Mon Amour

Chapter 29: Feminists Make the First Move...

Disclaimer: The following scene might be a little graphic for some people and is definitely gross for everyone.

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Chapter 29: Feminist Don't Wait For The Man...

"That's it." Nik said, as he dropped his fingers from Maksim's pulse. "His heart rate is where it should be. He is officially out."

"Let's get started, then." Anna insisted, with a shaky voice. She was extremely nervous, but knew that it had to be done.

Pulling the old book from her duffle bag, Anna turned to the marked page.

"Anna."

Nik put his hand on her elbow to turn her around, but she stayed rooted to her spot. She wasn't going to let him talk her out of it when they were so close.

"Fine. Just listen to me then." The beta was beyond frustrated.

"I'm listening."

"Just remember that once we start this, we have to finish it. According to that book, if the ritual isn't finished, you will die... And ,Anna, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to go through with it. I love Maksim. He's always been there for me. But that doesn't mean I don't love you, too. I value your life just as much as his."

"You're not gonna talk me out if th-"

"No, no. Ugh! I just-" Nik wished that she would just listen for once. "I'm just trying to say that if your still going to do this, do it for you. Don't do it out of obligation for the pack, or me. Do it for yourself."

Anna kept her back to him. She didn't want him to see her face. See how scared she was. The reality of her situation was hitting hard. In the next few hours, she could be dead.

She let Nik's words sink in.

She wasn't doing this out of obligation. She was doing this because she loved Maksim and couldn't let him die because of her.

In some sick way, she saw Maks dying as an act of love. He wouldn't risk her life to save his own. How could she claim to love him, if she wasn't willing to do the same?

Yes, that's the reason she was willing to mark Maksim herself.

She knew it was risky, but the end result could be well worth it.

"If we follow this step by step, know one will die." Anna said, referring to the book.

She ran her fingers over Maksim's, as Nik studied the old text.

"You have to mark him in the perfect spot. It says to 'find a place with meaning'? We usually just go for the neck. It doesn't really matter where, though. This is turning out to be complicated." Nik sighed.

"Is there a part of Maksim's body that means something to you?"

Anna gave Nik a sideways glance. Now wasn't the time for his crude jokes.

Turning back to the problem at hand, she thought about the riddle in the book. A place with meaning...

Looking down at the hand still clenched in her's, Anna sighed. The only part of him she was allowed to be close to was his hand.

The frustrated girl flipped his unconscious palm over to intertwine her fingers with his. Head hanging low, Anna wanted to scream, but a trail of black on the inside of Maksim's wrist caught her eye.

"There." Anna exclaimed, pointing to the small robotic numbers etched in his skin. 7713. Why would Maks get a tattoo like this? It was so small. She remembered seeing the same numbers on the old German hat in his study.

"What are these?" She asked curiously. Her question was directed at Nik who came to see her chosen spot.

"A reminder." Nik whispered.

"Of what?"

"It was given to Maksim during the war for misbehavior. They wanted him to remember that he had no power. The future Alpha had been reduced to a number." The beta explained.

"What if the spot doesn't have to mean something to me. What if it has to mean something to him?" Anna thought.

"Then you're in the right place." Nik agreed.

"How do I do it?"

"Marking is easy for shifters. We have instinct to guide us. You, however, don't. I'll coach you through it the best I can." Nik explained.

"Ok... This is it." Anna said nervously, as she blew out the breathe she was holding in. "There's no going back."

"All you have to do is take his wrist in your hand and bite."

Taking a deep breath, she placed her bottom teeth under the numbers and her top teeth over. Closing her eyes, Anna bit down as hard as she could.

The first thing she tasted was iron. Maksim's blood was flowing in her mouth. She wanted to let go, but knew that if she did, it would ruin everything.

Tears sprang up in her eyes. Not because she was sad, but because biting into his flesh made her stomach turn.

She felt so animalistic and primal that it overwhelmed her. This feeling was so foreign. Her body wasn't meant to do this, but if Maks wouldn't, she would.

"It's ok, Anna. You have to bite deeper."

Anna didn't believe what Nik was telling her. How could she bite deeper? It was horrible already.

"Anna, you have too. If you don't, the bite will just heal up like nothing happened. Shifters have faster healing. Maks will recover in less than half an hour if you stop now and, all your efforts will have been for nothing."

Readying herself again, Anna bit deeper into Maks' wrist. She had the sudden urge to vomit.

As if reading her thoughts, Nik spoke up. "Just hold on a little bit longer. The wound needs to try and heal around your teeth.."

Anna's eyes, still watering, closed as she reminded herself why she was doing this. That was the only thing keeping her from releasing Maksim's wrist.

After what felt like hours, Nik spoke up, "Ok. That should do it. You did great, Anna."

She was about to run to the bathroom when the door opened.

"I'm back. I got you your Jell-O and-" Svetlana froze, taking in the scene before her.

Her unconscious brothers wrist looked as if it had been mangled by an angry dog and AnnaLee had blood on her lips.

"We can explain." Nik started.

"Oh, thank God! I was starting to thing you were a pushover." Svet said, smiling at her brother's mate. "It's about time you took action."

Nik and Anna looked at each other in shock.

"So you marked him, huh? Interesting. That hasn't been done in a while... So what do we do next?"

"Well, first we bandage his wound..." Nik started.

"Then, we wait for him to wake up." Anna finished.

"But we aren't out of the woods, yet. Maksim will be fine, but we still need him to do his part."

"What does he have to do?" Svetlana asked, curiously.

"Mark me back."

"And what if he doesn't?"

Anna and Nik looked at each other with solemn expressions.

"If he doesn't, I die."