3
1103 Words
I woke up to warmth.
I was not sure where I was or why my body was heavy and sore in such a way that made my stomach twist. My head was aching a little, and my legs were aching, as though I had been running miles in my sleep.
Then I was held about the waist.
Strong arms.
My breath caught in my throat.
I opened my eyes slowly.
Gray walls. Heavy curtains. A wide bed that wasn't mine.
And behind me... him.
Killian.
His hand had fallen on me, his chest was touching my back. His breath was slow and deep, his body absolutely at rest in sleep. This was a different look on his face. Softer. Younger. Less dangerous.
My heart beat was so loud that I feared it would wake him.
The night before came back into my memory like a flash.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
The bite.
I was trembling, and slowly raised my hand to touch my neck.
It was real.
My hands moved across the soft flesh and I was almost crying.
He marked me.
Killian Volkov marked me as his mate.
"What did I do?" I whispered.
Pain was running up my chest.
What would he do upon waking up?
What would he say?
Would he regret it?
Would he hate me?
Would he reject me?
I took his arm off me very carefully and crawled out of bed.
He moved a little, but did not wake himself.
“Thank the Moon Goddess.” I mumbled.
I picked my dress up off the floor and wore it on. My hair were dishevelled, my legs aching, my heart pounding.
I took one last look at him.
Then I ran.
My face was hit by the morning air as soon as I went out of the building.
I didn't stop walking.
I didn't look back.
By the time I got to my front gate, my chest was tight and my hands were trembling.
I opened the gate and stood still.
At the front door was standing my aunt Lenna.
Her face was pale. Her eyes were wide.
"Madeline!" she cried, rushing toward me. "Where have you been? I was so worried! You did not get home last night. Do you know how scared I was?"
"I…” My voice cracked. "I'm sorry."
She caught me by the arms and inspected me. "You look awful. What happened to you? Your hair, your dress? Where were you?"
I swallowed hard. "I... I got shy. I drank too much. I was not feeling well and I slept in a small room there.
Her brows furrowed with concern. "Did anyone hurt you?"
"No," I said quickly. "I'm fine."
She searched my face. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," I lied.
She gave a trembling sigh and drew me to her close. "Don't ever do that again. You scared me half to death."
"I won't," I whispered.
I softly moved away and walker into the house.
"I'm just tired," I said. "I need to rest."
"Of course," she said softly. "Go on."
I rushed over to my bedroom and shut the door behind me.
I leaned back against the door and dropped to the floor.
"What have I done?" I whispered.
Tears burned my eyes.
I had slept with Killian.
The Alpha's son.
The son of the woman whom everybody supposed I killed.
And worse than that--
He marked me.
I touched my neck with my hand and cried.
“He would despise me,” I said to myself. “He will regret it all.”
I forced myself off the ground and went to the bathroom.
I switched on the shower and got under the under.
The water cascaded down my skin, but my body was trembling.
I scrubbed my arms. My face. My hair.
But nothing cleansed the feeling inside my chest.
As I eventually got tired, I threw a towel on myself and stood before the mirror.
My breath hitched.
There it was.
The mate mark.
There were two slight yet quite distinct bite marks on my shoulder, which was just below my neck.
My fingers hovered over it.
"It's real," I whispered.
I gazed in a mirror, and my heart beat high.
What would he do in case he remembered?
Would he come looking for me?
Would he deny me?
Would he feign it never to have happened?
A soft knock hit my door.
"Madeline?" my aunt called. "I brought you food."
The door opened before I could wear something and my aunt stepped in with a tray of food in her hand.
Then she froze.
Her eyes locked on my neck.
Her face went white.
She let out a small scream.
The tray dropped out of her hands, and its content scattered on the floor.
"Aunt Lenna--"
She stared at me in horror. "Your neck. Madeline. Your neck!"
I panicked. "I can explain."
"What is that?" Her voice trembled and she demanded. "Is that a mate mark?"
I looked down, my face burning with shame.
"Yes," I whispered.
She fell backwards and sat down on my bed.
"Who?" she breathed. "Who did this to you?"
I swallowed hard. "Killian."
Her eyes widened. "Killian Volkov?"
I nodded.
“Oh, Moon goddess,” she exclaimed. "What happened?"
My shoulders slumped.
I sat beside her.
"I got drunk," I said quietly. “I entered a room accidentally. He was there. Half naked. Sweating. In pain."
She listened, slowly nodding her head.
“I heard two women outside talking. They drugged him. They wanted to… use him.”
Her hand flew to her mouth.
“He told me to leave,” I continued. “But he was suffering. He said the drug needed… intimacy to wear off.”
She stared at me.
“I offered to help him,” I whispered. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“He bit me,” I said. “He marked me as his mate.”
Her voice trembled. “And after?”
“I woke up before him,” I said. “I panicked. I left.”
She covered her face with her hands.
A loud knock sounded at the front door.
We both froze.
My aunt stood up slowly. “Stay here.”
She left the room.
I hugged my knees to my chest, my heart racing.
What if it was him?
Footsteps came back down the hallway.
The door opened.
My aunt’s face was pale and serious.
“It’s for you,” she said quietly. “Messengers from the Alpha’s house.”
- Writer
