Shift

Fifty

Ava

            Great, now he’s talking to other girls about me. Just awesome. Tears stung my eyes as the thought swirled through my head. He’s the Alpha of his pack. These girls are freakin’ throwing themselves at him. How am I supposed to compete with them?

           I bit back a snappy remark, urging him with my eyes to explain, to tell me it was just a misunderstanding. He couldn’t actually be talking to them about me and how I was to scared to let him Mark me. He just… couldn’t. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks. Other girls would be begging for him to Mark her, and I was just a selfish ***** that was too stupid to see that.

           Jace opened his mouth. At a loss for words, his lips closed again. I shook my head, spun around, and headed back to our cabin.

           I barely noticed him calling my name. The tears making tracks on my cheeks were too busy occupying my mind.

Jace

            Shit. What the **** did I do? I asked myself, shaking my head. A growl erupted from between my lips as soon as I felt someone’s hand brush my arm. I glanced over my shoulder to see Jessica.

           She took a step back, fear evident in her eyes. I turned around, following Ava up the beach.

Ava

           A hand grabbed my arm, spinning me around. A gasp escaped me as I came nose to nose with Jace, his breath hot against my forehead. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed me into him. I exhaled, a small sob escaping me.

           He put his hands under my legs, pulling me up to his chest bridal-style. I let my tears stain his shirt as I concentrated on his heartbeat.

“Why were you talking to them about us?” I whispered finally.

           “They feel a pull when I don’t Mark anyone. It weakens me if I don’t have a mat,” he admitted, not looking into my eyes.

           “Oh,” I said, my voice small.

           Jace set me down on the couch, plopping down next to me. Before he could react, I pulled myself onto his lap, softly touching my mouth to his neck. My hands crawled up his shirt, tracing pattern on his hard stomach.

           He groaned, throwing his head back and responding by grabbing my chin and twisting it so that it was angled perfectly for him to lean in and kiss me. I closed my eyes, focusing only on the dance our mouths performed with each other.

           His hands soon found their way under my tank top, crawling up my sides. I smiled against the kiss, breaking it only to pull off my shirt.

           Jace’s mouth returned to my neck. I whimpered, “Jace…”

           He pulled away, his eyes wide, hands up. “What? What did I do? Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry, Ava. I didn’t-“

           I smiled and grabbed his hands, placing them on my hips. “Nothing. You’re perfect,” I told him. I had an idea I knew what was going to end up happening.

Jace

           With her permission, I continued, tracing kisses along her collarbone until I reached the most sensitive part of her neck- the place where wolves Marked one another.

           “Do it,” she whispered.

           I shook my head. “Ava, you’re not ready for me to Mark you,” I said. Ava reached for the ends of my shirt. “What are you-“ I began. She pulled my t-shirt over my head, despite my protests.

           “Trust me, Jace,” she said, her precious blue eyes staring into mine, “Mark me. Mark me, Jace. I love you. I trust you. Please, just Mark me.”

Ava

           I needed to make it all better for him. I needed him to Mark me. I didn’t want him to be weak, just because I was too scared to be there for him.

           I felt his lips on that spot that I, somehow, just knew it would happen. His teeth grazed it, and… A sensation washed through me. I didn’t know what it was, but it felt like sunshine. And I loved it.