrary, I might even kill someone if it could make your case."
I searched his face, my golden eyes cutting into his own. His expression melted into one of concern as my bottom lip trembled. I quickly turned away from him, my entire being flushed with joy as my lips twitched. "That's witness tampering," I mumbled, almost disappointedly.
Livius leaned down so that his chin rested on my shoulder. He inhaled my scent, and I could've sworn I felt him smile to himself as he came to another realization.
The answer to my suspicions came an instant later. "You smell like me," he mused, clearly pleased with himself.
I rolled my eyes with a sigh. "Damn, so there really is no hiding it."
His lips pulled into a frown. "Why would you want to hide it?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe because my adoptive mother is now living at the castle, and as far as I'm concerned she doesn't trust you as far as she can throw you," I retorted, tapping my chin in mock thought.
Livius rolled his eyes, and got up to retrieve my robe, his eyes still respectfully flicking away as I stood up and slipped my arms through the sleeves. Once I tied the knot around my waist, he brushed my hair over my shoulder, smiling as he exposed my mark.
"I want you to show them," he murmured, pride dripping from his voice as he regarded that final marking, the final completion of our bond. Gently, his arm slid around my waist and he pulled me impossibly closer. "So that it is known, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you're mine just as I am yours."
"Fine, but you're tying the ponytail," I told him and he snorted, his head dipping into my neck.
And my eyes closed in contentment as he kissed my mark once again, everything seeming to fall into place as I stood in his arms.
Gabriel was an idiot if he thought I'd leave this. If he thought I'd betray my own mate. I wouldn't do it. Not now. Not ever.
So, with all the ignorance in the world, I tucked the thought of leaving the safety of this castle to the side for a single moment, without realizing that I didn't have to walk back into my past for it to catch up to me.
And Gabriel would undoubtedly be the unraveling of it all.
************************
Chapters remaining: 10
Writing: In progress
Current chapter count: Too damn many
Future books: yes.