Kael’s POV
After being locked for more than an hour, the knot finally subsided, allowing me to separate from her so she could rest comfortably rather than lying draped over me through the entire night.
When I pulled out, she flinched faintly, then instinctively burrowed back against my chest. If she had not been in such a deep sleep, I knew she would have moved away at once.
I held her gently and turned to lay her back on the bed. Her body was completely exhausted, lost in slumber, and I doubted she would wake for many hours. I had heard that after their first heat, females often slept for a long time. And at that, from evening until past midnight, I had not spared her even for a moment.
My hand caressed her delicate face, my gaze drifting lower. Her skin was covered in marks I had left behind. Along with hickeys, there were even bite marks. I had tried to restrain myself, but in the heat of the moment I lost control more than once. I only prayed they would heal by morning.
The bed was a complete mess, the torn bedsheet lying in a heap. I straightened the bed as best as I could and went to the bathroom for something to clean her. Standing before the mirror above the washbasin, I realized she was not the only one marked.
My torso bore the traces of her nails and teeth. In her heat she had been utterly wild. If she remembered what she had done, I hoped she would simply accept it, rather than blame herself or her wolf.
With a damp cloth, I cleaned her sticky body and settled her beneath the covers, making sure she was comfortable.
My eyes lingered on the spot where I had marked her. Soon the mark would appear, the bond between us made visible. I wondered what form it would take, how it would look etched into her skin. By morning, it would be revealed.
After cleaning myself, I slid back under the sheets, drawing her close once more. Her scent still intoxicated me, unbearably tempting, and I had to force myself to not go back to fucking her again.
If she continued to smell like this, I was certain all five of us would be left with nothing but blue balls.
I could only hope her scent returned to normal soon, though even her normal scent was enough to drive me insane. But at least not fatal as her scent in heat.
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Roman’s POV
Four of us sat in silence while trying to drown ourselves in alcohol and the soothing cold air, though we knew it wouldn’t work.
But tasting bitterness in the mouth was better than having it in the heart with the thought that the woman we loved was in heat and we couldn’t be with her.
Rafe was calm now as Lucian had done what he could. When they kissed, honestly, it didn’t come as a shock. Maybe it was because we were used to hearing them mocking each other with filthy words, so seeing them in actions didn’t make much difference.
Or maybe it was because we were mate brothers, so it was acceptable between them.
I was sure that even if one day they fucked each other right in front of us, it wouldn’t surprise anyone.
After Jason and I watched them kissing, our gazes met, but both of us quickly looked away. I was sure I was never going to cross that line with any of my brother, and neither was Jason.
We would just sit back and watch those two horny bastards lose themselves if they wanted to.
After a while, Lucian’s cellphone beeped. He glanced at the message, his expression sharpening, and stood immediately.
"Jason, we have to leave," he said curtly.
The rest of us rose as well.
"Going to get her son?" I asked.
Lucian hummed in response, already striding toward the car with urgency. We followed.
Just as we reached the vehicle, Rafe spoke up. "I’m coming with you."
Lucian looked at him for a moment, as if giving a thought, then gave a slight nod. "Get in the car."
Jason and Rafe climbed inside while Lucian turned to me.
"You have to stay," he said. "Kael needs one of us with him. Rafe is better off away from Eira for a while longer."
He was right. "Be safe," I told them quietly.
They drove away, leaving me standing alone under the night sky. I couldn’t bring myself to return home yet. If I did, her scent would be at its peak while she was being fucked, and I knew I would lose control completely.
So I returned to where we had been before, emptied the remaining bottles one by one, and lay down on the grass, staring up at the star-strewn sky. Everything around me was peaceful, silent, untouched. Everything except my heart.
I closed my eyes, praying for morning to come quickly so I could return to her.
I miss her. I want her.
----
Kael’s POV
At the crack of dawn, I opened my eyes with her snuggling against me. The first thing that came to my mind was to check her neck. I was desperate to see the mark.
Carefully, I brushed her silken hair aside, my breath catching as the mark revealed itself.
A black rose, its petals dark and blooming, encircled by a cruel vine of sharp thorns.
My heart skipped a beat, a mixture of triumph and dread surging through me. She bore my mark at last. My mate. Bound to me for as long as I drew breath.
But then, the meaning of that mark sank in, and it hurt me at the same time.
It was a reflection of us. A rose, yes, but black one at that trapped within sharp thorns.
Pain. Hurt. Suffering. Darkness.
This was what she got from me in return for existence in my life. And the thorns in that mark said it out loud.