The DarkNess Within Him | ✔

Chapter Forty

Pain.

Just searing pain in my neck that has me convulsing on the floor. My head feels like it's about to explode and my brain, about to rupture. Every inch of me shakes with a kind of pain that I didn't know could even exist. A pain that wraps around me with heavy intensity like millions of objects stabbing me all at once.

I scream, feeling blood gush out of my neck and the weight of Matthew's wolf pinning me harshly to the ground. My legs flail, my hands try desperately to push him off me by slapping and hitting despite their level of hurt.

He doesn't budge off me until finally, I feel his fangs leave my neck. I don't know which pain is worse; the pain while his canines were marking my neck brutally or the pain after his fangs are out but it's there. I can't help the way I scream, my voice choking itself as tears spill down my eyes from how harshly the life in my neck seems to be slipping out.

And then, it's like something changes. My eyes start to shine gold. Matthew's wolf on me doesn't seem so unwanted anymore. Instead, it feels rather welcomed. The skin at my neck twitches as it begs to be licked close but when I look up at Matthew's wolf, its pitch black eyes just stare me down and after it presses its nose to the rustic, brutal mark and open skin on my neck, it moves away from me.

I feel the lightness instantly but the strain on my spine is also prevalent. Everything else just hurts. Especially my neck and my knee; which now holds no torch to my neck.

When I move my unstable fingers to feel, warm blood on uneven flesh is the only thing to be felt. The blood is still pumping out of my neck and that's when I realise that he didn't lick my mark shut. I shut my eyes at that taboo, pushing past to the thought of the fact that Matthew just marked me.

I'm quickly shocked into thoughtlessness.

When I force myself to sit up, the pain completely vanishes from mind. Everything hurts but I suddenly don't feel it anymore. Even though I know that the open wound on my neck is bleeding out and has soaked most of the material on my shoulder.

Jayce's gaze on me matches Matthew's and I simply can't tell who of the pair is actually looking at me. I just know that one is more intense and defined than the other but I can't identify who.

The realisation hits me square in the chest and there is a pang from within. A divide. Matthew shouldn't have done this. At least not without my permission.

When Jayce's wolf starts to walk towards me with malicious intent and vicious gold eyes, I don't even flinch. I'm too overwhelmed. I just look at him and then Matthew's wolf comes between us, the barrier clear as day especially when Matthew growls loudly. A loud growl that does nothing but make one point clear; I'm Matthew's mate now. I bear his mark. Jayce has no more rights over me. Not anymore.

Jayce growls back then takes a threatening step forward which prompts another growl from Matthew. Both wolves are ready to square off while I just stare, unsure about much. It's hateful eyes that lock with each other, each waiting for someone to back off me. And then someone does.

Jayce makes sure to look at me long enough to send a shiver down my spine before he starts to retreat, respecting the law of being marked. I may be his true mate but Matthew marking me just nullified that in the eyes of everyone else.

When he leaves, I feel the heaviness of his absence instantly, a caustic emptiness but then Matthew's wolf turns around and looks at me. That heaviness disappears into thin air instantly.

I look at Matthew's wolf. The pitch black creature that I'm now bounded to. It looks at me too. Despite no growl being made, I can't help the way it intimidates me. It doesn't scare me like Jayce's wolf scares me. It just affects me in a way that I would actually think twice before approaching it. Especially now, as it looks at me like as if it can't decide if it wants to attack me or bury its head against me.