46. You're playing a dangerous game.

Darius watched her movements like a predator, gulping down his saliva. The male never assumed that the Princess would agree to his proposal that quickly, even encourage him to do it faster than he intended to. He didn't move for a bit; eyes still focused on her back as Ally disappeared in the bathroom. She didn't close the door behind her, inviting the male to follow her. Darius sighed and shook his head in amusement, wondering when was the last time when he did good for Selene since she repaid him with a Goddess of his own. At times, he couldn't believe that he deserved someone as pure and powerful to stand by his side.

He almost lost himself in the bubble of thoughts when the sound of running water brought him back to reality. The male groaned, stood up, and slowly walked towards the bathroom. Darius stood in the doorframe, leaning against it and watching his beloved standing under the running water. The young woman was divine, pure perfection in his eyes. He noticed that Ally didn't bother to get rid of all clothes; she still wore the pair of skin-tight shorts, which wasn't something he would ever dare to complain about.

"You're playing a dangerous game," Darius announced, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Ally didn't react, so he stepped inside the bathroom, clearing his throat. "Are you sure that you're ready? I don't want to push anything onto you, especially if you're not completely sure about the decision. I can feel your fear, Ally, and I can assure you that I won't force myself onto you. It's just the mark, nothing more, unless you want it."

His words made the Princess feel safer. If there was one thing she was terrified of- it was going too far. She had no idea what Darius meant with his warning about dangerous games, but she rather kept the topic for later than ruined the moment, which was supposed to be the most beautiful one of her lifetime. Ally felt a presence behind her, strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against a firm chest. She shivered under his touch; at times, the Princess felt like putty in his hands, bending; however he wanted. His lips found their way to her neck, tracing gentle kisses over her flushed skin. Ally closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, waiting for the pain to struck her, but it never came. Her heart raced in fear of the unknown, but the more she thought of what was about to happen, the more impatient she grew. Why wasn't he biting her? Wasn't that the thing Darius wanted to do as soon as possible?

"Not here, and not like this." He whispered next to her ear, surprising Ally. Her thoughts raced, confusion, and frustration grew within seconds. The Princess suddenly thought of him misleading her. Perhaps the whole marking thing was nothing but a joke for him?
Ally opened her mouth to speak up, maybe even call him names for the game he was playing, yet accusing her of doing so, but Darius spoke first.
"Marking is an extraordinary thing to happen to young shifters. For some, it might be a territorial thing or a sign of property, but you are so much more to be taken for granted. I won't mark you in the shower as any low skank would do to their mates; you deserve better. Enjoy the shower on your own, love; in the meantime, I shall see what I can do to make this special. I will mark you tonight, but I will do it properly. Don't you worry about anything." Darius pecked her cheek and left the bathroom, closing the door and giving Ally some privacy.

The Princess stood under the water, trying to wash the shock away. A slight smile appeared on her lips- as vicious the man was said to be, he did everything to make her happy. Ally thought that getting done with the marking process would be at least one problem off her shoulders, but the young woman forgot how she used to dream about the day. In her eyes, marking was supposed to be something unique- two souls accepting each other until the end of times. Yet, here she was, completely unaware of how easily she agreed to let go of her dreams, just to get over with it.
This was one more time when Ally felt genuinely grateful for having Darius as her soulmate because, despite her rush, he held back and tried to make everything memorable. While others thought of her as a spoiled teenager, this man stood by her decisions and respected the boundaries. Any other male would demand her to mate with him just days after meeting each other, but he wasn't like others. How foolish it was of her to assume that a deadly sin, the most dangerous of them all, couldn't be one to love her.

Ally let out a deep breath and got out of the shower, letting the water run for a little longer. The sound calmed her, and it would make Darius think that she was still taking a shower- a way for her to have a bit of time.
She dropped her wet shorts in the sink and wrapped herself into a towel. The rush of adrenaline faded, and the Princess didn't felt so brave anymore. Suddenly, Ally wondered how she could face the deadly sin, wrapped in a towel, without her underwear. The young woman felt naked, a wave of doubt taking over her. Ally kept pacing around the bathroom, trying to come up with anything, yet all ideas seemed to fail her. The young woman was startled by a soft knock on the door. She took a deep breath and faced the door.

"I'm not done yet," Ally announced, biting onto her bottom lip. Her eyes focused on the closed door, wondering how much time she could win until Darius would lose his patience. She didn't change her mind, did she?

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Princess, but Lord Wrath asked me to give you some clean clothes and walk you to his apartments as soon as you're dressed. I can wait if you require more time." A weak, feminine voice stuttered. Ally nearly fainted as she caught the fear in the woman's voice. Was she afraid of her, or was it something Darius did?

"I'm sorry I'm just nervous. What's your name?" Ally decided that calming down the woman might be the most important thing to do.

"Austra, your highness." The woman replied, this time sounding a little braver than before.

"That's a beautiful name you got there. I hope I won't get too much into your personal space, but I have a question to ask. Why do you sound so scared? Is it something Da- I mean Wrath did or said?" Ally was sure she would give the male a taste of hell if he ever scared an innocent girl into doing whatever he wanted. Just because he was nice to her, it didn't mean that he could be even half as humane towards others.

"Oh, no, no, that's not the case, I swear. Lord Wrath is a good man; he had always looked over Selene's temple and her followers. I'm not scared, just a little intimidated by the presence of a real Royalty. We haven't faced Lychanatrope in our lifetimes; everyone around here is rather curious and a little terrified to meet you. I mean no disrespect, please don't misunderstand us. None of us would ever badmouth the King's daughter and the Lord's soulmate; everyone around here will treat you with the utmost respect." The woman spoke eagerly, calming Ally down a little. She wasn't surprised about the reaction those people had; most acted the same for the first time of meetings.

"I think I'm ready to get dressed, Austra. Could you please hand me the clothes?" Ally breathed out, clenching on the towel.
The woman opened the bathroom door, enough to sneak a box through it without looking at the Princess. Ally thanked the woman and smiled, tracing her fingertips over the beautiful box. Whatever Darius had in mind, Ally was sure that he must be trying to overdo himself. She opened the box and blushed when her eyes fell on a set of lace undergarments.

"I should have known." She whispered to herself, sliding the lace on her body. Surprisingly, he did well with the size, and as much as Ally didn't want to admit it- he chose a great set that suits her way too well.
Next in the box was a handwritten note.
*"Wear me."* Ally smirked, reading it out loud. She couldn't believe how such small things could make her heart race in excitement. She took the golden piece of fabric out of the box, gasping at the knee-length dress with a dangerously high split. It wasn't something that Ally would have had worn already; the dress itself was very simple, yet elegant, making it look effortlessly fashionable.

With shaking hands, she wore the dress, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Ally couldn't believe that the woman, staring back at her, was she. Her damp hair curled a little, covering her bare shoulders. The dress suit perfectly, even the split wasn't as bad as the Princess thought at the beginning. She took the last deep breath, threw herself another look in the mirror, and left the bathroom. If not, now then never.

"You're beautiful," Austra exclaimed, gasping in surprise. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare, but it's just that I never thought that you could look like a real-life Goddess. My apologies, your highness." She dropped her gaze, mumbling apologies after apologies.

"Stop, there's no need to apologize. Could you please walk me to the Lord's apartments?" Ally blushed, nervously biting the inside of her cheek.

"Beautiful, graceful, and polite. Lord is one lucky man." Austra whispered, completely forgetting that Ally could hear her remark.
To avoid things getting awkward between the two, the Princess decided to stay quiet, acting as if she hadn't heard what the woman just said.

As they walked down the hall, everyone in their way bowed in front of Ally; some women giggled as she passed them.
*"Chin up, hold your back straight, and smile, you have an image to carry. You are a Royalty, Ally, so act like one."* Eve's words echoed in her mind, encouraging the young woman to follow her mother's example.

"We have arrived, your highness." Austra bowed and motioned at a large wooden door in a poorly illuminated hallway.

"Please, call me Ally. And thank you for showing me the way." The Princess smiled and watched how Austra rushed away, running straight to the crowd of other women and telling them more about meeting a Royalty.
Ally shook her head with a slight smile on her lips before gathering the courage to enter the room.

She pushed the wooden door open and slid inside, closing the door behind her as quietly as she could. The Princess gasped, noticing hundreds of lit candles around the enormous room. She couldn't believe her eyes- how could one person manage to do so much in such a short period of time. Her eyes stopped on a large window, illuminating the room under the full moon. Ally couldn't move an inch, unable to take in the nearly perfect atmosphere Darius had made around there. The only thing she wondered about was- where was he? Ally stood next to the door for at least five minutes, gaping at the candles, and he didn't appear anywhere near her. That didn't sound like him- the male was always around, didn't matter if Ally wanted him to be or not.
Finally, she stepped closer to the center of the room, facing the window. She had no idea how beautiful she looked in his eyes as Darius hid in the shadows. The male watched her, giving Ally time to change her mind.

The Princess felt his presence nearing, but she didn't move or turn around. Darius placed his palms on her shoulders, surprised to feel how calm Ally was; her muscles didn't stiffen under his touch. He smiled, leaning closer to her ear and whispering: "Close your eyes."
Ally nodded and complied without any questions, proving to Darius that she knew what she was doing and that she was ready.
He placed a black satin fabric over her eyes, blindfolding the Princess.
"All I know is that the most beautiful things are ones we can't see, but we can feel them as deep as our soul. Trust me; I won't hurt you." Darius whispered, assuring the Princess. Ally nodded her head and let the male guide her as if she was blind. His touch sent waves of shivers all over her body, her heart racing in excitement, unable to wait for the big moment.

The male picked her on his arms, carrying her to the enormous bed. Her back came in contact with the soft mattress, making her smile at his gentle approach. His lips found their way to her neck, slowly tracking open-mouthed kisses down to the crook of her neck. Ally gasped, feeling his tongue tracing circles around the spot where Darius would leave his mark. The young woman shivered in anticipation, biting her lower lip to keep the moan from escaping. The moment between them was intense yet intimate, and she didn't intend to ruin it. Next, she felt the little pressure against her skin- his canine teeth. Ally took a deep breath, ready for the moment when he would finally mark her as his.
And he did- Darius sunk his teeth into her delicate skin, locking his jaw and holding Ally down. She didn't cry out in pain; for some odd reason, she barely felt any pain; marking seemed to be more pleasurable than painful. The young woman felt blissful. Finally, they were able to be whole, as any decent soulmates should be. Ally nearly cried, overwhelmed by his emotions. She could feel the happiness and pride Darius felt. For that moment, everything seemed to be perfect; now, nothing and no one could tear them apart.

Ally could barely hold her eyelids open, suddenly overtaken by a wave of tiredness. The young woman knew that it was expected; marking took a lot of energy; most females slept days after getting their marks. Seconds before she finally gave in to the darkness, Ally overheard the large door opening with a loud bang.

"You marked her! How could you? What about me, what about us?"