"The only way to get rid of a temptation
is to yield to it."
~Oscar Wilde

A nervous look replaced her smile. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."

War wasn't following. "About medicine?"

She shook her head, taking a deep breath. She seemed scared or worried almost. But for what? "War can you set the tray on the table for a second...I really need to have a serious talk with you."

War suddenly had a terrible feeling about this 'talk.'

Grabbing at the tray he set it on the night table and then glanced to where Pom was patting on the bed. Why was he so damn nervous? She just wanted to talk. Pomelia liked talking, he shouldn't think anything of it...

He sat at the spot where she wanted, realizing that he was very much invading her personal space and of course he liked that. "What's wrong?" He questioned, his stomach beginning to twist in knots.

She slipped her hand in his, and War reveled in feeling her soft skin against his. "I just...I know we aren't supposed to but I want to...and I don't think it'll be a bad thing," she stammered, as her cheeks inflamed and she turned away from him. Her hand gripping his tighter.

War's ears perked. Did she mean...sex? It was doable, definitely doable but he didn't know how comfortable it would be considering all her casts..they should wait. They had to wait. He slid his hand under her chin, and nudged it up to look at him. Her skin was warm. Really warm. "Don't be embarrassed."

He could hear her heart beat and it was loud. Her fingers tips were sweaty... "I'm sorry I'm just nervous. I know you'll say no," she whispered, as he was hyper aware of the way she gently bit that plump bottom lip.

Why would he say no?! Well he had to say no right now...he didn't want to hurt her but he could ease her ache. He knew how to get a woman off without his dick. "Just tell me."

She took his hand from her face and gripped both hands tightly. "I...I want you to mark me."

Mark. Her? Sex was one thing...it was a great thing. An incredibly amazing thing, but marking her... Sure they talked about it happening with Wes a little but now? They would be tied to one another forever and although he had no problem with that...did she? She didn't know the truth about him at all. Then the whole fact that it might trigger her dormant Lycan genes which Wes advised against...

"Why?"

"Because it could heal me. I had a dream of us in a field and we were shifting and running together...it was so beautiful. I've never had the urge or want to shift until you came into my life. I want to be able to connect with your wolf, and I can't do that if I can't shift."

War felt like he was cheating if he were to say yes. To agree to it. He would be tricking her...she don't know the real him. Deep down. If him marking her did trigger her genes, she would be able to mark him back and that would cause a whole other host of problems.  Like her being able to sense his emotions.

What would happen if he went out on a job and felt like a disgusting piece of shit after? She would get suspicious...she would find out. "War?"

He zoned out...his eyes locked with her own. She withdrew her hands from his own. "It's okay if you don't...I just think it will help with everything. Even if it doesn't activate anything in my body, it'll bring us closer. But think if it does, I'll be healed, and we can enjoy this time we have alone, and our wolves can bond."

"I know the reasons," he told her quickly, his brain going into overdrive. He couldn't do this to her. He just couldn't.

The silence stretched out...making it uncomfortable and stuffy in the room. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't want...I don't want to mark you."

War could see the hurt in her eyes as her face stayed neutral although he could smell the difference in her scent. "I...is it because I won't have sex with you?"

Did she honestly think that low of him? When he didn't respond, she started to talk again. "We can try if you want. I-I just-"

"-Stop," War growled out, harshly. His confusion, morphing to anger. How could she say something like that? He wasn't a fucking monster. She tried to grab his hand and he snatched it away. Was she trying to bribe him with sex like he was some mindless sex starved guy? "I'm not a monster," he told her as he stood up, needing to walk off his anger.

"I never said you were a monster. Why would you think that?" Pomelia questioned him as he scoffed, his wolf now pushing at him strongly to mark her. Feeding crazy ideas into his mind.

He could get what he wanted. Sex and mark that would be permanent. She would be all his. Forever. What would be stopping them? She wanted to be his, she even offered sex. He was a fool for not sinking his fangs and cock inside of her.

"War I don't want to argue. I'm sorry if I offended you and I do accept your decision of not wanting to mark me. I just...I wanted to know why."

His brain felt like it was splitting in two. He was so angry with her. He was angry with his wolf. He was angry with himself. "Because I can't...I just can't mark you," he said cryptically, pulling at the strands of his hair.

"That's not an answer."

Did she think he didn't know that?! He knew it wasn't an answer, but what could he say? He couldn't tell her that he murdered people, and continues to do it. Couldn't tell her that she's where she's at today because he has a job to kill someone. He knew what her reaction would be.

"Why not?" She pushed. "You don't share much with me. You're so secretive about things. I can't read your mind, War. Please, help me understand you." She was pleading with him now, and he could smell the scent of her tears. He was just fucking her up. He couldn't be what she needed, but he couldn't let her go either...

"I'll mark you."

He turned around, facing her. Her cheeks were flushed, and cheeks wet. Her eyebrows were furrowed too. "What? What made you change your mind?"

War was being selfish. He was never a selfish man. Never. Always following rules and being obedient. Why couldn't he just have this one thing? Everything would turn out fine. Everything would work out with him and Pomelia.

"I don't want to argue," he told her as he sunk down to the bed, cupping her wet cheek. He wiped at her tears, as she gave him a wary look.

She began to shake her head, trying to pull his hand away. "I don't want to argue either," she sniffled. "But I don't want you to regret marking me."

War kissed her lips softly. "I won't, Pomelia."

"Oh-okay."

War growled in the back of his throat, his canines instantly growing, before covering her mouth with his. He could hear the loud thumping of her heart as he pried her unsure lips open with his eager tongue.

Her good hand fisted at his shirt, holding on to him tight as he deepened their kiss, their tongues dancing around one another.

Pressing her back against the bed, being careful as to not overwhelm her, he continued their lip locking. It was something about her scent producing such a fragrant smell, or the way her back arched to be closer to his body.

A gasp came from her lips as his tongue ran over the roof of her mouth, causing his wolf to push their agenda further. He never felt the primal feeling of his wolf trying to take control. Attempting to claw its way out of his suppressed state and get his work done.

Instinct and Pomelia's soft body were drawing him to new heights of restraint. Lust and the gnawing, aching need to claim her slithered up his spine and into his brain, spanning out all over his body. His groin, his chest, his fingertips. Every ounce of him wanted to consume his lithe mate.

It wasn't helping that his nostrils were filled with her arousal. War departed from her lips and began to work his way down the slim column of her neck. Her breathy pants and the taste of her soft flesh under his tongue was making it almost impossible to focus on the task and not divert attention to why she was rubbing her thighs together insistently.

His canines elongated. Fingers slipped under neck, stabilizing her. He heard her pause breath as War sunk his teeth into her supple skin.

Pomelia's body jerked against his, as he stayed deathly still, instinct driving him to not move a muscle. To stay right there and let her body accept his, mark.

Her fist that had bawled into his shirt was now scratching against his chest, her blunt nails hard. He could scent her blood and the blooming scent of their intermingling smells.

A painful whimper left her lips, to the point where he almost withdrew his canines, but his wolf wouldn't allow him to. Then his nostrils flared, his mouth watering at the sweet scent from between her legs.

His wolf finally backed down, and he was able to gently withdraw his fangs from her skin. His tongue lathered at her wound gently, and lapping at the blood from her injury.

Slowly pulling his face away from her neck, he watched his mate's reaction. Hesitantly. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing in and out slowly. "Pomelia?"

"I-I'm okay," she said softly, pressing her lips together tightly as she seemed to be trying to adjust to something.

"Tell me what's wrong," he worried as she shook her head, breathing deeper breaths as she placed her good hand over her eyes. "Pomelia, baby talk to me."

She inhaled deeply and let out a long breath. "I-I feel weird. Overwhelmed. My neck is hurting and my head feels fuzzy...do you feel that way?" She questioned him, as he rubbed her arm nervously. Cursing himself for being so dumb and letting his emotions get the best of him. What was wrong with him?

"What else hurts?"

"I...I don't know."

He could tell she was lying. Her good leg was shaking lightly. That was a nervous habit definitely... "You can tell me."

"Nothing hurts I just feel weird."

War frowned. What was that supposed to mean?! She was cringing as he rubbed her arm and he stopped, realizing that something was really wrong. "You don't like me touching you?"

"It's just too much," she answered cryptically. "I think I need to sleep it off," she whimpered nervously. He could hear the fear in her voice. Gods, what did he do to his mate?!

"Pom don't go to sleep," he told her as she didn't respond to him. Her arm went slack against the pillow. "Pomelia, wake up. You can't be asleep." He pressed his head to her chest and frowned at its beating. It was fine. A normal pace he supposed.

Whipping out his phone he dialed Wes's number quickly. He kept watching the steady rise and fall of her chest as he waited for Wes to answer his phone.

"Hey, what's up? How's our little-"

"-I marked her!" War spluttered into the phone not letting Wes even finish his sentence.

A groan made its way to his ears. "You don't even leave for a week and you two are causing problems!" Wes yelled at him as he growled into the phone.

"She passed out! She...she said it was too much," he babbled. "Her heart beat is normal too."

Wes sighed. "Well her body is reacting to your bite wound. Could turn good or bad. My suggestion is to watch her over the next two days. If she's sweating and her heart beat gets faster than that's good. Her body is accepting your saliva and potentially altering her dna. If she gets cold and clammy then you worry."

"I didn't know this was going to happen!"

A snort cane from the other line. "If you would have bit her after the four weeks when most of her injuries would have healed, I wouldn't worry but her body is at a weakened state. I told you two to take it easy! I'm a Doctor, what I say isn't a suggestion."

"She wanted to..we agreed to try it."

Wes sighed loudly. "War she was probably letting the helplessness, the physical pain and desperation talk. You were supposed to be the sound mind to talk her out of it."

"What do I do now?"

"I'll put a call out to the Seneca's doctor. Don't leave her side. Make sure her body temperature doesn't drop."

War sighed, wiping a hand over his face. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I gotta say I'm disappointed in you. I'll call you every two hours from now on until she wakes up."

And War failed his mate, yet again.

*********
Thoughts, concerns, queries?
Who is your favorite character as of now?🤔

Chapter 26 is up on Patreon. 27 & 28 should be up by Sunday!

Thank you a for reading!❤️