Delay 144_Mated by contract to the alpha

Reba’s POV

 I blinked, confused. “Marked you? What do you mean?”

 Dominic took a deep breath. ‘In our culture, this–he gestured to the still–healing mark on his neck-“is a mate mark. The most sacred bond possible, a choice of lifetime partner.”

 I took a step back, shock coursing through me. “L… I marked you? But how is that possible? I’m not even a werewolf.”

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 A strange expression crossed Dominic’s face–vulnerability mixed with something that looked almost like fear. He opened his mouth as if to say something important, then closed it again, his jaw tightening. His eyes held mine, intense and filled with unspoken emotion.

 “It’s extremely rare,” he finally said, his voice low and rough. “Almost unheard of for a human to be able to mark a werewolf. You’re… special, Reba.” He hesitated again, seemingly wrestling with himself over how much to reveal. “It means there’s something unique about our connection.”

 —

 The way he looked at me as if he wanted to say more but couldn’t bring himself to–made my heart race. I stared at him, my mind racing to catch up with this revtion. My fingers lifted to touch the mark again, drawn to it by an instinct I couldn’t exin. Guilt washed over me.

 “I’m so sorry, I had no idea what it meant.”

 “Don’t apologize, Dominic said softly. His eyes tracked my movement, darkening as my fingers made contact with his skin again, “Marking is an instinctive act. That also shows that I’m attractive to you, doesn’t it?”

 My face turned hot. “But I don’t have a mark. You didn’t mark me back.”

 “Aplete mate bond requires mutual marking,” he exined, his eyes never leaving mine. His gaze was so intense it felt physical, like a caress. “But I wouldn’t mark you without your knowledge and consent. If you ept the mate bond, there’s a ceremony during the full moon where I would mark you in return, and we would be permanently connected,”

 My heart raced at his words. Permanently connected. The intensity of that concept both thrilled and terrified me. My body flushed hot then cold at the thought.

 “And if I… if I don’t ept?” I asked hesitantly, curious about all the implications. “Will the mark disappear?

 Dominic’s entire body stiffened, the openness in his expression vanishing. The silver glow that had begun to light his eyes extinguished, leaving them dark and unreadable. The temperature between us seemed to drop ten degrees.

 “Yes,” he said in a low voice. “It

 t will fade.”

 9:09 Fri, Sep 26 B

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 I could feel the tension radiating from him, the sudden distance that had nothing to do with physical space. His shoulders squared, his hands no longer rxed but tense at his sides.

 “I was just asking about the options,” I said quickly, sensing something had gone terribly wrong. My heart raced with anxiety. “Dominic…”

 “You have every right to know all the choices, he interrupted, his tone formal, detached. His eyes wouldn’t meet mine now. “Rejection requires a ritual too. We would need to face each other andplete the ceremony.”

 I reached out to touch his arm, feeling the muscle tense beneath my fingers, I wasn’t saying I wanted to reject-

 Dominic stepped back from my touch, his expression guarded. “If that’s what you want, I’ll respect it. You never chose this connection to begin with.”

 His right hand unconsciously moved to touch the mark on his neck, and I could see pain flicker across his features before he concealed it. That small gesture broke something in me.

 Desperate to fix whatever had just broken between us, I moved forward and stood on tiptoe, pressing my lips gently against the mark on his neck. His skin was hot under my mouth, and the contact sent electricity shooting through my body.

 Dominic’s entire body went rigid. A low sound, almost a growl, vibrated in his chest. “Reba, don’t,” he said, his voice strained, deeper than I’d ever heard it.

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 7 days ago

 ohhhh, thank goodness. I’m so d they’remunicating

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Delay 144