Inaaya tugged the collar of her t-shirt down, skimming her fingers over the skin on her shoulder and collarbone. She observed her reflection in the mirror. There was nothing. Nothing at all. But to her, it had felt so real. She could swear Axel had bit her the night before.

She righted her t-shirt again, rolling her left shoulder to ease the pain. The pack mark still hurt. She frowned at her reflection while tying her hair up in a messy bun. What was it? A hallucination? A delusion? A nightmare? Or should it be a called a dream, seeing as the bite did induce euphoria?

"Fuck!" Inaaya whispered, vexed. She slammed the hairbrush down on the dresser, throwing herself on the bed with her head in her hands. This had never happened to her before. But she hadn't known about werewolves before either. Or been a mate to one.

Should she ask Axel? What if he thought her crazy? Or worse yet, what if he lied? Did werewolves enjoy drinking human blood? She had thought that was the vampires' thing.

A knock on her door provided a distraction. She sighed, sitting up. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Axel."

Inaaya gulped, a slight panic brewing inside of her. Her mind brought forth the image of Axel with his fangs harrowed into her skin. She exhaled through her mouth, not noticing how her hands had fisted the sheets tightly. Another knock sounded along with Axel's voice, "Inaaya? Are you okay? It's me. Axel. Open up, please."

Inaaya swallowed hard. "Just a minute!" she called, relieved that her voice wasn't as shaky as her body felt. She massaged her forehead with her fingers. She couldn't just stay locked inside her room. She would have to face him, one way or another. Inhaling a deep breath, Inaaya opened the door and walked away almost instantly. She wasn't sure if she could face him just yet. The site of him with his fangs digging into her skin was still seared into her brain.

"Sorry, I was changing," she said, picking up the dress she'd worn to the ceremony. As if the disrespect of the gown by sleeping in it wasn't enough, she bundled it up in her hands and stuffed it in her closet. She wanted to keep busy and the dress became her first casualty.

Axel followed her inside the closet. "Inaaya, are you okay? You seem a bit... off." He came up behind her, rested his hands on her shoulders and turned her around. All the while her heart pumped inside her chest. Axel leaned closer and kissed her but she couldn't bring herself to kiss him back. "What is it? Is something wrong?" he asked, trying to meet her gaze. She wouldn't let him.

Inaaya broke free of his hold and went back to the bedroom. Axel, of course, followed. She went to her dresser again, picking up her lip colour. "It's nothing. It's just that... the mark. It still hurts a bit." She watched in the mirror as Axel let out a relieved sigh and walked closer.

He gently massaged her left shoulder blade, providing some relief from the constant burning. "It will get better soon," he whispered, kissing her neck.

Inaaya's eyes fluttered at the tingling sensation. She felt lured by his kisses. Turning around, she met his lips halfway, wrapping her hands around his neck. This kiss was different somehow. There was more passion, more intensity to it. This kiss didn't just bring them closer physically but also emotionally. She felt drawn towards Axel like never before. She felt more attuned to his movements. It was as if she could almost sense his emotions. As if his mood influenced hers.

When they broke the kiss, Inaaya rested her forehead against Axel's shoulder and he held her close. She exhaled, trying to calm the erratic beating of her heart. Axel's fingers brushing through her hair helped too. She hadn't noticed when he had undone her messy bun.

"Axel?" she mumbled.

"Hmm?"

"Are there any after-effects of the marking?"

"What?" Axel exclaimed, pushing Inaaya at an arm's length as he stared at her with furrowed brows. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly, his brows furrowed and eyes sharp and attentive.

Inaaya frowned, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, like, this mark keeps stinging. Are there any other effects too? Like hallucinations, maybe?" She bit her lower lip, awaiting his answer.

Axel seemed to relax, then he frowned again. "Yeah, there can be. Some are known to get a high fever, some become highly energetic. It affects each person differently. Why, did something happen?" he asked, pulling her closer again.

Inaaya shook her head, finding comfort in his arms. "It's nothing. Forget about it."

Axel kissed the top of her head, hugging her tighter. "Don't worry. Everything will be back to normal in a few days." Inaaya inhaled, his earthy scent calming her nerves. "You want to get some breakfast?"

Inaaya nodded, pulling away from him. "Yeah. I'd like that," she said, smiling as she tied her hair up in a bun again. "I'm glad Dielle cancelled the training for today. I don't think I would have been able to move, much less exercise."

"Talk for yourself, darling. The warriors and the other higher ranking pack members had to train this morning too, including yours truly," he responded, his lips bunching together in a cute pout. Inaaya chuckled and pecked his pout away. He was quick to trap her in his arms for another lingering kiss.

Whatever it was the night before, it sure wasn't real. Everything with Axel felt normal. He would have acted differently had anything unusual occurred the night before, wouldn't he? He would have said something. It had to be the pack mark. This mark sure made her craftier with her imaginations.

☾☾◯☽☽

Inaaya walked around a corner, rechecking the budget she had filed. Glancing up, she caught a glimpse of Jermaine hurrying in the other direction. Though, Inaaya really thought of it as him trying to run away from her. Similar incidents had happened way too many times in the past week for her not to assume so.

"Jermaine? Jermaine!" she called at once, walking faster towards him. His footsteps became hurried too. He was just short of straight up running now. "Oh no, you don't!" Inaaya whispered to herself, beginning to run. "Jermaine, wait up! Jermaine!" she yelled louder. Thanks to exercising every morning, her calves didn't cramp up as soon as they usually would. "Jermaine, I know you can hear me," she warned, almost reaching him now. "Oh for god's sake! Stop! Just stop!"

Jermaine came to an abrupt halt and Inaaya barely held herself in time to not collide into his back. With her hands clutching her sides as she huffed, she circled around and stood in front of him. Her eyes were narrowed and her jaw was clenched. "What is wrong with you?" she asked, exasperated. Exhaling deeply, she tried to calm down her breathing.

"Inaaya! Oh, hey! I didn't see you there—"

"Oh shut up!" Inaaya interrupted him, giving him a look that conveyed clearly what she thought of his bullshit excuse. "Why are you avoiding me?" She stood up straighter, her hands now clutching her sides not to help her breathe easier but with the intention to intimidate.

"W-what? I-I'm not!"

"Really? I haven't seen you since the night of the ceremony. You keep avoiding me in the rec room, during breakfast, dinner... It's been a week! Even when Dielle asks you to meet me for some work, you send someone else. Don't think I don't know about that," she said, pursing her lips. Jermaine looked at the floor, expression guilty and highly uncomfortable. Inaaya exhaled through her nose, trying to be less exasperated with him. "What is it, Jermaine? What's wrong? I thought we were friends," she said, her voice small, almost wounded.

"I... I'm sorry, Inaaya. I didn't mean to hurt you. It's... Let's forget about it, eh? It won't happen again," Jermaine said, imploring her to drop the matter. Inaaya didn't want to but grilling him about it had to be saved for another time. For now, she was just glad to be talking with him again.

She leaned up and hugged him tightly. "I missed you. Playing foosball hasn't been the same without you," she whispered, grinning.

Jermaine chuckled, hugging her back. A moment later, he pushed her away and looked at her in surprise. "Oh, goddess! Congrats, Inaaya," he said, beaming and hugging her once more. "It makes so much more sense now! That's why Beta Axel had been a little brash. Do you think you both will finish the mark soon? I think only then will he be okay with you being around any unmated straight males," he chirped, chuckling.

Inaaya looked at him with uncomprehending wide eyes. "What? What are you talking about, Jermaine? I don't understand..."

Jermaine laughed once more. "Beta Axel has been after my arse, asking me to not cosy up with you too much. He somehow got it in his head that I had the hots for you," Jermaine said, shaking his head as if there could nothing be more bizarre. And there really couldn't be. Jermaine was her friend. The kind you form a brotherly connection with. "But I get it. You see, some werewolves become possessive of their mates after marking them. It's no big deal. I'm so happy for you both!"

Inaaya blinked up at him. This was all too much to process at once. What mark was he talking about? And did Axel ask him to stay away from her? Is that why he was avoiding her? What the actual hell. But before she could ask him about it, Jermaine's hazel eyes phased out. Damn these werewolves and their mind-linking.

"Hey, I've got to go. Alpha Eliseo is asking for me," he said the moment he was back, appearing to be in a hurry. Their Alphas had that effect on them, Inaaya had learned as much.

Inaaya looked dubious, distractedly giving him the file she had prepared for the digital marketing budget and then watched him scurry down the direction of the Alphas' offices. With her mind still whirling at Jermaine's words, she walked back towards her room. Her hands began sorting through the pile of clothes on her bed mindlessly. Earlier that day, she had finally decided to stop living out of her suitcase and shopping bags. This was now her room, her house. She wasn't going anywhere. So, she decided she might as well make use of that walk-in closet for the purpose it was created for.

Jermaine's words were still disorienting her. Her mind flashed back to the night of the ceremony. The image of Axel with his fangs digging into her skin flashed in her mind again after nearly a week. Her fingers involuntarily grazed the curve of her neck.

No, that was a hallucination. If it hadn't been, Axel would have said something by now. The past week with Axel had been amazing. Their relationship had changed for the better, progressed further. She was starting to feel something for him.

No, it definitely was nothing more than a hallucination. Just an effect of the pack mark. Nothing more.

Not wanting to jump to any conclusions, Inaaya slumped on her bed and texted Jace. Yes, he would know. He would clear everything up for her.

You:

Hi, J. You think we can move up

today's session?

Jace:

Hey! For sure. See you in 15? Library.

You:

Yeah, thanks.

Jace's response came almost immediately, something she was immensely grateful for. The more time she would spend alone with her overworking brain, the more theories she would cook up. And it won't be the good kind of cooking.

Inaaya breathed out, trying to put a finish line to her sprinting thoughts. She arranged her clothes in the closet, her eyes momentarily getting stuck on the bunched up navy gown. "Damn it," she whispered, snatching the gown from the shelf and flicking it in the air, desperately trying to rid it of the million wrinkles it had acquired by now. Why did she have to be so careless?

As the gown unrolled on its length and grazed the floor, small red stains around its white lace neckline caught Inaaya's attention. Her brows furrowed as she brought the cloth closer to her eyes, rubbing the stains with her forefinger. Those looked eerily alike blood stains. But the pack mark hadn't caused any bleeding. Certainly not around her front.

Something inside her snapped, bringing forth the image of Axel with his fangs harrowed inside her skin once more. A gasp escaped Inaaya's parted lips and she dropped the gown to the floor, stumbling backwards. She distantly remembered watching him wipe the slight trickle of her blood with his navy coat sleeve. Did his coat have similar stains too? It was all real, then?

Inaaya rushed out of the closet and in front of her dresser. Undoing the top three buttons of her black shirt, she pulled it down over her left shoulder, rubbing the spot she'd felt him bite on that night. There was nothing but the stretch of her plain brown skin there. No scar, no pain.

"Shit! Fuck!" she whispered to herself, hurriedly pocketing her phone and heading for the library. She needed to know. Now.

Inaaya found Jace sitting at their usual small table near the window with his thick glasses on and three books opened in front of him. Composing herself, she calmly walked over to him. "Hey," she said softly, pulling out a chair opposite him and sitting down.

"Oh, hey! Where's your notebook?" Jace asked, frowning slightly. Inaaya carried a small notebook with her to their sessions. She used it to write down any information about his species Jace shared. He had found it quite amusing in the beginning but soon learned just how much documenting things helped Inaaya remember them.

"Uh, I don't think I'd need it today."

Jace frowned, nodding nonetheless. "Okay," he said slowly, turning one of the books around so she could read it. "Let's pick up from where we left off, eh?"

"No, Jace. I have a topic in mind for today," Inaaya interrupted him. Jace's brows furrowed and he tilted his head to the side as if asking her to continue. So she did, ignoring the slight colour that her words brought on his cheeks. "I want to know about the werewolf mating process. Everything about it. From start to finish."

A/N:

Important things first: Does that gown has the worst luck in the history of clothes or what? She sleeps in it, stuffs it unceremoniously in her closet and finally when she decides to take care of it, she ends up dropping it on the floor and leaving it be. Such a beautiful gown, such bad treatment. Sigh. 

That said, what did you guys think of Inaaya's reaction? Any thoughts about Axel? I can't wait for the trouble that will brew when Jace explains to Inaaya about the mating process. No, no. Don't blush just yet. It won't be that kind of talk. ;)

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