Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen - Maya's POV

He leans down and plants his lips against mine in the next second. I suck in a breath, feeling frozen there. He seems desperate for my touch. When he pulls back slightly, I almost gasp. 'Damian, what are you doing? Your pack is tense and they are probably roaming the halls as they put people in rooms." 'I don't care." Those three little words are all that it takes to tell me he's serious. He really doesn't care and part of me doesn't either. 'You are my wife, Maya. The moment I bit you, that's it for me. There will never be another for me." 'If I bite you now, I don't know if it'll work," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. 'I don't know if I care. Mark me as yours and we can figure out the rest as it comes. Your power will awaken soon enough. That much I'm sure of," he says as he looks down at me with such a powerful look. He wants me and this bond. I want him back just as much, but I'm scared again. For a moment, time stands still and I remember the feelings I had for him before. There was so much love between us, yet we never got to be together because things were in the way. This time, we don't have those barriers and we can just be. I swallow hard as I realize that this is more than what I want. I will never get enough of him for as long as I live. 'So, our bond is more than marriage, right?" 'Yes," he says, leaning down until his nose is pressed into my throat. 'You are my life partner, my soul mate, my fated mate, and wife, rolled into one beautiful package. We're married in my eyes and have been for some time. Honestly, the moment I laid eyes on you, that was it for me." A single tear rolls down my cheek as I raise up and press my lips against his. This time, he doesn't hesitate. He cradles my cheek with one hand with a gentleness that contrasts to the storm brewing. It's a longing we've both barely contained for so long. I kiss him like I've been waiting my whole life for him and, in a way, I have. His mouth moves with mine at a slow pace until the world outside the room no longer exists. It's just us in this moment together. 'I love you," he whispers against the flesh of my throat. My fingers curl into the fabric at his back as I pull him closer, anchoring myself to him. 'I love you just as much." The tension melts away, replaced by something sweeter and sacred that neither of us could have imagined. We don't speak again because we don't need to. There's nothing left between us. As the night presses on, it's just us, tangled in the dim lighting as we let the rest of the world fade away into the distance. When we wake the next morning, I feel great. I turn to my side and snuggle into the crook of his arm. He is already awake and looking back at me. 'Have I ever told you that you were never ordinary, even as a human? Fate never makes mistakes." A smile spreads across my face as I think about all the other sweet nothings he whispered to me last night. 'You are being very romantic." 'I'm trying," he says with a cocky grin. Then he tilts his head to the side and my eyes land on the mark on his throat. 'And some little feisty wolf decided I made a good snack." 'You wanted me to bite you, so I have. Now hush," I say with a laugh. 'We deserve a moment of happiness and bonding." I trail one finger up his bare chest all the way up to the mark at his throat, memorizing it. It's just simple pinpricks, but it means so much more than that. He's my mate, and I accepted him without any doubts or fears. Everything finally feels right between us, though danger seems to always lurk right behind our happiest moments. The door to our room suddenly is thrown open and bangs against the wall. We both sit up as I clutch the covers across my chest. 'What now? And who is coming in here?" Evelyn comes rushing in, takes one look at us and turns bright red. 'I wouldn't interrupt you if this wasn't urgent. There is a vampire at the border." 'A what?" We both say at the same time. 'Well, I should say there was. Ethan took him out and now the pack has twenty four hours to prepare for their arrival." 'What? How? Why?" Damian asks as he grasps for words. She just shakes her head. 'They got into a fight and Ethan won. But the vampire wasn't alone because he was some kind of emissary. They said if he hadn't done that, then they could have made peace with us, but I think that was all bull -" She cut herself off as soon as Ethan stepped beside her. He was bloody, with a few scrapes and bruises, but otherwise fine. 'I'm sorry," he mumbles. 'I was trying to protect us and now I don't know if I caused the war or if they would have come, anyway." I just shake my head as Damian growls. 'They would have come, anyway. You're fine. It was probably a fake treaty as it is." Ethan nods in agreement, then takes one big, deep breath. He goes entirely still, his eyes widening with realization. 'You two mated." I turn red and lay back on the bed, covering my face with the comforter. Damian growls and says a few choice words, followed by a sharp, 'Get out!" When the door slams, I pull the covers down slightly, only so I can peep out over the top. 'You didn't tell me everyone could smell that." He shrugs. 'It's part of a wolf and I didn't even think about it. Now, they're all going to know if they didn't hear us already." I think about last night, memories resurfacing. Instead of taking all the blame for the racket, I shift my gaze in his direction and smile wickedly. 'Well, you should stop being so noisy." He shifted his gaze toward me, a devilish grin appearing. 'If we weren't under attack, I would deal with you right now, wife."