Chapter 46

I don’t know where the courage to ask him came from, but I had done it. And now I stared at Alpha King Rhys’s face as he read what I wrote, and I watched it morph into shock, but there was also more than a hint of desire in it.

“Grace, honey,” He stuttered slightly, the cool, calm and collected Alpha was frazzled, and I started to think I had read everything wrong. “I want to mark you. I very, very much want to, and I need you to understand that. But-”

I knew there was a but coming, but I was I wanted to know the why. If I was really his mate, he would mark me, no hesitation. I had been right; this was just a ploy to keep me as his bride.

“But you are still baring someone else’s mark, which could severely harm you, like what happened after our kiss last time. I have been so careful not to go too far. I won’t risk you, Grace.”

I froze. He was worried about me after what happened last time? There had been a distance since then while also a new closeness that I hadn’t understood until this moment. He had been trying to protect me.

“Please.” I tried again. “I want you to mark me.”

“No, Grace. Not till we get rid of that other mark on your neck.” He told me again. “I won’t do that to you. We can wait. I’ve waited this long; I can wait awhile longer.”

“No.” I panicked a little. I needed him to do this. I need him to prove how much he wanted me. I needed him to make this real. To prove it wasn’t all going to just fade away like an illusion.

“Gracie, just because I’m not marking you, doesn’t mean my feelings for you change at all.” He tried, I think he noticed the panic in me because he moved closer, so our knees were touching. “Why does it matter so much to you?” He asked brushing my hair out of my face.

“You promised.” I tried bringing up what he had said 5 minutes ago about meeting my needs. “This is a need.” Then I drew the down arrow again and a person standing.

“But I don’t understand,” He frowned. “I promised to protect you and take care of you, not harm you, and that’s what I would be doing.”

I thought for a moment. I didn’t know how to explain to him my thoughts. I considered talking out loud for the first time in a long time, but I thought against it. I didn’t know how to spell many things, so communicating beyond the basics was getting harder. No one had ever cared this much about my thoughts before. Was I being gullible? That’s why I needed him to mark me. So, I knew the truth. I needed to know the truth. That he was serious about us.

“Your mark will no more his mark. You’re the Alpha King.” I wrote after a long moment.

“But we don’t know that for sure.” He argued.

“It will. I can take the pain.” I insisted, scribbling my response before he was even done.

“But I don’t want you to take the pain!” He raised his voice in frustration.

“It will take away the old mark. You are powerful. Most powerful. I can do this. Trust me!”

He was silent for a long moment. I could see his want and longing trying to persuade the logical side of his brain that was telling him this was a bad idea. He wanted this, and that was almost enough for me. Almost. But I need the illogical side to win. Because I would either die of pain and filled with false promises that I believed, or question everything, never fully believing my mate. If that’s what he really was.

“It will hurt, Grace. It will hurt a lot.” He said after a long moment as if that would change my mind.

“I know.” I wrote back. “But I can do it.” I had endured so much in my life. A little more pain for something that could be amazing, seemed worth something. This pain seemed worth something.

“Okay.” He finally relented. “I know you keep saying that the pain will be okay, but you also need to know that when we both bare each other’s marks, you will go into the heat. And I’m not sure anyone has ever told you about the heat since you know very little about wolf culture. But it will cause a strong desire for sexual activity.”

I hesitated for a moment. Was I ready for that? What would it be like? Would I lose complete control over myself? Despite my inner turmoil over this new revelation, I nodded, telling him I understood.

“I will be with you the entire time, Grace.” And for the first time, I realized how my heart fluttered every single time he said my name. The way it rolled off his tongue in such a simple manner, but only he said it that way. Like I was everything to him. “You won’t face anything alone. You will never face anything alone, again.”

I smiled at him, and he touched my face gently. I laid back on the bed, propped up a little on the pillows and he climbed on top of me placed one of his knees on each side, resting next to my hips.

“Are you ready for this baby?” He asked, his voice husky with desire, and I could see his pupils change with desire, his wolf coming forward.

I nodded and lifted my chin, so he’d have better access.

“Then let’s do this,” He smiled one of those really rare Rhys smiles.

He leaned in, his canine teeth coming forward, but I didn’t want to look at them. I tried not to move as they sunk them into my skin. I immediately began to feel pain, but I wasn’t sure if it was from his teeth, the mark or something completely different and writhered in agony as it intensified.

Alpha King Rhys must have noticed because he started to pull away, but I grabbed his head and pulled him deeper into me. I cried out in pain, unable to help it anymore, but I kept Rhys firmly in place. My vision began to blur and my arms dropped to their side on their own accord. Rhys pulled away from my neck immediately. His hands frantically reached for my face, and I could see his lips moving, calling my name maybe, but I heard nothing as I slipped right into the darkness...