Chapter 899

My wolf howls with happiness and pride even as pain arcs through me - but I don't experience it as pain - I don't know how to explain the delicious, sharp rush of sensation as my skin breaks, as Jackson claims me, as his magic floods my body and makes me feel rich and vivid and real.

His teeth press once, deeper, and I feel Jackson's body tense and shudder as he breaks for me in turn. I mew a little, my hips pressing up against him, wanting him deeper as I feel the warm rush of him coming inside of me, the thick hot press of it as his body goes still, every single one of his muscles tense. Something feral and possessive comes over me then and I, too, snarl, my canines extending as I lean forward and sink them deep into the skin and muscle of Jackson's chest, just over his heart, marking him in turn.

Because he is mine - absolutely mine. And even if I carry two other marks that are not his, Jackson will be the only man to ever carry mine.

I pant as Jackson pulls back, his tongue moving once steadily - lovingly - over his mark on my neck before he wraps his arms around me as he falls to his side, taking me with him.

I cuddle close, still panting, my body exhausted and my heart full as I press my body tight against my mate.

It takes me a minute to come back to myself, to catch my breath fully, to smile when I realize that my wolf and Jackson's are likewise curled together in my soul, happy and content and dedicated. That she, too, has a new mark on her neck to match my own.

When I lift my head to peer into my mate's face, I find his eyes already on me, sweet and happy and concerned.

"Are you all right?" he murmurs, stroking a hand down over my cheek.

I laugh a little, completely blissful. “Jackson," I murmur, swatting at his arm. "You know I'm fine."

He whines a little, deep in his throat, his eyes moving to my neck. "It's gotta hurt."

"You have one too," I murmur, my hand moving up to lovingly cover the mark I gave him.

"Yeah, but I'm tough," he murmurs, cuddling me close.

I laugh, snarling playfully and pretending to be mad. "I'm tough! Don't try to pretend you don't know that I'm tough."

"No, you're precious," he murmurs, wrapping me up in his arms and cradling me to his chest. “And delicate and tender. You just think you're super tough, which makes you very dangerous to love. Brave little delicate gorgeous girl."

"Say I'm tough," I snarl, feeling very ferocious.

"All right," he murmurs, petting my hair and smirking at me. "You're tough, tiny little mate. Very tough."

"Are you happy?" I whisper, unable to stop smiling, beaming up into his face. "Yup," he says, letting his eyes drift shut, a tiny smile on his lips.

I burst out laughing, wiggling discontentedly in his arms, wanting a little more than that.

But my mate - he's never been one for big speeches, has he?

So instead he simply opens his heart to me, letting me feel everything down the bond. How incredibly much he loves me, how content and steady it makes him feel to know that I carry his mark, how touched and proud he is to carry mine. How he can't wait for every day of the rest of our lives, and how he pretty much has no intention of letting me leave his side ever again. And, of course, of getting us our own room at school. So we can do this a hundred thousand more times.

"Nooo," I moan, cuddling closer to him. "I want the nook!"

"Then we'll kick those other two out," he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair.

"Okay," I say, cheerful, sufficiently

mollified. Jackson hums his

agreement and I press my cheek tonoveldrama

his chest, perfectly happy and

quite frankly incredibly tired.

en

"I love you, Ariel," Jackson whispers a few minutes later, just as both of us are drifting off to a very peaceful sleep. "I'm very in love with you. And I'm going to be for a long time. Probably forever."

I murmur something that barely pretends to be words as I drift off to sleep myself, passing every single ounce of my love down the bond to my sweet forever mate.

Just so he knows that I feel precisely, every inch, the same.