CHAPTER 6: THE MARKING

Olivia stood frozen as fear like she had never known engulfed her. She had just met the guy and had no plans to let him claim her. But watching him die in front of her scared her more than a lifetime of being his prisoner. He can’t just die like that!

As she watched the rogue reach towards the Alpha’s neck as if in slow motion, Olivia prayed to whatever deities existed in the world. ‘Just don’t let him die, please! Anyone but him…’

He was just a stranger to her, and she didn’t even acknowledge the mate bond yet, so she didn’t know why she was this worried about his wellbeing. But Olivia was so petrified to think rationally. She just needed him to live…

Just as the rogue was about to wrap his hand around his throat, his hand snaked out so quickly that Olivia let out a gasp. Before she could even blink, he caught the other man’s outstretched hand and flipped him onto the floor before leaping up and pouncing on him. The tables had turned and now it was the rogue lying helplessly on the floor. His reddish brown eyes were wide with disbelief, unable to digest how he was bested by the guy who he thought of as easy prey. In his shock, he couldn’t do anything but lie dazed as the Alpha pulled him up as if he was just a rag doll.

As she watched the scene unfold in front of her, Olivia realized that it was exactly what the blue eyed Alpha had been aiming for. He had let the rogue believe he had the upper hand while he was actually alert and ready to attack at any moment. While the rogue let down his guard, certain of his victory, the Alpha pounced, catching him off guard. What an evil genius!

As Olivia stared with shock, the Alpha twisted the rogue’s head. Before she could even realise what happened, the guy’s neck snapped with a sickening crack. She stood still with shock, not even able to scream let alone breath, as the man fell lifelessly on the floor. She watched as the light faded from his eyes, which were wide with disbelief even in death.

A deafening silence rang in the room as Olivia stood numbly, trying to process what had just happened. Though she had seen him already kill someone earlier that night, this somehow felt different. For one, that time it had been a wolf that he had killed and seeing a man die in front of her life felt unreal. And this time, it didn’t happen in a random alley but her home, the place she considered her safe haven.

Olivia knew that he had no options. It was either kill or be killed. She knew that if he hadn’t killed the man, he would have killed her mate and then came for her. Maybe the rogue would have claimed her for himself. Or maybe he would have killed her too after raping her because, unlike other wolves, rogues had no concept of family. He had no need to keep her other to satisfy his carnal desires, which human women could never do. Even knowing all this, Olivia couldn’t help but shudder when the shock finally wore off.

It wasn’t just that he killed a man. It was the way he did it. So easily as if he was snapping a twig and not someone’s neck. That too of a rogue at that. And how he stood, entirely unaffected, as if he hadn’t just killed a man with his bare hands. No shock, no guilt, nothing. It was almost as if he did things like this, or even worse on a daily basis, and the dead body lying on the floor was nothing but a minor inconvenience. Only one word came to her mind to describe his attitude, ruthless… Just who the hell was he?

Well, it didn’t matter who he was. What mattered was that he was more dangerous than she had realised. His gorgeous appearance had blinded her, and she didn’t try to see beyond it. But the way in which he disposed of the rogue was an eye opener for her. If he could kill a man without even batting an eye, he was someone whom she shouldn’t have anywhere near her. She had to snap out of her damn heat and its haze and get rid of him once and for all.

The Alpha stood there with narrowed eyes, looking at the body as if examining his handiwork. Then, with a shrug, he pulled the body by the legs and dragged him out of the room while Olivia just stood silently. Within moments, he was back, and she wondered what he had done with the body. Whatever it was, she was glad the body was out of her sight.

Her mate turned to her and stared at her with raised brows, as if daring her to say something. Olivia glared at him with determination as she realised what she had to do. The only way to escape him was to make him realise she was not his property. And she just knew how to do it. The thought of what she was going to do sent a wave of pain rippling through her. But she clamped it down, knowing it had to be done. For her freedom and her sanity…

Olivia took a deep breath before looking at her mate straight in his raging blue eyes. She didn’t even know his name, but she guessed it would work without that, too. It just had to.

“I, Olivia Thomas, reject-“ she started, but before she could finish the sentence, Olivia was pulled abruptly. As she blinked in surprise, her lips were sealed with those hot, sinful lips that she had been fantasizing all night. Olivia stiffened and raised her hands to push him away. But he chose that moment to thrust his tongue inside her mouth. When his tongue skillfully moved against hers in a tantalizing motion, Olivia lost all her inhibitions and melted into the kiss. She forgot all the reasons she shouldn’t be kissing him, including the dead man in her house.

One of her hands went to his hair and as their tongues danced against each other, Olivia sighed with bliss, thinking how his hair was just as soft as she imagined. Her other hand went to his waist and, as she felt the hardness of his body, she remembered he was naked. That didn’t feel like a bad thing anymore. Not at all.

She couldn’t even blame the heat because the moment she melted into his embrace, the heat had receded, almost like a content puppy who got the treat he wanted. This was all her and her desire for the man.

As he pulled her towards him, their bodies pressing against each other without even an inch of space between them, Olivia felt his throbbing erection pressing against her belly. That was when she realised that during all the frenzy, she had lost her towel and she was now just as naked as him. Realizing that she had lost her last bit of defense and he could claim her any moment now, Olivia felt the cloud of lust recede a bit. Sure she was undeniably attracted to him. But was she ready for the next step with him? And her apprehension didn’t just come from the fact that she was a virgin. She had tried to have sex with a few men in the past, but her dormant wolf always got restless during those times. If her wolf nature was revealed to humans, that would have been a catastrophe she didn’t want on her hands. And here she was…

He pulled back from the kiss, and his lips trailed down her neck, leaving a delicious burning sensation. As his mouth reached her breast and he sucked on it, Olivia let out a moan as she threw her head back. Her stomach clenched with desire that bordered on the verge of painful. His hand squeezed her other breast, giving it equal attention while his mouth sucked on the other.

He pulled back suddenly and Olivia let out a mewl in protest, but it turned into yet another moan as he dropped on to his knees and parted her legs before thrusting his tongue inside her sex. She turned into a mindless mess as her world became a chaos of need and bliss. While his mouth continued to pleasure her, his hand reached between their bodies. Then he started rubbing her clit, making her go off the edge, and she reached the most amazing climax she has ever had.

As she shuddered, letting out yet another moan, he held onto her body, making sure she wouldn’t fall onto the ground like the boneless mess she was. Slowly, she opened her eyes lazily and looked down at him to see him looking at her with a proud gleam in his mysterious eyes. Then he slowly licked his lips, while maintaining eye contact with her, savouring her taste and Olivia found that the hottest thing she had ever seen.

Slowly, he got up from the floor and picked her up as if she was nothing more than a feather. Then he strode towards the bed with purpose and placed her on it before climbing on top of her. He leaned down and placed his lips on hers while she felt his cock probing against her entrance. As he pushed against her, preparing to enter her, Olivia tensed, all reasons of why she shouldn’t be doing it flashing through her mind. She was so desperate for him to fill her with himself, both the heat and her own natural urges demanding her to just enjoy and let him pleasure her. But the rational part of her raised its head and she couldn’t help but feel as if she had to stop him.

“Stop,” she murmured, not really meaning it, but she had to try. She didn’t even know if he would listen to her or if he even could, considering how hard his length was pressing against her.

He paused for a moment before suckling on her lips, demanding entrance, and nudged her legs apart, rubbing his thick shaft against her wet entrance. She knew that he was trying to distract her and, to her chagrin, it was working, too. She needed him more than she needed her next breath. But no…

“No,” she said, more firmly this time. If he didn’t listen and continued, she would be a willing participant and she would certainly enjoy it as proven just now. But she had said no and if he ignored it, she would not forget it or forgive him. She would see it as rape even if she would let him conquer her body. But her heart would never belong to him…

When he paused and pulled back from her suddenly, she didn’t know if she was relieved or disappointed. Slowly, she looked up to see a flash of frustration and disappointment in his eyes before the now familiar calm mask slid back on his face. And then, before she could even realise what happened, he leaned down and bit down on the sensitive spot where her neck and shoulder meets, marking her. Normally, mates mark each other during sex, taking the pain off the bite, leaving only pleasure. But Olivia wasn’t expecting it to happen like this and she hissed out at the pain.

“You son of a-“ she cried before her world turned black.