Chapter 266: The Mating Bite
"Oh, stop it!" Suri laughed, her voice bubbling with warmth as Enzo’s hands brushed against her sides, tickling her until she squirmed.
Looking back, it felt strange how she had ever fought against the pull between them.
She had somehow found herself hopelessly, stubbornly stuck with this hardworking man, a man who refused to give up on her, no matter how sharp her tongue had been in the past.
She couldn't imagine walking away from him again.
She had completely forgiven him for the friction of their early days, promising herself she would help him manage the wild edge of his wolf. Over the past few weeks, their bond had only grown thicker and deeper, wrapping around her heart until she wanted nothing more in this world than to stay right by his side.
"I want to tell you something," she whispered, her expression shifting from playful to serious as she caught his attention.
Enzo paused, looking down at the woman who had unknowingly altered the entire trajectory of his life.
Even if she didn't realize it, her sharp words and fierce, unforgiving nature back then were what had driven him to work twice as hard. She had pushed him to rise from an ordinary pack guard announcer into the pack's food manager, a man capable of standing tall, earning respect, and properly taking care of his aging mother and young sister.
She might have seemed wicked to others in the past, but she had quietly shaped him into the man he was today, giving him more than she could ever imagine.
He felt a soft tap against his cheek, snapping him out of his reverie. He blinked, focusing back on her lovely face.
"What are you thinking about, huh?" Suri tilted her head, a sudden flicker of insecurity flashing in her eyes. "Or... don't you want me anymore? Are you having second thoughts about marking me? Because if you are, you can just say it, since that was actually what I was about to bring up." She frowned slightly, her lower lip pushing out in a defensive pout.
"Oh," Enzo shook his head quickly, his hands coming up to cup her face. "No, no. That wasn't what I was thinking about at all. But... wait. Are you really serious about what you just said?"
Suri nodded firmly, her eyes steady and clear. "Yes. I want you to mark me. I want to be your true mate, from this day on, for the rest of our lives."
"Do you fully understand what that means?" Enzo asked, his voice dropping an octave, heavy with a mixture of raw excitement and nervous reverence. "You're going to be mine forever. No turning back, no breaking of our bond once it's sealed."
"Yes, I understand," Suri admitted softly, a gentle smile touching her lips as she leaned into his warm palms. "I want to be with you forever. I've found my happiness, Enzo, and I'm not letting go."
"Yes!" Enzo cheered softly, a triumphant grin breaking across his face.
He pulled her flush against him, crashing his lips down onto hers in a deep, hungry kiss. Suri let out a soft chuckle against his mouth, melting into the embrace and letting him take whatever he wanted, losing herself entirely in the heat of his skin.
When he finally pulled back, breathing heavily, he didn't let her go. Instead, with a smooth, practiced shift, he lifted her hips and repositioned her so she was straddling his lap, looking down at her with burning intensity.
"Are you ready now?" he asked again, his voice thick with the primal pull of his wolf rising just beneath the surface.
Suri swallowed hard.
She knew the bite would hurt; she knew the transition of the physical bond was a sharp, searing pain that tested the soul.
But looking into his eyes, she felt no fear, only a profound, unshakable peace. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and nodded.
"I'm ready, Enzo. Mark me," she whispered, tilting her head back and baring the vulnerable pale skin of her neck to him.
Instantly, Enzo's fangs lengthened, sharp and aching for the claim. Without hesitation, he leaned down and pierced deep into her neck, sinking his teeth into the sensitive flesh to seal the mating bond as his own.
Suri let out a sharp, breathless scream, her body trembling violently as the ancient magic of the bond flooded her veins.
Enzo wrapped his arms around her tightly, pinning her trembling form against his broad chest, murmuring rough, loving reassurances against her ear. "I've got you, my wife. You're safe. You're mine."
As the white-hot pain slowly ebbed away into a warm, humming thrum beneath her skin, tears spilled quietly from her eyes. She rested her head heavily against his chest, listening to the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat.
She never, in all her wildest dreams, could have imagined a life like this. She had never thought she would have a true mate, a devoted man, a husband, or the chance to be the mother of his child.
For a long time, she had resigned herself to a bitter existence, believing she would just be another passing shadow, whoring herself out to a king who didn't love her, even if she eventually understood the tragic depths of his own broken heart.
But everything had changed.
Now that she finally knew what it meant to truly love and be loved in return, she swore to herself she would never let Enzo go. No matter what trials lay ahead for the pack, she would keep their little family together, safe and warm.