Chapter 165
Ivan
My body is still buzzing from last night.
It's not just the afterglow of sex—it's something heavier, deeper. Every inch of me feels stretched open in a way that isn't only physical.
My chest feels full, warm, tethered. The bond hums beneath my skin, soft but unrelenting, like the faint vibration of something living beneath the surface.
The back of my neck is tender. The bite mark stands out vivid against my skin. No amount of brushing my hair can fully hide it—not that I want to. I trace my fingers over it slowly, and the sensation blooms through me like a soft flame licking at my spine.
A mating mark.
I still can't believe it.
I sit in front of the vanity, the morning light spilling through the curtains and making everything feel hazy, like the world hasn't quite woken up yet. My reflection stares back at me: lips swollen, cheeks flushed, a faint tremor in my fingers.
The robe I slipped on earlier hangs open just enough to reveal the bruises and bite marks scattered across my collarbone and chest—evidence of a night where everything changed.
Last night, I did it.
I bound myself to Zander in something unbreakable.
Forever.
Marriage always had an escape hatch—paper, lawyers, signatures. But this? This is something older. Wilder. A vow no court can dissolve.
My heart flutters and clenches at the same time. It's terrifying… and beautiful.
The sound of the bathroom door opening pulls me from my reflection. Zander steps out, still damp from the shower, wearing a robe that hangs loosely off his shoulders. Water droplets trail down his chest, and his hair sticks to his forehead in soft, messy strands. He looks... devastatingly human and breathtaking all at once.
And then our eyes meet through the vanity mirror.
I don't regret it. Not for a single second.
The way he looks at me—like I'm something precious, like I'm his beginning and end—melts the last thread of fear inside me.
I think I finally understand Jeremy now.
That quiet, steady kind of love that doesn't scream or demand… it just is. Solid. Unmoving.
Zander pads over to me, his steps soft against the floor. He leans down behind me, the warmth of his body radiating against my back, and presses a gentle kiss to my cheek. The mirror catches the angle of his smile.
That damn smile, the one that makes my stomach twist and my heart race.
His eyes meet mine in the reflection.
"Are you okay?" he asks softly.
I look at him at the way his robe clings to his damp skin, the way his hair curls at the ends when it's wet, the warmth in his eyes that feels like sunlight against winter.
My mate. My forever.
"Never been better," I say, and I mean it. Every syllable is a vow.
His smile widens, slow and warm, like he's been waiting a lifetime to hear that.
"I love you," he says.
I turn slightly on the stool, meeting his gaze fully, no mirror between us now.
"I love you," I reply, a smile tugging at my lips.
***
Zander
He's okay.
The relief that floods through me is almost dizzying.
I didn't realize how much I'd been bracing myself for regret, for some soft "I need time," or "maybe we rushed it."
But no. He's smiling. His eyes are bright. He's glowing.
My chest tightens in the best way.
I look at him. I look at the faint mark at the back of his neck, darkened but healing, a quiet, blazing symbol that screams louder than any ring or paper ever could. Mine.
He's mine.
It's silly, I know. We're married. We have Nia. We have everything already. But still, something in me , my alpha side needed this.
I feel a security I didn't even know I craved.
No one can take him away from me.
***
Ivan
I have this fancy jewelry box.
When I say fancy, I mean fancy-fancy. The kind that opens up with soft golden hinges, lined in velvet, and once you touch a hidden latch, it unfolds like a puzzle into fifty different compartments.
Zander got it custom made for me three years ago—because, apparently, I'd "run out of space like a dragon hoarding treasure."
And he's not wrong.
But since we got mated, I've been adding to it more often than ever.
My alpha doesn't bring me flowers or chocolates like in those old-school love dramas.
Nope. My alpha brings me diamonds. Rubies. Sapphires. Platinum chains. Anklets that cost more than most people's cars. And today's addition? A diamond and ruby–encrusted anklet.
I smile a little, brushing my fingers over the delicate stones before setting it into one of the velvet-lined sections.
I asked Jeremy about it. He told me it's normal. I even went down the internet rabbit hole and—yeah—apparently most newly mated alphas go through this phase.
For most, it's daily flowers or endless nesting gifts. For me? Well… I married a man with obscene wealth.
My version of flowers is precious stones.
And honestly? I'm not complaining. He looks so happy every time he clasps something around my neck, or wrist, or ankle.
And why the hell would I complain about receiving jewels that sparkle like sin?
Keep them coming.
I hear the soft padding of footsteps behind me, and—speak of the devil—Zander walks into the bedroom, still damp from his shower.
"I think I need to start putting these into the safe," I say, still staring at the glittering box. "I don't feel comfortable having this much sparkle just lying around here."
"But then," he says, coming closer, his voice warm and amused, "that would mean every time you want to wear one, you have to open the safe. And we both know how lazy you are."
I groan dramatically. "I knooow…" I whine.
He laughs softly, wrapping his arms around me from behind. His chin rests on my shoulder, warm breath brushing against my neck.
"Okay, let's do this. Let's pick your favorites."
"But I love them all," I protest immediately. And I do. Damn his good taste.
"Then let me help you," he murmurs, peering down into the box with me.
His scent is warm and familiar. Safe. It wraps around me as easily as his arms.
"You don't need the chokers and collars anymore," he says casually, "so those can go into the safe."
I pause, staring down at the delicate collar pieces. He's right. I don't need them anymore—not now that his mark sits on my skin, bright and true.
"Okay," I sigh. "They can go."
Sad. They're so pretty.
"So among these, any favorites?" he asks, glancing at the array of sparkling gemstones.
I look. I really do. But… "No." I shrug. "I love them all."
Zander chuckles, the sound low against my ear, and presses a soft kiss to my cheek, then lower—to the mark at my neck. Warmth floods through me, a pulse of bond energy humming beneath my skin. His presence feels like home.
"It's all your fault," I grumble lightly. "Maybe if you'd bought me some ugly things, this wouldn't be hard."
His chest shakes with quiet laughter.
"I'm pretty sure even if I got you something gaudy, you'd still make it look amazing. You make everything look amazing."
He takes my hand, lifting it to his lips with that slow, deliberate tenderness of his that still makes my stomach flutter after all these years.
"Unfortunately, you're right," I sigh theatrically. "Such is the price of my beauty."