---Jacob's POV---

During the whole night, Paige kept shivering and, more strangely, slightly glowing. It wasn't like something they used in that Twilight series, glowing from the sunlight; it was like she glowed from the inside out. I stayed besides her, warming her with my body until she got a fever and let her cool down again.

The door of my bedroom opened, followed by several footsteps. "How is she?" I looked up at Nick, who had rushed here after father had sent him, his parents and Alpha Jackson a message. I sighed while I brushed a few hairs of Paige's face, lingering my fingers on her cheek.

"The same; She's warming up now, probably the fever coming in again." I sighed while my wolf kept pacing in my head, growling at every other male in the area. The only ones that I had allowed in the room were my dad, Nick and his dad, and finally, Alpha Jackson.

A growl erupted from my throat when Jackson took a step towards the bed. I felt my wolf coming closer to the surface while I held my eyes firmly on his foot, breathing between my clenched teeth.

"Easy son, I just wanted to ask you something." Jackson said while father warned him, "I'd be careful if I were you, Robert. His wolf wants to protect his mate, especially in her weakened state." I glared from one to another, only lowering my gaze when dad stared at me. Protective or not, staring an Alpha down wouldn't go without consequences.

I glanced back at Alpha Robert Jackson, who sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Yeah, kind of forgot that." He looked back at me before he continued, "Anyway, you'll probably want to know that Paige will wake up tomorrow morning. But..." Robert trailed off, looking down at my body before he asked "Something wrong with your arm?"

His question made me blink stupidly before I looked down myself and noticed that I was unconsciously scratching my wrist and lower arm. I stopped and muttered, "Just an itch..."

"No, it's not."

We all looked up at Anna, who filled the room with a wave of comfort and relaxation upon her entrance. I felt some of my stress draining away while I looked back down at my mate. Beads of sweat were starting to appear on her face and I sighed. Placing a kiss on her forehead, I got out of bed and pulled a pair of trousers on.

Cool fingers wrapped around my wrist, creating a burning sensation on the skin. I yanked my hand out of Anna's just as a small growl filled the air. Anna smiled a little satisfied while she glanced at Paige, who had a frown on her face while the growl still rolled through her chest.

"It's the bond." Anna replied, cautiously taking a step forwards towards me. "May I?" she asked, indicating my wrist and lower arm. I lifted my arm without replying, probably with an I'm-bored-to-death expression. Anna craned her neck, inching closer to my arm without touching it. When she held a finger above the slightly red skin, another growl erupted from Paige.

"Sorry sweetie." She said to a still unconscious Paige before she raised her hands slowly in the air. Anna looked me firmly in the eye before she nodded, confirming something for herself; She clapped in her hands and turned around. "Nobody can touch Jacob nor Paige; the bonding makes them extremely sensitive." She glanced over her shoulder and added, "Especially the place of marking."

Everyone shared glances while I sat down on the edge off the bed, checking Paige's temperature with the back of my hand. I felt someone touching my back, just between my shoulder blades. I bolted upright, acting like I had an electric shock while I growled loudly, partially shifting along the way.

I turned back to look at father, who was staring at me in shock while remnants of the singlet hung from my shoulders. Anna sighed, rolling her eyes. "I'm guessing there's gonna be a mark on their backs too."

She smirked and left us all staring with our mouths hanging over. Robert shook his head while muttering something about "Witches....". The rest followed her lead and slowly poured out of my room, leaving me alone to care for my mate, like my wolf and I wanted to do.

Several hours later, I clenched my teeth when my back and wrist were burning. Not in a painful way, more in a way that you wanted to scratch the place until you've managed to peel the skin off. I noticed that Paige twitched her arm too before she turned around and buried her nose in my neck.

I groaned, biting on my lip to contain those wolf instincts. Paige is sleeping, she's not aware that she's nuzzling my neck. She's not aware that it's a sign to your mate's wolf that she wants his mark. And she's definitely not aware what she's doing to me.

"God! I wish I could mark her." I half moaned, half cursed when Paige nuzzled the place again...wait a second.... Is she smiling? I pulled my face away and looked down at Paige. It seemed like she was still sleeping but her lip was slightly twitching at the corner...

A smile slid over her face before she peered out of one eye and I gasped, making her laugh. "You little minx! You did that on purpose, didn't you?" I half-yelled before I jumped her and tickled her sides.

"Ah-hahahaha..Jacob, please!" Paige gasped, her laughter filling the room while I kept tickling her. "Ah! No-ahaha-Let go!" She tried to wriggle away, kicking with her feet but I used the weight of my body to keep her down. I pulled back slightly, probably grinning like a loon while I said "Come on, Say you're sorry."

Paige tried to catch her breath, her chest slightly heaving while she let her head fall back in the pillows. "Nu-uh." She shook her head, smiling slightly. Her eyes trailed over my chest, making me very aware that it was bare and that I was lying in bed with my mate. Her eyes stopped at my arm before they widened in shock.

"Since when did you have a tattoo on that arm?" she exclaimed, making me look at my left wrist. I pulled her up so that she was sitting in my lap while we both examined my wrist.

It was an intricate design of delicate, silver lines that wrapped around my wrist, stretching out towards my thumb. It stretched over my lower arm, where the lines changed in a tribal tattoo that, if you looked closely, held the picture of a wolf. On my wrist itself, was a small sentence.

Pulling my arm closer, I read "No lies..." softly trailing the words with my fingers. Below it was a small-decorated P, flowing with the lines. I shivered when Paige touched it and grunted "Not a good idea Paige."

---Paige's POV---

I quickly pulled my arm back, fearing that it hurt to touch. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." I whispered, flopping back on the bed. My body still felt sore, my muscles tense from shivering most of the time. I did remember that Jacob took care of me, whenever I woke up from the fevered haze. I thought it was sweet.

"No, it's not that. It's quite the opposite in fact." Jacob said while he leaned on his arm, looking over me. I scrunched my face in a confused look before I felt the blush spreading over my face. Oh, Jacob was getting... aroused when I touched the tattoo.

The bed vibrated with Jacob's chuckle while he brushed his hand over my warming cheek. "You're so cute when you blush." He laughed and I pushed him away, effectively pushing him off the bed. I laughed with his startled expression, mouth wide open while he was sprawled over the floor.

"You look so cute when you're amazed." I coed with a huge grin before yelping as Jacob pounced on the bed. He pinned my hands above my head and growled playfully, holding me down while I laughed at him. I loved this playfulness, how relaxed and happy he was.

"Why were you smiling earlier?" Jacob softly asked when I had calmed down. His brown, hazel eyes were brilliant, shining with the love, tenderness and happiness that he felt. I pulled a hand free and touched the dimple in his cheek; I didn't know Jacob had dimples...huh, go figure.

"Paige..." he whined in an annoyed tone but he contradicted himself when he leaned into the touch. I smiled again and poked his cheek, earning myself a playful glare before my hand was robbed from its freedom and pinned back to the bed.

"What the hell was that for?" he laughed and I stuck my tongue out to him. "You're poke-able" I retorted with a huff. Jacob laughed even harder, shaking the whole bed while his muscles quivered against me.

"Poke-able is not a word." He snickered before he slowly turned more serious again. "Come oooooon." He whined loudly, making me cringe slightly; damn that was high-pitched. "You just knew what you were doing to me, huh?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"Yup." I grinned, popping the P on the end before I continued, "I was actually expecting that you would declare your undying love to me or that you would confess any obsessions with your hair and such." I shrugged while I looked back at Jacob.

He looked pensive for a while before he smiled; a soft, heartwarming smile. "I could do that now too..." He leaned forward and softly kissed my forehead. "I love that you are wild and free." His lips brushed over my temple, brushing his nose over my ear while he whispered, "I absolutely adore the fact that you can hold your own."

His nose trailed towards my jaw, following it slowly while he smiled. "You surprised me by accepting me as your mate, but I love you to pieces for that." I shivered when his breath flowed over my skin, giving me goose bumps while he made his way to my nose and kissed the tip before he looked down at me.

"I love you, Paige McCarty, in whatever form, emotional or physical state you are." He whispered, leaning back in to place a soft kiss on my lips; that's when I lost it.

Our minds opened to each other when I pulled him closer, firmly pressing my lips against his. My mind flooded with passion, adoration and a love so deep that it made my eyes fill with tears.

My head angled, allowing Jacob to deepen the kiss while our lips moved in sync. His hands loosened their hold on mine, wrapping themselves around my waist while another gripped the nape of my neck, pulling me closer to him.

Eventually Jacob sighed when he released my lips and nuzzled my neck, placing kisses along the way.

"Go ahead." I said, not recognizing my husky, shivering voice. I tilted my head to the side, allowing Jacob full access to my neck. A shiver ran over me when his lips press softly against the skin, followed by his enlarged canines, which slowly sank in my skin.

Pain flooded me but was quickly replaced with a blissful feeling while I drifted off. I felt Jacob clean the mark before he buried his head in the crook of my neck, whispering softly "I love you."