True Love's Mark

**Natalie POV**

"Let me mark you."
A tremor ran up Trevor's spine as his lips cracked into an uncertain smile. Something unspoken and unrecognizable flowed through his aura, clinging to him like a second skin. What was he fighting?
"Let me mark you." I reiterated, burrowing my head further into warmth. The heat from his body and the musk from our recent entanglement mixed with that familiar beach scent. Content and happy, I murmured against his skin, "my true love…."
Suddenly Trevor's warmth was gone, snatched away, leaving me in the bed, alone and naked. I glanced up to see him on his feet, several steps away from me. Sorrowful deep blues took hold of him in a matter of heartbeats. The false tug of his lips and heavy shoulders resembled the shell of a man from the Queen's courtyard rather than the man I fell for. He'd finally shown me his other side, and I'd taken it all. I couldn't understand why we were back to this.
"You're cruel."
I started to stand up, but he encased my feet in a block of ice. "Trevor, what's wrong?"
"You were really going to mark me, saying all those wonderful things I longed to hear from Diana. You're even carrying my child! Why? So you could get the ultimate revenge against her?"
"What are you talking about? Stop it!" I refused to break the ice. I wasn't going to crawl to him or force him to listen. A true love's mark has to be out of loyalty, love, equality, and trust.
So I sat still, no matter how bad his words broke my heart.
"I tried for her, to reason with her, out of our 'love.' After all, she was the one I was supposed to start a family with. When Jacob killed her, my heart was ripped to shreds."
He loved my sister, just like she claimed.
"My sister…"
"But at least she let me see her motives. You, Natalie, are crueler."
"Our baby…"
The ice grew, crawling up my legs the more he talked, but I hardly noticed. My attention was on his retreating footsteps. "Did you ever love me? Am I a replacement or revenge for my true love?"
Does he realize how much he's tearing me apart when we should be coming together?
"I don't…." All his words were delayed in my mind. The pieces fumbled together gradually, but everything rendered in slow motion.
He gave me a bitter laugh, humorless. "All I'm worth is two words again? I slipped back that quickly in your heart?"
"My true love?" I was so stupid.
"Oh, three words! What am I…Natalie, hey, no! Don't make that face!" The ice shattered as he ran back to the bed, his eyes brimming with tears. Despite his words, Trevor still hated to see my pain. True love never stops caring. "Shit, don't make that face."
I grabbed his cheeks and initiated the kiss. Surprise turned to reluctance, into affection as he kissed me back just as hard. Trapping my head with his large hands, Trevor kissed me relentlessly. I opened my mouth for him. His tongue found mine as he sucked on it. I moaned into the kiss, already feeling breathless.
"I'm so blind. Now I get what Princess Aileen kept hinting at." I wasn't the only one to be manipulated! And he was hurting so much.
Trevor blinked, "my sister? She told you about Diana?"
"No, but she's been trying to tell me since I first met her. If only you and I sat down and had a normal discussion, ya know!"
"I'm sorry… we should talk, and I shouldn't have yelled at you. I just hate being reminded that your heart belongs to another man." His fist clenched until his knuckles turned white. "Yet you lead me on that we'll belong to each other. It feels like you're deceiving me. You're taking advantage of my affection, my obsession with you. It fills me with more rage and despair than seeing Diana's corpse. But then I see you crying, and I'm ready to break the world apart to bring back your smile."
My lips pecked both his wet eyelids. I was so blind, but the pieces fitted.
"I'm crying out of happiness. My sister is a master manipulative bitch. She was the one who loved torture."
"I'm sorry my true love hurt you, but I am not her!"
Aileen's hatred for Trevor's 'true love'. The way she observed my reaction to her declaration. Devon's story about him and his true love being led to Shiuku's bed. They were guiding me to figure out the truth. The puzzle snapped together.
“Shiuku used Devon to bed Aileen.” I forced the words out, my throat dry. "He taught my sister. She stole my true love!"
The last bit of fog at last left Trevor's eyes. They were the most beautiful malachite color.
"Diana stole your damn aura… Is that what you're saying? This whole time!" Trevor raged, but I could see the weight crumbling off his shoulders. "I even thought back then maybe it was a trick. I prayed it was, but you were so scared of me and avoided me. Wouldn't you have known when we first met, Sweetness?"
I really was a doofus all these years.
"Oh damn it all!" Trevor's voice hitched, full of regret and excitement. An odd, endearing combination. "You did know! And I kept saying how much I didn't believe in true love… oh my Sw…my true love! Then you're my true love! My true love!"
I wrapped my arms around his neck, raining kisses all over. "And I hurt you with all my talk about my true love. Ya know, it never occurred to me to simply say, 'hey I'm Natalie; you're my true love. Wanna be mine?'" I joked.
"We both really got fucked up, huh?"
Rather than answering him, I hummed a particular lullaby.
He held me close to his heart, his muscles squeezing me as if afraid I would disappear. Like I would become a real Casper-ette. His sculpted chest vibrated at my cheek with each baritone note he crooned. I rested my head, greedily cuddling into the embrace of this amazing, forgiving man. My Tidal Wave Boy, My Master, and true love all wrapped into one person.
My eyes fell heavy-lidded as we reached the end of the song. Our auras had never been so perfectly in sync before. No secrets, no hidden agendas, or secret sides, just love.
"I want you to mark me, Sweetness." Trevor's honeyed tone soothed me further.
I chuckled, "so let's make a deal. What do you want, Tidal Wave Boy?"
"Hmm…" he lifted a single eyebrow, pretending to be lost in thought. "Bake me strawberry cupcakes once a month!"
"You already knew! But fine, as long as you don't distract me!"
Trevor's eyes sparkled with lust. "Oh, Sweetness, that's the challenge. I'll be flaunting my body around while you mix. And you better keep your distance, or I'll eat you instead!"
My cheeks heated, but I nodded. "A…alright, so I just have to pick something."
Proudly Trevor proclaimed, "I will no longer flirt with other girls. The only woman I will pay attention to or compliment is y-"
I slugged his shoulder, scooting back. "I refuse!"
"Isn't me flirting with other girls, bad?"
I shook my head. "What about Izzy? When she was hurting, you complimented her, told her how strong she was, and made her feel good about herself. From how you and Jacob talked, you've done that for other abused girls too! You help people with your flirting while also being clear you are taken. Ya know, I admire that about you. Why would I take it away? Ya think I'm that selfish or controlling. The mark will represent that, not love!"
He reached for me, but I slapped his hand away. "And ya know, it's a part of who you are. When women swoon over you, it gives your giant ego a boost. They wink, and you may boast back, but you always grab my hand and hold it high, embarrassing me, ya know! You're shameless, smug, flirtatious, caring, and dominating. I can't just love pieces. You're a person, a work of art…I love every shade! I'm not my sister, Father, or Demon Lord Shiuku! I don't want to manipulate or change you. Just be mine, and I'll be yours!"
Realizing my words and ramblings, I quickly hid my face in my hands. That was too much, too humiliating to admit all at once! But it was all true.
Long minutes stretched in silence. Curious and nervous, I peeked from between my fingers at Trevor. A predator stared back at me, his mouth slightly agape. His tongue darted out, licking at his dry lips right before he pounced me.
"Damn, do I love you." I finally found the energy to push him back, taking me with him. "You're not getting away this time!" He laughed when I landed in his arms.
I chuckled, "I know what I want from you."
"Anything."
"I will bake you strawberry cupcakes once a month-"
"That I can eat off you. Forgot that part!"
My cheeks were going to be permanently pink at this rate!
"Alright, I will…bake strawberry cupcakes once a month that Prince Trevor can…eat off me. In return, Prince Trevor, my prince charming and dark knight-" he giggled like a child, referring to his bedroom habits. "Will never question my love or the consummation of our child again!"
I barely held back from adding, 'and come home to us.' That was the life I'd always dreamed of, but if we were to rescue Izzy, that's the sacrifice.
"Hey! No, no, no! I'm sorry I said that about our wonderful bun. We aren't doing the gloomy thing, remember! Come on, don't make me have to slide my magnificent God-gifted cock inside you before you mark me."
"N…no! I won't have the strength to then! Idiot!" Real smooth! I'm trying to be romantic, and now I'm flustered! Oh, and I insulted him! Crap!
"Haha, Sweetness, if you're done freaking out, love… I'm ready, my true love."
He held out his wrist with a slim cut already made. I squeezed one of the wounds Alaric had gifted me. My blood dripped into his, creating a soft glow. Trevor and I watched, enchanted at our love blossoming into a mark binding us together.
A single line, turquoise in color, circled his wrist, working up his toned biceps. Trevor's face broke out into his award-winning smile. "My water…your ground," he muttered in fascination. His focus remained on our growing mark.
The turquoise went around his shoulder, heading down to his chest. When the mark touched over his heart, it split into two lines. Both lines glowed vibrantly in their colors, one blue and one green. They curved together in the shape of a heart, connected at the bottom by the original turquoise line. I'd never seen such a beautifully unique mark. Perfect. Ours.
"I love you so much, my true love, Natalie." Trevor rubbed my belly. "And you too, little one."
As promised, Izzy, Lydia, my Mom, and Alaric waited until morning. Tonight was all about Trevor and me. Our genuine love for one another.