Marie walked into her bedroom and flicked the light switch on the wall. As the light illuminated the once darkened room a figure came into view standing in the middle of the room. Marie let out a scream. The mystery man rushed forward.
"Marie it is me, I am sorry I didn't mean to frighten you".
there standing right in front of her was Jacob—the man who had once been her fated mate, the one who had shattered their bond with his rejection. Her initial fear turned into a surge of mixed emotions, memories flooding back as her gaze met his.
"Jacob?" Her voice trembled with a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and a hint of lingering hurt.
His gaze held hers, his expression a complex interplay of emotions—regret, longing, and something that looked like hope. "Marie," he said, his voice carrying a weight of choices that had led them to this moment.
Her heart raced as she took in his appearance. He seemed unchanged, his features familiar yet different after all this time. She remembered the pain of his rejection, the confusion and heartache that had followed and then memories she had worked hard to push away of the night she became human began to replay in her mind. The black marks seemed to come alive once again and Marie could feel them dancing over her skin. The wounds Marie had worked so hard over the last 6 months to close and move on from came bursting back to life all because of the man that now stood in front of her.
"Why are you here, Jacob?" Marie's voice wavered as tears started to stiing her eyes.
Jacob took a step closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "I know it's been a long time, and I have no right to just show up like this. But I couldn't stay away any longer."
Marie's emotions swirled as she looked at him, memories of their past flooding her mind. The mate bond they had shared if only for a brief moment flashed in her heart. He eyes then left his gaze and fell up on his neck where she found the mark of another on his skin.
"You rejected me, Jacob," Marie said, her voice tinged with anger. "you chose to not accept me, you chose to do this to me along with your father" Marie pulled up her top and flashed the scar that was left by the blade that so easily sliced her skin and the black marks from the poison.
Jacob's gaze dropped from her eyes to the marks on her body, guilt flickering across his features. "I know," he admitted, his voice heavy with regret. "I made a mistake, Marie. A terrible mistake
"I do not know what you want me to say Jacob, I spent years praying for the day that I would find my mate and for that day to finally be the day where I would be loved and feel safe, but instead you hurt me in ways I never thought possible" Tears were now streaming down her face.
"You stand in front of me after all this time, talking about mistakes yet you wear the mark of another, whilst stand here knowing I will never be blessed by the moon goddess again to experience the unfaltering and unwavering love of a mate bond"
" I can explain Marie please..."
With tears rolling down her face she moved away from Jacob and sat on the chair by the window. Jacob's heart skipped a beat as he took this a sign she was willing to listen to him. Jacob moved and sat in the chair opposite Marie. Marie's gaze turned for a moment to the window as the feeling from early back in the coffee shop crept into her chest. She dismissed it as looked back to Jacob.
" Yes I do bare a mark of another, My father forced me to take Sophie as my mate to cover up between what happened between us. for the last 6 months i have been living with the emptiness of losing the bond we had. I know we only experienced briefly before I broke that bond with my words and my actions, but the connection, the feelings, they never truly faded for me."
Marie's heart ached as she listened to him. She remembered the depth of their fleeting connection, the way they had been drawn to each other on an instinctual level. Her longing to feel such a connection pulled at her heart. She was now nothing more than a human and knew she would never experience such a deep feeling again.
"You can't just turn up in my room in the dark and expect that your words will change things for me Jacob," Marie said, her voice a mixture of vulnerability and strength. "I've worked hard to move forward, to heal from what you did to me. I have worked hard to fit into human life"
Jacob nodded, his gaze filled with understanding. "I know, Marie. I don't expect forgiveness or an easy path. But I had to try. I need to see if you still felt any of the mate bond"
"I do not feel anything of the mate bond Jacob. You made sure of that. I don't feel anything when I look at you other than heartache, hurt and sadness" Marie stood from her chair abruptly and started walking towards the bedroom door.
"Now I think you should leave and go back to your pack and girlfriend, I don't want anything to do with your or your apologies"
Jacob followed her and grabbed her by the wrist pulling her back towards him. The burning sensation Marie felt from Jacobs touch after her rejected her returned and she let out a small scream of pain.
"Please Jacob your touch is hurting me" Marie pleaded with him trying to pull her wrist away but her human strength was no match for an alpha. Jacob did not respond instead his eyes flashed grey and Marie knew his wolf was trying to come to the surface. Jacob leant forward and growled into her ear.
"Your touch brings me nothing but euphoria Marie" In one swift movement Jacob moved Marie from her spot by the door and pushed her down onto her bed. Jacob was now leaning above her, his lips inches from hers.
"Please Jacob, don't do this" Marie pleaded with Jacob but it was no use he was not listening anymore. He grabbed her hand again and moved it down to his crotch and made her feel the stiffness of his cock underneath his trousers. Marie gasped at the burning sensation she was feeling from his touch. Jacob returned the gasp with a gasp of his own as he felt her hand brush over him.
Jacob could no longer take the smell that was intoxicating him he reached down and ripped the trousers Marie was wearing and using his knee he parted her legs.
"I should have done this before I rejected you" Jacob growled.
Suddenly the room was filled with a loud crash as the bedroom window burst open violently with the glass shattering over the entire room. Jacob suddenly snapped back to his senses but it was too late. a large hand had hid gripped by his collar and was ripping him away from Marie.
"Stay away from her," Blake's voice was a low, dangerous growl, his eyes flashing with a primal intensity that sent a shiver down Marie's spine.
"go back to your pack and never want to see you around here or Marie again" his grip tightened and his claws pierced Jacobs neck the smell of blood now filling the room as it started to trickle down Jacobs neck. Blake released Jacob and stood between him and Marie blocking her from his view.
"Marie, I am sorry, please you have to understand, it was my wolf, it wasn't me i couldn't stop him"
"Any man who can not control his own wolf is weak, NOW LEAVE" Blake growled whist stepping forward. Jacob cast one last glance at Marie who was now stood up with her back against the wall tense with fear and tears cascading down her face"
"Please leave me alone Jacob" were the only words she could muster. With that Jacob turned and ran away as fast as he could.
Blakes gaze moved from the window and found Marie.
"Marie are you okay" Blake stepped forward reaching out for Marie, but in response she pushed herself back harder against the wall.
"She is frightened of us" Jet started whining.
"Please Marie, I wont hurt you" Blake took a few steps back to create more space between him and Marie to offer her reassurance.
"Wha..What are you doing here?" Marie asked as she stared at Blake.
"I could smell there was a wolf in your house, i was checking you were okay when i saw what he was doing. I could not let him do that you. I am sorry I didn't mean to frighten you" Blake lowered his head ashamed.
"Thank you" Marie whispered the words but they rang clearly in Blakes ears with his Lycan hearing. A smile spread across his face and he felt a warm feeling spread across his chest.
"I will always protect you Marie, if you would let me"
Marie tipped her head to the side in confusion wondering why this man in front of her would want to do that. Marie slowly moved away from the wall and took a few steps towards Blake. The feeling of familiarity creeping back. The closer she got to Blake her skin began to prickle with felt like charged electricity, She felt something beginning to stir in the back of her mind and a warmth engulf her entire body. She could no longer control what was happening and she found herself moving closer to Blake. she held out her hand reaching for him and in response Blake did the same.
The air in the room seemed to thicken as Marie and Blake stood facing each other, as they reached for each others hands. In that instant when their hands met, a rush of sensation washed over Marie, a flood of emotions and energy that she couldn't explain. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a truth that had been hidden in plain sight. She felt a jolt of recognition, a deep-seated knowing that sent a shiver down her spine.
The mate bond.
Marie's gaze met Blake's, her eyes searching his as if trying to unravel the complexities of what was happening to her. Blake's presence was a comfort to her, a presence that made her feel safe even amidst the chaos that had just unfolded in her bedroom. Blakes wolf instincts, the same ones that had guided him to intervene when Jacob had attacked her , had sensed the turmoil within her mind. He raised his other hand and lifted Marie's chin.
As their eyes locked, something unspoken seemed to pass between them.
Tears welled up in Marie's eyes as she looked at Blake, her heart filled with a mixture of astonishment, gratitude, and a newfound depth of feeling but also confusion as Marie had no idea why as a human she would be granted this again.
Blake's eyes reflected the same intensity of emotion, his gaze locked onto hers.
"Marie," Blake whispered, his voice a blend of wonder and reverence.
She managed to find her voice, her own whisper carrying the weight of newfound understanding. "Blake, I... I feel it. The mate bond. It's you."
His gaze held hers, a mixture of tenderness and awe. "I felt it the moment I stepped foot in the coffee shop earlier today"
As they stood there, their hands still joined, The full force of what just happened hit Marie and suddenly a sharp burning pain covered her side and hip and once again Marie could feel the marks dancing and burning across her body. Marie let out a scream and her knees buckled from under her, but before she could hit the floor Blake was quick was his movements and caught her and then placed her on the bed.
"Baby, what is happening. Tell me what i can do to help" Panic etching every word.
"I...dont...know" Marie screamed from the burning sensation. Marie could feel the darkness trying to consume her.
"Blake...My phone...Call Doctor Michael he will come to help" With those last words the darkness took over and Marie lay motionless on the bed.