TWO ALPHAS, ONE MATE

SECRETS| 13

"Ouch, ouch, ouch. Make it stop. Please make it stop," I cried out.

I place my hand over the mark in hopes of dwindling down the pain. Ethan, Crystal, and Josh are at my side in a second, hovering over me. Ethan attempts to remove my hand from the mark, but the pain only intensifies.

I get up, knowing that Ethan's proximity is making the pain worse. I go to the desk, on the father side of the room, hoping to create as much space between us.

He maintains the distance. He understands my actions. Crystal and Josh, on the other hand, follow and remain by my side.

Crystal takes my hand from the mark. After careful examination, she describes the mark; it appears inflamed with a bright red ring around it.

I do not understand what brought about the pain. I am not kissing Ethan this time.

Crystal turns to her brother, questioning him, "Ethan, last night when this happened, you said you were making out. You and Lilly were not physical this time around."

She is trying hard to figure out the mystery.

"Yeah. I think when I got near the mark during our little kissing session, it was trying to defend itself," he explains.

"Defend itself," she questions.

"Our close physical contact was a way for Lilly to reject the mark. Technically, by kissing me, she was rejecting the owner of the mark. Whoever left that mark on her did not finish mating with her... I think we can still remove it."

"Hmm... I get that, but why is it reacting now," she thinks out loud.

Turning to me, Crystal can see pain still visible on my face.

"Lilly, what were you just thinking?"

I briefly ignore the pain as it dawns on me. This pain is not random.

Trying to formulate a theory in my mind, my eyes widen in realization. I had still been thinking about the mark as an animal attack, but this is not. This is a werewolf bite.

Up till this morning, I had no idea werewolves existed. So, I quickly dismissed my dream from last night. But it was not my subconscious making me see a black wolf last night.

I shut my eyes, trying to recall what the wolf said. I remember him saying that despite being unconscious, our minds are connected. Our interaction was real, and it is all allowed by the mark.

I want to know who this mystery person is. I need to find out the reasons I was targeted.

I sense everyone staring at me, but they do not push me, thinking I am still in an immense amount of pain. I use this to my advantage, to keep on thinking.

By now, I have realized that the mark means something more precious to their kind than what I had thought. This would explain Ethan's reaction when he first laid eyes on it and each time, he sees it.

Everyone keeps using the words 'accepting and rejecting' the mark, and I try to find the meaning behind them.

When I first had a dream last night, the wolf mentioned it was because I was thinking in him. If I remember correctly, earlier that night when she took a shower, I was indeed staring at the mark while the blue eyes kept poping in my mind. At this time, the mark was healed.

I conclude that the word 'accepting' means that I am thinking in the mystery person.

Based on this assumption, when I was indulging in some fun with Ethan, I was not thinking in the mystery person back then during our make out session, so I was 'rejecting' the mark. I feel like I am Sherlock Holmes trying to uncover a mystery.