October 13th

I woke the morning with the sun brightly shining through the window. I groaned as I drifted out of sleep and back into reality. Wincing, I put my hand to my neck and to touch the wound. It had covered over but still stung like hell. I looked over to the man who had done this to me and saw that he was still asleep.

"Morning," I heard his voice say.

I didn't reply.

Instead, I just lay silently, running my fingers along the soft sheets with that same intense feeling of despair still running through me.

I then silently sat up and shuffled to the edge of the bed.

"I need to get ready for school," I said after a minute or two of staring out the windows at the tall swaying trees of the forest.

I then left for the bathroom where I showered, brushed my teeth hair and put my pjs back on because I wasn't about to go in front of Leo only in a towel.

"Can you drive me to Kellington please?" I said to Leo who was just getting up.

He looked up at me briefly before standing up and stretching, "You're not going to school," he stated bluntly.

He sounded mad. What right did he have to be mad at me?

"I need to see my brother," I said.

He stood up, kissed my cheek and walked into the bathroom.

"I'm not driving you for about 20 obvious reasons and that's final," He called.

"Fine. I'll run. There's plenty of time," I said and he turned around in the doorway of the bathroom to face me.

"Did you hit your head last night as well?"

"If I am delusional it would probably be because you bit deep into my neck and I lost a lot of blood," I snapped.

His face straightened.

"You are not going to school. Get that idea out of your head now," he said a little more authoritatively but like he was still trying to keep his cool.

I sat on the bed whilst he was in the bathroom planning my next move.

If I hid behind the door with the bedside lamp, would I be able to knock him out when he unexpectedly comes out?

I decided against it. Not because I was afraid of failure but more because I was certain I would fail and it wasn't worth the hassle.

He eventually came out and I didn't exchange a single word.

"I gave the shirt you were wearing yesterday to my best hunter," he said. "Whoever you visited will have been tracked down before nightfall if not much sooner."

My face must have gone a pasty white shade.

Logan had brought me so much grief in my life and I loathed him entirely but did I wish death upon him?

No.

"I just had to sort something out. It's not a big deal."

"Then why didn't you tell me? I could have sorted it for you in a way that wouldn't have ended in you nearly getting killed by rogues."

He wasn't wrong only that way it would probably have ended in Logan's death.

"Because I don't like your methods of 'sorting things'," I replied, "Plus it was none of your fucking business."

"Everything concerning you is my business. You are my mate. So next time you've got a problem, tell me."

"I don't have to tell you shit, Leonardo," I said, "You don't own my life."

He then stepped forward and crouched down, "But I see it as my duty to protect your life," he said, his face much softer as he looked at me, "And I will do whatever it takes to ensure your safety whether it's against your will or not. That's why I marked you - because I can't stand the idea of anything happening to you."

"It didn't have to be like that," I said, "We should have talked about it and you didn't have to be so aggressive and rough."

"If we talked, you would have said no and I still would have done it and I still would have had to use force. The outcome is the same," he replied, standing up again.

"Then you should have waited until you didn't have to force me," I hissed, "Or actually be nice and I might have let you do it."

"You mean wait even longer to maximise the number of creeps touching you up in the woods, huh?" he asked, "What don't you understand Ella? I did it for you. We are not enemies."

"Did you?" I questioned, "Or is it just another way for you to own me?"

"The two are linked. That mark shows other wolves that you are mine so messing with you means messing with me," he replied, "Now let me look at it."

His hand moved forward to touch it but I slapped it away, gritted my teeth and glared up at him.

He let out a short sigh and looked up at the wall for a short second with a tense jaw. I could tell he was trying desperately to keep his patience with me and hold his tongue.

"Ella," he said eventually. "For once can you not fight me?"

"Don't you dare blame me for this. I have every right to be angry," I replied.

"I'm not blaming you for being angry. I'm blaming you for refusing to let yourself be happy," he said.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "What?"

He sighed.

"You're doing everything you can to make my life difficult but at what cost? You're frustrated and hostile and downright miserable all because you are resisting your wolf's instinct to be with your mate. Why are you fighting me so hard when you know you'd be better off just giving in?"

His eyes had softened as he spoke and his voice had gone from coarse and harsh to frustrated and despairing and maybe even slightly...caring? His face too had dropped its sternness and he even stared at me with his blue eyes in a way that wasn't meant to be intimidating.

I paused for a minute, his words replaying in my head before I stepped forward. He smiled and brought his hands to my neck. I let him tilt my head to the side and brush away my hair before he ran his thumb along the mark.

"That's beautiful," He said.

I winced slightly as he touched it but I have to admit, there was something that felt right about it.

He leant down to kiss it but unable to swallow my pride anymore, I turned my head so that he couldn't get to it. He pulled my head back with more force than I was expecting considering how gentle he had just been and instantly I switched back to not tolerating him. He held me firmly as he continued to look at the mark but I pushed his chest so that he had to look away in order to keep a hold of me.

"Stay still for a little longer, please," he said. "Then I will let you go."

I let out a short breath to show my disapproval before I relaxed and let him have a few more seconds to examine the mark. He then brought his gaze to my lips and kissed me. I refused to kiss him back.

He sighed and took his hands off me.

"Never ever run away from me again. Do you understand?"

I didn't answer.

"I said, do you understand?" he said in his Alpha tone.

"Treat me well and I won't keep trying," I said staring into his eyes.

He stared right back and held the eye contact, "Get dressed," he ordered, "Today I'm showing you the pack.copy right hot novel pub