A strange mark; a pause on his quest.

Ian opened his eyes just as the sun was rising. The feeling of bliss still had not left him, and his body buzzed with a new energy - the mate bond with Scarlett had been completed.

He looked to his left, where the sleeping girl still lay. She looked peaceful, and his arm that was curled around her waist tightened. He did not ever wish to let go of her. He had been conflicted before on whether he wanted to pull her into his mess of a life, but now, he felt nothing but peace, and he was complete. Ian had never felt this way before, and taking the risk was worth it in the end.

He watched as she began to murmur in her sleep. Scarlett seemed to be coming away slowly. His eyes roved up and down her body, at the marks that he had made on her. Then he narrowed in on her neck, where he had bitten her, as a sign of their mate bond. The mark was still red but was healing up nicely and quickly. As he looked at it, he felt the tingling on his neck, where Scarlett had also bitten him. Their couplin