Gods and Monsters

Ch. 36 Marked

After tucking the covers around his sleeping mom, Sage picked up the dishes and shut the door softly behind him. He'd finally gotten her to eat something and it didn't come back up minutes later. There also weren't any hallucinations or begging him to get her a drink. She talked a little but most of the day she slept and he'd sat with her drawing in his sketchbook. Something he hadn't done in a long time.

Sitting the dishes in the sink, Sage listened to the rain pouring outside and the rumbling thunder that followed after a flash of lightning. It started storming not long after everyone left and for awhile he watched the dark clouds move in.

It was getting late though and he was starting to worry if everything was okay with the kids and Razalious. The male in his dreams had showed him pieces of how things would go tomorrow but not tonight, it was his to do as he pleased. The beautiful male had told him to appreciate it.

Sage jumped when someone knocked on the front door and he rushed to see who it was. After unlocking the door and throwing it open, Sage was ecstatic to see his Mate standing there soaked from the downpour. He couldn't help himself and jumped onto the tall male. Razalious caught him easily, holding him up while Sage held his face between his small hands.

"How are the kids? They're fine right? Did you make sure they ate? Are they safe? Are you hungr-"

Raza cut him off with a kiss, feeling the small blond relax in his arms almost instantly. "Everyone's fine, safe and sound asleep by now." Raza left out a few details about Marlo refusing to sit with the others or Mia biting a female who got too close to her little brother. They'll be fine once Sage is with them by tomorrow night.

"Good." Sage smiled, pulling away from Razalious to see his shirt was now as wet as his.  "Come on, I'll find you some dry clothes." He said, wiggling to be put down before grabbing his Mate's hand and pulling him behind him into the house and up to his room.

It was strange, seeing the empty bunk bed and knowing none of his younger siblings were in the house. It was too empty. There wasn't enough noise. He was use to Marlo following behind him talking about any and everything. The twins giggling was missing and Elias wasn't yelling for someone to leave him alone. He was going to miss the comforting chaos of his siblings.

Sage didn't really have anything that could fit Razalious, the male being so much bigger. "These might work." Sage said, turning around from his dresser holding a pair of old plaid pajama bottoms.

His eyes almost popped out of their sockets when he looked up to see Razalious already shirtless and removing his jeans. Swallowing, he held the pajamas to his chest as his face grew warm.

The yellow streetlight coming in through the bedroom window glowed off Razalious dark skin, still damp from the rain. Sage shivered as his eyes traveled from his broad shoulders and down his muscular torso. For a moment Sage thought it almost unfair that someone could be so perfect but then he remembered that this was his Mate, his.

Raza watched the blushing small blond, pride making him stand a little taller. He was glad he could affect his Chosen in such a way.

"My boxers are dry." He said, picking up his wet clothes from the floor and hanging them over the top bunk so they could dry.

"I can put those in the dryer." Sage squeaked embarrassingly. Razalious was smiling at him, a gleam in his eyes that Sage couldn't identify. It made him feel warm though.

"They're fine, come here." Raza patiently waited until Sage got the nerve to walk over to him. The small blond was still clutching the pajama bottoms to his chest and Raza pulled them away, tossing them onto the bed. When he gripped the bottom of Sage's shirt and pulled it off over his head, he didn't oppose but instead held his arms up.

When he looked up at Raza bashfully, he couldn't help but to lean down and kiss him.

The house was silent, but Sage knew his mom was down the hall asleep. Razalious' lips were soft against his, a gentle coaxing. It saddened him to think about this being the first time Razalious and him really got to be alone since he identified him as his Mate. It was also the last time he'd get to be with him like this. Sage didn't want to think about that though.

Raza pulled away from the kiss when he tasted a saltiness that wasn't there before. Sage kept his eyes closed but tears still slid down his cheeks. "Why are you crying?" He asked softly, brushing away the tears.

Sage smiled a little, opening his eyes to look up at his Mate. He didn't know how to answer him. Mostly because he couldn't understand his own jumbled thoughts. There was also the pain from knowing what was to come. He didn't want to think about it, he wanted to be here, with his Mate.

Pushing up onto his toes, he pulled Razalious' head back down to continue kissing him. He didn't want to talk right now or think about the things he couldn't change.

"Mark me?" He asked against Razalious' lips, afraid he'd deny him this.

Raza inhaled sharply, his hands sliding up Sage's back to hold him as close as possible. He hadn't expected this now, he planned on courting him properly as is tradition of his kind. He would have marked his Chosen the night after their union where they would have exchanged tokens in front of their family and friends. He wanted to tell Sage this but something made him hesitate. He wasn't sure what it was, maybe just a gut feeling or the way the small blond looked up at him with his big brown eyes. He was silently pleading for this.

Sage bit his lip nervously. He didn't really know how Razalious would mark him but he did know how the Fae did. All the knowledge of the ones before him was passed to him, being the last pure-blood of his bloodline. It could be different for Razalious though.

"A mark is given through the joining of the Chosen pair." Raza said, wanting Sage to know what he was asking him to do. The small blond smiled shyly and nodded, unwrapping his arms from around his neck and letting his hands rest on Raza's chest. Feeling the quick beat of his heart.

"I know, I want to." He said, determined to have his Mate's mark before the sun brightened the sky.

Sage waited for Razalious to make the final decision, overjoyed when his mate slammed his lips to his in a searing kiss.