Touching the burn on her neck, she moved on her side. He had his eyes closed, a sinful satisfaction rested upon his eye lids and the most kissable lips.

Every thing seemed like a lull. Serene lull.

She felt the bruises on the right parts of her body. Her system definitely rebooted. That's when the church of holy thoughts commenced.

Jaws of ancient anxiety chomped on her insides.

He told her, she was falling for him. Was she? If so, that's bad. Very bad. From past experience, she knows it would lead to something foul and empty and inescapable.

Watching his peaceful face made her think what if he is done with her. What if now that he finally got what he wanted, he'll leave her. And let's not forget this asshole giraffe was supposed to be celibate- oh my gosh! He was to marry Yuh after three months!

She jolted upright, her neck almost cracked.

Yisrael snapped his eyes open when River got up, rushing to deign on her clothes. He stretched up, rubbing his stubble and clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"Mind telling me what you are doing?"

The discarded dress was shimmied back up. Gone were his woman's curves and the last jiggle of her ass and breasts were like mournful memory.

"I'm heading back to the village. It's late."

She was unusually quiet. It was thick like treacle. She tied up the bitten ends of her dress which he tore from his teeth and began to move back where they came from.

"Hold it." He stood up, his naked length was designed to be viewed.

Unblemished, he planted his hands on his hips trying to calm the bead of anxiety forming in the hollow of his chest.

His face pinched into a mix of anguish and anger. She turned and when she narrowed her gaze on his cock, she averted. "Put your pants on first."

"What? Suddenly you shy now?"

His tone didn't sit too well with her.

"No but obviously you are holding me off because you wanna talk. And if you wanna talk, get your pants back on."

Noticing the seriousness on her face, his own scrunched further. "What's wrong?"

She refused to melt like a puddle at his soft plead. Crossing her arms on her chest, she kept her face precluded.

"That's how it is? You won't talk till I put my pants? Woman, you screamed and creamed my cock while I took you like an animal. Now you all primed? I don't get you."

The way he said what he said, almost made her whimper but she jerked from that fiery dream and snapped. "And you don't need to."

"What the fuck is your deal?"

"Nothing! I am just leaving while you are the one parading around unclothed asking me what my deal is?"

He blinked. Suddenly the way he stared at her made her shrink. It was like an accused finger pointed at the guilty one.

"You regret this."

An eerie like calm washed over her.

"There is nothing to regret. We just had sex and it's all over when you get-" She said the next word slow and deliberate. "-married."

Fuck. He had forgotten all about that. Celibacy, self control, Yuh, his father. Oh the lord of Jaguar, what have I done?

When she saw how everything registered on his face, she realized that soon it will slip in. The growing distance, the mood off like a switch, the curtains being yanked and jostling your morning sleep up to the blaring light.

"That's what I thought." Again the burn on her neck glowed and she placed her hand on to it.

He noticed it and then another look of horror congealed and it weirdly disturbed her.

"What?"

"I bit you." He turned abruptly to pick up his pants, yanking it back on.

Not wanting to blush at the way they naturally rode the hell out of each other. She truly wasn't herself. She was...she didn't know what she was! It went over line and between and then there were just frenzied scribbling all over a blank lined paper.

"Right. So?"

He gritted his teeth, trying to control his temper. She was acting like as if they just didn't have the best sex of his life and he was fucking sure of her life.

Mimicking her, he whirls back. "So it means something."

He didn't offer anything else and headed out with her angrily following him from behind which was the last thing she wanted to do. Like she had a choice.

They came out of the cave and the wall slid with grueling friction shut.

It was still patiently dark. The noiseless forest suddenly looked asleep. Like the gorgeous doze that made her try to be extra quiet and not disturb her surroundings.

River purposely linked her hands behind so as to pretend she was so okay with acting like whatever happened in the cavern should stay there.

Yet she was curious to know about 'this bite'.

She continued behind him and asked. "What does that mean?"

He spun so fast, almost making her fall onto the leafy ground.

"Why do you want to know? Clearly you regret it!"

She looked around, wanting make sure no one could hear them. Then, she whispered menacingly. "You said it means something and had a weird face. Are you not telling me something?"

He couldn't read her. She regretted what happened and now she wanted to know the gory details.

He was exasperated. He thought after this maybe they'd be together. Maybe no more games. He wasn't sure how his clan would take it. At least, he didn't have to marry Yuh.

The more susceptible problem was in the verbal oath he made to his father. If he managed to not sleep with anyone, he was to settle with Yuh and join the Wahi tribe with the Iborians.

However, if he did choose to not take serious of the oath and slept with someone in the throes of temptation, he was to marry that person.

It was a sort of a lesson in built punishment his father devised which made Yisrael feel no desire to sleep with anyone and get saddled up to a stranger who he shared a one night stand with forever.

Although, this opened to another jar of scorpions.

"I bit because I marked you."

A step back and her eyes became vividly sharp. "What does that mean?"

His chest puffed and he looked determined. He wasn't going to let her go. Not now or ever. Whether she liked it or not.

"It means you belong with me. We are sealed."

She remain unflinchingly quiet. She was waiting for him to joke and say he was kidding, she stood by hoping this was all just a kinky animal thing they both have going on.

But when he didn't even offer any of the above, her panic started to rise.

Then the bursting waves of disbelief was brought alongside. "You-what?-we are- what? No! No! No! I don't believe this!"

She didn't. This was whole load of bullshit and no way she buying this. She still didn't get the whole animal thing and her brain refused to believe this crock.

She was the type of person who didn't believe in paranormal or horror crap of twilight werewolves. They were all done to make romance spice up for the civilians. That's it.

Anger slammed into him like an foul tackle. "Is it that bad that I want you forever?"

Then she laughed.

Her head flew back, her hair messily outraged and as her laugh subsided, her venom like voice cut him.

"Want forever? Are you serious? There is no forever. You are to marry whatever that girl's name is and I'm going to leave. I will leave and go back to where I stay. I belong there."

His heart plummeted like a lead weight. He didn't know why that cracked him harder than it should have.

All these years when he slept with just anyone and had never once taken the occasion to look back and see if he wasn't simply breaking a gal's heart.

He could still hear the wild rapid heart beat of hers but he was done going after her. If she wanted him, she would be come to him.

Clearly that's not happening anytime sooner. And from the looks it, ever.

He didn't bother correcting her about his future marriage with Yuh wasn't going to happen because apparently it's her he was going to get saddled with.

He didn't tell her because he- Urgh...he didn't expect her to react like this. If she found out, she would pack her bag and run off.

Maybe she should. There was no future to this. He knew she wouldn't say anything about them and he could cover it up enough so his father wouldn't know and continue like nothing ever happened.

His scent over him would be washed away soon, her mark would remain but it would disappear and only he could see and sense it.

No one else would be privy to it. They would fall into their daily routine. Everything would be back just like before.

But when Yisrael cracks, he becomes dead.

"Alright then."

She gulped but nevertheless nodded.

This was the right thing to do. He needs to marry that bitch and have a happy happy family while she would leave and never be happy for the rest of her pathetic life but at least it's better.

She wouldn't have to become her parents.

Except that stupid hole in her heart began to make way.

Trying to make it light, she shrugged. "It's better this way. Besides it was a good thing we got it out of our system. We'd probably be thankful about it and just move on."

Before he left, he sneered harshly. "Right. Thanks for the fuck then."