The Beast And The Blessed

Chapter 148

Forty-Four: Tobias

Tobias's P.O.V.

The last place I wanted to be was walking through the city with Natalie on guard duty. I loved my job

and would do anything to protect our queen. But fuck, I wanted to go back to my woman and celebrate.

The mark on my neck hadn't faded overnight, even with my expedited healing. The skin scarred over

and glinted in the bathroom light as I got ready for the day before sneaking out of the house and

leaving my sleeping mate in our bed.

It was real. She had done it.

I could feel Natalie's eyes on me all morning, and while I respected her, I also wanted to call in another

guard to replace me so I could go back and take the honeymoon that Joselin and I hadn't gotten but

had earned. As soon as Rona was dealt with, I would be demanding it.

'You smell different.' Natalie said through the pack link to me. I didn't care to explain; it was no one's

business.

I kept my chin up as she stared at me, moving closer to sniff me again. A look of horror came over her

face as she looked down at my neck. Her hand lifted as if she were planning on pulling down the collar

of my button- up shirt to see my neck before changing her mind and letting it fall to her side in a fist.

She was probably as shocked as Joselin and I had been, but by the look on her face, I didn't think she

understood it was Joselin's mark.

Chosen mates marked each other all the time. Joselin being a witch made us think she couldn't mark

me back, but we were wrong, and I would wear her mark with pride.

'I never would have thought...1 Natalie said again before spinning away from me and going to the next

store. She had been trying to find something for Killian's birthday but couldn't decide. Now, her focus

appeared to be on me more than her own mate as she kept glancing at me over the shelves in the

small store. This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

It was her tone that was irritating me. She sounded disgusted that I had allowed my mate to mark me. I

didn't need to explain myself to her.

'You’re very angry this morning,' Joselin's voice came through my head, and I felt my shoulder relax. 'I

know not to talk to you while you're working, but I wanted to make sure you were okay.'

Natalie's eyes narrowed at me again, and I kept my emotions masked as I looked away from her and

scanned the store. The owners and employees were behind the front counter, over the moon that the

queen had graced them with a visit. I knew even if Natalie didn't find a present there, she would still

buy something to show her support for them.

'I am fine, sweetheart.' I couldn't help my cheek twitching when I felt her irritation. I knew what she

wanted to hear and couldn't help teasing her since she had been asleep when I left. 'Is there something

that you wanted to talk to me about?

Natalie walked by me, slowing as she passed. Her fake interest in the knickknacks on shelves closest

to the wall I stood by was obvious, and I watched her nostrils flare as she tried to investigate the

change in my smell.

'No.' The pout in Joselin's voice was adorable, and I couldn't wait to see her face when she noticed that

her mark was still on me.

Another she-wolf walking between the aisles approached us, seeming to know precisely what she was

looking for as she moved with purpose. I watched her closely, examining her to see if she was a

potential threat until my line of sight was disrupted by Natalie moving to stand in front of me.

Thomas and George moved closer, prepared to protect their queen, but I shook my head. This woman

was no threat.

Natalie let out a growl, turning to her side so her shoulder was facing me before glancing from me to

the woman with suspicion.

Oh, this was too good.

'Something you want to tell me?' Natalie asked, holding my stare and forcing me to look away out of

respect. She seemed angry and very put out, defensive of Joselin. When I refused to answer, she

picked up a few items before checking out at the front counter.

I followed behind her as she stormed back to the castle.

Killian was waiting out front for her with a smirking Joselin by his side. I bit back a groan, knowing

nothing good would come of this, not for me, at least. But I could keep my emotions in check long

enough for Joselin to have her fun.

Natalie stormed up to Killian, pressing a harsh kiss to his lips before turning back to glare at me as

Joselin stepped forward.

Thomas and George backed away, making themselves scarce as they waited to see if they were still

needed.

"I will never get over how good you look in a suit.’ Joselin purred, strutting toward me. I knew better

than to assume she had good intentions. Still, I couldn't help but enjoy her touch as she wrapped her

arms around my neck and pressed her body against mine.

Fuck, she felt good.

I met her halfway as she pushed up on her toes to greet me with a kiss.

The sound of a throat clearing made me want to growl, but I was in no place to do so when the noise

had come from the furious queen only a few feet away.

Joselin pulled away, a look of mischief in her eyes as she hugged me tightly and shoved her face into

my neck. Her body stilled, and she pulled back slowly. Natalie was still glaring a hole into the side of my

head, and I ignored her as I held Joselin's hips to mine, looking down at the incredible woman before

me.

'What are you up to, sweetheart?'

The corners of her mouth twitched as she bit back her smile, and she moved her hands to the front of

my chest before pulling down my collar, exposing her mark.

Natalie gasped when she saw it, but Joselin was beaming with pride. I watched as her eyelids lowered

and the knots and runes on her skin vibrated excitedly. Her smell grew stronger, and my hold on her

hips tightened as I restrained myself from throwing her over my shoulder and taking her back to our

house.

"What the fuck is this, Tobias? Are you kidding me?" Joselin snapped, her nails digging into my chest

deliciously.

'You're begging for a punishment, sweetheart.' I purred into our bond and watched as goosebumps

rose along her skin. She didn't respond to me as she moved my shirt further down and ran her finger

over my mark.

"Maybe you should take this inside to be more private.” Natalie offered, but neither Josie nor I looked

up at her. Queen or not, she didn't seem to understand what was happening here, and Joselin was

getting a kick out of it.

My woman was playing a game, a dangerous game. One that I would win, no matter the outcome.

"You let someone mark you?" Joselin's voice wavered, and I scowled down at her, keeping my hold on

her hips as she pretended to fight me off to get away.

Tm going to make your ass so fucking red for doing this.'

She licked her lips at my promise, but she wanted more. "I can't believe, after everything we have been

through, that you would do this. I'm going to kill any woman who dares to touch you. Do you not

understand that you belong to me? How could you?"

'You're not going to be able to sit when I'm done with you.' My eyes burned as I felt my beast coming

forward, and I moved my hands around to her lower back.

"Please, come inside. I think this should be a private conversation." Natalie said weakly, the panic in

her voice laughable. She had been openly angry at me for the past hour, but now she sounded worried.

"No one besides me should ever touch you,” Joselin stated, her finger pressing harder into her mark as

she continued to circle it.

I nodded as her body relaxed slightly, allowing me to grab a thick strand of her hair and wrap it around

my finger, pulling on it softly. A warning.

"No one should ever have their mouth on you besides me." She stated again. The excitement flooding

between us had me worried. I couldn't tell if it was because she was happy that her mark stayed or if

something else was running in her beautifully wicked mind.

Once again, I nodded. This woman owned me as much as I owned her. No one should touch her, and I

would rather rip their throat out than let another woman touch me.

'You love seeing your mark on me, don't you?'

Her glare shot up from my mark to meet my eyes. Oh, there was a challenge there. One that had me

reluctantly growing hard in my pants.

"I think that if you are wearing a mark,' She leaned in, her lips brushing against my jaw. "That it should

be mine."

My head fell back as she latched onto my neck, her teeth biting down into my skin and making me

curse out loud. "Fuck!"

Wave after wave of pleasure shot through me as I tightly held my mate to my front. Her perfect breasts

pressed against my chest, and her hands laced into my hair to keep me in place. I was throbbing for

her, dying for her. I wanted to rip our clothes off and sink into her to feel her warmth wrapped around

me.

It took every ounce of my willpower not to cum in front of everyone as my woman publically claimed

me.

"Well, shit.’ Thomas laughed, the sound of him smacking his knee bringing me back to the present. "He

can talk."

Joselin pulled back, running her tongue over my mark before placing a wet kiss under my jaw. I could

smell the blood, but she didn't seem to mind as she leaned back. "That's better."

"It's your mark? I thought it was...But you're... This is incredible!' Natalie exclaimed, holding Killian's

hand as she grabbed his bicep and shook it. The smile on her face made him laugh, and I turned back

to my mate. I knew what she had thought. From the glares she had sent my way, she had assumed

that another had marked me.

'Are you ready for your punishment?' With one eyebrow lifted, I watched as she shivered, her lips

pursed together.

"Let's go home." She whispered, and the world faded around us.

The empty white canvas we passed through was significantly more comforting than the darkness she

used to deal with, and I was proud that she had mastered it. It flickered once, and I looked down at my

mate in my arms. Her eyes were closed, and the skin between her eyebrows was scrunched as she

tried to focus.

"Josie," I whispered, not wanting to break her concentration. This was the longest we had staying in the

in-between, and she had never had to focus this hard on it before.

Instead of fading in, the work flickered around us, like it had when she had used the darkness to travel.

My eyes widened when I saw that we had only moved a few feet in the courtyard and in the wrong

direction.

Her eyes opened, and she looked terrified as her body went limp in my arms.