Chapter Five - Claimed

Marina's Pov

I moved closer. My heart was pounding. I didn't understand what was happening.

He pulled me against his chest. One arm wrapped around my waist, holding me in place. I could feel his heartbeat against my back. Steady. Calm. Like this was nothing.

Then he leaned down and bit my neck.

Pain exploded white-hot and blinding. I gasped and tried to pull away. His arm tightened, holding me still. His teeth sank deeper into the spot where my neck met my shoulder, breaking skin and drawing blood.

The pain shifted, changing into something else. Something warm and electric that spread through my entire body like fire. The bond between us flared to life.

His tongue dragged across the wound possessively then he released me.

I stumbled. My hand went to my neck. It came away bloody.

Lycan turned back to the rogues. "Now she's marked. Still think she's fair game?"

The rogues' eyes had gone wide. One of them stepped back. Then another. They were staring at Lycan like they'd just realized they'd made a terrible mistake.

"You're—" One of them sniffed the air. His face went pale. "You're Lycan King."

"Yes."

They ran. All four of them dissappeared into the forest like they'd never been there.

I was still touching my neck, feeling the pulse of heat from the mark. My whole body was shaking.

"That hurt," I said. My voice sounded strange.

"It was supposed to." Lycan's hand covered mine on my neck. His palm was warm. Steady. "But now every wolf who sees you will know you're claimed. They'll stay away."

"You could have warned me."

"If I'd warned you, you would have overthought it. And you would have panicked." His thumb brushed the edge of the mark. The touch sent sparks down my spine. "This way, it's done. You're mine. Officially."

I should have been angry. I should have felt violated. He'd marked me without permission and claimed me in front of strangers like I was property.

But part of me felt... safe. Protected, like I finally belonged to someone who wouldn't throw me away.

"What if I didn't want to be yours?" I asked.

He gave a small, dangerous smile. "Then you shouldn't have asked me for help with revenge. The moment you made that deal, you became mine. The mark just makes it official."

We kept walking.

The mark on my neck pulsed with every step. A constant reminder that I wasn't alone anymore. I belonged to someone and someone claimed me.

I touched it again. The skin was raised, already starting to scar. 

I was permanently marked as his.

"Does it hurt?" Lycan asked. He didn't look at me, just kept his eyes on the path ahead.

"Not anymore. Just stings."

"Good." He was quiet for a moment. Then: "Tomorrow we'll push harder. Cover more ground. I want to reach my territory by tomorrow night instead of waiting three days."

"Why the rush?"

"Because Derek is going to realize you're gone soon. When he does, he'll come looking." His voice went cold. Flat. "I want you safely in my territory before that happens. Behind my walls, surrounded by my warriors, where he can't touch you."

"You think he'll actually come after me?"

"I know he will. Rejecting you was about pride. But you leaving makes him look weak. An unmated female walking away from pack territory?" He glanced at me. "That's an insult to his authority. He'll come. And when he does, I want to be ready to rip his fucking throat out."

The casual violence in his voice should have scared me. Instead, it made something warm bloom in my chest. Someone finally wanted to hurt the people who hurt me.

He was quiet for a moment. When he finally spoke, he said, "When I kill him, I want you there. You should see 

him pay for what he did to you."

"You really think you can beat him?"

Lycan's laugh was dark, genuinely amused. "Marina. I've killed Alphas twice his age with ten times his experience. Derek is nothing. He's a spoiled child playing at being a leader." He looked at me and his smile was sharp. Deadly. "I'm going to enjoy tearing him apart."

By the time the sun started setting, my feet were screaming. These boots—the worn-out maid shoes I'd been wearing yesterday—were falling apart. Blisters had formed on both heels and popped. Every step was agony.

I didn't complain. Complaining was weakness and I was done being weak.

But Lycan noticed. Of course—he noticed everything.

He stopped walking. "Show me your feet."

"They're fine."

"Marina." His voice dropped into that dangerous tone. The one that meant he wasn't asking. "Show me your feet or I'll remove your boots myself."

I sat down on a fallen log and unlaced my boots. My socks were spotted with blood. The skin on my heels was raw and bleeding.

Lycan crouched in front of me. Without a word, he pulled a first aid kit from his pack and started cleaning the wounds. His hands were huge and scarred and should have been clumsy but they were gentle. 

"These boots are garbage," he muttered.

"They're all I have."

"Not anymore." He wrapped my feet carefully with clean bandages. Then he pulled out a pair of thick wool socks from his pack. "Wear these over the bandages. We'll get you real boots when we reach the next town."

"You don't have to—"

"Stop." He looked up at me. Those gray eyes were intense. "Stop saying I don't have to. You're my mate. Taking care of you isn't optional. It's not a favor. It's what I do."

My throat got tight. No one had ever said anything like that to me before. No one had ever cared if I was hurt or hungry or tired.

"Why?" The word came out barely a whisper.

"Why what?"

"Why do you care? You don't know me. The bond just snapped into place yesterday. You could have rejected me too."

His hands stilled on my ankle. For a moment, I didn't think he'd answer. Then he spoke. His voice was rough. Raw.

"Because I know what it's like to be thrown away. To be called worthless. To survive when everyone expects you to die." He met my eyes. "I was twelve when my father tried to kill me. He said I was too dangerous. Too violent. Too much beast and not enough man. He tried to drown me in the river."

My breath caught.

"I survived. Ran. Spent three years as a rogue before I was strong enough to go back and challenge him." His smile was sharp. Bitter. "I won. Took his pack. Killed everyone who'd stood by and watched him try to murder his own son."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It made me what I am." He stood and offered me his hand. "And what I am is someone who doesn't throw away what's valuable just because it's damaged. You survived, Marina. You survived years of abuse and you're still standing. Still fighting. That's worth more than any wolf."

I took his hand and let him pull me up. The new socks and bandages helped. The pain dulled to a manageable ache.

"Can you walk?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good. We need to cover a few more miles before we camp for the night."

We walked until the sun was completely gone and the forest was dark. Lycan found a clearing near a stream and made camp. He moved with efficient precision—setting up the tent, building a fire, laying out supplies.

I sat on a rock and watched him. Watched the way his muscles moved under his shirt as his hands 

He was beautiful in a dangerous way. 

"You're staring," he said without looking at me.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize. I like it." He pulled out two fish from his pack—already cleaned and gutted. He must have caught them while I was resting. "Hungry?"

"Starving."

He cooked the fish over the fire. The smell made my mouth water. When was the last time I'd had fresh fish? Years. Maybe never.

He handed me one on a flat piece of wood that served as a plate. "Eat slowly. Your stomach still needs to adjust."

I ate. The fish was perfect—crispy skin, tender meat, seasoned with herbs I didn't recognize. It was the best thing I'd ever tasted.

Lycan watched me eat. "Better?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Stop thanking me."

"Why?"

"Because taking care of you isn't something you need to thank me for. It's just what I do."

After we ate, Lycan cleaned up while I washed my face and hands in the stream. The water was cold. I could see the mark on my neck reflected in the surface. A permanent reminder of what I'd become.

His mate.

When I came back to camp, Lycan had the sleeping bag laid out. One sleeping bag.

My stomach flipped.

"We're sharing," he said. Not a question. 

"I—"

"The temperature drops at night. You don't have a wolf. Your body can't regulate heat like mine can. You'll freeze without shared warmth."

"I'll be fine—"

"No. You won't." He was already climbing into the sleeping bag. "Get in or don't. But if you freeze to death because you're too stubborn to accept help, I'm going to be pissed."

I stood there for a long moment, then I climbed in.

He immediately pulled me against his chest. His arm wrapped around my waist, holding me in place. The contact sent sparks through my entire body. I could feel every inch of him pressed against me—all muscle and heat 

The mark on my neck pulsed. 

The bond between us sang and pushed. It obviously wanted more.

"Relax," he murmured against my ear. His breath was hot on my skin. "I'm not going to fuck you. Not until you beg me to."

"I won't beg," I said.

"We'll see." His hand splayed across my stomach. Possessive. "You're tired. Sleep. Tomorrow's going to be harder."

I didn't think I could sleep. Not with him this close and the bond pushing us together. Not with every nerve in my body screaming at me to turn around and—

But I was bone-deep exhausted and he was warm and safe. 

For the first time in years, I wasn't alone.

I slept.