Oh Hell No

Chapter 35

If Jamie had been drinking something, she would have choked at his words.

"It's just- I really care about you, and if something bad happens again, I want to be able to actually help. After those bitches took you, I could hardly stand all the questions that were running through my head. Whether or not you were okay, if you were even still alive, or where you were. I was useless until Chris did what he always does and got me back on track," He explains.

She stuttered repeatedly while her face warmed, trying to find an appropriate response. A large part of her wanted to immediately say yes, which was mostly Artemis talking, but the rest was unsure. Sure, she liked Ryder a great deal, more than she believed she should after knowing him for such a short time, but is he really the one she wants to be stuck with forever?

When she asked herself this, the answer was a surprising yes. Yes, she was still more than a little shocked, and this would be a big commitment, but if anything happened she wanted to have that connection with Ryder, "Okay."

"Okay?" He repeats nervously, stepping forward afterwards.

Ryder slowly leaned down, and kissed her gently. In response, she wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into it. He pulled her closer, Enzo forcing himself to the forefront of his mind. He had permission now, and he didn't want to wait any longer to claim his mate. Jamie didn't realize they had been moving until her legs hit the edge of his bed, which he promptly pushed her down onto. They quickly reconnected the kiss, moving up until her head rested on a pillow. Hoping to get a reaction from him and speed things along, she bit his bottom lip, earning a possessive growl in response. He pulled away enough to press short kisses down the side of her neck, only stopping when he reached the junction between her neck and shoulder. The place he would mark her. Jamie gently tugging on his hair was all the encouragement he needed to bite down on the soft skin, licking over the wound after.

Once the mark had stopped bleeding, Ryder regained control, looking up at Jamie's face. She was smiling softly, and sluggishly raised a hand to touch the mark, "That feels weird," She slurred slightly, yawning once she finished the sentence.

"Why don't you go to sleep for a bit, yeah?" He suggests softly, having heard how tiring it was to be marked.

She nodded, turning on her side, "That sounds like a good idea," She agrees sleepily.

For a few minutes, probably too many, Ryder simply stared at her sleeping form. He made sure there was always some contact between them, whether it be by tracing her features or keeping an arm draped over her. As much as he wanted nothing more than to stay there until she woke up, eyes gold and wanting nothing more than to mark him too, he knew that she would be hungry after getting up. And, she probably wouldn't want to go downstairs right after she had been marked just to grab some food for both of them. Danielle would be too much for her to handle alone.

He ignored everyone when he went downstairs, making a couple sandwiches and adding a bunch of chips and a couple granola bars. If anyone questioned him, he didn't hear them. He was too focused on getting back to his unconscious and very vulnerable mate. He left the plate on his nightstand when he got back, finding he would much rather lay down next to her than keep his distance and watch her sleep like a weirdo.

- - -

The average wolf passes out for four hours after being marked, so their body has time to accommodate for the sudden boost of strength the mate bond gets. Of course, it could be longer than that, and it often was among higher-ranking werewolves, because the bond was always stronger in general for them. Jamie happened to pass out for three hours.

By then, Ryder had resorted to playing on his phone beside her, his back against the headboard. He quickly turned it off when he heard the low growl that emanated from the girl next to him. Artemis pulled him into a heated kiss as soon as she recognized him as her mate, not giving him a chance to take control in case he tried to keep her from marking him.

Jamie, or Artemis rather, immediately straddled him, hands on either side of his face to keep the kiss going. When that wasn't enough, she moved straight to the crook of his neck, placing short kisses until she found the perfect spot. Biting down on the spot, she slowly relaxed, wiping away the blood with her hand, frowning at the red substance in distaste.

"Well, there we go," Ryder mumbled quietly, "You're stuck with me," He smiled deliriously, resting his head on her shoulder, "Forever," He drew out the word quite a bit, chuckling afterwards.

Once his breathing evened out, she poked his cheek. No response. As best she could, Jamie maneuvered them so that she was free, and he was laying down. About a minute later, she finally took notice of the food, and her rumbling stomach. She was thankful that he had thought ahead, knowing that if the roles were reversed she probably wouldn't have done the same. How was she supposed to know how hungry she'd get after being marked? Her parents had always avoided talking about mates except for the basics, the sparks, the undeniable attraction, and a quick overview of what marking was, not its effects. She could get annoyed with them, for now she ate half the food there so she wouldn't have to go downstairs and get more for Ryder. Being polite is exhausting, so this seemed like the best way to appear nice without actually putting much effort into being nice.

Preferring to avoid the stares and kind wishes from people she either barely knows or already knows a little too well, Jamie turned on a movie and settled down. 

A/N: It happened!!! I know I'm in complete control of what happens in this story but there just wasn't a good time for them to mark each other until now. Also, quick question; in most werewolf stories, the girl rarely ever marks the boy back, why? I'd imagine the whole mate thing is supposed to be very mutual, so I don't really get why the girl (assuming the girl is a werewolf) is never really shown to mark the guy