Chapter 245: The Glowing Mark

His large, calloused fingers gripped the silver laces at the top of my bodice. The thick leather cords pulled taut, groaning softly in the quiet darkness of the bedchamber. He did not rush. Every movement was a slow, measured promise.

The heavy, stiff fabric of the royal gown loosened, slipping slowly off my shoulders and pooling around my waist. The cool air of the large room hit my heated skin, making me shiver violently. I stood frozen, my breath catching in my throat as Wex stared down at my bare collarbone.

"Lift your arms," Wex commanded, his rough voice a low rumble that vibrated through the floorboards.

I obeyed, raising my hands. He gripped the heavy fabric of the gown and pulled it down my hips. The silver threads caught the flickering orange firelight as the dress fell completely to the floor, leaving me standing in only my thin, white undergarments.

Wex grabbed my waist. His thumbs pressed deeply into the soft skin of my stomach, his grip firm and unyielding. He lifted me effortlessly, carrying me the last few feet to the center of the room. He set me down onto the massive mattress. The thick silk sheets were cool and smooth against my bare back, a sharp, shocking contrast to the burning heat radiating from his large frame.

He reached down, grabbing the hem of his dark leather tunic. He pulled it over his head and threw it carelessly onto the floor.

I looked up at his broad chest. The thick, twisting scars of his past battles were highlighted by the glowing embers in the hearth. The new, flawless skin on his right arm looked stark against the older marks of his survival. I reached out, pressing my trembling palms flat against his warm chest. I felt the heavy, rapid thud of his heart beneath my fingers.

Through the golden tether, I felt the exact moment my touch sent a jolt of electricity straight down his spine.

"You are shaking," he rasped, leaning over me.

"I am not afraid," I answered, looking up into his burning golden eyes.

"I know," Wex said, his gaze darkening into a deep, dangerous amber. "I can feel it. I feel everything you are holding back, Eddena."

He crawled over me, pinning my legs beneath his heavy thighs. He braced his weight on his forearms, trapping me entirely in his shadow. The raw dominance in his posture made my pulse hammer wildly against my throat. For a woman who had just commanded kings to kneel, the complete surrender I felt beneath him was a profound relief. I did not have to lead. I did not have to hold the sky up. I just had to let him take it.

He lowered his head, pressing his rough lips against the pulse point on my neck. I tilted my head back, offering him everything.

Wex dragged his mouth along my jawline, his teeth scraping gently against my sensitive skin. The sharp, brief friction sent a rush of liquid heat pooling low in my stomach. Through the bond, I felt his answering groan before the sound even left his throat. We were caught in a constant, echoing loop of intense desire. Every time he touched me, I felt my own pleasure, and I felt his deep, roaring satisfaction in causing it.

His large hands mapped every inch of my body, firm and demanding. There was no hesitation. He stripped away the last of my white undergarments, tossing them off the edge of the mattress. I was completely bare in the firelight, exposed to the intense, predatory focus of his gaze.

He reached down and unbuckled his heavy belt. The metal clinked loudly in the quiet room as he discarded his remaining clothes.

"Look at me," he growled softly, pushing my knees apart with his hands.

I opened my eyes, meeting his fierce stare. The firelight danced in his golden irises, reflecting the wild, untamed nature of the Lycan Alpha.

"You wear the crown," Wex whispered, his hot breath fanning across my damp skin. "You rule the earth. But right now, you are just my wife."

He pressed forward, claiming me entirely.

A sharp, tearing gasp ripped from my throat. The physical connection was intense, a sudden, blinding flash of heat that arched my spine off the mattress. But the magical connection was a thousand times stronger.

"Mine," Wex chanted, his voice breaking as he buried his face in my dark hair. "Every single inch of you."

"Yours," I sobbed, the word slipping out between ragged breaths. I tasted the salt of my own tears and the sweet, lingering smoke clinging to his skin.

"You are my world," he praised, his hands sliding down to grip my hips, holding me firmly against the mattress to take the full force of his movements. "You are my god."

"Wex," I begged, tossing my head against the pillows.

"I have you," he promised, his pace quickening, turning frantic and raw. "Let it go, my Queen. Give it to me."

I shattered.

A second later, Wex groaned, a deep, guttural roar that shook his entire chest. He followed me over the edge, pouring his own climax into me with a desperate, heavy finality. He collapsed against my body, his heavy weight pressing me deep into the soft mattress.

We lay tangled together in the dark. The only sounds in the room were the crackling logs in the hearth and our own harsh, ragged breathing. My heart hammered against my ribs, slowly matching the calming rhythm of his pulse through the golden tether.

I slid my hand up, tangling my fingers in his damp, dark hair. I felt completely safe. The shadows of my past, the terrifying weight of the throne, and the long, bloody war were miles away. I was finally anchored.

Wex shifted his weight, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at me. His handsome face was relaxed, the fierce predator replaced by the deeply devoted man who had died for me. He smiled, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss directly over the crescent moon birthmark on my collarbone.

The moment his lips touched the mark, the safety shattered.

A sharp, agonizing spike of pure, freezing energy erupted from the center of my magical core.

I gasped, my eyes flying open.

The crescent moon birthmark on my skin ignited. It did not glow with a warm, gentle silver. It burned with a blinding, searing white light that illuminated the entire bedchamber, casting stark, terrifying shadows against the stone walls.

"Eddena!" Wex shouted, recoiling violently as the sheer force of the magic threw him backward onto the mattress.

I could not answer him. My vocal cords seized. The golden Sovereign Bond in my chest was suddenly eclipsed by an ancient, roaring power that had been buried deep inside my blood. The light pouring from my collarbone burned hotter than the sun, scorching my vision.