Marking her again

Marking her again
The castle bathing chamber was more than I expected. It was big, antique-looking, and utterly decadent. The walls soared high above us and it was etched with faded carvings of bats, cats, stars, and symbols I didn’t recognize. 

Heavy black, silk curtains veiled the tall, arched windows and they filtered the sunlight in soft stripes across the floor.

My mouth widened slightly when I saw the bathtub. It was large and carved from maquina marble. This wasn't just any regular tub; it was more of a pool than a bathtub. The steam curling from the surface made it look like the water was boiling.

This bathing chamber was so warm compared to any part of the estate and I ached to soak in. 

The artificial red lights mixed with golden ones up in a rectangular pattern from above were the same as those in the penthouse. They illuminated the room even though the black curtains were drawn.

I could smell faint smells of herbs—rosemary, lavender, and something like roses but I couldn’t see the petals on the body of water across me.

I walked slowly towards it, trying my best not to think I would have to be naked to bathe and Vale wanted to join in. 

I gasped when he appeared before I could reach the tub. I let out a slow breath, my heart hammering against my ribs. 

“Second thoughts?” he asked, his voice rich with amusement and raw desire.

I should’ve said yes, but I was obsessed with the way he was looking at me; smug, dangerous, and inviting. It was nearly impossible to think with my brain in his overwhelming presence.

I hated that he could do that to me. Believe me when I say he was the only one who could get under my skin with nothing but a crooked smile and a few well-placed words.
And worse… Syndra kept threatening to take over. She was desperate to feel him more than I dared to admit.

He began to remove his coat that I had on, and then the mini, sexy dress underneath it.

Panic twisted in my stomach as his clothes also hit the floor one by one. His eyes never left me. The way he was staring at me was making me nervous and excited at the same time. 

This was the point I had to think with my brain and not with the throbbing, ache in my clit or let Syndra take over. 

Did I really want to let go and give in now? After everything he made me go through?
And then I saw it.
His cock. 
I gasped softly at the sheer sight. It was thick, long, veiny and so hard. I could see it straining, pulsing with need.
Shit.

Nyx, you could lie to yourself all you want, but this was never going to be just a bath. 

I told myself frankly because deep down, I knew the moment I stepped into that tub with him, I’d lose every bit of control I’d fought so hard to keep.

I didn't overthink it. My hand shot out and I snatched the coat he had just removed from my body.
His brows arched, amused, as I clutched it to my chest.
I didn't let him say a word before I bolted. The sound of his low, rumbling laugh chased me down the hall as I raced out of the bathing chamber with his black faux coat wrapped around my nakedness.
“Run, little killer,” his voice echoed behind me, deep and taunting. “But you’re only making it more fun when I catch you.”
I didn’t stop running. I couldn’t. Because if he caught me now, I wasn’t sure I’d say no.
I bolted out of the gothic castle, my heart racing furiously as the coat flared wildly in the gust.

Keep resisting. But you’re only making him chase… and I love the chase.

Syndra's voice slipped through my head, sharp teasing and thick with wicked satisfaction.

Let me out, Nyx. You know I’ll make this easier for both of us. He’ll fall to his knees.

Shut up, Syndra. I’m not some puppet you can possess whenever you get bored.

I was on my way to the penthouse, but I knew he could easily come there and fuck me if that was what he wanted, and I would have nowhere to run to.  

It was impossible to overlook the raw, desperate hunger blazing in his eyes. The sheer thought that he yearned for me with such ferocity sent a tremor through my entire body.

I ached just as fiercely for his lips to claim mine once more yet beneath that longing simmered a storm of fear and suffocating guilt.

Would surrendering to him be a betrayal of my family and the Order? Of course, it would be. 

A hot tear burned at the corner of my eye but I stubbornly swallowed it down. I felt disgusted by the fragile, weak woman I was becoming.

Despite everything, I could already see myself beneath him, breathless, trembling, and my nails raking across his back as he fucked me over and over again. 

Well, that is if he kept tempting me with food that tastes like heaven, and the maddening, unfamiliar tenderness he was finally showing me.

Maybe it was the bare minimum. Maybe I should expect more. But coming from Vale Orun Nömad… it felt like the world.

I should never allow him to have this kind of hold over me. I shouldn’t even entertain the thought of signing that damned BDSM contract. I knew it was only a matter of time before he shoved it in front of me, but here I was contemplating.

This couldn't be love. This was madness.

I couldn't believe I was desperately searching for any shred of justification. No pathetic excuse could ever silence my conscience if I became his submissive.

I hadn't become his Blood Slave, right?

Would he kill Hawke if he drank my blood again?

I pulled the coat tighter around me and quickly shook off that thought. I would never allow him to hurt Hawke or Armen. Not anymore. 

I wouldn’t let him use them to manipulate either. 

I had to get away from this hellish estate and cut ties with all of these damned vampires completely, and prioritize getting my Vespera dagger back. 

Or I’d lose every shred of control I had left.

Syndra’s laughter jerked through me.

You think you have control? I’m coiled in every drop of your blood. And I want him. You can’t cage me forever. 

I was about to tell her “fuck you and fuck Vale” when I saw it —the black cat.

It sat perfectly still on the stone path like it had been waiting hours for me. Its fur was lustrous black and so beautiful I yearned to move closer and rub it. But those electric blue eyes, they were so familiar. Like Hawke’s. 

One blink. One stolen breath. The cat's outline began to shift. Its bones stretched and before I could even process what the hell was happening, Hawke stood there. Glaring at me.

He was fully clothed, his boots planted firmly on the stone path, and his broad chest rising and falling like he'd just run miles or like he was trying real hard not to lose his shit right here, right now.

H—How? Wait. A Damn Minute. 

He could shift into a cat? 

“What the—” My mouth remained open in shock until his gaze drifted to my bitten neck.

I stiffened the moment his voice reached my ears. “He marked you.”

It wasn’t a question. He could obviously see Vale’s mark on my neck. 

I stared at him, wide-eyed as my heart crashed against my ribs. I didn’t move. Couldn't move even if I wanted to. 

“I wasn't aware you could shift,” I said, slowly coming to terms with reality. He could shapeshift, Vale could control fire, and Armen could teleport. It all seemed utterly impossible. If I hadn't witnessed it with my own eyes, I'd never believe vampires were capable of such things.

“Did I lose that memory too? Or was this the first time you’ve ever shifted in front of me?” 

Hawke didn't respond to my curious question. He knew I was trying to change the conversation and he wasn't having it. 

“You never mentioned that you could shift into anything. I didn’t even know vampires could do that.” I snapped and the coat slipped a little from my shoulders.

I clutched it tighter, my pulse racing.

He stepped closer and my breath caught in my throat. “Hawke, I-” I wanted to say I’m sorry but the words wouldn't come. 

I was still trying to glue my thoughts together, but they were scattered all over the place, tripping over the image of fur turning to flesh, and everything that had happened in the last few hours. 

He was standing only an inch from me now. 

“Say it.” His voice was deep and rough, breaking at the edges. “Tell me you let Vale fucking marked you.

I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a gasp. “I didn't —” The words I was about to say died on my tongue when I saw his furious and disappointed expression. 

I blinked back the tears burning my eyes and stumbled a step away. “You wouldn't believe a word I say anyway.”

Hawke moved too fast and closed the distance like it never existed at all. He uttered coldly, “I believe you. He might think you belong to him now that he has marked you, but you’ve always been mine and you always will be.”

I wanted to tell him I belonged to no one, no matter the marks they left on me but his cold hand clamped firmly around the back of my neck, and my body froze beneath his touch. 

I barely managed a breath before his fangs pierced the same place Vale had bitten. 

“Ah!” A sharp cry tore from my throat, but it dissolved into overwhelming, dizzying pleasure almost instantly.

It felt like every ounce of craving I had been foolishly keeping caged had finally overflowed, drowning me in it and stealing the strength from my body.

My vision blurred and my limbs turned weak and useless as the ground seemed to sway beneath me. 

I opened my mouth to speak, to protest, to say something but no words came. The air slipped from my lungs, and the edges of my world bled into black. 

The last thing I felt was his hand tightening at the back of my neck as I slipped into his arms.