as I stepped into the heart of the Alpha quarters. Brady craned his neck, glared and pointed a finger at me as he addressed his mother with an aggrieved voice, "What is he doing here! Did you bring him here?"

"No," she supplied with a rapid shake of her head. Looking just as worn out from what seemed to be an argument I'd walked in on. "But is it bad he came here?"

"I want him outta here," Brady decided, voice hard with passioned fury.

She looked me over and recommended, "Maybe a few parting words are what you both need if anything then to calm your Alpha. After all, he's still your..."

"He's nothing to me!" I watched in perturbation as Brady interrupted her sentence, a finality at the end of his tone. "Malik is a faction of his own. I want him out of my court, now." Then he walked away from her red-rimmed gaze that glittered with a mother's concern. With only the two of us left in there, I suddenly felt like I was the elephant in the room, that I was no different from a messy spot on a white wall that was being judged. That feeling grew thick with discomfort from being completely guilty of heinous sin.

"What are you doing here?" The She Alpha asked, "From what I understand you are supposed to be at your parents' before the ceremony later on?"

Voice barely there, I managed a true answer, "I wanted to talk to him."

She lifted an open palm, indicating toward the door and direction he'd stomped down in, "All the best." Mrs Victrolli gave me permission. So with thanks, I followed him outside the hallway down to his bedroom. Which I didn't bother knocking on as I was aware I wouldn't receive a response in the same way he'd completely ignored me in the halls when I was calling out his name. Before entering, I had lingered outside his bedroom door, trying to draw up a speech or something for him to give me mercy on. Nothing had come up, my heart never stopped clenching around itself like a snake around its helpless prey at the reality of him never wanting to see me again.

Eventually, I took the bullet and entered to unintentionally find him with a towel thrown over his broad shoulder. All thoughts left my mind, something in me felt like it was reaching for him to see me the say way I wanted to see him at his most bare. And I don't mean physically naked - even though he kind of was. His pants were still on except for his shirt, which he'd carelessly thrown on the floor. A stiff hand on the bathroom door. "What part about me throwing you out did you miss! What do want? "

At the sound of his bothered deep-set voice, nerves struck me and I bit on my lower lip just a little. As I watched the man in front of me, perfection in denim, a sore guilt vein in my heart talk to me that way. My eyes rose to his shoulders, broad and inviting but this wasn't a time for distractions as I had persuaded Malia to sneak me here for a reason.

A very important reason.

I wasn't sure of myself but I'd already gone so far with the reason that had me ignore his dismissal and take deliberate steps forward until I reached him and kissed him before I pulled away and slid off my shirt so we were both shirtless. "I want you to mark me."

"What the?" He stumbled taking a step away from me, "What?"

"If you want to..." I felt desperate as I took two steps toward him, bared my neck for him to take and ran a finger down the expanse of the vein. "I want you to mark me."

His nostrils flared, holds folded into fists over the material of the towel just as his scent of want permitted through my skin and senses. I could feel him in my blood and because of it, I knew that he wanted to lay claim no me the traditional way but his rationale made him think too much. I watched him in slow motion as he clenched his jaw, rip the towel in half and turn his warm body away from me with decisiveness. "Get out now."

He sounded angry like he was contained with a rage that could kill me if I wouldn't leave but I could feel his heartbeat. The way it was slowing down with a come hither tempo that matched my own because of want, fear, hurt and betrayal. So I asked, lowly, still unsure of myself and voice shaking with light hope. "Is that what you really want?"

He looked at me from the corner of his eyes. Eyes locking on lips, down my exposed chest and back up to my neck before he looked away and repeated. "I said get out."

His voice was deep set, low and difficult to ignore the crack of composure he wanted to hide in his words. Taking that as my last slide of hope I followed him and when he didn't move away I ran a hand down his back from the nape of his neck to the centre of his back. "I'm willing and ready and if you consent we can have this last thing for ourselves."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" He snapped a fierce growl, turning around at lighting speed to squeeze my arms under his strong palms.

"You! You're everything that's wrong and right with me." I confessed, with the instance of someone who was in an emotional fight.

He replied with the rage of someone fighting back for dear life, "If you want me to fuck you just say it. What you don't do is come here and act like its my mark you want to wear especially while we're in the middle of this. Tell me something Malik do you think I'm a fool?" he asked, fingers digging into my flesh.

I trembled, "I never thought that and its not that...I'm not looking for you to sleep with me. I...I just really want your mark. If you don't me to have it, its fine. I was ...I was just."

"Just what?" Strong hands still gripping my arms tight he laughed toward the ceiling, the sound void of humour but full of mirth and something dark that grew even darker when he lowered his face. "I'm a Blue Blood," He said as though searching my reaction for something before he added. "and I'm low on strength so I can't make my mark on you without fucking you first."

Several beats of silence passed before I could reply, "Oh,"

He dropped his hands off me and moved toward the bathroom, a few seconds delayed I followed after him, excited with consent.

"Get out." it was an order I didn't take.

Closer to him, I approached with caution and wicked fingers that circled to fiddle his belt buckle off. He didn't stop me, so feeling encouraged I spoke, "If getting your mark requires us sleeping together then let's do it. Take me."

He shoved my hands off but he was aroused, I could more than feel him even as he'd gone back to rationalize everything and every word. I couldn't blame him, all I knew was that I had to act fast. So I bared my neck again and ran a feathery finger down the expanse of it on myself. "I really really want that. Do you?"

"I can't." he breathed, sounding conflicted and heartbroken. "You have to go."

The first film of tears burned my eyes and my blood ran cold. I nodded already searching for my shirt. "Ok, sorry." I breathed an answer and turned to leave.

Just as fast he pulled me back by the back of my neck and turned me to face him. "Are you sure?" He used his thumb to check my face for an answer by caressing my cheek, drifting toward the lower lip rubbing and padding. "It's not just sex I'll be marking you. Do you understand that?"

"Yes." I was breathless but that was answer enough and especially about the marking. The ceremony was meant to strip me of my wolf, rendering me human and unaffected by a wolf's intimate mark. Brady was not going to be as powerful as he would have been under a mate bond, he also was not going to enjoy the exhilarating opportunity to mark a mate all wolves, especially Alphas looked forward to. However, with my wolf's mecca transferred to complete his, he was going to be just strong enough and free to pick a mate or more of his choice. From a pool of those that would do just about anything for the blue blood in his veins and the power it guaranteed. Even though I had everything to lose, we both had something to gain or enjoy from the full wolf's act of sex with each other. "I know," I added, still breathless.

"Good." Then he was kissing me deeply and savagely, his thumb still between our conjoined lips. The first moment we came up for air, his thumb moved to massage the corner of my jaw and I checked to be certain, "What about you. Do you want this?"

Brady's answer came in the form of him slamming my back against the tiled wall and pressing his hips to meet mine in a broken tandem I couldn't find a name or term for. Inside me, something snapped as I surrendered myself to more of the sweltering kiss that Brady broke. Just enough to give me the composure that he was ready to just get down straight to the business, affection aside.

It hurt and I began trembling but I had to keep myself together so I went straight to it after his lead. After he slid a hand down the back of my boxers, massaging me in a way that made me moan. I slid mine the front of his to gently palm his arousal, which looked long and thick, pressing against the fabric of his unzipped jeans. With ease, a motion got established, nice and fast we followed it until my boxers were ripped off me and his shaft was free from his jeans. I glanced downward as if to check how far off he was taking them off and in doing so scanned his flesh. His hardness was very aroused, it was tipped upwards too, magnificently long, veiny with the most impressive girth, I couldn't wait to have inside me. With a slow exhale I turned to face forwards and found him smirking at me. "Think you can take it?"

I trailed a finger down his abdomen, "Why. Think you can give it to me good?"

He growled, placing his hands on the back of my thighs, to lift and slam me back on the wall after he'd undressed me to exactly nothing. "I'm gonna ruin you for anyone else."

With a whimper, my hands flew around his neck for support and I moaned when the new position had my arousal going up and down in such tantalising motion between our naked bodies. He kissed me hard, groaning when his shaft fit to go in and out, up and down, between my cheeks without actual penetration but as a simulation of the actual act.

"Is this what you want?" his teeth grazed my neck only to tease, powerful hands gripping me hard and sure as he slammed me into the wall as if he really was screwing me hard and harder.

"Yes," I cried, enjoying a small inhale of his exquisite cologne and natural scent that lingered in the air from his neck veins. The aroma was enough to flood my brain with inexperienced desire and endorphins. It was heady, entrancing, perfect and intoxicating, very much so I had to put in the effort to hide the level to which I'd already been affected by all of it. But then he nabbed my earlobe with his teeth, his cock sliding up to press against what I'd never known was a sensitive area of mine. I breathed deep and fast as he slid out and back again, his cock pressing against the cosy space where my sac and opening met. Something between a cry and moan escaped my lips with the hunger of needing more pleasure to dribble everywhere around my body and senses. He did it again eliciting that sound again, landing me stuck in a space where I felt shy about my reactions but wanting for all of him inside me. I also didn't want him to stop though but to think I was a whore, even though months ago I hadn't cared what he thought of me.

"Fuck Malik! You feel so good dammit." He hissed, "I could fuck you right here on the wall."

Oh gods I wanted that so bad, I was just too shy and new to this to say it though, so I wrapped my legs sharp around his waist. But he unwrapped them leading my feet back to the ground even as he leaned down to grip my throat and kiss me hard, wet and long. Eyes hazy with pooling heat I curled my fingers tight around his toned arms and watched as fine muscles rippled through his gold-framed bod. I'd never seen a more devastatingly sexy naked body in my entire life. And I had seen plenty during my college days through porn subscriptions when heat struck me.

"Malik," I heard the whisper as though it was coming from far away.

Pleasantly distracted I hummed an answer.

"I said I could fuck you right here on the wall?"

I moaned pressing into him, too eager and wanting it so bad but too far gone to answer when the sight of Brady Victrolli who was all man, naked and breathing rapidly to my touch was right in front of me. His mesmerising deep blue eyes, with flecks of silvery light that performed ballets throughout, had me in trance. His face was strong and defined, the handsome features moulded from granite my eyes kept running over. His dark eyebrows, sloped downwards in a serious expression as though waiting for me to say something.

I cupped his jaw with my fingers, coarsing him to dip his head down so he could collect a kiss from me. I kissed him slowly, with moans I couldn't help but allow to escape down his throat. His strong hands, which were slightly rough compared to mine, carried me back into his arms before he dipped down to kiss my neck with affection as he carried me to the bed.

Even within the kiss, I couldn't help but blush at the thought of giving myself to him.