Chapter 48: Marked

Harlow

After we pulled up to Cyrus’s house on his bike, he picked me up and carried me inside. It made me think of the first time he’d done that before we’d made love. Turning on the living room lamp, he sat me down on the couch and planted a kiss on my lips.

“Wait here a minute,” he whispered, and he headed into the bedroom.

I was becoming nervous. I’d have been lying if I said I wasn’t, but I was also excited for what was to come. I would be like Cyrus and the rest of the pack members soon. If everything went right… It had to. Cyrus was going to be my mate, and it felt impossible that our love couldn’t withstand my first shift. It made me feel invincible.

Regardless of how sure I felt, my knees were shaking. I placed my hand on my neck, where my mating mark would be.

“Oh, God,” I muttered. My pulse quickened, and I tried to force myself to keep my breathing steady. My mating mark… This was really happening.

Then I felt Cyrus’s familiar touch on my arm, and it had an immediate calming effect on my whole body. I looked over my shoulder and melted at the sight of his warm, comforting smile.

“Ok?” he asked. I nodded as I stood up and walked around the couch. Then he enveloped me in his arms. “If you change your mind, it’s alright,” he whispered.

“No,” I said, looking up into his brown eyes. “This is what I want.”

He took me by the hand and led me to the bedroom. When we stepped in, I saw that he’d lit candles all over the room. The tiny flames flickered, casting a warm glow on the bed.

“I love you, Harlow,” he said in my ear. Still, I detected a hint of worry in his voice.

“I love you, too. It’s gonna work,” I said with confidence.

Bonnie

I was locking up the bar when Blayze approached. It was nearly sun-up, and I had been celebrating most of the night, at least as much as I could just drinking water. I was exhausted.

“I heard Harlow had her patch in,” Blayze said.

“Yeah,” I said with a tired smile.

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds. I wanted so much to tell him everything. About the pregnancy and how I really felt about him, but I had no idea how to start. After seeing those other women at his place, I was hurt, but I knew I had no right to feel that way. I’d been the one to send him packing. This time, it had been MY pride that divided us.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Blayze continued. “Thought I’d come see if you were still up.”

“I was just about to head home,” I said.

“Mind if I walk with you?”

I was a little taken aback at the request, but it made me happy he’d asked.

“Sure.”

We began walking down toward my trailer. My head was swimming with all I wanted to say, but I couldn’t figure out how to start without just blurting it out.

“I’m sorry about the other morning,” Blayze said. “When you came to my place. Those girls… Every girl who’s not you is just a distraction.”

My heart skipped a beat at hearing it, but of course, he had to ruin everything and kept talking.

“I’m not saying I owe you any sort of excuse,” he continued. “I didn’t break any promises or go behind your back. I mean, it was you that told me you didn’t wanna get back together. You didn’t seem to have any problem sleeping with me, but then you got all high and mighty later on. It’s confusing, ya know? So I really don’t know what you got all butthurt about when you came over totally uninvited—”

“Shut up,” I interrupted and stopped his mouth with a kiss.

When I pulled back, he went right back into his rant. “See, that’s the kinda sh*t I’m talking about! You play these head games with me, Bonnie, and I don’t know which way is up!”

“I’m pregnant,” I finally blurted out.

“I don’t give a sh*t if you’re—” Blayze stopped talking for a second when he realized what I said. “You’re...what?”

“I’m pregnant,” I repeated. “I’m pregnant, and I love you, too.”

“Well… I didn’t say I LOVED you.” Blayze was trying and failing to play it cool.

“But you do,” I said matter-of-factly.

“I…” His face softened, and he reached for my hand, entwining his fingers with mine. “Yeah, I do. I never stopped.”

“Ok, then. Maybe I was too quick to say we couldn’t figure something out after all. Do you still wanna be with me?” I asked hesitantly.

Blayze maintained a stupid look on his face for a few seconds before he finally said, “Wait. Go back. You’re PREGNANT?”

I let out a sigh. “You’re lucky you’re sexy, cuz you’re dumb as a f*cking rock sometimes, you know that?”

Harlow

Cyrus bent down and placed a passionate kiss on my lips as I ran my hands through his hair. He began to undress me, first pulling off my cut and my shirt, placing light kisses on each of my bare shoulders as he unhooked my bra. Then, he picked me up and carried me to the bed, laying me down gently. I let him take charge. He pulled off my boots and shimmied my jeans down and off my legs. Finally, he slid my panties down before ridding himself of his clothes.

“Will the mark hurt?” I asked in a barely audible whisper.

He nodded. “But it’s supposed to feel good, too,” he said.

I reached up to Cyrus’s torso, running my hands over his solid chest and abs. He climbed on top of me as I spread my legs to welcome him in, and he kissed my breasts as he settled his hips between my legs.

I felt his hardness against me, but he paused, looking toward the bedside table. I followed his gaze to the top drawer, where he kept the condoms.

“Should I wear one?” he asked.

“No,” I replied. “I wanna feel all of you.”

He then trailed his softly down my throat and collar bone, and he reached down and used the tip of his manhood to massage me. I let out small breaths as he went over just the right spot and felt myself become wet.

“I’m ready,” I whispered.

Meeting my eyes again, he tenderly placed his hands on either side of my face as he entered me.

“Mmm,” I purred as my body took in his length. I used my legs to pull him deeper, and we began to move together. I grasped his shoulders and trailed light kisses up and down his neck while he made love to me. It was slow and sultry, and I savored every second.

After a while, I used my hips to quicken the pace. He accommodated my rhythm, and soon, I was nearing my peak. He could tell that I was close, so Cyrus rolled us over so that I was on top, and he sat up to face me. I began riding him, my oncoming climax rising within me.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said breathlessly.

Cyrus brushed my hair to one side and brought his mouth to my neck. I felt his tongue lightly glide over the spot he would mark as my body began pulsating with the first waves of my orgasm. He allowed his teeth to shift, and they grazed my skin before lingering for a moment.

“Do it,” I panted as my sweet release took hold. I felt Cyrus quicken his upward thrusts as he reached his own peak, and finally, he sank his teeth in. I let out a moan when a new white-hot surge of pain and ecstasy ran from my neck all the way down to my core. I cried out as wave after wave of euphoria flooded my senses. It was the most exquisite sensation I’d ever felt.

When we slowed to a stop, Cyrus retracted his teeth. The mating mark throbbed, but the ache was somehow heavenly. There are no words to truly convey what I felt. I can only describe it as an intense and blissful high.

When I brought my shaky hand to my neck, the wound was hot to the touch, and the heat continued to spread. Overcome with searing pleasure, I couldn’t sit up on my own anymore, so Cyrus cradled me in his arms and gently placed me on the bed.

Cyrus lay down next to me and held me tight. A tear rolled down my cheek as more waves of euphoric heat surged through my body. I bore Cyrus’s mating mark, and my first shift had begun.