CHAPTER 124: THE INQUIRY BOARD...

Charis

With our bond finally in place, his scent wafted up to my nose, intoxicating me. He ran his wet tongue along the side of her neck, scraping my skin with his canines that had slightly extended.

This wasn’t the first time I was getting marked, so I knew the drill. I felt him pause at the junction between my neck and shoulder, and bite down on it.

The moment his teeth connected with my skin, the world exploded into beautiful colours.

Our mate bond came to life, binding us together. I could feel his emotions and love for me flooding through our connection now.

I gasped, arching my body against his, not out of pain, but of pleasure. When I pulled back, he leaned in to lick the mark, helping it to heal faster while I trembled in his arms.

"You turn," he said breathlessly, looking up at me.

He tilted his head, offering me his neck. My canines weren’t as prominent as his. I was still learning to use my wolf without shifting completely, and for the marking process to happen, you and your wolf had to be involved.

Back then, when I was still with Slater, he was the only one who marked me. I couldn’t, because my wolf was still dormant at the time, so we only had to rely on a one-sided connection. Marking without your wolf would be as good as biting the person.

I traced his neck with my tongue, sniffing for the perfect place to put my mark. I found a spot near his neck and bit down gently.

I hear his sharp intake of breath as his hands tightened around me. When I pulled back, the wound was almost healed, leaving behind the mark as evidence of my claiming.

He cupped my face in his hands, and I couldn’t help but feel more connected to him than I did a few minutes ago.

"I love you, Charis," he murmured. "I love you so much."

His mouth covered my lips again, as his hands resumed their wandering, tracing over my curves and gently tugging my already opened blouse from my shoulders. His tongue rolled around my jutting nips, biting down softly on them.

I moaned in response, arching into him as he lifted me slightly and tugged at my pants.

"I’ve been wanting to do this for so long," he whispered, pressing his lips against mine. I melted into his embrace, returning the kiss with equal passion. Our tongues danced together, exploring each other’s mouths.

His fingers found their way into my pants, tracing my soft mound before slipping to the wet patch between my legs. I moaned softly, widening my legs to give him better access.

I slipped from his leg and knelt in front of him. Reaching down, I unfastened his belt and zipper, caressing his hardness. He shivered, throwing his head backwards before gazing down at me.

I gave him a teasing smile.

"Take off your shirt," I murmured.

He obliged, pulling his shirt over his head and revealing the defined muscles of his chest. I ran my hands over his skin, stopping to scratch his nipples before leaning in to suck on them.

He groaned loudly, his back arching off the bench.

He pulled me back to his lap again, swallowing my lips in a more intense kiss. I could feel the heat between us reaching a crescendo. I straddled his lap, grinding my hips against his throbbing manliness, gasping as I felt him grow even harder against me.

Eager for me to take him inside, I pulled back slightly and slipped off my joggers and panties in one move, standing before him naked.

His hands cupped my ass cheeks, pulling me closer to him.

"Fuck, Charis," he groaned. "You’re so beautiful."

"I know," I said cheekily, coming to straddle him again. I bent my head for a second, sliding my wet tongue up and down his pole, drawing another groan from him before gently lowering myself onto him.

I moaned as I felt him fill me up. He wrapped his arms around my waist, holding my gaze as he murmured.

"This is my first time, Charis, you’re my first. Tell me if it hurts, okay?"

I bit down on the insides of my mouth and smiled. "Don’t worry, Kael...you’re not the first virgin I’ve been with."

He smiled, pulling me close as we began to move in a slow, sensual rhythm. Our hips swayed in perfect harmony. I dug my nails into his shoulders, drawing little lines of pleasure.

He held on tight, knowing he couldn’t last much longer, while I leaned in to kiss him again, tangling my tongue with his. His hands wandered down to my ass, squeezing and massaging my cheeks before moving up to cup my breasts. He pinched my nipples, drawing another moan from me.

"Kael," I whimpered, feeling the walls of my hips clenching around him. He must have felt my clenching walls because he picked up speed, thrusting deeper inside me.

I rocked him hard, loving the way his thrusts became irregular. Just as I felt him tighten inside me, I let go, clutching at his neck as we both reached our peak.

***

As we walked back toward the house, my body was still tingling with warmth and satisfaction after my sweet session with Kael.

Kael had gone silent immediately, but I didn’t mind. He has always been a quiet person, and I didn’t want to probe too deeply into his head through our bond. I’d sensed a storm of conflicting emotions. I felt his love, his protectiveness and something that felt almost like dread.

I didn’t want to think about it too much, so I ignored it. When we came out of the garden, we saw Rhett and Slate waiting for us by the back door. The moment they saw us approaching, both of them rushed forward, looking tense.

"Thank goodness you’re back," Slater said breathlessly. "Someone from the inquiry board arrived about ten minutes ago. They want to interview you and ask some questions."

My stomach dropped. "Now? But I thought—"

"They said it couldn’t wait," Rhett interrupted, holding up my body suit—the one that transformed me into Eamon. "You need to put this on immediately. You’re still Eamon, remember."

I nodded, taking the suit with trembling hands. The boys watched as I slipped into my Eamon disguise, and I tried to project confidence even though anxiety was eating me alive. The weight of the half-body suit, which gave me a masculine structure, and the loose clothing that hid my feminine curves, felt both comforting and suffocating at the same time.

After I was dressed, Slater and Rhett moved to adjust my clothing, their hands smoothing fabric and ensuring everything looked natural.

"Listen carefully," Rhett said, "You shouldn’t answer any question whose answers you don’t know. Don’t guess, don’t speculate, don’t try to fill in blanks. If you don’t know something, say ’I don’t know.’"

"Anything you say now will be used against you," Slater added, "Every word matters. Think before you speak."

"And don’t come on too strong," Rhett continued. "If you’re too confident, they’ll think you’re arrogant and hiding something. But if you’re too weak, they’ll see it as victim mentality and assume you’re guilty."

"Stick to simple, honest answers," Slater advised. "Yes, no, I don’t remember, I wasn’t there. The more you elaborate, the more points you give them."

"Make eye contact, but don’t stare," Rhett said. "Sit up straight, but don’t look rigid. You want to appear cooperative but not eager to please."

"If they try to trick you with leading questions, take your time," Slater added. "There’s no rush. It’s better to pause and think than to blurt out something you’ll regret."

"And if they ask about your relationship with any of us," Rhett said carefully, "keep it simple. We’re classmates, friends, and study partners. Nothing more complicated than that."

Throughout this entire coaching session, I noticed that Kael remained completely silent, standing slightly apart from the group.

When I tried to reach for his hand, seeking the comfort of our new bond, he shook his head and stepped back. The rejection stung, especially when I could feel his inner turmoil through our connection.

I turned to look at him properly, a confused expression on my face. Why was he acting so distant?

When I turned back, I found Slater and Rhett watching me instead. Something had shifted in their expressions, and I saw the exact moment Slater’s eyes moved from my face to my neck, then to Kael’s neck, then back again.

"You marked her?" Slater said with a loud scoff, his gaze snapping to Kael. "Already?"

"You did what?" Rhett picked up immediately, his voice rising with shock and what sounded like betrayal. "Charis, what’s going on? We’re supposed to be mates! Why are you doing things solo with Kael?"

I rolled my eyes. "I’m not doing solo things with Kael. It just happened, and like I said before, we’re all mates. But do you know how draining it would be to—"

Before things could escalate further, Kael stepped forward, staring at the boys coolly.

"That’s enough, three of you," he said firmly, then reached for my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine. "Charis has bigger problems to deal with than your wounded egos."

The mate bond flared at his touch, sending warmth up my arm, but I could still feel that undercurrent of worry in his emotions. Whatever was bothering him was bigger than jealousy over our marking ceremony.

"The inquiry board is waiting," Kael continued, his voice gentler now as he looked at me. "We can sort out the mate situation later. Right now, we need to focus on keeping you safe."