Chapter 72

"I don't recognize it."

"It's EDM."

"...speak real words."

Jo rolled her eyes and launched a piece of popcorn at Ryker's head. It should've hit him in the cheek, but he twisted his head and caught it in his mouth. The two of them were in Jo's house, sprawled out on her bed while they focused on classwork for once. Her laptop was set up on the desk, an unfinished paper calling her name.

When she had first arrived in town, Jo had been entirely intent on spending almost all her time on her college courses and avoiding any relationships deeper than classmates/acquaintances. And now she was practically engaged to Ryker and swiftly becoming a part of his family and a fixture in town. She was even starting to memorize the names of some of the coffee shop regulars.

Ryker grabbed a handful of popcorn and popped it into his mouth. "Let's listen to something else."

"We're studying, remember?"

His gaze was unamused. "But I'm bored." Popping a hand down on her thigh to hold her in place, he leaned over her and reached for her phone.

Jo wriggled, trying to escape. To keep the phone away from him, she snatched it up and held it out as far as she could, past the edge of the bed. "I'm trying to help you and this is the thanks I get?"

"We're in the same class, this helps you too." His fingers brushed her wrist, and she had to shift away to keep the phone out of his grasp.

"Yeah, but I actually paid attention instead of sleeping in class, unlike someone."

"I'm a very busy person," Ryker rumbled. "I have to sleep sometimes."

"You're less busy now." It had been almost a week since the birthday party at the Monroe's house. Jake and his wolves were officially gone, and Duncan had started showing up for Alpha lessons, which was a weird and not exactly fun situation for everyone, but it kept Malcolm happy. Plus Lexi and Duncan could hang out without everyone texting her every five minutes to check in.

"Says you." His arm slid underneath her, and before she could react, he hauled her back and rolled her over him and dropped her onto the bed again. With a quick snatch, he grabbed her phone, his other hand pressed into the mattress, right beside her head.

"Ryker!"

Electronic dance music switched instantly to some old 80s song, rough with lots of electric guitar. "That's better."

"Not for studying for a quiz."

Ryker made a face. "That's overrated."

"When I transfer to a 4-year university I guess I'm leaving your ass behind."

As predicted, Ryker's expression immediately turned an adorable mixture of pouty and grumbly. "You can't leave me." At her murderous expression he quickly amended. "You don't want to leave me."

"I can, and I'll have to for at least a couple of years if you don't get accepted anywhere because you tanked your GPA." She wasn't going to mention the UNC online program that allowed you to finish some of your bachelor degrees online through the local universities. The boy needed motivation.

Yes, boy. He was behaving like a boy right now, not a man.

Ryker sighed, bringing his forehead down to rest against her neck. The mood suddenly shifted as she felt first his warm breath across her neck, followed by several tantalizing kisses that caused Jo to echo Ryker's sigh, shifting restlessly.

"Right here," he mumbled. "One day that's where your mark will be."

"Ryker." Jo curled her fingers into his hair, tugging gently to get him to look up at her. With a reluctant last kiss he did, eyes still dark with desire. "One day doesn't have to be that far away," she said, finally releasing the words she'd been mulling over how to say the last couple of days. "When you're ready, I am."

His eyes widened as he leaned back to study her, apparently not quite believing that she was. Which was understandable, considering how often she'd bemoaned getting munched on by a wolf.

"I'm serious," she said, smiling a little at the question in his eyes. Then trying to lighten the mood, she continued. "Plus, I'm super hopeful that telepathy will work so next time you're being an idiot while I'm not near you I can still yell at you."

He chuckled a little, one hand reaching for her hair, twining it around his fingers. "We don't know if that part will work. So I wouldn't get a mark just for that."

Jo rolled her eyes, using her palm on his cheek to direct his gaze back to her own. "That would just be a bonus, Ryker." She took a deep breath, a strange fluttering of nerves in her stomach. Why was she scared to say this? She'd been less scared to say I love you to him. But...somehow, this felt even deeper than that. Beyond the love some couples shared. She supposed soulmate really was a good description. "I know I'm all in. I can't imagine life without you anymore, and I don't want to."

She caught a brief glimpse of fierce, raging, emotion in Ryker's eyes before he squeezed them shut, as if trying to hide all his feelings from her. "Nuh-uh," she tsk'ed softly. "I got all sappy on you, now it's your turn."

He grinned at him as he huffed a quiet laugh, opening his eyes again.

And what she saw took her breath away. Love, pride, adoration..."I don't know what to say," he admitted quietly, "beyond the fact that you're the best thing that ever happened to me, and if I don't get into UNC Charlotte with you, you better believe I'm still following you there, babe."

Jo laughed until it was cut off by Ryker's kiss, fierce and hungry. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him close.

He broke off, grinning at her.

"What?" Jo asked suspiciously, not liking the glint in his eye.

"I just thought of another way to express myself. And study at the same time. Kill two birds with one stone."

"I don't know how I feel about romancing me being equated to killing birds," Jo joked, watching as Ryker tapped away at her phone. It'd probably been a bad idea to give him her passcode.

Ryker started humming a second before the music began to play, and it took Jo a few more seconds to catch up. She threw her head back, laughing. "Are you serious?"

You know that it would be untrue

You know that I would be a liar

If I was to say to you

Girl, we couldn't get much higher

Come on, baby, light my fire

Come on, baby, light my fire

Try to set the night on fire

"What is that from the 60s?"

"Mhmm," he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "The Doors."

"Well at least we know one section of the exam you'll pass."

He kissed her forehead, then her nose.

The time to hesitate is through

No time to wallow in the mire

Try now we can only lose

And our love become a funeral pyre

"This is my romancing song? It's morbid!"

Ryker rolled his eyes. "Don't hate on the classics." His expression turned into a full blown smirk as he literally started singing to her. "Come on, baby, light my fire... Come on, baby, light my fire. Try to set the night on fireeeee..."

"Oh my god!" Jo laughed and snatched the phone from his unsuspecting hand, shutting the music off. Then she yanked at his shirt collar, pulling him down yet another kiss because how could you not when your boyfriend just sang a song to you? Not only that but had the audacity to sing it with a sexy, husky voice and a goofy expression?

Life had never given her a chance to say no to his man.

"I take it my singing turns you on?" Ryker murmured, kissing along her jaw.

"I'm not answering that." He didn't need his ego inflated, it was healthy enough as it was. "But I will tell you...if you were waiting for the perfect moment to mark me...now definitely works." There was no doubt, at all.

"Can I?" he whispered against her lips, sounding almost disbelieving. How many times did she have to tell him before he knew she was for sure?

"I just told you that you could, doofus."

His eyes darkened to a deep uncertain gold. "It'll hurt." He was the best boyfriend, he really was. She loved him. But for real...

"I know, you told me," she said, stroking her thumb against the nape of his neck. "I'm okay with that."

He pulled back a little. "I wanted to make it romantic..."

"Ryker, this is romantic for me. Just us, wanting the same thing, both recognizing our love for each other. That's enough."

He groaned in defeat while Jo smiled in triumph, recognizing the sound for what it was. And then his lips were back at her neck, only she felt several sharp points there that she normally didn't feel.

"Love you," he murmured, before suddenly the points were digging into her skin.

It felt exactly like what it was. A sharp bite, causing Jo to hiss in pain and arch her back in tension as she tried not to cry out. She didn't want Ryker to feel worse than he already did about causing her pain. As he pulled back, eyeing her worriedly, she went to reassure him she was fine before she had to clamp her teeth shut–because now there was pain shooting from the mark, straight through her whole body.

"I'm sorry," Ryker murmured, eyes flicking around her face restlessly. "It's probably a little more painful since you're human, but it should be over soon." A rush of energy seemed to pass through Jo, completely draining her, and then there was blissful darkness.

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A/N: A little on the short side, but we'll get to see what her bond looks like in the next chapter. I actually had a lot of fun with this chapter, and I apologize to anyone who now has that song stuck in their head. I promise it's stuck in mine too!