49.

-HER-

A huge smile instantly climbs on his lips as he leans in and steals a kiss from me. He’s so fast that I don’t get to react.

“You need to stop doing this,” I couldn’t help but frown.

“Why? You don’t like these?” He asks rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand. Those strange sensations instantly intensify. All the blood rushes to my face while he smirks.

“We’re getting late,” I tell him instead to divert the topic. This makes him check his watch before he sighs and starts the engine. He doesn’t take his hand off mine and I don’t mind it either.

A low buzz of those sensation continues to course through my body. While he is driving, I examine his hand. It’s much bigger than mine. Once in awhile, he’d take his hand off to change the gear before he’d find my hands again.

“What are these called?” I decided to ask after some moments. He glances at me once before he looks back at the road.

“Sparks,” He answers before he takes his hand off to change the gear and turn the wheel. After we are on the highway, he puts his hand back into mine and continues to draw those small circles, “I feel them too,” He tells me, nodding at our hands.

“Is it because we are mates?” I ask him and he nods, “Yeah, it’s one of the effects of the mating bond,”

“The mating bond?”

“It’s one of those primal things that drive instincts and feelings for mates,” He answers briefly, locking our fingers.

“Apart from these, is there something else?” I ask curiously.

“Yeah, this is just something very basic. My wolf can sense you whenever you’re around. It’s like a seventh sense. Even if you don’t have a wolf, I am sure that you feel it too,” He explains and I find myself agreeing to him, “Davis and I look very much alike. Sometimes mom and dad find it hard to tell us apart but Brooke never confuses us because she feels the mating bond with only Davis. I am sure you’d note the difference too,”

His revelation soon helps me understand why I felt so different around Davis in the beginning. Now when I think of it, I couldn’t help but feel stupid. I never thought of the possibilities of him having a twin and it was the only thing that put me in so much confusion.

“And yes, there’s this pull. It’s stronger on my side due to my wolf and my hybrid powers,” He mutters, glancing at me again before looking back at the road, “The bond grows stronger and deeper after mating. After mating, mates can sense each other’s emotions an-“

“What’s mating?” I interrupt him with my question and instantly regret it. He looks at me before a smirk climbs on his face.

“What do you think it could be?” He cocks an eyebrow at me teasingly. I couldn’t turn any redder tonight.

“I don’t know, playing monopoly maybe?” I shrug and he roars with laughter. Though, he soon controls himself to concentrate on the road, “Oh, Cybele…” He chuckles before he continues to tease, “Playing monopoly... huh? That’s gonna be our safe word,”

“Don’t be so overconfident,” I comment and peel my hand off his before crossing them on my chest. He chuckles more to himself while he shakes his head at me.

“I don’t want to sound overconfident but we have already completed the first two stages of mating-“

“What do you mean by that!” I sit up, turning to him fully.

“The whole mating process has four stages. The first two stages are claiming and marking the scent. I have done those two with you the first time we kissed,” He explains.

“You didn’t tell me that and how did you even do that?” I instantly frown, not knowing any other way to react to this.

“I am sorry, Cybele,” He instantly apologizes, “I know I should’ve asked you. I… I regret doing it,” He tells me with regret in his eyes and a tinge of self-hate in his voice. It instantly makes me feel bad for reacting the wrong way.

“It’s okay,” I mumble and a momentary pause follows. He finds my hand again before locking our fingers. The sparks are instantly there as soon as he touches me. His warm and big hand easily encloses mine. I am afraid that I am starting to like this.

“Remember I gave you hickey’s the first time. I was so close to making you… it would have been a disaster had I not controlled myself. You weren’t very much responsive to me then and my wolf was getting very impatient… I am sorry for that again, Cybele,” He apologizes again. I can tell from the tone of his voice that he regrets it very much and to top it off, I made it worse by telling him to stay away from me.

“I am sorry too for er… that conversation. It must have made it worse for you,” I couldn’t help but apologize back, “I used to think that you were dating Brooke,” I tell him and he nods with his eyes fixed at the road.

“What’s marking?” I ask curiously.

“It’s part of the mating process. It’s when mates physically mark each other,” He draws out slowly, taking his time to chose his words carefully.

“How do they do that?” I continue to shower him with questions.

“Um… it may sound a bit off to you but it’s actually very common in our community,” He presses his lips in a thin line while he looks a bit anxious to tell me. If anything, it’s feeding my curiosity.

“Just tell me,” I press.

“They kinda bite each other-“

“That’s wild,” I couldn’t help but comment and he chuckles, “Well wolves are wild, aren’t they?”

“Yeah… but is that necessary?” My eyes drift to hips lips behind which his canines hide. Imagining him sinking them into my skin makes my stomach clench. I instantly push such thoughts out of my mind.

“Are you scared?” He asks instead and I shake my head before I answer, “Well, I am human and I… er, I find your ways a bit odd,”

“Fair enough,” He nods, “It’s necessary to mark. It’s the most important part of the mating. It builds a bridge that connects them on an emotional and spiritual level,” He explains briefly.

While I am deep into my thoughts, processing his words in my mind, he gives my hand a light squeeze. It makes me look at him. He’s already looking at me pensively before he turns his attention back to the road.

“What are you thinking?” He asks gently.

“Where do they bite each other?” I ask awkwardly.

“Generally, here,” He answers me, touching the area where my neck meets my shoulder. It’s where he gave me the hickeys. I am guessing he would mark me there as well. My eyes drift back to his canines before I ask awkwardly, “Is it painful?”

“It is…” He draws out, “but not that much,” he assures me. I instantly find scratching my neck unconsciously.

...

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