We stayed on the floor for a long time, just holding each other. Eventually, my breathing evened out, matching the rhythm of Lucian's heartbeat against my ear. The tears stopped, leaving behind a strange emptiness that somehow felt better than the overwhelming grief.
Lucian's fingers traced absent patterns on my back, soothing and repetitive. Then he spoke, his voice quiet in the darkness.
"I want to mark you."
I pulled back slightly, looking up at him. My face immediately heated. "What?"
Even in the dim light, I could see his lips quirk into a small smile. "Mark you. It's a lycan thing."
"Wait, mark me? Like, permanently?" My mind was racing, jumping to all sorts of conclusions. "You mean like, uh, I mean, is this—"
"Maeve," he laughed softly, the sound raw but genuine. "Calm down."
"I am calm!" I squeaked, definitely not calm.
