| marked |

It was still hot and painful, but my body felt a bit of relief.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I quickly realized that I was in the bathroom, lying in a bathtub filled with the coldest water.

I smelled Ian so I searched for him, I didn't have to look very far because he was right beside me. He was leaning against the wall, his eyes were closed. He was dozing off.

I wonder how long I've been here.

I remembered the last happenings before I blacked out again. Ian had pushed me away, he said it was only my heat that was making me want him.

Goodness, how dense could he be? I would want him regardless of my heat or not.

For now the pain was bearable, the cold water must've helped, but I know it wasn't over yet. There is only way for the heat to stop and that was for me to get marked... during our first mating.

I sighed, although I felt rejected, I'm happy that Ian thought of what I would have wanted first. He must've known that I wasn't at a very best place to be making decisions. For now, I was only thankful that I could think clearly and I had the strength to move.

I stood up, trying to move as stealthy as possible. Ian must've been watching over me for a long time, it's only fair for him to rest.

However, my plan didn't work out because as I stood, his eyes opened and he immediately stood up. He took a towel and wrapped it around me.

"I'm sorry, I fell asleep." he said, he took off the thing that stops the water from going down the drain and it started doing so. I took the towel and started drying myself.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered, I couldn't look him in the eyes. I keep remembering how embarrassingly I acted in front of him.

I heard him chuckle and I quickly glared at him, pouting. How dare he laugh at my demise?!

Upon receiving my deathly glare, he tried to stop himself from laughing from failed. "Let's dry you up." he said as he approached me. He carried me from the bathtub and led me back inside the room.

He set me down one of the couches of his room as I started drying myself again with the towel.

Ian left for a bit saying he had to get something and when he returned, he handed me one of his shirts. He also had another towel in which he helped me dry myself.

When he sat in front of me, I spoke again. "Mark me." My heart beat loudly as I dropped the words. Ian must've not been expecting it because his eyes widened as he looked back at me.

"H-Hannah, are you sure about this? Are you ready? The mark will hu--" I held his face with one of my hands as I touched my forehead onto his. The heat was starting to act up again and I was starting to feel the pain.

"Shh... I know you're worried, but I will be fine. I know that I don't have Alpha or Beta blood running through my veins so the mark will hurt, but don't worry about it. I'm ready to take the pain Ian." I explained to him.

I could feel that he was still worried, he was hesitating, he didn't want me to go through the pain. But I couldn't find the words to explain to him that going through the heat's pain must've be worse than the pain that I will go through with the marking.

"I love you, Hannah." he said. My eyes widened, my heart sped up more than it did before. The heat intensified, the attraction became stronger. I knew he cared for me and possibly loved me, he never said it before, but he always showed it. He was shy when showing his real emotions and he must've not been used to it and I perfectly understood why.

But still...

Hearing him say it directly to me had a different effect. He loved me, Ian loved me.

We didn't start at the best footing, but we were here now. We managed to overcome our differences and tried our best to accept each other with all our flaws. But that all seemed so far now.

Ian loved me and I loved him back too, but I couldn't bring myself to say the words too.

My cheeks burned up as he looked at me with such sincerity in his eyes, telling me that he really meant what he said. I bit my lower lip and looked away, his gaze was intense and sincere.

"You're quite sly." I whispered and I only hear him chuckle. The heat's pain made its way back, this time it demanded to be felt even more than before.

I winced, although I must've been in that cold bath for a long time, it seemed to turn to naught because now my body was starting to burn up again.

Ian must've noticed it too. "Hold on, I'll start the water--"

I didn't give him the chance to walk away and leave me. I pulled him closer to me and kissed him again.

How bold even for me now that I'm at the right state of mind.

But that didn't matter now.

Ian was quick to return my kiss, responding to it, making me smile. I wrapped arms around his neck and perfectly, he was sitting in front of me so I was able to wrap my legs around his torso.

He carried me off the couch and closer to the bed.

Once we were on top of the bed, his hands worked their way to remove my shirt again, like he did before I blacked out. I helped him take his shirt off too.

He pulled away from our kiss as his lips trailing kisses until my lower neck, where his mark should be. My body responded so naturally, the pain of the heat seemed to disappear as it felt my mate's touch on where I should be marked.

I gasped at the relief I felt. Ian looked up to me, I could now see the mix of lust in his eyes. I kissed him back and he again responded. As for his hands, they made their way to my skirt, easily pulling it away. He slowly laid me down the bed.

When he pulled away to take a look at me, I looked away and bit my lip. I felt so naked-- which I almost was. My heart was racing and I was getting so hot. "S-stop looking." I managed to whisper.

Ian chuckled and started trailing kisses from my neck down to my... chest. "You're more beautiful than you think yourself to be."

He went back up to my neck, gently nibbling on where his mark should be.

Ian looked at me first. "I'm going to mark you now." he said. I took a deep breath and nodded.

He shew his canines and damn was it long. His eyes turned gold as he showed them. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for the pain.

And then it came.

As his canines sunk onto my neck, the pain came gushing through. And here I thought the pain of the heat was bad.

This pain was worse, it was excruciating, I couldn't even scream. All that left my mouth was moan of pain and a tear falling from my eye. I could feel every vein that the pain passed through and I almost thought that my heart was going to stop from the pain.

But then Ian pulled back and I could feel something warm where he placed his mark. The mark was forming and after a short while, the pain subsided.

What followed was bliss.

I could feel more of what Ian was feeling, I could hear more of what he was thinking. I could feel that we were truly connected now. Our bond was stronger.

I opened my eyes and looked at him, I felt that he was worried and started to blame himself whether he did it wrong or if he made a mistake. I smiled and right away, he felt relief and then he was happy.

He came closer again and kissed me again.

"Gosh, you drive me crazy." he whispered when he pulled away momentarily. I smiled at his comment.

"Good." I kissed him back. I could feel his hand travelling behind my back.

Easily, he unhooked the strap of my undergarment.

And what happened next was a passionate night where love was not spoken but felt.

----------------

uhm... are you happy?

that's as best as i could do HAHHAHAH

anyways, stay safe!

much love

-skyy💕