RIDING WITH THE BEAST

MARK OF THE BEAST

CHAPTER 5: MARK OF THE BEAST

The rest of the afternoon passed in a thick, heavy silence.

Every time the door opened, my head snapped up, heart jumping into my throat. But it was only club members coming and going, checking in, getting orders from Kael, their faces tight and serious. The air hummed with quiet readiness — you could feel it, like a storm gathering right above our heads.

Kael stayed close. He didn’t hover, but he was never more than a few feet away, his eyes never straying too far from where I worked. Every now and then, he’d send me a look — dark, steady, full of that unspoken promise: I’ve got you.

By the time night fell, the bar cleared out early. Only the core brothers remained, locking down the doors, checking the windows, and setting up guards at every entrance. This wasn’t just a bar anymore — it was a fortress.

I was wiping down the last of the glasses when a heavy hand landed on my shoulder.

I jumped, then relaxed instantly when I smelled that familiar mix of leather and cedar.

Kael turned me around to face him, his gaze sweeping over me slow and hungry, like he hadn’t gotten a good enough look all day.

“Time to stop,” he said, his voice low and rough. “No more work tonight. We’re moving you to the main quarters — my quarters. Safer there.”

My breath caught. “Your quarters?”

“Mine,” he confirmed, no room for argument. “If Julian is stupid enough to come for you, I want you where I can reach you in two seconds flat. No more separate rooms. Not while there’s war at the door.”

A flicker of something twisted in my gut — fear, yes, but also a sharp, throbbing heat. Living under the same roof as him? Sleeping in his space? It was exactly what I should run from… and exactly what my body was already craving.

I nodded once. “Okay.”

A slow, wicked smile spread across his face. “Good choice.”

He led me up a different set of stairs this time, to the far end of the hall. He unlocked a heavy wooden door, pushed it open, and gestured me inside.

The room was bigger than I expected — a king-sized bed with dark sheets, a sturdy desk, a leather couch, and walls lined with shelves holding books and weapons in equal measure. It smelled entirely like him, and just stepping over the threshold felt like stepping into his world completely.

I turned to say something, but the words died in my throat.

Kael was right there, filling the doorway, shutting and locking the door behind him with a loud click. The sound echoed, and suddenly there was nowhere to go — but I didn’t want to go anywhere.

He stepped closer, slow and deliberate, backing me gently until my legs hit the edge of the bed. I sank down, looking up at him, my pulse hammering hard enough to hear.

“Earlier today,” he murmured, kneeling between my knees, his hands resting light but heavy on my thighs, “that little rat Cole looked at you like you were still Julian’s property. Spoke your name like you belonged to him.”

His eyes darkened, turning into burning embers.

“That ends tonight. Once and for all.”

“Kael…” I breathed, my hands resting on his broad shoulders, fingers curling into the hard muscle beneath his shirt.

“You made a deal, remember?” He leaned in, his lips brushing my jawline, sending shivers racing all over my skin. “You stay, you follow my rules, and you give me what I want. Tonight, I want everyone to see — to know — exactly who you belong to now.”

Before I could answer, his mouth found my neck.

Not soft kisses — open, hot, claiming presses, his tongue tracing the sensitive skin, his teeth grazing just hard enough to make me gasp and arch into him. He moved lower, finding the spot right where my neck met my shoulder, and sucked hard, marking me, branding me, making me cry out his name.

My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer instead of pushing him away. Every touch sent fire through my veins, wiping away every memory of cold hands and harsh words. This was heat. This was power. This was mine, even if it was his taking.

When he finally pulled back, I was breathless, head spinning, skin throbbing right where he’d left his mark. He stared at the red, darkening bruise with pure satisfaction, his thumb running over it gently.

“There,” he growled, voice thick with desire. “Now when anyone looks at you — Julian, his men, anyone — they’ll see it. They’ll know you’re marked by the Beast. That you’re mine to protect, mine to touch, mine to take.”

He stood up, pulling me with him until I was pressed flush against his chest, our bodies fitting like they were made for each other. His lips crashed down on mine — deeper, hungrier, devouring every sound I made, every breath I took. His hands roamed my back, my waist, pulling me tighter, claiming every inch he could reach.

Just as things started to spiral out of control, a sharp, urgent knock rattled the door.

“Prez! We got movement on the north road — three bikes, fast and coming straight this way!”

Kael froze. His kiss broke, but he didn’t let go of me. His eyes flashed from heat to ice-cold focus in half a second. He pressed one last, hard kiss to my lips, then rested his forehead against mine.

“Stay here. Lock this door behind me. Don’t open it for anyone but me or Jax. Understand?”

My heart hammered for a whole new reason now — fear of what was coming. “Be careful.”

A dark, confident smirk tugged at his mouth. “Baby, I was born for this. Just wait for me. And remember — no matter what happens out there… you’re mine. Nothing changes that.”

He pulled away, grabbed his gun from the nightstand, checked it once, and headed for the door. He unlocked it, glanced back one last time, and stepped out.

I heard the key turn in the lock from the outside, securing me in place.

Alone in his room, marked by his lips and his name, I stood there listening to the shouts and the revving of engines starting up downstairs.

The war had officially arrived.

And whether we won or lost, one thing was certain — I was no longer the runaway wife.

I was the Beast’s woman.

End of Chapter 5