CHAPTER 174: MARKING

Kael’s POV

I leaned over her, kissed her deeply, and then moved to her neck.

It was time to mark her.

But I would not knot her.

The thought of my knot hurting her made my chest tighten. She was a pureblood and could survive it, I knew that, but I could not bear to see her bleed. More than that, I did not want her to carry another child yet when she still had to meet her first one. I had to be sure to pull out before the knot took her.

Slowing my pace, I buried my face against her neck. My lips brushed over the place I had chosen, my tongue sliding across it, wet and hot, where my teeth would sink in.

She was trembling on the edge of release again—this would be her last. I bit down, sinking my teeth into her flesh, and she gasped loud and sharp. Pain mingled with ecstasy as her orgasm tore through her, shaking her violently beneath me.

I held my teeth there until I felt it—the bond forming. There was no other tie to stop it, no barrier to stand between us. Her wolf and mine, our souls, entwined at last.

She was my mate now.

The thought overwhelmed me, and yet the instinct to knot her rose like a storm, threatening to consume me. I was about to pull out, desperate to keep control, but—

The crazed mate beneath me suddenly surged with strength, flipping me onto my back. She straddled me, hips moving with fierce determination around my cock.

Her wolf must have known what I intended. She was starving for my knot, desperate for it, and I had been about to deny her.

"Eira..." I tried to push her away, but it was too late.

My release hit like a tidal wave, my mind obliterated by the force of it. The last shred of rationality was destroyed as I thrust helplessly into her, pouring everything inside.

A gasp ripped from me as my body jerked. I felt my knot swell, stretching her as it locked us together.

Her head tilted back in pleasure, the kind only a knot could give, her gasps wild and erotic as she bent forward, collapsing onto my chest.

I went still, knowing any movement could make my knot hurt her now.

Her soft, undone body lay pressed against my torso. My hands wrapped around her, cradling her as if to soothe her even while we remained locked together.

We were going to stay locked like this at least for an hour, bound until my knot would release her. I felt the slick warmth along my cock and for an instant feared it was blood.

But there was no scent of it. Relief swept through me.

Holding her in my arms as she lay atop me, I stroked her back gently, smoothing the tangles of her hair.

She had fallen asleep, utterly spent, her breathing soft and steady, her heartbeat calming after its wild rhythm.

"You are finally mine, Eira," I whispered, my breath still uneven. "You are my mate. I promise to protect you as a mate should. I will not fail you again. If I do, I will accept death. Even if the gods tell me to doubt you, I will not listen. Even if you betray me for real, I will take it as my punishment. All that matters now is what you want, and I will give you everything."

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Lucian’s POV

Jason drove the car away from the estate. None of us could remain there any longer after tasting her scent. If we had stayed, she would have been forced to take all of us, and that would have destroyed her.

We were Alphas, wild and merciless when our control slipped. Even though she was a pureblood, our combined hunger would be too much for her.

Kael, our Alpha was the right one to be with her. We needed him to form a bond with her first to protect her.

After a time, Jason brought the car to a stop at the hilltop. We hadn’t gone too far from the estate, only far enough that her pull would no longer cloud our thoughts. Jason and Roman stepped out first, walking toward the cliff to draw in the cool night air, their bodies tense as they tried to steady themselves from the intoxicating effect of her scent.

I remained inside, my eyes fixed on Rafe. He sat stiffly in his seat, a storm of restraint and pain twisting through him.

"Get out of the car," I ordered, my tone sharp. "Fresh air will calm you."

A low groan rumbled from his throat as he turned his head toward me. His crimson eyes still burned with a dangerous darkness. "You can see it, Lucian," he rasped, voice thick with strain. "Nothing can calm me now. I think this time... it’s truly time for me to leave."

My jaw tightened until my teeth ground together. Rage surged in me at his words, my fists clenching hard. I met his gaze with cold steel and spat through gritted teeth, "You are not going anywhere."

"Luke..."

"Shut up!" I snapped, my voice like a whip. Shoving open my door, I strode around the car and yanked his open. "Get out," I barked, fury hardening every word.

Rafe finally stepped out, and I slammed closed the door behind him.

Roman turned at the sound, instinct pulling him toward us, but Jason lifted a hand to stop him. "He can handle it," Jason said firmly.

Roman hesitated, then gave a low hum of agreement before turning back toward the cliff. Together they faced the horizon again, letting the breeze wash over them, while I stood ready to face the storm building in Rafe.

"Rafe, you can handle it," I told him, my voice calmer this time.

My anger had come from fear—the fear of losing him. I wasn’t ready to lose any of my brothers, not even Rafe, who was nothing more than a walking abyss of danger. I had sworn to protect him, and I would do so at any cost.

"Luke, I wish you could just accept the truth now." His bloodlust burned in his eyes as he looked at me. "Listen to me. Just let me go. I’ll return when I’m fine."

"Return?" I echoed, disbelief hardening my tone. I didn’t trust his words, not this time. I seized his shoulder and shoved him against the car, his back striking the metal with a dull thud. My voice rose, fierce and sharp. "Return after a week? A month? A year? Or never?"

Silence fell between us. His lips parted, but no words came. He didn’t need to answer—we both knew the truth.

If Rafe left this time, he would never return.

And the thought of it tore through me in a way I could barely withstand.