The Masquerade Ball Part 2

*NOT EDITED*

I was about to say something back, but the girl I was supposed to be leading to the restroom, rudely asked, "So, where is the bathroom exactly?"

I gave Mason a quick thumbs up and motioned with my finger that I will catch up with him later.

"Sorry," I shifted my attention to the girl, "We are going right now."

After leading her to the restroom, and mingling with a bunch of other people, I decided that I needed a break. All this smiling was giving me a headache. So, I took off and headed to the gazebo that I so diligently decorated, and leaned on the railing, staring at the party that was happening in front of me. Everybody was having such a grand time, and I was so happy that so many more people found their mates tonight. It wasn't just Mason and Victoria. But even though the entire area was beaming with happiness, I couldn't help but feel a little sad and a little lonely too.

"You look gorgeous," Axel said behind me. Wait, Axel? I swiftly turned around to see him staring at me. I saw his eyes trail all the way down my body then back up again. All of a sudden, a wave of nervousness hit me. And the way that Axel was looking at me wasn't helping. It was almost like he was drinking me up.

"You don't look too bad yourself," I complemented the best I could. I was already too nervous, and I didn't want to say something that will only add to my embarrassment. I was happy to see that he was dressed up in a beautiful black suit with a rose boutonnière. "What are you doing here?" I quietly asked him, hoping to have him say that he couldn't stay away. That he wanted to apologize for the fight. That he wanted to spend tonight with me.

"I wanted to make sure that everything was running smoothly around here. I didn't think that staying away from pack grounds would have been the best decision. Our pack is pretty vulnerable tonight as the borders are open," he responded. I couldn't help but feel disappointed. When am I going to understand that the pack always comes first with Axel?

"Well, then you should probably go do your Alpha business. You won't be able to accomplish anything here," I despondently spoke. I really tried not to let my disappointment seep through. But, I was hoping the mask I was wearing would hide my facial expressions from my mate.

Even though I was expecting him to leave, he started walking towards me instead. I was already leaning against the railing of the gazebo, so there was no where for me to go. When he stopped walking towards me, my chest was already being pressed up against his, and my butt was leaning on the railing. I smiled awkwardly, not knowing what else to do. With that, he grabbed my waist with both his hands and pulled me closer towards him.

"I'm sorry," he stated.

"Excuse me?" I asked in disbelief. I wasn't expecting him to back down of this fight. I was the one who wanted to apologize to him.

"I'm sorry for every terrible thing that has happened to you since you got here. And I am sorry I was the reason all those terrible things happened to you in the first place. I'm sorry that I made you cry. I'm sorry that you felt you weren't enough. I'm sorry for so many things," he apologized, lifting his hand to caress my cheek, and tucking the stray lock of hair behind my ear.

"You are just saying that because I look pretty tonight. I have my hair and makeup done, and I'm wearing a pretty dress. You don't really mean that," I answered, losing my self-confidence little by little. Is he drunk or something?

"I'm serious though."

All this time, I had been avoiding eye contact with him. And even though he was holding me flush against his body, I was able to find a way to keep my eyes from chaining themselves to his. But, for some reason, I looked up at him, hopeful that we have amended our relationship. Hopeful that we have forgiven each other for not being the best versions of ourselves. When my eyes met his beautiful green orbs, I felt my body go weak, and I thanked the heavens that he had a choking hold on me.

"Then, I'm sorry too. For leaving, and for being too judgmental of you. And for everything else that bothered you. I was going to tell you before but you weren't here. You can't leave anymore. It just isn't fair. It is like you are always here, but never here at the same time," I admitted.

He nodded his head, accepting my apology. "Is it okay if I take your mask off?" he gently asked.

"I guess so." I couldn't see a reason why not. He held my mask, and slowly pried it away from my face, being careful not to tug on my hair in the process. I wanted a reason to reach up and touch his face, but he wasn't wearing a mask for me to remove.

He dropped the mask on the floor, but remained staring deep into my eyes. I wanted to look away, but it was like I was magnetically linked to him.

"You're beautiful," he whispered to me. Holy mother of God! What's happening right now?

"No, I'm not," I quickly replied. There was no way this is real. He was probably just drunk or not thinking straight from the stress of everything.

"Don't lie, you're not good at it," reiterating that he thinks I look good tonight.

"I thought it would be okay if I left for a couple of days and gave you the space that you asked for. But, I couldn't bring myself to stay away from you. I spent an entire day physically away from you, but every neuron in my brain was thinking about you. I was going insane and decided to come back," he confessed.

"You said you came back because you wanted to make sure everything is running smoothly in the pack." I was a little proud of my smartass remark. But, I wanted to hear him deny it.

"I got nervous when you asked me why I was there and said that as a fail-safe mechanism. I blurted that out without thinking," he sheepishly said. I raised an eyebrow at him, making it seem like I wasn't convinced. But a part of me really wanted it to be true.

"Calista, I came back because you deserve your princess moment."

When I heard him say that, I could feel the butterflies flutter in my stomach. This was the sweetest thing he has said to me yet.

"And what does that princess moment entail exactly?" I asked grinning like an idiot.

"Maybe a little something like this," he said, as he leaned in and placed his lips on mine. I had no idea how to react for a second as I had never kissed anyone. I pulled away quickly, a bit confused but feeling a high from the sparks of finally feeling his lips on mine. So, without another thought, I lean forward, I wrap my hands around his neck and gently kissed him back. Our lips moved in perfect sync. Every part of my body wanted to be in contact with him, so my grip on his neck tightened. I had a feeling that he felt the same when I felt his hands press my into my hips, forcing my body deeper into his embrace. I trailed my hands up his neck and through his hair, gently tugging it and messing with it as I enjoyed the best moment together with him. Pulling away from the kiss, I locked eyes with him for a second, before his face dipped down, trailing kisses down my neck to the junction between my neck and collar bone. He lapped at the skin there for a little bit, before he pulled away.

"Let me mark you," his husky voice rang in my ears. "This could be your end of the bet. You said that you would do one thing that I asked for, no questions asked. Let this be it, please," he said again. Why is he still pressing this? He kept kissing the spot and gently nibbling on it, so I couldn't form any coherent thoughts. All I could think of was how amazing his lips felt on my skin, hating the fact that we hadn't done this before. Unfortunately, he pulled away, and I instantly missed feeling his hands on me.

"You said you weren't ready to mark me." I asked.

"I thought we already established I make dumb decisions when it comes to you. And that was the stupidest thing I've done in a while. "

"I can't argue with that," I released a small giggle. "But okay, but you can't take this back. You have to be completely sure," I warned.

He kissed my neck again, drawing a trail of kisses all the way to my ear, sucking right under it.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life," as he continued kissing my neck with the best feathery kisses ever.

"I want to hear you say the words," he challenged me.

The feelings he was giving me were out of this world, and I was surprised the words even came out of my mouth. "Axel, please mark me," I almost begged.

And with that, I felt his canines, graze the side of my neck before they rested for a second. I felt nervous for a second, as I expected the pain that will accompany the marking. Placing one final kiss on my neck, he plunged his canines deep into it, holding me close. I released a small scream, as I felt the sharpness of his canines pierce my tender skin, but for some reason, I felt relaxed in his arms. It's okay. Everything is fine. This is exactly how it is supposed to be.

He finally extracted his canines from my neck, not forgetting to lick my wound a little. I understood why he did it as it would help the wound heal better, but I still couldn't help that the taste of my blood must have been gross. When the euphoric moment was finally over, I felt so weak, I could barely stand. So, he lifted me in his arms and carried me out of the gazebo.

"I'll take you inside, so you can rest, alright?" I was too drained to talk, so I just nodded my head against his chest. There was still blood trailing down my neck, and I was hoping to God that the dress doesn't get ruined. He led me through the crowds, and I could see the surprise on a lot of people's faces. Feeling slightly self-conscious, I tucked my head in Axel's neck, hoping that people would stop staring.

He finally laid me on the bed and removed my heels. He covered me up with the blanket and planted a kiss on my lips. Even though I was almost out like a light, I heard the gush of the water from the sink and assumed that he was cleaning his face from my blood.

Hearing a knock on the door, Axel headed towards it, and opened it.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but every single person is going crazy down there. And Blood Venom members are completely confused," Jace informed us.

"I guess I should go do some damage control." The door closed quietly after Axel said that. And I fell asleep with a smile on my face and the fresh thought that I was finally Axel's.