Chapter 127 - You are mine

EMMA

Every single one of my nerve endings is on fire. The burn reaches the tips of my fingers and curls my toes. My nails dig into his chest, but Hadrian doesn’t seem to mind the pain. My climax comes in waves and my body bucks forward with the motion.

“Marry me,” Hadrian says in a satisfied whisper. The words are deep and unmistakable, but I’m sure that I heard him wrong.

I blink my eyes as I land back on earth. “What?”

This is just a figment of my brain that has created an illusion. Somewhere my mind mixed a fantasy with reality and twisted it into a sort of alternative universe. There is no way Hadrian said—

“Marry me,” he repeats. His thumb draws circles over my hip. The touch is soothing while his words shatter my world.

I definitely heard him right this time. “You cannot say that.”

His brows rise before surprise turns them into a frown. “Why not?”

“It’s not a question.” I blurt out even though that isn’t the reason.

*Marry Hadrian?* It’s something I’ve thought about, but never allowed myself to actually wish for. I cannot marry Hadrian, he’s a werewolf.

His languid satisfaction dwindles rapidly. The ease and comfort disappear and harden his eyes. “Fine. Will you marry me?”

Hadrian is still inside me. I can feel his hardness stretch me. He pushes me to my limit even without motion.

“You cannot ask that now.” I try to disconnect our bodies and climb off him, but Hadrian keeps me firmly in place.

His hands lock on either side of my hips and the pressure of his hands force me down. “Are there more rules I’m unaware of?”

“We just had sex, you don’t mean it.”

People say things in the heat of the moment. Their emotions are jumbled and they think that they feel commitment. But actually, it’s a result of lust.

“Emma.” The warning in his voice is commanding. The edge in his voice is sharp. He’s not playing around anymore.

“It’s like saying ‘I love you’ right now. It holds no value.” I explain.

Many people before him have fallen into the same trap. I try to move away again and Hadrian shackles his arms around my back.

Hadrian sits up and his bare chest connects with mine. “I mean it, Sweetheart.” His eyes hold his sincerity. The amber burns with the flames.

He brings me to the edge of the bed without disconnecting our bodies. He leans to the side, picks up his jeans and draws a ring from his pocket.

The white stone glistens in the sunbeams coming from the window. The reflection of light shows the shades of vibrant blue in all its different angles.

“You even got a ring?” I whisper through my shallow breath. *Is this actually real?*

The ring is tiny as it lies in the center of his large palm. The delicate metal rests on his rough calluses. The band looks like silver, but doesn’t burn him.

The white stone shows a blue hue when the sunlight doesn’t directly touch it. It glows with the depth within and the beauty it holds.

“Why?” There is a careful excitement building in my chest. My heart has already been screaming yes since I first perceived the words ‘Marry me’.

“Because I want you to marry me.” Hadrian takes my hand and slides the ring around my finger.

The metal band wraps around like it was made specifically for me. The pale stone compliments my fair skin.

I’ve never felt particularly materialistic. But there’s an immediate possessive attachment to the ring that I wouldn’t necessarily call a human trait. *Mine.*

“But werewolves don’t get married.” I say. The responsible part of my brain has decided to ruin the joy in my heart. It cuts through the bliss with exasperating facts.

“But humans do." Hadrian kisses each of my knuckles and lastly kisses the ring. “I want every human to know that you belong to me.”

The excitement is doused by cold, hard reality. I cannot tell anyone about this. They will ask questions when I start wearing a ring like this. Gossip spreads faster than a forest fire.

It hurts to take the ring off my finger, but I force myself to do it. “I can’t marry you.”

Hadrian covers his hand over mine. “What is it?”

“The town cannot know, they won’t understand.”

Hadrian eyes me with confusion and lets me pull away from him. Sadness stabs in my chest when the band splits from my finger and I give him back the ring.

“I also promised Dex to be his date to the wedding.” I divulge.

I’ve been putting off telling Hadrian about Dex’s request. Dex wouldn’t take no for an answer. I didn’t plan to say it now, but apparently I did.

Hadrian encloses his fist around the ring. I fear for the delicate piece of jewelry when I notice the strain in his arms. The veins in his arms start to swell. Fury burns in his eyes and his jaw locks as he grits his teeth. His eyes flicker between black and amber and it’s been a while since I last feared the transition.

“You did what?” He places the ring on the nightstand and I’m surprised that it’s still intact.

“He wouldn’t let me reject him.” I try to explain how the situation came to be.

“So you decided you’ll go on a date with him instead.” Hadrian grabs my wrist and throws me on the bed. I land with my stomach on the mattress.

I try to turn around, but Hadrian pins me down. One hand pushes me down on the center of my back. The other grips my hair and pulls my head to the side.

“You are mine.” His deep voice is dark and layered. It rasps with the threat and crackles like thunder.

“You might not grasp the meaning of this…” He bites down on my mark and I cry out, both in lust and pain. His teeth sink deep into my tendon without piercing my skin.

Incoherent moans come from me without a particular trail of thought. He has me at his mercy. The sensation lights up everything in my body like a Christmas tree. It makes me feel dazed and delirious.

Hadrian releases my shoulder. “But this makes sure that no other man will touch you.”

I can’t deal with the pain in his voice. Beneath the dark, threatening prince is a man who is hurting.

“It doesn’t mean anything, I swear.”

Hadrian pulls my hips up and presses his length against my entrance. “You cannot fuck me in the dark and play girlfriend to someone else during the day.”

He slaps my ass and the punishing sound reverberates through my bedroom. “That isn’t how this works.”

The sting shoots new levels of lust through me. It sparks the fire in my lower belly and breaks away the daze.

“I’m yours, please,” I beg him for forgiveness and for him to continue what he started. I want him to know I am his, but Hadrian pulls away.

I fall back on the bed when his hands leave my hips. When I turn around I find Hadrian pulling on his clothes. “Where are you going?”

He ties his shoes and moves to the window. “I’m not really in the mood right now.”

“Hadrian, wait!” The call is futile because Hadrian is already moving out the window.

I’m alone again, but this time there is a ring glinting on my nightstand.