Chapter 86
Raven’s POV
I open my eyes to warmth, not just the blanket or the evening sunlight filtering through the window , but him. Caleb’s body is pressed against mine, his arms still wound protectively around my waist as though I might vanish if he lets go. His scent surrounds me, a mix of pine, smoke, and something uniquely him that makes my chest ache.
For a moment, I don’t move. I just listen to his heartbeat steady, grounding, hypnotic. The mark on my neck throbs softly, pulsing in rhythm with his. Our bond hums like an invisible thread, tying us together in every possible way.
I can feel him now his emotions, his warmth, his love all blending into mine. It’s overwhelming… and beautiful.
I tilt my head slightly, my eyes finding his face in the soft morning light. His jawline is strong and shadowed, his lashes dark and heavy over closed eyes. He looks younger, almost peaceful, like the weight of the world has finally been lifted off him.
I brush a strand of hair off his forehead, my fingers tracing the faint mark where I bit him last night. My chest tightens. I did this, we did this.
We’re bound now.
But as the rush of emotion fades, a sharp flicker of fear replaces it. The full moon.
That’s why I felt him so strongly last night. That’s why our bond burned brighter than I’d ever imagined. But when the moon fades, what if it all changes? What if my heart turns cold again, pulled back toward Raphael?
The thought makes me shiver. I don’t want that. I don’t want Raphael’s darkness, his manipulation, his half-truths that twist my mind. But I can’t deny the strange pull he still has on me, the way his voice echoes in my head, soft and persuasive, promising vengeance, power, clarity.
I bite my lip, glancing at Caleb’s sleeping form again. He doesn’t deserve any of this. Not my confusion. Not my past. Not the storm that follows me everywhere I go.
Yet… he holds me tighter even in sleep, as though he senses my fear. His hand slides across my stomach, fingers brushing my skin. A spark flares where he touches me, my body remembering every single thing we did last night — every thrust, every kiss, every whispered I love you.
I turn slightly, pressing my forehead to his chest, breathing him in deeply.
I can’t lose this. I can’t lose him.
Maybe that’s why the words tumble out of me before I can stop them.
“Caleb,” I whisper, my voice trembling.
He stirs, his eyes opening slowly, hazel and golden in the morning light. “Hmm?” His voice is husky, sleep-heavy and warm.
“I need you to mark me,” I say softly, almost afraid of the sound of my own words.
He blinks, confused. “Raven, we already...”
“No.” I shake my head, sitting up a little. “Not just that. I need you to mark me again. Make it stronger. Make it permanent. I’m afraid that when the full moon sets, everything I feel right now might fade… that I’ll start craving Raphael again.” My throat tightens. “I can’t let that happen.”
Caleb sits up, pulling me gently into his lap. His expression is unreadable for a moment torn between love, shock, and a pain he’s trying to hide.
“You won’t lose me,” he says firmly, his hand cupping my cheek. “No bond, no moon, no power in this world can erase what we have, Raven.”
“But you don’t understand,” I whisper. “I was made to belong to him. My parents… Raphael… they wanted me bound to darkness. They trained me to destroy everything, If that bond returns… I don't know what I'll be able to do. I can’t be a bad person Caleb, I can't... ” I trail off, my voice breaking.
He presses a finger to my lips, silencing me. “Then I’ll fight it,” he says simply. “I’ll fight it every damn day if I have to. You’re not theirs anymore. You’re mine, and I’m yours.”
The conviction in his tone steals my breath. He leans in, his forehead resting against mine, his thumb tracing the outline of my lips.
“I’ll mark you again,” he murmurs. “Not out of fear, but because I want the world to know you’re mine.”
A shiver runs through me, part fear, part desire. My heart thunders as he lowers his head, his lips finding the curve of my neck, right over the mark that already binds us. His breath is warm, his lips soft, reverent.
He kisses the spot once, twice then his fangs graze the skin, sending electricity racing through me. When he bites down again, it’s not pain I feel it’s fire, light, and belonging. The mark burns, then settles, glowing faintly before fading into my skin.
I clutch his shoulders, trembling as the bond deepens, twining tighter between us. Our hearts sync once more slower now, steadier, eternal. When it’s done, he pulls back slightly, his eyes glowing with warmth. “Now you can’t ever doubt it,” he whispers.
I smile weakly, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. “Thank you, Caleb.”
He kisses me softly, a lingering press of lips that promises safety and forever. But deep inside, behind the warmth of the bond, something still stirs, a flicker of unease, of another voice whispering my name from the shadows.
Raphael, even bound to Caleb, I can almost hear him patient, waiting, as if he already knows the storm isn’t over yet. I can also feel his rage, I left, and I'm sure they'll be consequences but they will be worth it. My heart belongs to Caleb, I know it, I can feel it deep inside me. I'm going to fight this darkness, I won't let it consume me, and if it does, I'll have to end everything, I'll have to end my life.