My neck killed. It felt like someone had set it on fire. My eyes still felt heavy with sleep though as I was coming out of my slumber. I tried to focus my attention on going back to sleep still feeling drained and exhausted.

Nearly falling back to sleep I turned my head, searing pain was felt in my neck again. I hissed this time putting my hand to the sore spot.

There were divots and groves at the base of my neck. I furrowed my eyebrows growing confused at the unfamiliar bumpy texture of my neck. I never had a blemish there.

I trailed my fingertips over the indentations trying to figure out what it was. As I touched the unfamiliar blemish the pain had turned from hot and sore to a dull ache. What was this? It felt almost like a terrible burn mark.

Then it hit me and I sprung up in the bed my eyes snapped open in panic.

He marked me.

A choking sob came out of my mouth. It was louder than I had intended it to be, sounding more like an all-out cry. Could you blame me? I just had a grown man chewy on my neck.

Quickly, I threw the covers off scurrying to the bathroom. I had been changed! I wasn't in my jeans and t-shirt anymore. I was in a pair of shorts and an oversized t-shirt that definitely wasn't my own. The owner of the t-shirt was the least of my problems as I threw the bathroom door open finally looking at my reflection.

Removing my hand from the painful spot I screamed at the top of my lungs at the bite mark. It was red and puffy. It looked borderline infected with how irritated it looked. I covered my mouth from screaming out again as tears welled up in my eyes. I didn't even try to hold them back as they fell down my face.

I didn't want this! This wasn't what was supposed to happen.

"N-n-no, I-, w-why?" I asked myself between shaking sobs.

"Eve? Eve!" Someone was yelling from the bedroom but I was zoned out. Everything felt so surreal, so dreamlike. More like something straight out of a nightmare. "Oh, Eve." The person sounded pitiful as they must have seen the condition I was in.

My mouth fell open letting another cry came out as my legs gave out from under me. The person that had come to check on me caught me before I hit the ground. They were on their knees to catch me but soon moved to lean their back against the cabinets. They placed me between their legs resting my back against their chest.

I was profusely crying at this point allowing it to consume every sense.

They turned my slight and pulled my head to the side burying it in their chest. I was sure I was drenching their shirt with my waterfall of tears but I could have cared less. I just wanted to be safe and right now I felt anything but safe.

"Shhh... your okay Eve." It was Naní. "Shhh... I'm right here." She combed her hand through my curls in an attempt to calm me down. She covered my face with her hand to give some sense of protection.

"Is she alright?" I heard Nora ask from the doorway. There was still shaking weeping coming out of me as the burning sensation reminded me of what happened.

"Take a look at it," Naní told her.

"Take a look at wh-" Nora sounded confused at first but I heard her come closer to me bending down to our level. "You're shitting me. This dick!"

I heard footsteps leaving and Naní moved to get up, possibly to stop her, but I whimpered for her not to. I clutched at her t-shirt for closure, of course, it did nothing. She shushed again relaxing back against the cabinet.

There was a moment of peace before there was loud banging and crashing heard from downstairs. I jumped at the sudden loud noise.

"Fuck!" I heard Naní curse getting up. "I'll be right back."

"No," I grabbed her hand. She looked at me pained. "Please don't leave me."

There was another crash and Naní looked between the noise and me. Shaking her head she pulled her hand out of mine.

"I'm sorry I have to stop them before someone ends up killed." She quickly turned around running out of the room.

Blinking a few times confused by her words there was a series of crashes and bangs heard again. This time they sounded louder. Wiping my tears away I slowly walked towards the noise. As I crept down the hallway and to the staircase the noises grew louder and clearer. Glass was heard shattering and voices were heard yelling. It sounded like a full-blown war.

"The fuck were you think?! We're you dropped one too many times on your head?" That was Nora. Who was she yelling at?

"I was doing what I had to do. I don't expect you to understand. Now get the hell out of my office." I froze at the voice. It was him. Caleb. Why did his voice sound so enchanting... like it was drawing me towards him on another level.

Sure his voice was smooth and attractive but it never caused my legs to feel like jello. It was like I craved to see him. Be near him.

My legs swiftly moved down the staircase stopping just a step from the ground floor.

"Put the god damn sculpture down or so help me I-"

CRASH

I thunderous growl was heard before a whole bunch of thuds and clatter were heard. Tears still fell from my eyes, my emotion completely out of control, as I continued towards the sounds.

"Stop them, Alex!" Desperation was in Naní's voice as I turned behind the staircase. I watched as Naní was pulling on Alex's arm and pointing at the knotted limbs of Nora and Caleb. They were both throwing punches, both landed equally powerful punches. They were growing more and more bruised by the seconds. Was no one going to break them up?

"I need Loz, we can't stop them on our own. You know what happened the last time babe." Naní growled at him in annoyance. It seemed that Alex had made a valid point to her because she didn't argue again.

"Someone call me?" Lawerence wondered stepping around me. Alex and Naní only then noticed I had been standing there the whole time. Alex's face fell when he saw the wreck I was in, he even went as far as to mouth to me. I looked away unable to muster up the courage to answer in any way.

"Is this a recurring thing?" My eyes lit up at the familiar exasperated voice. Taylor. "Evie!" She shouted pulling me into a hug when she saw me.

As if time stopped the loud commotion in the office ceased. Taylor pulled away from me not picking up at the sudden drop in noise. She lifted her nose towards me crinkling her nose at the scent she picked up.

"You're marked." She sounded startled. "I didn't think you'd be okay with a mark this soon." If she only knew.

When I said nothing and she saw the streaks of tears on my face she realized it was too soon.

"No, he didn't..." Her head whipped in Caleb's direction. "This prick really did it."

"Watch your tone, Taylor." Lawerence hissed at her. I momentarily forgot they were mates. Taylor growled at him to shut up making her way in Caleb's direction. Lawerence was quick to wrap his arms around her waist stopping her before she could do anything physical to Caleb.

"Let me go!" She shouted pulling at Lawerence's arms. "He hurt her! Let me at him!"

"Loz control your mate," Caleb demanded his voice filled with lethal venom.

Listening to him Lawerence carried Taylor away kicking and screaming to be let go. Alex had pulled Naní behind him during all the commotion how hadn't I noticed.

"Alex, Naní, you're dismissed." They both looked at each other hesitating together at his order. "Did I stutter?!" Caleb rose his voice causing everyone to flinch at his tone, even me. Naní and Alex hurried along leaving quickly at his order.

Caleb sensed my growing anxiety at what was going on and his face softened when his eyes landed on me for the first time. It was like he was trying to avoid looking at me this whole time. When we finally looked at one another he appeared broken and guilt-ridden.

Good... you should be. Look at what you did to me. I wanted to scream at him.

Distracted looking at me he wasn't paying attention to his sister as she cracked him in the jaw. A sickening crunch sound was heard as he clutched his face in pain.

"That's for hurting her." She growled her dark brown eyes glowing a chocolate brown in rage. She clenched her fists tightly as she gave him one last disgustful look before leaving.

That just left me.

Why was I still standing here? Why was I just standing here watching him rub his face in pain? Why the hell did I feel concerned for him?

There was a faint coolness to my cheeks reminding me that I was still trailing tears. Whipping them away with the back of my hand I sniffled involuntarily. Finding no reason to still be standing there I turned around to leave, feeling the growing ache of my hurt emotions reverberating in my head. There was a battle between loathing and craving. The mixture of emotions were scaring me with the irrepressible feeling it was creating inside me.

I wanted to hate him for what he did but my body wouldn't let me renounce him.

"Wait, don't go." There was a plea in his voice that had me cringing as I stopped my departure.

I squeezed my eyes shut thinking about everything that had happened so far and what had happened last night. How could I forget the nightmare that happened last night?

My hand came up to the sore mark. My fingertips grazed against the grooves causing me to wince at the sensitivity. A tear I was fighting to suppress escaped down my cheek. I took another step down the hallway. How foolish I was to think that I would get very far.

A large calloused hand wrapped around my dainty wrist bringing me to a halt. The tingles that erupted up from where our skin touched traveled up my arm and to my chest. My beath became hitched in my throat for a moment.

"Eve," He whispered trying to be gentle in holding my wrist. I tried to pull my arm out of his hold but it was no use.

"Let me go!" I said raising my voice. I was both panicked, angry, and hurt. I wanted to understand why he had just forced this upon me but another part of me wanted to be done with him. I should have been packing my bags and leaving, not standing here looking at his pitiful display of remorse.

I tried to pull my arm away again to no avail. Growing more angry and desperate by the second I started to become a mess of tears and frantic shoving. I hit his chest repeatedly since he hadn't released his grip on my wrist.

At this point I didn't care who heard me or saw me, I wanted everyone to know what he did to me. What it was doing to me.

With one last final hit, I let out a scream of defeat grabbing onto his shirt as my legs gave out in exhaustion. I was completely and utterly emotionally defeated.

Caleb clutched me to his body before I slipped to the ground the whole way. He held me there to his body letting me calm down as I continued to cry. I wasn't sure if he was holding me out of guilt or because he knew that it would calm me down.

The tingles that seeped from his shirt soothed the heat that radiated from my neck and soon I was melting into his body. I hated he was able to do this to me when I wanted nothing more than to put as much distance as I could between us.

"Come here." He kissed the top of my head as he hoisted me up so that he could carry me. He walked back into the office kicking the door shut with his foot.

Having my face buried in his shoulder I couldn't see where he was taking me. Soon, though, he was sitting with me straddling his lap. Noticing the position I was in I shoved against his chest to get up.

"Hey, hey-" Caleb tried to calm me it didn't work as I rose my hand. He grabbed my hand that moved to smack his face. His eyes grew dark. "-I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Fuck you!" I sneered ripping my hand out of his. I was shocked by my words as I never used the f word, but right now felt most appropriate.

Caleb narrowed his eyes at me as I tried to remove myself from his lap. He gripped my hips holding me in place which only amplified my revulsion for his presence.

Grabbing his hands to remove them he growled at me to stop. "Don't touch me." I seethed. My neck burned ten times hotter after my words. Tears were still falling and I was sure I looked crazed but I needed to remove myself from him. The longer I stayed the more I felt compelled to make amends with him.

No, Evelyn. There is nothing to listen to. There is nothing to amend for, he marked you.

Chocking, frantic sobs were flowing out of my mouth uncontrollably. How Caleb was able to sit there and listen to me was astounding. Hell, I didn't even want to listen to myself any longer.

"Eve, you need to lis-" He tried to say but I cut him off.

"No! I'm not listening to you. I'm d-done listening to you." I tried to catch my breath between sobs. "Y-you marked me without asking! I didn't want this!" I screamed out in pain as the wound throbbed repetitively. The heat grew hotter and hotter to the point I thought someone had but hot coal to my neck.

Caleb pulled my body to his chest pressing my head into his neck. Though I tried to pull away he held me close to his body.

"Evelyn, you're hurting yourself," Caleb said anger clear in his tone. "-please, relax..." He cooed into my ear. I felt his breath on my cheek. My neck still felt on fire and the pain was growing more and more unbearable.

"Make it stop," I begged, squeezing my eyes tightly in pain. "Please, it hurts... just make it stop."

Slowly Caleb dipped his head to my neck. I stiffened thinking he was going to bite down again. I couldn't handle that again. I flinched but he held tighter to my body and my head in place, limiting any movement.

"No, wait!" I yelled panicked.

He didn't listen to me and I readied myself for his teeth to sink into my delicate flesh. But it wasn't teeth that were felt... it was full and soft lips. They pressed to the searing heat on my neck. As I felt his lips press to the sensitive mark, the flaming hot sensation ever so slowly dissipated. Replaced was a sensation of calmness, bliss, and comfort. My once stiff body relaxed into his own.

I couldn't understand how a single kiss had done all of that. My mother used to kiss my cuts when I was a child but it never really took the pain away. This was something else, something I never felt before.

Opening my eyes again I blinked as Caleb moved his head away from my neck. I laid on his chest feeling drained from the emotional rollercoaster that just unfolded in the span of fifteen minutes.

Caleb still rested his hands on my hips but they weren't as aggressive as they were just moments before.

Trying to focus my energy on regulating my breathing I tried to understand what had just happened. Pain is never relieved with a kiss. That shouldn't have been possible. As if sensing my perplexed thoughts Caleb spoke up.

"I'm sorry I marked you without saying anything first." He paused waiting for me to protest in some way. I did not. "I had to, to protect you. The rat in my pack got a hold of your scent and I had to change it." I sat there listening to everything he was saying. Though it was bizarre I still listened, it was probably because I was so exhausted. "I never wanted to do this to you. I hate myself for doing this to you." He kissed my forehead.

I sat up bringing myself to look at him. What I saw was a broken and remorseful man. The pain behind his eyes told me everything I needed to know. He was torn by his actions but that didn't mean that I forgave him for them. He could have still told me. I would have understood.

No, you wouldn't have Evelyn! My inner thoughts retorted. They were right, I would have refused to be marked.

"Why doesn't it hurt anymore?" I wondered still stuck on the fact this man took all my pain away with a subtly kiss.

He lifted his hand to my neck but was careful to not touch the fragile skin. "Because I calmed the mark. You don't understand what you were saying... saying you didn't want it after having the mark... you were unintentionally rejecting it." He looked back up to my brown eyes. The hurt in his eyes grew to a new height with the following words. "You were rejecting me."

"I don't understand." I sniffled.

"For Werewolves rejecting your mate is painful. That's why not many reject their mates, it is painful for both parties. Since you have a mark now you'll feel that pain like Were's do." He cupped my face drawing me a little closer to him as he moved his other hand to my lower back. "The pain I feel, you feel. And the pain you feel, I feel. We are connected forever." He bit his lip fighting to bring himself to say the his last words. "Until you decided otherwise."