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The lust heating her gaze fled as curiosity returned. “By getting naked?”
My shirt fluttered to the ground, and before I could direct her gaze to my mark, she gasped.
“A tattoo?”
I shook my head. “A brand.”
She moved closer, her hand hovering just above the mark seared into my skin. It had taken days for my uncle Lucas to etch the silver into my flesh. And twice as many more for it to heal enough for me to wear anything over it.
“Does it hurt?” she whispered, glancing from the angry red skin and back up to my face.
“Yes. But it’s supposed to. It’s the mark of a traitor.”
“What? Why would you have that?”
“Because, my little wolf,” I said, lifting my hand to cup her cheek. “I chose you.”
Her brows drew together. “I don’t understand.”
“You’re my mate. I feel it in my bones. After what happened the other day, when the barriers between our minds fell away, I know it beyond all doubt. And in my world, it’s still a crime for royals to mate outside our own kind. My father murdered my grandfather to save the human he loved, to take her as his mate. His traitor mark is even bigger than mine because the Council views his crime as more egregious. But I’d rather be a traitor than give you up.”
“But your father is king. How did that happen?”
I took a deep breath, not wanting to rehash the past. “It was a long time ago before I was born and a story for another night. But the end result is I am not going to live a life without my mate because the Council thinks they can dictate my life. I refuse to deny myself the only thing I’ve ever truly wanted.”
She bit down on her lip, looking both hopeful and wary. “Okay... but I still don’t understand how I can be both yours and Kingston’s mate. How is it even possible?”
“Sunday,” I said with a sigh, “what you don’t realize is it doesn’t matter. I chose you. That’s it for me. You might have other mates, but I am yours. Wherever you go from here, I’ll follow. I’m not going to run from it.”
She smiled weakly. “I... I don’t know what to say.”
“Say I can be yours.”
“I...”
I leaned down, my lips nearly touching hers. “It’s true whether you say it or not... if it makes it easier for you to give in.”
“Noah,” she breathed, closing the distance between our lips and claiming mine in a spine-tingling kiss. She backed away just a fraction, her eyes staring into mine. “You’re mine.”
Her palm skated down my torso until she found my belt. My breath caught as she slipped her fingers over the obvious bulge at my crotch. I was aching for her. I always was, but now that she’d claimed me, I was desperate.
“So does this mean we need to go make things official in your bed?” she asked.
“I have a better idea.”
