by Nana Adu
"I don't like the thought of you being taken away from me, in anyway. It fucks with my head when all these factors threaten to do that." Her hands move slowly across my naked abs as I shiver under her touch.
"I'm worried about you too." She whispers.
"You always stress yourself out. Don't think about my problems or my anything. Just be here with me in the moment." She continues, laying her hand flat on my chest. I grin, looking down into her eyes as she smiles up at me.
She's right.
Eliana yelps as my arms around her tighten and I tangle my legs with hers. My cheek pressed into the top of her head as I snuggle closer to her.
"Ok. I'll stay right here with you." I smirk, as she pushes against me. I loosen my grip, chuckling.
"Are you trying to kill me?" Eliana gasp, as glares at me.
"You don't like my hugs?" I ask, sending her a pout. She scoffs, sitting up.
"You want to be funny?" She asks, turning to me as she slowly pulls off our blanket.
What's this?
"I like funny." She crawls towards me, into my lap and inches in front of my face.
Eliana? She doesn't know how dangerous she's being right now.
I lay stunned as her finger draws a line from the top of my chest down and further towards...
She's trying to fuck with my self-control. It's already hanging by a thread.
"Eliana, stop- I can't." I stutter out, wide-eyed as she flexes her hands.
I know what this is now. Fuck.
She pounces, letting her touch dance up and down my sides as I can't control the laughter that leaves me.
"You can't breathe, right?" She asks, smirking down at me as tears come to my as and I curl up, trying to avoid her fingers.
I have to do something, my stomach hurts.
I grab Eliana's wrist and pin her down beneath me, breathing heavily as she looks up, still grinning. She sticks her tongue out.
So this is the childish side of her I see when she's with her friends, or more specifically Bethany. It's annoyingly cute.
"What should I do with you?" I ask, leaning down closer to her. I let my front meet hers. Her smile doesn't twitch.
"Whatever you want." Her voice lowers as she finishes her statement and her smiles falls. She avoids my eyes. I tense.
She can't say something like that and expect me to stay sane, right?
"I'm giving you one last chance to take that back, right now." I wait, staring now at her as the events from earlier come to mind.
She said she loves me. Her smile beamed under the moonlight as we drove around the human city. It felt real.
Eliana meets my eyes again. She blinks at me as the air around us spreads thin, ready to snap. I'm about to break for her.
"I don't want to take it back." My eyes widen as she looks me straight on. My heart races.
"I hoped you would say that." My lips press down on hers as I make my way down to the side of her neck. Her scent radiates from the skin as my wolf encourages me to take an even deep breath of it.
She moans out, holding me close as I lay between her legs.
I want to mark her.
My nerves stand on end as my lips and hands continues to explore Eliana's body, desperate. My lower region grinds lightly into the side of her inner thigh.
She pushes me away. We stare at each other for a moment before our lips meet again, urging on to get closer. Eliana rips off her top and her dark brown skin shines as the moonlight reflects off her and I pull back to look at her.
Her kinky black hair surrounds her head, as crown in the darkness as her body lays against the bed, lips red. Eyes pools of chocolate.
I grip her thigh as she stares at me.
Is marking her too much for her emotions? Will it set something off?
"Noah." She says, breathless. My hands tremble.
She's so beautiful and I want to make her mine.
In this moment.
Eliana POV
Stay calm, just breath.
Noah stares at me, on his knees, as I look up at him, laying down.
I want him all over me. I want to kiss against his neck and pull him into me.
I finally said he could do whatever he wants, but can he? What if my blessing acts up from too much feeling? What if I hurt Noah? What do I do then?
The bugle in Noah's pants stands tall as hold back biting my lips, looking at it.
I can't hurt him. I don't know hoe to find peace or whatever, within myself.
Noah's hand strokes my leg, coming up as he leans back in.
"I want to mark you." He says, putting his head against my chest rubbing his face there.
Mark me? Isn't that like the final claim of a mate?
"I know it's wrong but I want to make so you can't live without me." He whispers on my breasts, wrapping his arms around me and moving them up and down my body.
I already can't. It's too late to go back to days where you're not around.
He leaves small kisses on my breasts as I clench my legs together.
I need him too. My wolf needs him.
"But the blessing thing?" I mention as he looks up at me and nods.
"I know, but I trust you. You wouldn't hurt me. Before you were scared, but love isn't a feeling you feel just panic and fear. It's so much more than that and I love you, Eliana." Noah holds my hand and stroke this thumb on it.
I want him to mark me. Fuck it.
Noah's right, there's nothing to be afraid of. He's here and I feel right.
This feels right.
"Do it." Noah pauses, looking at me. I nod. He takes a deep breath and begins kissing the side of my neck, mostly my shoulder.
My eyes flutter as I hold the back of his head, pushing him in and closer to me.
Shit, he should just fucking to it-
A pinch through my skin skyrockets to overwhelming pain as Noah's teeth sink into my body. I groan, digging my nails into him as my own canines extend in my mouth. Euphoria mixes in with the pain, exploding as I shudder and breath heavily.
What the fuck is this? It feels so good. Strangely something peaceful.
The second slows into moments as Noah pulls back and wipes the side of his mouth. He comes back in, exposing his neck to me and I look over at him with hooded eyes.
"Mark me." He whispers.
Noah deserves to feel this too. This high.
I sink my teeth into his shoulder. He grunts, as his hands at my hips clench.
There's no turning away now. Not from each other.
CHAPTER 38
Noah POV
Marking your mate connects both minds and hearts, almost as humans would call marriage. It's a promise never to leave one another.
When a wolf shows you his neck, they are telling you they surrender everything to you. Allowing you to wound them there, puts their life in yours.
This is why marking is sacred. It's the ultimate reveal of love.
And we just marked each other.
I stare up into the ceiling as and chuckle, replaying the moment again and again in my mind. My hand comes up to grab the healed mark on my shoulder.
It should already have bloomed into a tattoo, a symbol that represents our union. I would get up and go look in the mirror to see it but Eliana's still asleep.
Once marking is completed, mates are usually ten times closer. It links our souls, so when we aren't together, even more than before we will feel like finding each other.
I can feel a degree of her emotion and get a gist of her thoughts, as if we're in the same pack. The ceremony for that should hurry up, so she can share her thoughts with all of her pack. Her new family.
My eyes look down at Eliana on my chest, sleeping soundly.
Nothing happened to me. She managed to control the blessing. I knew she could. Of course she can.
Now the only thing left is to compensate the union, with sex.
I squeeze my eyes shut and groan.
How am I going to do that? Eliana passed
out right after she marked me, it is tolling on both wolves as your wolf and you, are accepting someone else to accompany you through life.
It's fine. It'll work out.
We have all the time in the world. Eliana is staying here, with me and we're good. No matter what Liam and her past have to say they can't get pass our soldiers.
I laugh out loud.
This is the happiest I've been in a long time.
Eliana stirs besides me, yawning as her eyes blink open. She looks around, lifting herself off my chest for a second but then plops back down on me. I grin.
Is she that tired?
"Hey, sleepy pup." I coo as she squints up at me. She gives me a lazy smile, and yawns again. I push her hair back.
"I never put anything on my hair? What the hell was I thinking? Ugh." She sits up and stretches.
She does usually have something black on her head when she sleeps. She keeps it under her pillow in her room and slips it on right when we're about to go to sleep.
"You probably left it in your room." I say, lifting myself up as well. She frowns.
"I left my bonnet in my room? Oh." She says, yawning again. Maybe we should just sleep in today.
"Don't be bummed about it, come here." I grab her arm and she swats me away.
"I'm going to brush my teeth and shower, wait for me here." She gets up and makes her way to my bathroom, next to my closet door. I flip off my sheets and hurry behind her.
Why's she running away from me?
I pout as we enter the bathroom together, stopping in front of the mirror. Eliana glances up at me and scoffs.
I grab my toothbrush and she grabs hers as we take turns spreading toothpaste on each.
"Does it hurt?" Eliana mumbles under her breath, looking down into the white sink.
That's why.
I chuckle.
"No, it does not hurt. What about you?" I ask as she finally meets my eyes and smiles.
"No, mine doesn't either." She turns to me fully and freezes, staring at something on my neck.
Does she not know about marking tattoos? I've been staring at her's since she woke up.
"It's a rose, with thorns." She says, reaching up and letting her hands brush pass the mark. Goosebumps follow behind her.
It's still a little sensitive I guess.
"Yeah, you have the same thing on you, look." I point towards the mirror and she turns, looking wide-eyed into the glass before us.
She's way too cute.
Eliana POV
Why didn't he tell me that this marking thing, actually comes with a mark? I thought it would just scar up and be ugly, but it's beautiful. So beautiful.
"Do you like it?" Noah asks, smiling at me. I nod.
"Why are they different?" I ask, still staring between Noah's and I. His eyebrows furrow as he stops gazing at mine and looks at his own.
"You're right." He realizes.
His mark has a blooming rose, with thick stems and thorns traveling up them, but mine has a small rose, almost a bud, with thin stems and large thorns coming up them. They look identical in terms of placement but the actually flowers are different.
"I don't know." He responds, shrugging. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and holds me into his chest.
"Has it ever happened before?" I ask, as he stuffs his toothbrush into his mouth.
"I don't know, but it doesn't matter. I gave you this mark and as long as it isn't a symbol of death, or tragedy I won't be discouraged." He assures me, and I nod.
"Me neither then." I say, beginning to brush my teeth as well. Noah turns on the faucet, washing away his suds as he spits.
"So you were embarrassed about what you did yesterday?" Noah smirks, as he continues brushing and I choke, spitting the toothpaste and coughing as I wash out my mouth. Noah pats my back.
"How did you know?" I clear my throat, coming back up away from the sink. Noah smirks at me.
"So you were. That's why you ran away from me this morning." He says, amusement leaking through his voice.
It was so embarrassing. Even though it's something I've been wanting to do for a while now. Since I met him, to be honest.
"Shut up. No." I avoid his eyes, ducking away from his face as he pushes it near mine. He laughs.
"I loved it, Eliana. I love you." He repeats, kissing me on the cheek with his water wet lips, after rinsing the toothpaste from his mouth. I groan and roll my eyes.
Why does he keep saying that? It's mushy. We can't be mushy for too long, I might melt.
"What? You didn't like that? Too bad." Noah turns to me and plants kisses all over my face and forehead.
"Noah- let me brush my teeth!- Come one!-" I shout, chuckling as he hugs me to his chest.
"You're so cute sometimes." He says, his forehead touching mine. I look up at him and pout.
He's cute too. Like right now.
"I want to eat you up-"
"Noah!" A voice shouts from the bedroom as the door slams open. Noah immediately turns around, grabbing my hand and dragging me back into the room with him.
"What's wrong?" He asks, as Hunter huffs, catching his breath.
"Your parents are downstairs. They want to see Eliana."
CHAPTER 39
Eliana POV
I stare at the faces of my mate's parents as they stand across from us in the rarely used living room. The air is tense as Noah glares at them and they give him a hard stare back.
Are they going to fight?
"Stop acting like a baby and come give your pa and ma a hug." His father says, opening his arms wide. Noah scoffs shaking his head walking into his dad's hold. A loud grunt is heard as they collide and the small mother makes her way in between them, joining in on the hug.
Aw.
Family is nice. Some of best people you will know in your life. Even though I never quite got one, I'm glad Noah has people who love him so much.
"Ok, ok, get off of me. Please." Noah groans as he ducks out of the hug. His parents laugh as Noah fixes his hair.
"This is Eliana, my mate." Noah says, bringing a hand to the small of my back. I flinch as he pushes me towards them.
"Hey." I smile at them, sending them a small wave.
"Hello, honey. I'm Eve, this is my husband, Thomas." Noah's light-skinned mother comes to me, her short brown hair bounces behind her. She stands a little shorter than me as I look down to her slightly.
"We've heard so much about you. Let's sit and talk." She grabs hold of my upper arm as the guys follow behind us. I look over my shoulder to see Noah staring at me with a smirk on his face.
I fall back into a couch before I'm sure what's going on. Noah's mom sits beside me. Noah and his father sit across from us.
"Let me hug you." Noah's mom says, wrapping her arms around my shoulders and pressing her cheek on to mine.
I sit stunned, letting my arms pat her back. I look over to Noah and see him chuckling, his father sits beside him, tall with his brown skin reflecting the sun off his face.
That's not intimidating at all.
Noah's mom pulls back, looking me up and down.
"You've gone through too much baby. We saw you that night you came here. It's obvious you were running from something. I hope Noah's taken good care of you." She sends a look at Noah and he lifts his hands in surrender.
"Of course I have. I wouldn't let a fly hurt her." A deep laugh echoes in the air and my eyes snap to Noah's father who holds his stomach, unable to contain himself.
"You really think you're all grown up don't you?" He says, patting Noah's back. His mother chuckles as well.
"We didn't just come here to laugh and joke with you guys. You know about the people leaving things on our land by now, right?" Eve says, the light atmosphere fills with tension. Noah clenches his jaw.
"Of course I do, I'm taking care of it." He says. I swallow.
They're talking about Moonstribe.
"Good, because we left this pack to all in your hands. You can't visit anymore packs
until you solve this problem. You shouldn't have been visiting our neighbors anyway." Thomas speaks up. Noah sighs.
"I've heard it all before. I can't leave my pack, I haven't even tried since the first one." He says.
"Have you stopped searching for them?" Thomas asks as Noah turns towards him, glaring.
"Can you not bring that up right now?" Noah says. His dad frowns.
"How long are you going to talk about that? It's all in the past now." Thomas whispers. Noah stands up, facing his father.
"I'm not giving up on Samantha, even if you guys did."
I watch with wide eyes as Thomas gets up and steps close to his son.
"I never gave up. Me and your mother forgave ourselves. We never blamed you. You never to forgive yourself too." Eve stands up and pushes the two apart.
"Are you going to fight about this again? In front of his mate? C'mon, Tom. We'll see you again, Noah, Eliana." Thomas storms out of the room, as Eve nods to me and puts a hand on Noah's shoulder.
"I can tell you love this girl by the mark here, don't shut her out because of the hate in your heart. I'll see you soon son." With that, Eve turns and follows after her husband.
I look back towards Noah, jumping up from my seat and to his side. I grab his hand, holding it tight as he glances at me, breathing heavily.
"It's ok, Noah." I pull him in gently as he takes heavy steps towards me, dropping his forehead on my shoulder. I hold his hand as he leans against me.
"Why's it so hard for them to understand?" He whispers, his vice cracking mid-sentence.
"They think forgetting is best for you." I bring a hand to his back and stroke.
"It's impossible to forget it, Eliana. I can't. I can't." His arms come up and pull me into his chest, tight as I hold him as well.
"It's ok not to forget either. Just find it in you to forgive yourself. Your parents are right." I whisper, as his racing heart beats heavy against mine.
I don't want him to blame himself for the rest of his life.
"I just want to fight for her. I didn't do it back then, but I can now." He nods to himself, pulling back from me and holding my shoulders in his hands. I nod.
However he wishes to get closure, I hope it works for him. I don't want Noah broken over this.
