Chapter 53

*Silas’s POV*
*Night before Athena Wakes up*
It’s been almost 3 days since the last time Athena woke up. It’s odd, really odd she hasn’t shown any sign of waking up or any movement for that matter.
Vladimir has been nonstop telling her to wake up and annoying the shit out of me.
Freya is currently performing an exam on her to see if she is alright and when she’ll finally wake up.
“Well? Is she going to be alright?” I say a little too quickly.
“Calm down Silas. She is going to be fine. Her wolf took more damage than I thought. You could say she is in a minor coma. Her wolf had to go into dormancy to protect herself from any further damage. I can feel her wolf has reconnected with her and growing stronger. She’ll probably be up and running around in the morning.” She shakes her head in slight annoyance due to my pestering.
“Thank goddess.” I sit on the bed next to my mate. Then I focus on the connection in my head to my wolf. “You hear the mutt? She’s going to be alright, so pipe down.”
He growls in my head and snaps back “Don’t tell me to pipe down stupid human.”
“Don’t call me stupid, you fleabag.”
He only proceeds to snicker. “I’m sorry, did that hurt your feelings? I thought you already knew.”
“Why don’t you go chase a stick? Like a good little doggy.” I chuckle to myself.
“Pull your lip over your face, and swallow.” He scuffs. He really just used a reference?
“Maybe I will, then maybe I won’t have to hear your voice anymore.” After I say that he goes completely silent. “Cat got your tongue?” I snicker.
“Don’t confuse my silence with giving a fuck. I’m planning the murder of a certain stupid human with pathetic comebacks.” This only causes me to roll my eyes. What a dumb wolf I got. “Keep rolling your eyes, maybe you’ll find your tiny brain back there.”
Finally deciding to ignore him, I turn my attention back to Freya.
“Will she be completely healed then? Since her wolf is back.”
“Seeing how much has healed. Yes, I think she’ll be just fine when she wakes up.” She completes her examination and gets ready to leave. “Be gentle when she wakes up I have no idea how fragile she will be. Make sure she remembers about marking to get rid of the brand on her chest.”
She smiles to herself and leaves the room.
“As if we need permission.” My wolf scoffs. “She’s ours and ill mark her one hundred times until she accepts it.”
“What a mongrel you are,” I say with a barb in my voice and sigh. “If we end up losing her, it will be because of your dumbass.”
He growls at my insult. “She is my mate; she will bare my mark to show everyone she belongs to me. That’s what opened the door for your bastard brother to put that thing on her. Your sensitive ass waited too long, and this is the result.”
“Don’t you dare blame the fact I tried to earn her trust for the reason this happened. I wanted to do things the right way but you try to sabotage me at every turn. And I say a grand FUCK YOU for that. If I ever meet the goddess I will beg for a different wolf because you were obviously a mistake.” Then I lock him in the back of my mind to keep him from saying anything else. He is the biggest asshole I have ever met.
I sit next to her and breathe in her soothing pheromones of snow and mint. I pray to the great goddess above that she’ll wake up alright. I can’t bear the idea of her suffering any more than what she already has. I just want to take her far away so that she will never be hurt ever again.
I take her face into my hands and place a kiss on her forehead with my promise that I will deliver Damon’s head on a silver platter and that I will forever cherish her and love her.
I lay next to her and just watch her calmly breathing, Looking like she is simply sleeping. She almost looks peaceful. If I didn’t know better, I would believe it.
As I’m watching her, I feel Vladimir make his way back out of time out. I take a deep breath and wait for more of his snarky comments.
“You’re right. I shouldn’t be blaming you for this. You were just trying to take care of her. I promise from here on out I will try not to sabotage you anymore.”
I raise my brow at his sort of apology. This mutt just apologized? He is so proud and stubborn, I never thought there would be a day that he would be sorry.
“I lied; I wouldn’t trade you for a different wolf. Even though you annoy the hell out of me.”
He only growls and goes back to being silent.
I lay down and hold her close to me and allow her scent to calm me to sleep.
*The next morning*
I wake up to soft beams of light reflecting off the walls and I hear early risers downstairs starting their day. I sit up and stretch out my arms over my head and look down at my sleeping mate. She still has a peaceful look, and more color has come back to her face. She should be waking up any minute.
I slide out of the sheets and head to the bathroom to relieve myself and decide to take a shower. I strip off my clothes and quickly wash myself. I get out, dry myself off and wrap a soft towel around my waist and open the door.
Then what I see stops me in my tracks. She’s awake. My mate is finally awake. Her head turns to me and her piercing ocean-blue eyes stare into mine. Seeing me in only a towel set off a bit of fire in her eyes, déjà vu. I feel a smile spread across my lips and ask how she’s feeling.
“Better now that I can hear Blanche again and getting decent sleep. How long have I been out?” She asks.
She is genuinely surprised that she has been sleeping for so long. Then, seeming like she remembered something, her eyes grow wide. Like a deer caught in the headlight. I’m guessing, she remembers what we discussed a few nights ago.
“About what we talked about when you were last awake. I don’t want to pressure you into marking. Even with all that’s happened I don’t want it to be something just to protect you. It’s a physical manifestation of our bond. It's something meant to be cherished forever. I love you, more than anything but I don’t want it to be a moment of desperation.” I tell her sincerely but she only slightly frowns. Did I read the situation wrong?
“Smooth” My wolf snickers.
“Shut it, fleabag.” I snap back and tune him out.
Her eyes then glaze over meaning she is also in an intense conversation with her wolf, Blanche. She ponders and remains silent for a while. She is conflicted; she has no idea what to do.
Then her eyes reach a sort of clarity. Resolution fills her to the point I can feel it coming off her in waves. She then proceeds to tell me she is not afraid. This in turn fills me with relief. So much relief my whole form relaxes.
“It’s up to us to make the moment special. What other reason do we need other than we love each other?” Her head rests on my shoulder. She has a good point there. We can’t keep waiting around for the perfect time to come to us at some spontaneous moment. We choose when that moment will be special, but circumstances could be a thousand times better. I put a smile on my face and look down into her eyes.
“You are an amazing woman, Angel.”
“You’re just realizing this now?” She snickers playfully which causes me to chuckle with her.
“I have always noticed,” I reassure her.
“Liar.” She accuses me and causes me to fake offense. She pokes me in the gut like a small child trying to get a rise out of someone.
“Liar? You’re calling me, your mate, a liar?” I ask with a gasp and try not to laugh. It’s good to see her smile and laugh. I thought I would never see it again.
She then blows up her cheeks ready to take me on. However, I think she forgets she’s still recovering.
I grab her cheeks with my hand and a smile spreads across my face. She’s making a cute, squished face and is stunned by my sudden demeanor change from playful to mischievous. Then I proceed to remind her what happened the last time she started this. Her cheeks become rosy, and her lips turn into a pout.
Unable to handle her cute face anymore I sneak a quick peck on her soft lips. Even though it wasn’t very long it felt like a millennia. That small kiss was like a drop of water to a man who hasn’t had an ounce to drink in ages.
I suggest that we should go see everyone because they have been just as worried as I have been. Plus, Freya will probably want to see how she’s doing.
Just as soon as I lift myself from the bed, she immediately snatches my wrists. She wants the mark off her chest, and she wants it gone now. I am filled with shock at her desperation. She can’t cope with the fact that someone else’s mark is where mine should be.
I continuously ask if she’s sure about this. It’s a big step and she’s not fully recovered yet. She reassures me every single time that it’s what she wants. Then instead of arguing I just give and give myself over to her. Who am I to decide what she wants and doesn’t want?
She connects her warm and delicate lips with mine. She is desperate and feverish. We deepen our kiss and our tongues dance to our internal song. She pulls me down with her onto the bed and I am now on top of her. She is holding on to me like I am her lifeline. I only hope now I can give her some peace of mind.
My hands brush every part of her body and even though she is covered and don’t feel the sparks as intensely. This nearly sends me into a frenzy. She then takes it a step further and tugs the towel off my waist. My cock quivers at the thought of now being completely exposed to her. I return the favor by slowly sending my hand up her shirt. The skin-to-skin contact sends sparks through us, and it causes her to gasp. I grin at the fact it takes one touch to send her. I tug her shirt off and my hands explore and memorize every dip, every curve, and every freckle. Needing more, I break my lips from hers and begin to taste her skin. From her cheek, neck, clavicle, everywhere. Her skin tastes as amazing as she smells. She tastes sweet and slightly minty like a candy cane. If her skin tastes this good, I can't imagine how sweet her nectar tastes.
After my lips touch a good portion of her body, I make my way back to her clavicle and once again ask for her permission to mark her. After she assures me that absolutely wants this, Vladimir and I become in sync, and we sink our teeth into her sweet and delicate skin. She yelps in initial pain and then in seconds she is moaning in euphoria and shaking. Power flows into me like liquid fire and I can feel our bond strengthening.
Once she is over her orgasm, I retract my fangs and lick the wound I inflicted. I raise my head and she is panting in exertion, but I see relief and love in her eyes. I smile and proceed to turn us over and she is now on top, and I snatch her lips again in a fierce kiss.
Then to my surprise, she pauses and becomes shy. Very shy.
“C-can I touch you?” She asks gently, unsure of what to do. YES! Every fiber of my body screams, especially my dick. Once I regain conscious thought, I think she may be pushing herself.
“Y-you don’t have to.” I manage to get out without too much stuttering.
“I know, but I want to.” This has blood rushing to my cock, and It takes every ounce of my being to not cum with the first stroke of her hand. It takes one single touch from her hand to send my eyes to the back of my head.
Then she mirrors my seductive nicks to the clavicle and then swiftly sinks her teeth into my skin. I groan slightly in pain. Then in mere moments, the pain turns into the most powerful orgasm I’ve had in my life.
She retracts her fangs and proceeds to lick the wound. We are now marked and one. She lifts her head and we both stare at the most extraordinary mark. It is huge and goes down our shoulders and is made up of delicate swirls and lines of violet and light blue. Two wolves chase each other around the crescent moon of Artemis. No mark like this has ever been seen before. Amazing.