Chapter 5: Marked Without Consent

Evelyne's words echoed in my skull long after she was dragged away.

"But the moment you let him mark you as his mate you lost your choice."

My heart slammed against my ribs.

No. No, that's impossible.

There had been no mating ceremony. No ritual. No claim.

…Right?

I turned abruptly, shoving past the crowd, my legs trembling beneath me as I ran back inside Isolde's home.

The moment the doors shut behind me, I rushed to her library, yanking books off the shelves, desperately flipping through the pages.

My fingers shook as I searched for answers.

"Marks… marks… marks…"

My breath came in short gasps, my pulse roaring in my ears.

There has to be a mark if I've already been claimed.

There has to be.

The books described the process—Lycans claim their mates with a bite, leaving a permanent mark on the neck. A visible symbol of ownership.

A symbol of bonding.

A symbol of no escape.

My hands trembled as I reached up, fingers skimming over my throat—searching, praying I wouldn't find anything.

But then—

My heart stopped.

There.

A mark.

I stumbled back, nearly dropping the book.

It was small but a faint tattoo-like marking on my skin, dark against my pale complexion.

A Lycan's claim.

Edric's claim.

He had already marked me.

A sharp breath left me as realization crashed into me.

When did this happen?

And then, like a rush of cold water, the memory came flooding back.

The first night we met.

When I had fallen into his arms.

When he had kissed me against the wall.

The overwhelming sensation of his lips, his hands, his body pressing into mine—

And the sharp sting at the base of my neck.

I had been too dazed, too lost in him to realize it at the time.

I had thought it was a love bite.

But it wasn't.

It had never been just a love bite.

"By the Goddess," I breathed, clutching my chest.

I was his.

Not by choice.

Not by will.

But because he had taken me.

A fresh wave of fury burned through me, hotter than before.

He had no right.

I stormed into the palace, my rage blinding me to everything else.

The guards outside Edric's chambers barely had time to react before I threw the doors open.

He was at his desk, reading through documents, dressed in only a loose tunic and dark slacks.

His head lifted the moment I entered, and his golden eyes locked onto mine.

"Genevieve," he said smoothly, setting the papers aside. "I was just thinking about you…"

"You marked me!" I spat with my voice shaking with fury.

The amusement flickered from his face.

His brows furrowed as he rose to his feet. "What?"

I stormed toward him, gripping my hair as I turned my head, exposing the mark on my neck.

"This," I hissed, pointing to it. "This wasn't here before! You claimed me without permission!"

A long silence stretched between us.

His golden gaze darkened as he stared at the mark, his lips pressing into a hard line.

"Genevieve," he started, his voice softer now.

"When did you do it?" I demanded. "Was it that night? When you kissed me? When you—"

I stopped myself before I could say more.

His jaw clenched.

Then—he exhaled heavily, running a hand through his dark hair.

"That night," he admitted.

I sucked in a sharp breath.

"But it wasn't intentional." His eyes met mine, steady, unyielding. "I'll do it again if we go back in time."

I laughed bitterly. "Really?"

He sighed, stepping closer, but I immediately backed away.

"My wolf—" He exhaled sharply. "We just couldn't wait."

"You expect me to believe that?"

He raised his brows, a rare flicker of something like regret fleshed through his eyes.

"I believe that's your choice to make," he said quietly. "Did you expect me to beg? Yes, I do feel a little attraction but mate bond doesn't compel me to do things. You should be grateful."

I let out a bitter, shaky breath.

"Then unmark me."

Silence.

His expression didn't change, but something in the air shifted.

I already knew his answer.

His lips parted slightly. "I…"

I laughed again, but it came out broken this time. "You can't, can you?"

He exhaled slowly. "Sigh."

I clenched my fists.

"I hate you," I whispered.

"You want to make it up to me?" I challenged myself, lifting my chin.

His gaze darkened. "Anything."

I stepped closer, staring him down. "Then release my father. Give him back everything you took."

He studied me for a long, heavy moment.

Then, to my shock, he nodded.

"Done. I'll release him."

My breath hitched. Just like that?

But then he added, "after you become my mate."

I frown in displeasure.

Was he toying with me?

I asked in fury, "what happens if I agree?"

His lips curled up into a smirk.

"I will in fact do anything as long as I get what I want."

Before I could process it, a sudden pain struck my chest.

I gasped, stumbling slightly as a sharp, unexplainable ache radiated from my heart.

I pressed a hand to my ribs, wincing. What the hell was that?

Edric's expression instantly darkened.

He took a step closer, his golden eyes narrowing. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, trying to breathe through the pain. "I… I don't know."