505- The Scent of a Claim
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
I also knew that pregnancy would be impossible—I wasn't in my fertile period and I would also need to open my uterus for him, which hadn't happened. I didn't even know how to open the damn uterus.
He smiled, and then moved away from me. I was so lost in thought that I didn't even notice his cock deflating. I sat up on my knees and looked at the mess I was in, all sticky and dirty with my cum mixed with his.
He pulled me toward him, spinning me and placing me facing him.
"Are you okay?" he asked, and kissed my forehead. I smiled.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
He shrugged.
"I don't know. I marked you and gave you a knot—it might have been a little... hmm... too intense."
I placed my hand on his shoulder, near the curve of his neck, and caressed him.
"I'm fine, Anton. It was intense, but I enjoyed every second."
He stared at me, fixing on the mark of his teeth on my neck. His eyes lit up, contemplating what he saw.
"Can you walk home? We could shift." I denied with a nod.
"It's been a long time since I shifted—I think I'll need more time and energy than that. But yes, I can walk."
He nodded with a shake of his head and stood up, pulling me with him.
"Now, yes, let's go home." He planted a kiss on my forehead and another on my lips.
I noticed his relief, as if he needed that, as if he had been holding back for too long. In a way, I also felt relieved, because I wanted it just as much as he did, even though I hadn't realized it.
"Let's go," I agreed, letting all the feelings of that night hit me and take me, swallowing me completely. I was tired of holding back, of not giving in to what I truly felt, and it was time to see my future with new eyes—after all, many things had changed.
...
Aurelka and Lana were watching me from the corner of their eyes, without meeting my gaze, as if they were embarrassed.
I prodded the eggs on my breakfast plate, which had been prepared by Nicoleta, without any appetite.
I was feeling uncomfortable with the way they were looking at me, as if horns had sprouted from my head. They might be smelling Anton on me, but I had already showered twice; there were no more traces of him on my body.
I dropped the fork and ran a hand through my hair, sighing heavily.
When we returned home, Anton went to speak with Edric and the others. His shirt was missing buttons, but his pants were intact. As strange as his clothes looked, we had been in a fight, so we could omit what happened after it. As for me, I returned wearing only his blazer over my body, which is why I ran straight to my room and jumped in the shower, scrubbing my skin and washing his semen off me.
They knew something was going on between us, but I didn't want to make it so explicit either. It was embarrassing, because we were talking about his family.
"Alright, just go ahead and tell me what's going on," I exasperated, losing my patience and pushing my plate of food away.
Aurelka and Lana exchanged glances again, trying to hold back a smile.
I crossed my arms on the table and waited.
"You... um... do you know what that mark on your neck means?" Aurelka asked, her face changing color.
I blinked, frowning, then remembered the bite I bore stamped on my skin.
"Much more than it suggests?" I asked, my voice faltering from embarrassment.
Lana snorted and rolled her eyes.
"What do you mean, what does it suggest?"
I shrugged and tossed my hair forward, covering it.
"That Anton bit me, because he's crazy and thinks I belong to him?" I deduced, trying to feign indifference about it.
He had done it once before, on my clitoris. It wasn't as visible as that one, so no one said anything at the time. He said he needed to mark me and that's what happened, which is why I didn't take the one on my neck so seriously.
They laughed and shook their heads in denial.
"The mark doesn't suggest that, Thalyndra," Aurelka said.
"Well... then, what does it suggest?"
Aurelka blushed even more, as if that were possible.
"It means sex," Lana replied, quite directly, making Aurelka choke on her own saliva. "That's what it means."
I went rigid and still.
"Sex?" My voice sounded distant.
"Yes, it means you and Anton had sex. We can smell him on you, so strong it's almost strange, because we're not used to it. Couples who have sex often do this; sometimes they bite and mark each other."
I opened and closed my mouth.
"We didn't..." I tried to deny it, but it would be irrelevant. I cleared my throat. "We had sex," I confessed, closing my eyes before being swallowed by the urge to die or bury myself and disappear. "And he bit me, but I didn't know it was such an explicit mark."
It got worse by the second. I saw couples with purple marks on their necks in college, and I saw how people looked and laughed; why would a bite be different?
Aurelka laughed and brought her coffee cup to her lips, still too embarrassed by the conversation.
"Well, it is quite explicit. Any wolf who gets within meters of you will smell it, even before seeing the mark." Lana pointed at my neck. "And Anton did it on purpose."
"On purpose?" I asked in a skewed tone.
She nodded.
"He could have healed the bite; it would have disappeared in seconds, but his scent would have been weaker. I think that's why he didn't do it, so I think he did it on purpose. He marked you as his and he wants everyone to see it."
Yes, he had healed it the other time and no one noticed anything. Or, if they did, at least they didn't comment.
My wolf bristled, all proud, while I was burning with anger.
How could he do such a thing and not even explain it to me? The wretch was clever; he knew I would order him to remove it if I knew its real meaning.
"You seem angry," Aurelka commented.
"No, I'm much more than that; I'm furious with your brother," I vociferated.
She sighed.