Chapter 22

"I want you to mark me."

Something inside of me reacted in a way I never expected. My wolf was thrilled to finally have someone to call her own, but it wasn't exactly the same for me. I feared what would come if I did what he wanted. What we wanted.

"I can't."

The hopeful look in his eyes died, and it made me feel guilty. "Why not? Don't you want us to be bonded?"

"I do,"

He hadn't let go of my hand and I took it he wasn't upset. Maybe a little disappointed. "Then what's the problem?"

"I'm afraid."

"Of the council." It was more of an assertion than a question. He was certain.

"Yes."

"You have nothing to be afraid of, my love."

"I have every reason to be afraid of them. They'll do to me what they did to Zariya. I cannot leave my family and kingdom behind. I can't leave you."

"Even if I tell you that Selene, Aspro and Fitia will support us?"

I quickly put my hand over my mouth, staring at him with wide eyes. "Selene?"

He nodded. "She appeared to me last night. Why do you think I could ask you to mark me?"

"If I mark you, will they summon us?"

"That is inevitable."

The fear returned. "What will happen if Selene changes her mind?"

"She won't. She never goes back on her word."

"What if-" he silenced me with a kiss.

"Just trust me on this."

I breathed deep to calm myself. I didn't know if I was to do it or just walk away and pretend he never asked me to claim him completely. I'd given my body to him already and if I marked him, it would complete the bond. Whatever comes our way after it would be well deserved because we were messing with powerful forces that could easily punish us with me getting the harsher part of which was brutal separation or death.

"Okay." I said, "Let's do it."

His eyes lit up like the sun above our heads. "Really?"

"Yes. We've done one part of it already," my cheeks flushed at the memory. "Might as well complete it."

The way he moved portrayed his excitement and the little devil in me stirred with desire. The desire to make him ours. When he took off his shirt to reveal a body that had once dominated me, my fangs slowly showed themselves. It was official. Both my human and feral side wanted him.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

"Ready."

I placed both hands on his shoulder and lowered my head to the area between his neck and shoulder. He stilled underneath my touch. When my fangs pierced his skin and ichor entered my mouth, it was as if I became stronger than I was. The power was too much. It was more than what I was accustomed to. It made my knees weak and my head heavy.

Mavros noticed and looped an arm around my waist to keep me from falling. I pulled out my fangs and looked into his eyes. They kept changing color from the usual black I was used to. They were gold one second and the next, they'd be black.

"How do you feel?" he questioned, his eyes moving to my lips and coming back up again.

"Unusually powerful."

He kissed my forehead. "You'll get used to it, darling."

"So, will you mark me or something?" he was not a werewolf. I wondered how he'd make it known to others that I was taken.

"I cannot mark you." He took my hand and turned it so that my palm was facing upward. "But I'll write my name on your wrist. It serves the same purpose as a mark."

He wrapped his free hand around my wrist and when he removed it, his name was beautifully tattooed on my skin.

"It's complete." He declared with droopy eyes.

I felt weak. "What now?"

I watched him lie on the ground and I followed, putting my head on his chest.

"We sleep."

<<<>>>

"Impossible!" a female roared, slamming her hand on what I assumed was a desk. "Preposterous."

I opened my eyes when I heard a rumble of thunder and a sudden wind that forced me awake. This place was strange, yet gave me a sense of déjà vu. I had been here before. This was the council. I was sure of it. The cloaked figures that filled the air with raw power confirmed my suspicion.

"Valeria Claire Romero," the same female called as I got up from the floor. I couldn't miss the anger and irritation in her voice. "Why have you chosen to be stubborn for a second time?"

"Patia, stop." I felt more at ease when I heard Mavros' voice.

"Silence!" she held up a fisted hand. "Do not speak unless asked a question."

Patia took off her cloak, revealing a face so ethereal and divine that it could only be a goddess. Her eyes shone like diamonds and her red hair like a consuming fire. Her skin was out of this world—the most beautiful I had ever seen. Was being beautiful her power? If it was, she was owning it.

When she faced me, I felt small. I hated it, but I couldn't stop the feeling. She was better than me in every way.

"Alpha queen Valeria," Patia continued, "You disobeyed the council, yes?"

"I did."

"Why?"

"Because I love him."

Patia laughed humorlessly. "Love? Do you know what love is?"

I did not respond and she continued.

"You are nothing but a mere mortal who does not know her place."

If words were acid, Patia had poured the most concentrated one on me.

"A mortal and a god are forbidden, Mavros. You of all people should know that after the law was made thousands of years ago."

"A law you made, Patia."

Selene. I remembered her voice.

"Pardon?"

"My fellow council members, permit me to explain why Patia insisted that a god and mortal could not be together."

"Permission granted." A male said.

Selene took off her cloak and for the first time, I saw the previous moon goddess. She was undeniably breathtaking. These women were in a fierce competition for who was more beautiful.

"We all know Patia has the ability to foretell the future as she sees it better than we all do."

Murmurs of 'yes' and 'that's true' filled the strange room.

"And we all know she has been after a god for years now." Aspro.

He was really here. So was Fitia.

"Patia had seen the future and hence, the sudden law she forced upon us." That was Fitia.

"What are you talking about?" Patia got to her feet, annoyed at the accusations. "What nonsense have you all done to have the audacity to spill such nonsense about me?"

I was confused. Beyond confused. What were they going on about? What had Patia done?

"I sought answers from Khedesis." Selene answered boldly.

I'd heard stories about god Khedesis from father. Khedesis was the ultimate god. Every god and goddess feared him because, just as they could make a mortal miserable, he held that power over the deities in front of me. If Selene went to him for help, she really wanted to help us.

"You went to master Khedesis?" her lips quivered with fear.

What was going on?

I looked at Mavros when he interlocked our fingers before speaking. "It is no strange news that Patia has been after me for centuries and I have always refused her advances because, honestly, she's just not it for me. With all due respect, council, I stand before you to say that the only reason Patia brought the law that a mortal and god cannot love each other was because she saw that in the future, the person she loves will fall in love with a mortal."

Oh, my goodness.

So, all these while, the reason a god and mortal could not love was because of Mavros' admirer. She wanted to get rid of any chance that he would love me. She had everything planned. Because of her, they denied Aspro a love he deserved and he lost the woman who loved him with all that she was. It infuriated me.

"Patia, is this true?" A god I did not know inquired. He did not take off his cloak.

She darted her eyes to me. "This is wrong, Valeria. You cannot steal someone else's man. Don't you have a conscience?"

Mavros beat me to a response. "I never belonged to you, Patia. I was never your man or lover."

"Well," the god who was seated in the middle stood up. "Since it has been made clear to us that the reason a god and mortal cannot be together is because of a goddess' selfish desire, what do we want?"

"I say we allow it." Selene said, looking in my direction with a small smile.

"Agreed." That was Aspro.

"I agree." Fitia.

All that was left was for the other members to agree.

"If you agree to the union between a mortal and god, please send forth a gem." Selene had an expectant look in her eyes.

It was the same for me.

Much to my pleasure, the members of the council each sent a gem with different colors. All except Patia. By the time they were done, gems of various colors went around Mavros and me in a circle.

The man seated in the middle began, "From today, we, the council," he lifted his hand toward the gems and a bright glow emanated from his hand. The various gems split and formed two bracelets that each held some gems. "Stand as one when we say the union between Mavros and Valeria is blessed. Let this be the start of many happy days."

I couldn't stop the tears that welled in my ears at the good news. Mavros pulled me close to himself after the bracelets appeared on both of our hands.

"You will be sent back to your world," a female other than Patia and Selene said, "so that we can punish Patia for her wrongs.'

Mavros bowed his head. "Thank you."

I averted my head to Selene and Fitia. Mother and daughter nodded their head at me, both wearing a smile. It made my heart swell. Not only had I earned the respect and love from Fitia, but I had gotten that same thing from Selene. Perhaps I was destined for great things.

"Farewell, Alpha Valeria."

<<<>>>

When I opened my eyes, I observed it was dusk. Looking to my right, Mavros was sitting beside me, watching me as he touched the bracelet on his wrist. It wasn't a dream. It had happened. It was reality. The council allowed us to be together. We were free to love each other without fear.

"We did it." he said, stroking my head.

I removed his jacket he had used to cover me. "I can't believe it."

"Neither can I, but it has happened."

"All this while, Patia was the reason they separated Aspro and Zariya. Just because she did not want us to be together."

"I've always known she was a little coo coo. I just didn't think it was this bad."

"Wow," I breathed, still in shock. I checked to see if the bracelet was on my wrist. It was. "This feels unreal."

"I know, right?" he rose to his feet and held his hand out for me to take. He pulled me up when I placed my hand in his. "Come on, let's go. We have to celebrate."

Hand in hand, Mavros and I returned to the car. No matter how much I wanted to wave off what happened as a dream, the bracelet was a reminder that this was reality. It was a reminder that the god beside me was mine for as long as I lived. Yes, we wouldn't get to spend eternity, but as long as I walked this earth, the infamous god of destruction was mine. Mavros was mine.

I didn't know what I had done to deserve such a second chance mate. I didn't know what good I had done in my past life to get him. Thinking back to all I went through, maybe this was their way of telling me they were sorry and that they wanted me to be happy because not only had I found a mate, I would soon give birth to two little deities.

Then a thought came.

My happiness was not necessarily complete.

Because, according to Selene, she must take a life in exchange for mine.

"Mavros?"

He hummed a yes, shifting in his seat to face me. "What is it? You look worried."

I am worried.

"I have to tell them."

"Tell who what?"

"My family." I closed my eyes for a moment. "I have to tell them what Selene said."