Chapter 41 The Mark That Binds
Maddie Pov
Calix kissed me like he was drowning and I was air. Like he'd been underwater for months and finally broke the surface. His mouth moved against mine with desperate hunger. His hands were everywhere at once. In my hair. On my waist. Sliding up my back. Pulling me closer. Always closer.
I grabbed his face and kissed him back just as hard. I poured everything I'd been feeling into that kiss. All the want. All the need. All the loneliness. All the pain. Everything.
He made a sound low in his throat. Part growl. Part moan. His wolf was right there under the surface.
"Maddie," he said against my mouth. My name came out rough. "Are you sure? Really sure?"
"Yes," I said. Pulled his face back to mine. "Stop asking. Stop thinking. Just feel."
That broke something in him. The last bit of control he was holding onto snapped. His hands moved to my thighs. Gripped tight. Then he lifted me up like I weighed nothing. My legs wrapped around his waist automatically. My arms went around his neck.
He carried me away from the wall. Through my small dorm room. Past my desk. Past my dresser. Straight to my bed.
The party music was still thumping faintly from across campus but I barely heard it. All I could hear was our breathing. Our heartbeats.
My back hit the mattress. He came down on top of me. His weight pressed me into the bed. Made me feel small. Safe. Wanted.
His mouth found mine again. Kissed me until I couldn't breathe. Until I forgot my own name.
His hands found the hem of my shirt. Pulled it up. Over my head. Tossed it somewhere. I didn't care where. I didn't care about anything except his skin against mine.
I pulled at his jeans. Fumbled with the button. My hands were shaking. From the alcohol. From the need. From everything. He helped me. Kicked them off. They hit the floor with his shirt.
Now there was nothing between us except thin fabric.
"You're so beautiful," Calix said. His voice was hoarse. His eyes were pure gold now. His wolf completely in control. "So perfect. So mine."
"Yours," I agreed. "Always yours."
His mouth moved from my lips to my jaw. Down my neck. Kissing. Biting. Marking a path with his teeth and tongue. Each touch sent fire through my veins. Made me arch into him.
The rest of our clothes disappeared. I wasn't sure how. Just knew suddenly there was nothing between us. Just skin on skin. Heat on heat.
This was really happening. We were really doing this. No more running. No more hiding. Just us. Together. Finally.
He moved above me. His breathing was ragged. His muscles trembled with the effort of holding back.
"Don't hold back," I said. Pulled his face down to mine. "I won't break. Just love me. Please."
"I do love you," Calix said. The words came out broken. "I love you so much it's killing me. I love you even though I shouldn't. I love you even though it's dangerous. I love you anyway."
"Then show me," I said. "Show me how much."
His body moved against mine. His hands roamed everywhere, touching me like he couldn't get enough. His mouth found my breasts, his tongue circling my nipples until I was gasping. His fingers slid between my legs, finding me wet and ready. He stroked me there, his touch making my hips lift off the bed.
"I need you," I breathed, my hands pulling at his shoulders.
He positioned himself between my legs and pushed inside me slowly. I gasped at the feeling of being filled by him. He paused, letting me adjust, then began to move. His thrusts started slow and deep, then grew faster, more desperate. The sound of our bodies meeting filled the room, mixed with our moans.
His hand slid between us again, his thumb finding the sensitive spot that made me cry out. He rubbed in circles as he moved inside me, pushing me higher and higher until pleasure washed over me in waves. My body tightened around his as I cried his name.
His movements became wilder, less controlled. His wolf was taking over.
"Maddie," he said. My name was a warning. "My wolf wants to mark you. Wants to claim you permanently. I can't stop him much longer."
"Then don't stop him," I said. "Mark me. Claim me. Make me yours forever."
"You don't understand," Calix said. "The mark is permanent. Once I do this we're bonded for life. You'll be tied to me."
"I don't care," I said. "I want to be tied to you. I want the mark. I want everything."
His wolf surged forward. His eyes blazed gold. His teeth lengthened into fangs. I should have been scared. But I wasn't. I trusted him.
His mouth moved to my neck. To the spot right where my shoulder met my throat.
"Last chance," Calix said against my skin. "Last chance to say no."
"Yes," I said instead. "Always yes."
His teeth sank into my neck. Sharp. Painful. Perfect. I cried out. The pain was intense but underneath it was something else. Something that felt right. That felt complete. That felt like coming home. As he bit me, he thrust deep inside me one last time, his body shuddering as he found his own release.
The bond exploded between us. Bright. Hot. Overwhelming. I could feel him inside my head. Could feel his emotions mixing with mine. Could feel everything he felt. The love. The fear. The desperate need. The guilt. Everything.
His wolf was satisfied. I could feel that too. Could feel the contentment radiating from him.
Calix pulled back. His teeth left my neck. Blood trickled down my shoulder. He licked it gently. Sealing the wound. Making the mark permanent.
"You're mine now," he said. His voice was thick with emotion. "Forever mine. No one can take you from me. No one can have you. You belong to me."
"And you belong to me," I said. Touched the mark on my neck. It was raw. Swollen. Throbbing. But it felt right. "Forever."