Chapter 36: Chapter 36

EVERLEE

Bryiar watched me pack my bag with a smile on her face. She was holding her shower caddy to her chest, while gawking with teary eyes like my mother.

I looked back at her. “Stop it. It’s just for a night.”

“Oh stop it,” Bryiar said. “You know once you sleep in that bed with Rage that it’s over with. Once Harlan attacked you, it was over with.”

I frowned, and my wolf moaned the loss of Harlan’s touch. I loved Harlan before he was my mate. I loved him after. I still loved him, but I couldn’t shake the look in his eyes as he attacked me.

It was as if he wasn’t there. His eyes were empty.

He looked soulless and that was so far from the boy I grew up with. I shoved more clothes into my bag and attempted to push it back. I’d tried to forget it, but when I closed my eyes, he was attacking me.

Then Rage…

He jumped to my rescue like the hero I knew him to be. Rage was perfect for me. There was something about him that night at the alpha house that made my wolf feel…different than Harlan.

I thought it was the shiny new toy feeling, but it turned out to be a stronger connection. I felt more of a wolf growing up than a lycan. Even though my wolf identified as both.

Bryiar sat down her caddy and pulled me into a hug. I hadn’t realized my feelings until tears began to fall down my face. “I think I love Rage,” I whispered in her ear. “I love Harlan, but it’s different, it’s weaker. And after he attacked me, I felt as if he was nailing the coffin shut.”

Bryiar pulled back with tears in her bright blue eyes. “I told you that I knew you knew the answer. You have for a while. You’re afraid to hurt Harlan. He will find a mate that loves him.”

I turned my head. “It’s going to kill him if I choose Rage, and it’s going to hurt his heart, Bryiar.”

She shook her head. “You can’t think about that. Harlan is handsome and a good guy. When he gets better, he’ll find someone that’s meant for him. Don’t worry yourself sick about it.”

I smiled though I didn’t feel reassured.

I felt like my heart was sinking.

I wiped away my tears and looked down at my bag. “I’m nervous about tonight,” I whispered. “I’m…I’m going to tell Rage my decision and ask for him to mark me. It’ll be better while Harlan is away. It’ll be easier if he isn’t near to feel it.”

“I’m so freaking happy for you. I can’t wait to see it.” She jumped up and down, and I joined in on her childish dance. “Luna Everlee Allaire. Wait—Luna Everlee Hunt. I love that. It sounds amazing. You’re amazing. This. Is. Amazing.”

I chuckled. “It’s almost six. I told Rage I would meet him at the cafeteria. Want to come?”

“Nah, I’m not going to be the third wheel. Plus, this guy asked me to grab frozen yogurt with him at the mall. He’s a junior and has been passing me notes in class.” She chuckled. “It’s lame, but I love it.”

“Good. Text me when you get back so I know he didn’t drag you into a cellar somewhere.”

She scoffed. “Excuse you, Ms. Negative. He’s on the football team and has to be at practice tomorrow morning. I can handle myself, Dear. I do shift into a wolf like the rest of campus.”

I smiled. “I miss you. Tomorrow, will you come by the room? I want to show you around.”

“Absolutely,” she said. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

I gathered the rest of my things while she went to shower and lugged the duffle over my shoulder. My walk toward the cafeteria was quick. I felt giddy like a pre-teen and my wolf was pacing in excitement.

Rage sat on the outside steps waiting for me. He had takeout plates in his hands when I neared him. “Did you make our plates already? We’re not eating in the cafeteria?”

“I thought I would surprise you with Chinese takeout. You do like Chinese, don’t you?”

“Who doesn’t?” I asked. “This is a nice surprise. You’re just trying to get me into that room quicker, aren’t you?”

Rage grinned and it melted me into a puddle of goo. “You know me well.”

“Well, by all means, follow me, Alpha.”

I could tell he was nervous and anticipating what I wanted to speak to him about. He didn’t pry and I loved that about him.

The sun was still up when I opened the luna house door and stepped inside. A few she-wolves were wandering around, but most seemed to be in the dining room. Instead of mingling, because now wasn’t the time, I guided Rage up to my room.

Heather had left it unlocked for me, so I pushed open the door and locked it behind us. “It smells so much better than the alpha house,” Rage said behind me.

I chuckled, suddenly my nerves began to eat me alive. Keeping my head down, I walked my bag over and tossed it onto the bed.

Rage sat our food down, and I felt him staring at me.

“I have to use the bathroom,” I blurted out.

I almost ran to the door and shut it. Hiding my face in my hands, I took a deep breath. ~I can do this. I can do this.~ Why am I so nervous?

~Because you’re asking a boy to bite you~, my wolf replied.

I braced my palms on the counter of the bathroom and stared at the ground. Rage knocked on the bathroom door and I stiffened. “I’ll be out in just a few minutes.”

“I can feel your unease. Are you okay? Do you need something? Medicine? Tampons?”

I smiled to myself and wiped the worry off my face. Stepping over, past my insecurities, I opened the bathroom door.

Rage’s face was full of concern, and his forearm was braced against the doorjamb. “What’s the matter?”

“I want you to mark me.”

I waited, watching him register what I just said to him and blink. “You’re—you want me to mark you?”

I swallowed my nerves. “Yes,” I said breathlessly. “I want it more than you can imagine.”

Rage chuckled lightly under his breath. “Oh, I can imagine, Ever. I’ve wanted it since the first time I saw you. The first time I smelled you. Saw you. I’ve wanted it every day since then.”

He stepped into the bathroom with me, the smell of our takeout wafted in but disappeared. I was hungry for something else. I was hungry for him.

Rage took another step and then another, until I was backed against the bathroom counter. “You’re sure?”

“I’m positive,” I whispered.

I angled my neck toward him and listened to the heavy beating of his pulse. Rage’s wolf was surfacing, and I felt his vibrations against my body. He leaned forward and inhaled deeply against my skin.

“You’re sure you want my mark on your skin?” he asked, his voice a little above a whisper. The tips of his fingertips slid against my skin and sent electricity down my body.

“I’ve never been surer,” I said, sealing my fate.

Rage circled four fingers around the back of my neck and angled my mouth upward toward his. His eyes flamed a honey color and hypnotized me instantly.

My body warmed and began to turn into liquid. The corner of Rage’s mouth twitched into a smile, and in the same second, I was in his arms being carried toward the bed.

Rage lowered me to the bed, staying a hairbreadth’s away from my lips. The silence sitting between us felt like deafening chaos. The honeycomb color of his eyes felt like a lingering sting that shifted into desire.

I suddenly didn’t feel like a wolf hybrid. I felt like prey.

His prey.

A lamb being led to slaughter.

Even though I knew, Rage cared about me.

He would protect me.

His dominance made me long for him.

Rage stilled above me, as if considering the situation, and I wanted to snap my finger in his face to make sure he hadn’t malfunctioned. “You know what you’re doing, right? You’re rejecting Harlan.”

I knew it was painful for him to say it. But I didn’t care anymore.

I loved Harlan. I had my entire life.

But not like this.

“I’m sending him to another destiny,” I answered. “He’ll find another mate after he settles his issues. I match better with you, Rage. We both know it.”

Rage ran the pad of his thumb against my bottom lip.

“Please put me out of this terribly long and miserable misery before I explode.”

This snapped him out of his self-doubt, and the self-confident man I knew came out from hiding. Slowly, as if we had all the time in the world, he slid his palm down to the hem of my T-shirt and slid it over my head.

The cool air from the fan nipped at my skin as Rage’s gaze lowered to the curve of my breasts. He lowered his head toward mine and kissed me deeply. White-hot need scorched me the lower his mouth moved.

In seconds, he’d unsnapped my bra and unzipped my jeans. The urgency in the room shifted and Rage gripped the side of my underwear and tugged them down. With no barriers, I felt my wolf begin to submit and it softened my entire body.

Rage stopped at my nipple and lazily licked it before sucking it into his mouth. “I need you to be ready so you’re overwhelmed that the bite doesn’t hurt too badly.”

“I can take it,” I whispered. “Please.”

I reached for him, but he sat back on his heels and tugged out of his T-shirt. I’d seen him shirtless many times, but it sucked the breath from me like the first.

I wasn’t sure if I could take it or not, but I would do anything for it. My wolf was submitting, softening herself in ways I didn’t realize she could.

Rage sat back on his heels and unzipped his jeans, revealing himself to me inch by inch. Leaning over me, his gaze swept me like fire, leaving me ablaze. “You’re sure?” he asked again, but this time I knew it was the final time.

“If you ask me again, I’m going to unleash my wolf and let her have her way.”

A lazy smile splayed across his handsome face. With rough fingertips, he dipped his fingers down my stomach and toward the place between my legs. My eyes rolled back in sheer bliss.

There was nothing like the touch of his hand. The feeling of need bubbled inside of me. Rage sensed my urgency, leaned down pressed his mouth against my neck. There was a moment of silence that I knew was his way of giving me a chance to back out.

It was a silent ‘speak now or forever hold your peace.’ I angled my neck, my wolf begging and pleading in a silent jolt of white-hot lust shot down my spine.

Rage maneuvered above me until I felt the tip of his dick pressed against my throbbing center. In one slick movement, Rage sunk his teeth into my neck and slipped inside of me.

My back arched from the bed, and my fingers dug into his deltoids.

The pain tingled on my skin like needles and left a warming sensation that turned to lust. Rage cursed beneath his breath, and moved his hips out and then back in.

I watched his eyes swirl when he pulled back, and my blood dropped down his mouth. Rage’s tongue snaked out and licked the droplet. I imagined what my mark would look like as he watched it formed, his hands gripping my hips tightly and his hips rolling into mine.

A dark flame flashed over his eyes, and he bent down to whisper, “You’re perfect.”

Tears brimmed the corners of my eyes and spilled over onto my cheeks. Rage kissed them away, sliding in and out of me, bringing emotions up to boil.

The same second, I felt myself settle into the feeling of him inside of me, he turned me onto my belly, and pressed my cheek into the mattress.

Each thrust built inside of me.

All of my pleasure, my feelings of need boiled over into an orgasm that spilled like a broken dam.

My guilt faded away.

I was Rage’s mate forever.

My wolf rolled over onto her back, the ultimate sign of submission and I felt Rage take charge. I couldn’t wait to see the bruises on my hips from his harsh hands or the reddened skin of my ass where he gripped it in his palm.

Rage bent over me, finding his own release, he bit my shoulder and soothed the ache with his tongue. “I love you, Ever.”

I closed my eyes from exhaustion of being marked. “I love you.”