Chapter seventeen
The words hung heavy in the air, a possessive claim that sent shivers down my spine. "You are mine now," he whispered, his voice a husky rumble that vibrated through me. Before I could react, a searing heat blossomed on my neck. He'd tilted my head just enough to press his lips against the sensitive spot where the mate mark would appear.
Pain and pleasure collided in a dizzying wave. I gasped, clinging to him as the mark burned itself onto my skin, a permanent reminder of this electrifying moment, this unexpected claim. As the heat subsided, leaving behind a tingling warmth, I looked up at him, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. My first kiss. The mating mark. The weight of it all settled upon me, a mixture of fear and exhilaration. But above all, there was a newfound certainty, a connection forged in fire that promised a future I could only begin to imagine.