Chapter 23: TWENTY-THREE

M A R K O V

Jade was sleeping peacefully, her breathing even, her chest rising and falling slowly. Her hair was a mess, and her lips were swollen.

She was fucking beautiful.

And she was finally mine.

Mine.

I never thought that I would ever find a mate, and if I did, I would never imagine that it would be her.

But now that she was here, lying next to me, her scent lingering in the air, her taste still on my lips, her mark on my skin. I couldn't imagine how the moon goddess would pair a rough and cruel bastard like me with a beautiful angel like her.

I didn't deserve her. She was too pure, too innocent, and I was not a good man.

I had done a lot of bad things, and she had no idea what those things were.

Sooner or later, she would find out.

And the moment she does, everything will change. She will hate me, and I will lose her. She would not want to be with a monster who had done such horrible things.

And that thought made my cold heart ache.

And it made me wonder, would she ever be able to break my curse? Would she be able to love me once she realizes what I've done? What I am?

My monster had taken a lot from her without me even knowing, and now, I had to live with the secret that I had killed her parents who had loved her unconditionally, who after their death, her life turned into a living hell.

And it was all because of me.

I had destroyed her life.

And I didn't know how to fix it.

How could I tell her?

How could I look at her and tell her that her parents had died because of me? How could I tell her that it was all my fault? How could I tell her that the pain and agony she had been suffering from had all started with me? I had broken her.

My monster had killed them and broke her.

And she had no idea.

How would she ever forgive me?

She looked so peaceful in my arms, her body was soft, and her skin was smooth. She was like the sun, shining brightly and lighting up the darkest corners of my life. She was an angel, a bright light, a ray of hope, a gift from the moon goddess herself.

But, I was the shadow, the darkness, the cold, the fear. She didn't know that she was the one holding the tiny thread of my sanity, the one who had brought warmth and happiness into my life, the one who had changed my entire being and could also destroy it in a second. She didn't know just how much power she had over me, how much I craved her, how much I needed her.

I was her protector, her lover, her mate, her forever.

She had no idea.

How could two opposites attract? How could a monster and an angel end up together?

I didn't know, but all I knew was that she was mine, and I would do anything to keep her.

I would burn the world down, I would destroy everything, and I would kill anyone who would dare try to take her away from me. The moment I saw her, the moment my eyes landed on her, the moment I had touched her, the moment my lips had tasted her, I knew that she was it. She was the one. The only one. And nothing would change that.

The moment I had marked her, the feeling was indescribable. It was like a surge of power flowing through my veins. It was intoxicating, addictive, and I was high on it. The way her body reacted to mine, the way she came apart for me, the way she was moaning my name, it was everything.

It was paradise.

It was heaven.

It was home.

I had been alive for over five hundred years, and I had never experienced anything like it. The way she made me feel, the way her body reacted to mine, the way she submitted to me, it was everything. She was the best thing that had ever happened to me. And no matter what happens, no matter how bad things get, no matter how dark things are, I will always fight for her.

I felt her stir next to me, her body was warm, her scent was sweet, and her hair was messy. She was gorgeous.

I pulled her closer to me, wrapping my arms around her. I kissed her cheek softly as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Good morning, love."

She smiled and nuzzled her head in the crook of my neck. "Good morning."

I chuckled and kissed her head. "How did you sleep?"

"Amazing."

"I'm glad."

She sighed and closed her eyes, snuggling closer to me. We stayed in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company.

"Hey, love?"

"Hmm?"

"I have to ask you something."

She opened her eyes and looked at me, her expression confused.

"What is it?"

"Last night, when Dane came to you. What did he do to you?"

She looked conflicted, trying to decide if she should tell me or not. Now that I've marked her, I could feel every emotion that she was feeling, and right now, she was a mix of confusion, fear, anxiety, and pain.

"Baby, please. Tell me. You can trust me. I won't let him hurt you anymore."

"I...He just said a lot of things, and they were hurtful. But they were just words, so it's fine."

"What did he say?"

She bit her lip and looked away, clearly uncomfortable. This was a man who had tortured and maltreated her for years. The only thing holding me back from killing him was because of the war that would unfold of I did so, and I wanted Jade to live a life without fear.

"You can tell me, love."

"He just threatened me, okay? He said that being with you is so much worse than whatever I went through with him, and soon I was going to regret my decision. And then he called you a monster. A demon. That's it."

My blood was boiling, and the need to tear his throat out was getting stronger.

"Don't worry, love. You won't have to deal with him anymore. I won't let him hurt you."

"It's not just him, Markov. It's everyone. The entire pack. They're all whispering about us, saying things, and I don't understand any of it. I don't understand what's happening."

"Don't worry, love. You'll know soon. I promise."

I kissed her head, and she relaxed in my arms. I had a lot of things to figure out.

First, I needed to make sure that the alliance with the North East Pack was strong, and they won't go behind our backs. Second, I had to make sure that the South West Pack won't attack the North West Pack. And lastly, I needed to deal with Alpha Dane.

My hands tightened on her waist, and I could feel the rage boiling inside me. He had hurt her, tortured her, and it was taking everything in me not to kill him.

"Don't think about him."

She took my hand in hers and laced our fingers together. Her touch was calming, soothing, and I could feel my anger dissipate.

As much as I wanted to lay in bed with her all day, I had things to do.

"As much as I would love to stay here and enjoy your company for the rest of the day, I have things to do. And it's going to be a very busy day."

I got off the bed, fully naked and even with my back to her, I could feel her eyes burning holes into my ass. I smirked and walked to the bathroom.