Marked By The Lycan King, Betrayed By Fate

CHAPTER 26

(Selene’s POV)

"Selene, you're still hurt, and I won’t do anything to you tonight."

Even though his rejection was gentle, and I knew it was for my own good, I still couldn’t stay calm in this situation.

He was angry—angry because of his jealousy and his guilt for failing to protect me properly.

Lucian tensed. His large hands, which had been holding me, slowly pulled away, only to cup my cheeks with incredible gentleness.

"Not tonight, Selene," he said softly but firmly. His gaze pierced into mine—gentle yet deep. "Your body hasn’t fully healed. I can’t do this while you’re still in pain."

I stared into his eyes, searching for something there.

"I'm fine," I replied quickly. "This wound is nothing compared to losing you. I’ve been waiting for this moment, Lucian. You’ve been waiting for it too, haven’t you? You were the one so eager to mark me."

He shook his head, his eyes dimming. "Don’t say that. You almost died, Selene. If I had been just a little bit late…" His voice broke, and he looked away. "I would never forgive myself."

My heart sank. I knew he felt guilty. Not for rejecting my request, but for what had happened to me before.

He kept repeating the same words, truly worried about me.

I reached up and caressed his cheek, forcing him to look at me. "Lucian… don’t blame yourself. You saved me. I’m alive because of you."

He remained silent. Not a single word left his lips—lips that usually never stopped speaking to me. His silence frustrated me.

"You sent Royne to protect me. That alone was proof of your effort to save me. Stop blaming yourself, Lucian."

I slowly sat up, wincing at the sharp pain. But what hurt more was his rejection.

"Lucian… I never ask you for much. But tonight, I want to be yours completely. I want you to mark me, just as we talked about. But now, you’re rejecting me. Do you know how much that rejection is breaking me?"

He immediately supported my body, panicked. "Selene, don’t force yourself. You’re still—"

"In pain? I know," I cut him off. "But this feeling… this desire… this longing… all of it is greater than the pain. I want to experience it with you. I want to be connected to you, just as you always say, so you can truly feel what’s happening to me."

Lucian let out a heavy sigh. His eyes locked onto mine—not in anger, but in an internal battle.

"I’m not rejecting you. Never think that. I just… want you to heal first. I want to mark you when you can truly enjoy everything. Without pain. Without wounds."

I leaned into him, letting my arms wrap around his neck. My warm breath brushed against his skin as I rested against his firm chest.

"I will heal. But for tonight, let me heal my heart by becoming yours. Not because of this wound, but because of what we mean to each other."

Lucian finally closed his eyes and held me tightly. "You’re so stubborn," he murmured.

I smiled slightly. "And you’re so patient. But tonight, let me be a woman waiting for you, not a patient you have to care for."

He held me closer, then lowered his head, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. At first, he hesitated, but slowly, the kiss deepened—becoming more demanding, as if all his worries melted into that one moment.

"If you feel any pain, even the slightest… tell me," he whispered between kisses.

I only nodded, unwilling to part from him. His hands caressed my body with a tenderness that sent shivers down my spine. Every touch felt like a promise—that he would cherish and protect me with everything he had.

Lucian kissed the wounds on my arms, his lips brushing over the marks on my skin as if healing them with his touch.

His voice trembled, as though holding back tears. "I almost lost you…"

"But I’m here," I replied, pulling his face back so he would look at me again. "With you."

That night, our bodies intertwined in deep warmth. There was no rush, no uncontrolled lust—only emotion. Only love.

Lucian treated me as if I were fragile porcelain, yet he couldn’t hide the passion in his touch.

His hands traced every curve of my body, making me sigh softly in his embrace. His lips left lingering kisses on my neck, my shoulders, my chest… claiming every inch of my skin as his own.

I returned every kiss, every touch, with equal tenderness.

His fingers caressed the back of my neck, making my breath hitch before it turned into gasps.

I swallowed hard, squeezing my eyes shut as I felt his fangs pierce my skin, drinking my blood, marking me as his.

"Ah…" I winced, a sharp pain shooting through me, as if my former bond with Dexton had just shattered, replaced by Lucian’s.

But he didn’t stop there. He pushed inside me, moving slowly—so painfully slow, as if afraid of hurting me because of my wounds.

I gripped his hand as our bodies finally became one. There was a slight sting, but it was erased by the way he looked at me.

Lucian gazed at me as if I was his everything. No pain could ever overshadow the beauty of this moment.

"I love you, Selene," he whispered in my ear.

"And I love you, Lucian. Always."

That night bore witness to how two souls, once separated, found their way back to each other. It wasn’t just our bodies that became one, but our emotions, our wounds, our hopes, and our unspoken love.

Though his movements were slow, it felt euphoric. I could feel his skill igniting every fiber of my being.

Lucian seemed to know my weak points, because moments later, I cried out, overwhelmed by a climax that sent pleasure rippling through me.

"Selene!" And after that, Lucian reached his release, calling my name as he finished, his lips closing over my breast in one final act of devotion.