Chapter 84 - A Bloody Mark

Chapter 84 - A Bloody Mark
The morning sun entered shyly through the window, illuminating the bedroom where Cassie was still sleeping. Her body was nestled against Mason’s chest; he was breathing slowly, but even in sleep, he had a firm arm around her waist.

When she stirred, an uncomfortable heat ran across her skin. A shiver made her raise her hand and touch the base of her neck, where the fabric of the beta’s large shirt no longer covered. Her touch found the bite, damp, still bleeding a little, the grooves of Mason’s teeth etched into her skin.

She opened her eyes, startled. Her heart raced. The stinging was intense, as if burning. Cassie closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to process the mix of shock, excitement, and apprehension.

She carefully moved his arm and jumped out of bed toward the bathroom. She was scared; this couldn’t be what she was thinking. She moved her hair aside and stared at her reflection in the mirror in dismay.

It was a mark, large and red, still damp and showing no sign of healing anytime soon. She could clearly see the irregular pattern of Mason’s teeth etched into her skin, showing how impulsive it had been.

Cassie sighed, clutching the sides of the sink. She had denied this to Hendrick because it wasn’t the right time; how could she do this now? They would surely have problems.

She heard movement in the bedroom, and Mason appeared in her field of vision completely naked and relaxed, with a lazy gait and a satisfied smile on his face.

This infuriated her; how could he be relaxed after what he did? He couldn’t be so shameless.

“Mason...” she murmured. Her voice came out low, almost choked with anger. “Did you mark me?”

The beta’s brown eyes were fixed on hers, immediately noticing the look of tension. He didn’t hide the contained pride in his expression, but also the understanding that he had gone too far.

“I did. It’s a beautiful bite,” Mason said, his voice husky, pulling her slightly closer and kissing her shoulder.

Cassie felt the heat rise in her cheeks and a shiver run down her spine. “You couldn’t have done that without asking me. What about Hendrick? What is he going to say?”

“I know I might have crossed a line, but I don’t regret it. You are mine, Cassie. And I would do it again... better yet, I will do it again.”

His honesty was both disturbing and fascinating. Her eyes widened, and the brunette turned in his arms to face his determinedly glowing green irises. “How? Again?”

Mason sighed and nodded, resigned. “I was impulsive; I bit on instinct. You held me so well, and I lost my mind, okay? I don’t know if the bite was good enough, so let’s wait for it to heal to see if it will stick.”

“You’re not sorry?” she asked, cautious, almost trying to measure her own words.

“Regret would be if I wanted to go back,” Mason admitted, his hand firm on her waist. “I didn’t want to cross any line, doing this without your authorization, but... I don’t regret it.”

She took a deep breath, absorbing the intensity of his words. His touch transmitted something primitive and undeniable. The mark throbbed, but the feeling of possession and protection was even stronger.

It was as if waves of calming sensations emanated from him, creating a connection between them.

“You know this affects Hendrick...” Cassie whispered, remembering the alpha, her partner, and the risk of tension in the pack. “He’s going to freak out if he finds out...”

Ah, he already knew. Mason had heard Hendrick’s tone very clearly last night and was surprised the alpha hadn’t invaded the house to demand satisfaction yet.

However, this was a behavior more typical of Kent than St. John. Hendrick was rarely impulsive; he would wait for the right moment.

Mason raised an eyebrow, challenging. “Let him freak out, I’ll deal with him. I’m not apologizing for feeling what I feel.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the weight of reality. There was a physical and mental bond that now existed between them, reinforced by the bite.

The beta could feel her stronger emotions through the mark; his scent covered hers, surrounding her.

“So... what do we do now?” Cassie asked, her voice low, hesitant. “This can’t go unnoticed...”

“I won’t hide,” Mason replied firmly. “We will be linked until the mark heals. And if Hendrick, or anyone, questions it... I’ll face it.”

Cassie felt a knot in her stomach. The morning promised tension, but also clarity: Mason wasn’t just an impulsive man. He was someone who took responsibility for his actions, even if it meant confrontation with the pack alpha.

She sighed and settled better against his chest, accepting the warmth, the possession, and the intensity of the moment. She knew breakfast wouldn’t be peaceful, but at least she was emotionally prepared. The bite still stung, reminding her of what had happened, but also of Mason’s power and presence.

“We’ll resolve this,” she murmured, looking at the shifter in front of her. “But... promise me you won’t cross the line with Hendrick.”

Mason smiled, bringing his face closer to hers, letting his warm breath touch her skin. “Promise?” he murmured, almost jokingly, but with serious eyes. “Only if you admit you liked this as much as I did.”

Cassie chuckled softly, a mix of nervousness and desire. “I... I think so.”

The beta just hugged her one more time, feeling her accelerated pulse against his chest. The bond was there, firm, and now there was no turning back.

Not even the smell of freshly baked bread could calm the spirits on that tense morning. Everyone proceeded normally to the alpha’s house for the first meal of the day. The cold wind blew, but the sun shone in the sky in defiance of the January winter.

When Cassie entered the kitchen door, she found Bart and Uriel preparing breakfast as usual. The older man gave her a sympathetic look, as if he understood the conflict she was feeling, and offered her a mug of coffee.

Bart looked at her with regret, not blaming her, but disappointed to search for her scent in the air only to find the beta’s.

Guided by the aroma, Hendrick appeared in the hallway just in time for Mason to cross the threshold of the house with his usual posture. The alpha, however, had eyes full of fury, red one moment, gray the next.

The man who had always exuded security, comfort, and affection, made it clear who he was: a beast who would not accept being challenged.

Cassie swallowed hard and feared. She didn’t want Hendrick to hate her; it hadn’t been easy for them to reach that point in their relationship, and watching everything fall apart was despairing.

She searched for the alpha’s eyes, but they were focused on his beta. Uriel grabbed her arm and pulled her close, wanting to take her out of the line of fire.

“You...” he roared, letting out an irritated snort, almost like a bull. “You crossed the line.”

Mason took a deep breath, maintaining his composure, not daring to take another step. “I didn’t intend to disrespect you, alpha.”

Hendrick narrowed his eyes, his canines showing in the ironic smile he opened. Something Cassie had never seen in him. “You didn’t? You insolent pup. We’ll settle this now.”

In a few steps, the leader grabbed Kent’s collar and pulled him out into the backyard, an open area that until then hosted the pack’s celebrations or meals, but at that moment would be the stage for a fight.

Cassie tensed her body and feared, clutching Uriel’s arm for comfort, her eyes shining with fear.

Bart rushed over, and soon all the others were under the covered gourmet area watching the beta and the alpha in the backyard. Kallias narrowed his eyes when he saw Cassie, unconsciously sniffing and letting out a low growl when he realized how faint her scent was.

His eyes, as blue as ice, rolled in Mason’s direction, and he realized that, although he wanted to, he didn’t have the right to act like Hendrick in that situation. Cassie wasn’t his; he wasn’t the alpha there.

He swallowed his jealousy, his contained anger, and ran into the forest, needing to clear his head. The brunette followed him with her gaze, worried; she didn’t want to hurt him.

“Don’t look so proud of what you did.” St. John’s voice demanded attention, shaking Mason as if he weighed nothing.

“I may have crossed the line, but look at her. How could I regret it? She is mine.”

Hendrick growled and threw him to the ground, making him fall awkwardly onto the dirt. “Yours? You disrespected not only your alpha but also marked my partner, Mason. Did you even ask her if you could do that? It was a violation.”

The beta’s confidence wavered for a moment as he looked at his partner, reading her emotions. “She...” He took a deep breath. “I was impulsive, but she wants me. And she wanted me yesterday; she wasn’t complaining when I bent her over the table.”

A blush spread across Cassie’s cheeks, heat and shivers running through her skin electrically. It was as if Mason induced a magnetic field between them, and she simply followed it.

Hendrick, on the other hand, was displeased. His wolf was in control and was quite disturbed. He lunged at Kent and delivered a punch, grabbing his shirt collar and pulling him closer.

“Watch how you speak, boy.”

Mason spat blood to the side and looked at the alpha with a side smile. “You know the feeling. She’s so tight and takes everything without complaining, asking for more... I lost my head. Right now, she can only think about it while watching us fight.” He laughed.

Mason’s brazenness, as he had always been focused and disciplined, surprised everyone. Hendrick had to restrain himself from hurting one of his own with his fury.

“Don’t make me regret letting you leave this unharmed; it’s more for her sake than yours. And don’t talk like that; at least be decent, honor the trust she gave you.”

He dropped his body onto the dirt and stood up, looking at Cassie, who was clearly frightened. “I’m not mad at you; it wasn’t your fault.”

Hendrick released his dominant alpha aura, making all the shifters take a step back, and the beta whimpered, lowering his head and offering his neck in submission.

“Don’t think you’ll get out of this without any punishment. Pray that this mark doesn’t set.”