63- The Mark of Satisfaction
POV Lunara Grimwald:
He pulled my mouth to his, tasting the blood on my lips. His tongue invaded me, finding mine in a rhythm that felt almost primal.
I couldn’t control myself or hold back — I unraveled in his fingers, my body convulsing in a shattering orgasm. I screamed his name, a mix of moans and broken gasps spilling from me.
For a moment, we were still. He held me against the tree trunk, his strong arms supporting my trembling body. When I opened my eyes, the emerald green in his gaze had softened.
I licked my lips, savoring the last drops of blood that lingered there.
He let me go. My legs trembled as my feet touched the ground, but I managed to stand firm.
A low growl rumbled from him, his eyes fixed on my neck — on the untouched skin since I had ripped off his mark. The gold in his gaze flickered, fading and returning, as if he were fighting an internal war with his beast.
He lunged toward me, but just as fast, I jumped aside, dodging him. I blinked, still dizzy from the orgasm and confusion. He took a step toward me, and I took one back.
“Don’t even think about it,” I snarled.
Blood stained his neck and the collar of his dark shirt, but the bite mark on his skin had already healed.
“I’m going to fuck you and mark you again, Lunara,” he hissed through clenched teeth. His body leaned forward, his stance purely predatory.
“No, you’re not.”
“And why not? I’m hard as a rock, I want to fuck you, and my wolf needs to mark you again.”
He advanced on me once more, and again, I dodged him.
“You won’t fuck me, and you sure as hell won’t mark me. You’re not worthy.”
“Not worthy?” he roared.
I lowered my gaze — and confirmed what he said. His hard cock strained against his jeans.
All the rage I had felt when I found out about him and Thalira hit me like a storm. I clenched my teeth, baring my fangs at him. I leaned forward, mirroring his predatory posture.
“Did you forget that I can feel what you feel?” I shouted, voice trembling with fury. “I know you fucked Thalira! And not just because she made sure to rub it in my face the first chance she got — I felt it. And no, I don’t care, but my wolf clearly thinks otherwise. She’s the one who tore off the mark, she’s the one who’s offended by you.”
He straightened and blinked, surprised. He ran a hand through his hair, pulling the strands back. And then something very, very strange happened.
He blushed. I tasted the citrus tang of his shame.
Edric Eldoria — the arrogant, all-powerful Alpha — was ashamed of himself.
For a moment, I questioned my sanity, wondering if I was really seeing what I thought I was. But yes, I was.
A shaky sigh escaped him.
“I’m sorry, Lunara. I didn’t know your wolf felt that way.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Your apologies aren’t enough for her,” I said flatly. And they weren’t. My animal side was furious with him, hating him for what he’d done. Sometimes she forgot and forgave him, but it always came back. “But don’t worry about me — I don’t care enough about you to feel any different.”
I adjusted my tight clothes and pulled up my panties, covering my swollen, wet pussy. I crouched to pick up my book. “I’m… going back home,” I announced.
He cleared his throat and closed his hand around the bulge in his jeans, adjusting himself, clearly uncomfortable. I watched him, arching an eyebrow. I pressed my lips together, trying not to smile in satisfaction. He was aroused, unsatisfied, and wearing my fresh mark on his neck. That was far better than I expected.
“You only know how to read that book?” he asked suddenly, changing the subject.
“What?”
He tilted his chin toward the book in my hands.
“Ever since you got here, you’ve been carrying that same book everywhere.”
“Oh!” I gasped, embarrassed.
I hadn’t realized he paid enough attention to notice that I only had one book.
“Tell me the truth,” he pressed.
“It’s not that… it’s just… I stole it when I escaped. My father never let me read romance novels. He said they were foolish, that I couldn’t ‘pollute my mind’ with them.” I lifted the book, shaking it lightly. “This one was my first and only, that’s why I carry it everywhere.”
He frowned, thoughtful, as if he’d expected any other answer but that.
“Don’t you get tired of reading the same thing over and over?”
I shrugged. “Lately, I only read my favorite parts. And yes, I’ve memorized it all, but it still helps me relax, pass the time. It helps… most of the time.” I pointed toward the house. “I’m heading back. I need a hot bath, food, and sleep.”
He nodded, raising his eyes to the calm water behind me.
“I’ll bathe in the lake first,” he said, pulling his shirt over his head.
I swallowed hard at the sight of his sun-kissed skin and the defined muscles of his abdomen. I looked away, breathing unevenly.
A part of me — a small, irrelevant part — would’ve loved to share the lake with him. I ignored it and nodded, walking away without looking back.
I heard the rustle of his clothes hitting the ground, the soft thud of denim. I could’ve turned around, just for a peek, but I didn’t. I kept going, steady and strong.
When I’d gone far enough, I couldn’t hold back the smile spreading across my face.
It wasn’t a foolish or innocent smile. It was radiant — a reflection of how I truly felt.
My animal side had marked him on purpose, for Thalira — or anyone else — to see, while we remained unmarked.
And that was satisfaction.
Not to mention the lingering pleasure in my body from the orgasm he’d given me.