Chapter 11
‘Your body is still adjusting to the mark. Rest well. I’ll try my best not to disturb you p>
Those words from Alpha King to her kept echoing in Althea’s mind as she lay on his bed, even after he left.
The mattress was unexpectedly soft, and the warmth surrounding her was unfamiliar yet strangely comforting. He had left some time ago, likely to talk with his men, and during that period, Melva came in to assist her with cleaning.
Now, the inside of the tent was quiet again when she suddenly heard footsteps.
Althea’s heart skipped. Quickly, she closed her eyes and stilled her breathing, pretending to sleep. She heard the rustle of clothes, the subtle dip of weight on the bed. Her body tensed when she felt that familiar warmth behind her, his chest pressing against her back, his arm draping over her waist.
Then… his face nuzzled into the crook of her neck.
‘Is he sniffing me?’ she wondered, her mind racing as she struggled to stay still.
“Are you still in pain?” Gavriel’s low voice broke the silence, his warm breath fanning against her skin and making her shiver.
She didn’t answer.
Still pretending to sleep, she tried to keep her breathing steady, her hands clenched beneath the covers.
“I marked you,” he said after a pause, his tone unreadable. “You should be healing now. Any wounds… they shouldn’t linger p>
Althea swallowed thickly.
The truth was, she had been in pain earlier – raw and sore in ways she never imagined. But after Melva helped her clean up, it was gone. As if it had never happened.
‘So that’s why the pain vanished… because of the mark p>
She had heard of mate marks, how a werewolf’s mark on a human could accelerate healing, but experiencing it firsthand felt like an entirely different reality.
‘He said he wouldn’t disturb me… so what is he doing right now?’ Althea inwardly cursed, her fists curling into the sheets as a slow heat crept over her skin.
She could feel him.
Gavriel’s lips brushed against her neck, soft at first, then firmer, more deliberate. His mouth trailed along her skin, kissing, tasting… then licking gently over the spot where his mark had been made. Latest content publıshed on.net
Then he suckled.
A sharp jolt of sensation shot through her, and her breath hitched. She bit down on her lower lip, desperate not to make a sound. A moan pressed against the back of her throat, hot and traitorous.
‘He’s just testing me. That’s what this is,’ she told herself, clinging to the thought like a lifeline. He wants to see if I’ll give in… again.
But her body betrayed her.
Every graze of his mouth set her nerves alight. Her skin tingled where his fingers brushed her side, his large hand resting possessively on her hip, holding her close.
She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, trying to hold back the tremor that coursed through her. But he sensed it. She knew he did. Because he paused.
Then his voice, dark and low, murmured against her skin-
“You’re awake p>
Her body went rigid.
So much for pretending.
She stayed quiet, but she could feel the slight curve of a smirk against her shoulder.
“I can feel your heart racing, little liar p>
He didn’t sound angry. He didn’t even sound amused. No, he sounded hungry.
Then she felt his hand slip inside her nightgown. All the hairs on her skin stood up when he touched her inner thighs. She shifted and kept them pressed together, but he still managed to get through to her womanhood, sliding his fingers playfully along her folds, making her moan.
Then he whispered in her ear, “You’re already so wet, huh? So much for pretending to be asleep,” and then he licked and nibbled her earlobe.
Althea clenched her fists, her breath catching as a wave of heat surged through her. She wanted to resist, wanted to deny the effect he had on her, but her body betrayed her with every teasing stroke of his fingers.
“Stop pretending, Althea,” he murmured against her skin, his lips trailing down her neck. “Your body already knows who it belongs to p>
She gasped as he pressed closer, his warmth enveloping her completely. Her nightgown bunched around her hips, forgotten, as he continued his slow, deliberate exploration. Her heart pounded, each beat echoing with confusion, need, and the thrill of surrendering to something she couldn’t quite understand.
“I know you’re not asleep,” he said, voice low and calm… too calm.
She swallowed, her lashes fluttering, but she didn’t speak. Maybe if she stayed still, he’d leave her be.
But she felt his lips brushing her skin. A kiss. Then another, slower, lingering longer. Her body betrayed her, tensing in response.
“You’re not in pain anymore,” Gavriel muttered, almost to himself. “The mark… it’s doing its job p>
She finally opened her eyes, just slightly, catching the sharp lines of his jaw in the flickering firelight. “You said you wouldn’t disturb me p>
He chuckled, dark and rough. “Then don’t tempt me by pretending to sleep when your body’s practically calling out to me p>
Althea shifted, turning her back to him. “Not everything’s about you,” she whispered.
“Isn’t it?” he countered, voice like iron wrapped in silk. “You breathe because I let you. You’re alive because I claimed you p>
She hated the way her body reacted to those words. Hated the way her pulse jumped at his nearness, the possessive weight of his tone.
She snapped softly, “You really believe claiming someone gives you ownership of them p>
“I don’t think it,” he said. “I know it p>
And before Althea could say a word, her breath caught the moment his finger entered her flower. She bit down on her lower lip, stifling a soft sound as her eyes locked with his. The way he smirked told her he was savoring every bit of her reaction.
He slowly withdrew his hand and brought his fingers to his lips and sucked it. “Just as sweet as I imagined,” he murmured.