Chapter 65: Mark

Selene pulled away from the kiss breathlessly.

The night air felt different now.

Warmer and heavier.

Her lips were still tingling, and her hands were still clutching the front of Ryzen’s shirt. For a second, neither of them spoke. They simply stood there beneath the moon, their foreheads almost touching, their breaths uneven and shared.

Ryzen looked at her like she had just turned his world upside down.

“What does this mean?” he asked quietly.

His voice was not demanding. It was not arrogant. It was not Alpha.

It was just him.

Selene swallowed.

Her heart was still racing wildly, but there was no fear in it now. Only something bright and something sure.

“It means what it means,” she replied softly.

Ryzen blinked once.

Then his lips slowly curved into a smile—small at first, then wider.

“You’re not going to make it easy for me, are you?” he asked gently.

Selene’s cheeks turned red again, but she did not look away this time.

“You said you can’t pretend anymore,” she whispered. “Neither can I.”

The wind brushed past them again, moving the ends of her hair. The moonlight painted everything silver. The veranda felt quiet and protected, like the world had stepped back to let them exist in this moment.

Ryzen exhaled slowly, as if something heavy inside him had finally settled.

“So,” he said softly, “you’re not rejecting me.”

Selene shook her head.

“No.”

His breath hitched.

“And you’re not confused?” he asked carefully.

“I was,” she admitted. “But not anymore.”

She stepped closer, closing the small space that was left between them.

“I don’t blush for no reason,” she murmured. “I don’t lose sleep for no reason. And I don’t kiss someone… for no reason.”

Ryzen let out a quiet laugh—relieved, almost disbelieving.

“You have no idea what you just did to me,” he said.

Selene tilted her head slightly. “What?”

“You chose me.”

The simplicity of it made her chest tighten.

“I’ve been choosing you for a while,” she replied before she could stop herself.

His eyes softened even more.

“Say that again,” he whispered.

Selene felt shy all of a sudden, but she did not back down.

“I’ve been choosing you,” she repeated.

Something in Ryzen broke.

Not in pain but in gratitude.

He lifted his hand slowly, cupping her face with so much care it almost made her cry again.

“I don’t deserve you,” he said quietly.

Selene frowned. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s true,” he replied.

“Then I don’t deserve you either,” she shot back.

He stared at her.

Then he leaned in again.

This kiss was slower.

There was no hesitation this time.

No doubt.

Just pure love and connection.

Selene felt his hand slide gently to her waist, steady and firm, like he was grounding himself through her. She rested her hands on his shoulders, feeling the strength beneath his calm exterior.

It wasn’t rushed.

It wasn’t wild.

It was careful.

Like they both knew this was the beginning of something that would change everything.

When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested together.

“Come inside,” Ryzen murmured softly. “It’s getting colder.”

Selene nodded.

They moved slowly toward her room. The hallway was quiet at this hour, only faint lantern light guiding their steps. Every sound felt louder—the soft rustle of her dress, the steady echo of his boots.

When they reached her door, she paused.

She looked up at him.

He looked just as breathless.

“You’re still sure?” he asked again.

Selene smiled.

“I am.”

She opened the door and stepped inside. The room was dim, only the moonlight entering through the window. It felt familiar and safe.

Ryzen closed the door gently behind him.

For a second, they simply stood there.

Alone together.

Selene’s heart began racing again, but it was no longer nervousness. It was anticipation. Something deep and instinctive.

Ryzen took a step closer.

“There is something I need to ask,” he said quietly.

Selene blinked. “What?”

“Are you choosing me as I am?” he asked. “Not just the man from Lunaria. Not just the one who makes you laugh.”

He swallowed.

“But the Alpha. The responsibilities. The enemies. The weight that comes with me.”

Selene walked up to him without hesitation.

“I’m not choosing half of you,” she said softly. “I’m choosing all of you.”

His eyes darkened—not in anger, but in emotion.

“And I’m not choosing you because you are fragile,” he replied. “I’m choosing you because you are strong. Even when you don’t see it.”

Silence settled again.

But this silence was full.

“Selene,” he said gently, “if I mark you, it means you are mine. Not as a possession. But as my equal. My partner. My mate.”

Her breath trembled.

“I know,” she whispered.

“And once I do,” he continued, “no one can question it. No one can challenge it. Not the council. Not the pack. Not the world.”

Selene stepped even closer until their bodies were almost touching.

“Then do it,” she said softly.

He froze.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

There was no fear in her voice.

Only trust.

Ryzen lifted his hand and brushed her hair away from her neck. His fingers were gentle, almost reverent.

Selene closed her eyes.

Her heart was beating so loudly she could hear it in her ears.

He leaned closer, his breath warm against her skin.

“Once I do this,” he murmured, “I will never let you go.”

Selene smiled faintly.

“Good.”

His lips brushed her neck first.

Soft.

A promise then she felt it. A sharp, sudden sting, not painful enough to hurt.

Just enough to mark.

Her body tensed for a second, then relaxed as warmth spread through her chest. It wasn’t fire. It wasn’t agony. It was connection. Like something ancient had just awakened.

Ryzen’s hand tightened slightly at her waist as he completed the mark, his breath uneven.

For a moment, the room felt charged. Like energy moved between them.

Selene gasped softly, gripping his shirt.

He pulled back slowly, his eyes searching her face.

“Does it hurt?” he asked immediately.

She shook her head.

“It feels…” she tried to find the word, “Right.”

His shoulders relaxed. He pressed his forehead to hers again.

“You’re mine,” he whispered.

Selene smiled.

“And you’re mine.”

He let out a quiet laugh.

“I never thought I would hear that.”

She lifted her hand and touched the mark gently.

“I’m not running anymore,” she said softly.

“You never have to,” he replied.

Ryzen pulled her into a full embrace then—strong but careful of her healing body. She wrapped her arms around him and closed her eyes.

His heartbeat was steady against her ear.

“You’re stuck with me now,” he murmured.

She laughed softly.

“I think I’m okay with that.”

He kissed her forehead gently.

Then her cheek. Then her lips again. Down to her neck, where he left his marks, sending a tickling sensation all over Selene’s body. She shifted slightly at the feeling, and Ryzen felt her body press against his, making him lose control.

He trailed kisses from her neck down toward her chest before returning to her lips. They exchanged slow, intense kisses as Ryzen gently cupped her breast. Selene let out a soft moan. Slowly, he slid his hand inside her clothes and unclasped her bra.