Inaaya's fingers were steepled with her elbows resting on the table as she tried not to lean further in towards Jace. Respecting someone's personal space had never been this hard before. She was abuzz with anticipation and impatience.

"Axel has already told me the story of how werewolves get their mates," she interrupted Jace, trying her best to be polite. "Can you start from what happens when they find their mates? I understand the... mating process has stages?" she finished somewhat unsurely. Her awkwardness with the word mating wasn't lost in her speech.

Jace was unusually slow this evening. Not that Inaaya could blame him. The way she was behaving today would make anyone who knew her bemused. Well, not that Inaaya could be blamed either. Realising the guy you were falling for had somehow magically linked you to him was sure to impact one's sanity.

"Well?"

Jace cleared his throat, glancing down at the books briefly then meeting her eyes again, seeming to compose himself. "Alright," he muttered and Inaaya knew he was back in his Sigma mode. "There are three stages in the werewolf mating process. The first is the mating pull. The mating pull is sort of a bond that immediately forms between a werewolf and their mate when they first meet. As you know, werewolves are able to sense raw emotions from others around them to a certain degree," he said, raising his brows, waiting for her to confirm. She knew this, for he had taught her this before.

"Mm-hmm." Inaaya nodded.

"Well, mating pull enhances that ability when it comes to mates. They can sense their mate's emotions better. It makes them pay acute attention to their mate's every tiny movement. They're basically more attuned to their mate. Also, mating pull keeps pulling them towards each other. Werewolves feel calmer, happier when they're close to their mate. The more time the mates spend together, the stronger the mating pull gets. Human mates feel this pull too but to a much lesser degree."

Inaaya nodded. She had already known about this invisible bond between her and Axel. Now she had a name for it too.

"However, with the mating pull comes the urge to mark their mates in werewolves. Humans don't feel this. But werewolves feel this constant need to mark their mate and complete the mating bond. Marking is the second stage of the mating process."

Inaaya held her breath, wringing her fingers in her lap. This was it. Oh, god. This was it.

"Marking in itself has two stages. The first stage is when a werewolf bites their mate. It's a painless bite, which rather makes the bitten mate experience a complete bliss. A werewolf releases some enzymes through their fangs into their mate's body. These enzymes make the bindings between them and their mate stronger."

Inaaya gulped, trying to not let her breathing speed up too much. This sounded too similar to what she had experienced the night of the ceremony— Axel's fangs puncturing her skin, the euphoria the bite had brought forth. "And what about this mark?" Jace looked at her in confusion. "I-I mean, physically? Does it show? Like the pack mark does?"

'Please say yes. Please say yes.' Those were the only words blasting inside her head as she waited for Jace to answer.

Jace shook his head, smiling a little. "No, the mark doesn't have any physical manifestation. There isn't even a scar. The wound heals itself within a few minutes at most, leaving no visible sign of the mark or any residual pain. It dissolves into the skin, leaving only stronger emotions in its wake."

Inaaya bit down hard on her trembling lip. She couldn't let loose. Not yet. There was more to find out. "How does it change the bond between them?" she asked, able to hear the tremors in her voice. 

Jace looked concerned, ready to ask her about it. She shook her head before he could. She wasn't sure she'd be able to hold it together anymore. The simple words 'are you okay?' held the power to bring forth most complex of the emotions. 

"Just answer me, please."

Understanding the gravity of her words, Jace nodded. "The mating pull allows the mates to sense each other's emotions. Marking, however, causes one mate's emotions to influence the other's. One's sadness would impact the other's happiness and vice versa. Werewolves feel this constant need to be close to their mates. All emotions are heightened. There is a new fire between them, bringing them closer and urging them to finish the bond."

There was a silence then. Jace's lips were pursed in worry while Inaaya's hands were fisted tightly over the table, in a desperate attempt to hold herself together. "Does—" she cleared her throat so as to lend her voice some strength. "Can werewolves resist the urge to mark their mates? How long after meeting their mates can they go without initiating the marking process?" Inaaya was holding onto her last vestige of hope. Perhaps it wasn't Axel's choice. Perhaps the choice was made for him too just like he did for her.

Jace frowned. "As long as they want, Inaaya. The urge to mark our mates is strong but not strong enough to make us lose all thought and control. The wants and needs of our mates take priority over our urges. If our mate wants to wait, we wait. It's simple as that. A werewolf not being able to resist the urge is highly uncommon. Most times, it comes from within. If a werewolf wants to wait, they will. If they don't, then resisting the urge becomes a hundred times more difficult."

At his words, everything broke free. Inaaya's emotions, her tears, her whimpers. There was so much anger and hurt brewing inside her. All she could do was to cry into her hands, unable to hear Jace's panicked calls over the loud beating of her cracking heart.

It lasted only a few moments before Axel showed up. Inaaya jerked back, away from his hand on her shoulder. The chair legs scraped noisily against the floor as she stood up, pushing at Axel's chest. "Get away from me!" she screamed, her tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

"Inaaya?" Axel asked, grey eyes swimming with shock and hurt. Not that Inaaya cared. She couldn't. She couldn't care, couldn't be near him, couldn't see his face. "What's wrong? Jace, what happened?" he asked, turning to Jace with an authority and irritation that Inaaya believed he had no right to. She pushed at his chest again. This time he stumbled backwards a step. "Inaaya?"

"You!" she yelled, "You're what's happened!" Axel's brows furrowed and he moved closer. Inaaya stepped backwards, her calves hitting against the chair legs. "Don't come near me! You marked me, Axel!" she accused, a fresh set of tears pooling in her eyes as she gritted her teeth. "You marked me," her voice became softer, more broken.

Axel's lips parted. He blinked at her, glancing at Jace then looking back at her. "Inaaya, I-I..."

"What? You what?" she screamed, harshly wiping the tears off her cheek. There were a million thoughts running through her head. All leaving her with a feeling of betrayal. Betrayal by the man she was falling for. Is that why she was falling for him in the first place? Was there no real love between them? Only the bond? 

"You marked me, Axel! You marked me without even asking me. Fuck! You marked me and didn't even bother to tell me!"

Axel clenched his jaw and looked at the floor, pocketing his hands in his jeans. Inaaya waited; waited for him to explain himself. To see if there was something in his explanation that could salvage him. To know he hadn't just done something beyond repair.

"How did you find out?" he asked and Inaaya felt something crack inside her, letting loose her rage.

"Oh is that what's important? Because I would think what's important is why didn't you tell me?" she screamed the last few words, barking out a harsh laugh. "Wait, I can do one better! Why didn't you ask me before marking me?"

Footsteps echoed through the library, drawing Inaaya's attention away from Axel. Talisa, Dielle, Eliseo and Jermaine entered the room, all seemed to have run there but none was out of breath. Their eyes flitted warily from her to Axel and then settled on Jace briefly. Inaaya's eyes found Jace too, his apologetic grimace letting her know he had a hand behind their arrival. Slowly, her eyes went to her newest audience. 

Talisa looked enraged, glaring bullet holes at the side of Axel's head. Dielle looked more collected. Inaaya knew the woman had assumed her Alpha role in that instant. When her eyes met Inaaya's, they glimmered with sympathy, concern and guilt. Inaaya didn't understand why though. Why Dielle assumed it her responsibility that Axel and Inaaya's relationship wasn't rocky. Perhaps as their Alpha, she indicted herself even when blameless.

Inaaya felt humiliated that her two friends were watching her relationship go down in smoke. She could only stand there, pursing her lips and breathing deeply through her nose, hoping to reign in the salty water stinging a path down her burning cheeks. This was no place for this discussion. It was a private matter between her and Axel, not something to be witnessed by their friends and pack. 

Inaaya started out of the library. Perhaps solitude would help her calm down, think rationally. That strategy had never failed her in the past, having saved her from her father's ire on numerous occasions.

As she passed Axel, he gripped her arm and pulled her against him. Inaaya struggled, wiping another tear that leaked out her eye. "Let go, Axel. I don't want to talk right now," she whispered instinctually, despite knowing their audience would anyway be able to hear.

"How did you find out?" Axel whispered back, eyes narrowed and voice a mixture of regret and accusation.

Inaaya was taken aback by his audacity. Glaring at him, she pushed against his chest to get herself free of his hold. "Why didn't I find out from you?" she spat back at him, lips curled in contempt. 

Minutes passed as they stared into each other's eyes. The contact between their eyes wasn't something new but the animosity it kindled today was. 

Dielle stepped forward, breaking the silence. "You both need to calm down. Your emotions are influencing each other's," she said steadily, her eyes meeting Inaaya's to send across the silent message that the words were meant more for Inaaya's sake than Axel's. Inaaya understood, though she didn't want to. It was because of the mark. Wasn't everything because of the mark?

Inaaya twisted her arm, trying to loosen Axel's hold. "Let go, Axel. The least you could do is listen to me now."

Guilt flashed across his grey eyes, something Inaaya needed to see more of at that moment. She needed to see the guilt he barely seemed to feel. "Inaaya, I couldn't help it," he whispered and Inaaya wished the next thing to tumble out of his mouth won't be another lie. "I... the mating bond. I couldn't resist it. I tried, I really did. I just couldn't."

A mocking laugh escaped her lips as a tear escaped her eye. "I think I've had enough of your lies, Axel. You couldn't resist it or you didn't want to?" she asked, her voice getting louder as her anger returned full force. "For once, tell the truth! You couldn't resist it? Alright. Okay. Why didn't you tell me after it happened then? Why didn't you tell me the next morning? Or anytime in the next week? You had an entire week to tell me, Axel! You didn't! You just didn't think it was important, did you? Because I'm not a werewolf, you thought it okay to control my life, didn't you?"

Inaaya was screaming now, uncaring of who was listening or what the consequences would be. She only wanted to hurt him. Hurt him as much as she was hurting. "Or was marking me the only way you could get me to love you? Your only chance at love, as you always say," she let out a short, derisive laugh, "I guess you couldn't even wait for love to happen naturally, could you? There never was love between us, never will be. Only magic. Only magic," she whispered the last words, another anguished tear rolling down her cheek.

"Inaaya, stop," Axel implored quietly, his grip tightened painfully around Inaaya's arm and she responded by forcefully pushing him away. They both stumbled backwards and Inaaya attempted to make her exit once more.

"Inaaya, wait!" Axel was quick to encase her wrist, something he shouldn't have done. As he turned her around, Inaaya's hand connected loudly with his cheek. She was fuming and all she needed was for him to give her some space.

There was a complete silence then. She had never raised her hand against someone before. Though she didn't regret having stooped to violence at that moment. Her whole body was shaking with fury and adrenaline as she insolently met his darkened gaze. The anger she felt was reflected in his nearly black eyes.

Talisa gently tugged on her hand, causing Inaaya to meet the woman's eyes. "Come on," she whispered, entwining her fingers with Inaaya's and pulling her slowly out of the library. Inaaya obliged, wanting nothing more than some distance from Axel. In her peripheral vision, she watched Dielle keeping Axel from stopping her again.

A/N:

Holy shit, you guys! I totally forgot today was the day for an update. Like literally, I just got reminded of it when I switched on my laptop and saw the day. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I think I should start setting up reminders for every Saturday. Weekends make me too lazy for my own good. 

Anyway, so what did you think of this chapter? Our couple is having a fight, y'all! Who are you siding with on this? Do you think Inaaya could have handled this situation better? Let me know in the comments! 

An update:

I've stopped sending out #ToWSneakPeek posts on my social media for about two weeks now, I think. The first week I got so busy that I completely forgot about them and the second I got kinda lazy and decided to not post them anymore. Also, I feel most of you aren't as active on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter. So yeah, I won't be continuing them anymore. Unless you guys want me to. If you do, let me know. If you want me to send them out on any other platform or Wattpad itself, again, let me know. 

A HUGE thank you to:

racsmat, adu2106, aaaishiii and fictioninme

I enter ToW in several contests here on Wattpad and recently, two of those contests required readers to vote for the books. I sent out a message on my Wattpad page and all four of these amazing people readily helped me out. They voted and voted and voted! It was honestly heartwarming! Thanks, you guys! I love you all so much! <3

ToW made the list for the judging round in the Watty Wolves contest and is currently leading in The Reader's Choice Awards. The voting for The Reader's Choice Awards is still ongoing so if anyone else would like to show some support, it can be found here: https://my.w.tt/hnTuMzW1QP

Your love and support for this story is much appreciated and absolutely makes my day. ^_^

Oh and I'll be posting the cast list soon so if anyone has any suggestions for the face claims of any of the characters, don't forget to comment them on the chapter titled "Cast?" within the next few days. I'll be sure to take them into consideration before I decide on the final face claims. 

Have a great day, y'all! 

Please don't forget to comment and vote if you enjoyed reading this chapter. :)