“Don’t.” Marco’s tone was calm. Way too calm, which told me all I needed to know. I ended the kiss and pulled back, looking up to find Gavriel standing there looking pissed. My own temper spiked, annoyed that he would try to interrupt our moment together.
I knew it was ridiculous since they were her fathers and brothers, but I hated the idea of any man outside of our flight having a claim over Maya. It made me angry that they felt like they had any say in what she could and couldn’t do when she was not only capable of making her own decisions but had chosen us. She wanted us, so they could fuck off.
“I don’t like this shit,” he said in a voice filled with more emotion than I thought possible. “How the hell do we even know you’re her actual mates? It sounds like you just happened to be the first people she came across—”
“They are my mates.” Maya’s voice was harder than I thought possible as she stood up next to Marco, her hand running through my hair as I grabbed it gently and pressed kisses to her long fingers.
Gavriel frowned, looking at Marco. “You understand how goddamn odd that is, right? That she escapes after being imprisoned for years, and then all the sudden she happens to run into your goddamn flight. She shouldn’t be with you guys and you fucking know it, Marco.”
Marco’s eyes went cold. “I’m not doing this here, Gavriel. Maya is our mate. Whether you like it or not isn’t something that matters.”
“It's not like you have much room to talk,” Henry added, his eyes narrowing.
Gavriel let out a growl. “I’m not taking advantage of a fucking mate who has no idea what I’m capable of.”
“You don’t have a mate,” I added as I watched Eleven go completely still, making me wonder if my prediction was correct.
Gavriel’s gaze was cold and a bit terrifying as he seemed to consider something while looking at me before shaking his head. Eleven stepped in and spoke. “Just give them some space, Gav. You don’t have a right—”
He turned towards her and spoke softly. “Seems I don’t have the right to do or fucking say anything, Eleven.”
Maya made a concerned noise as the Group Leader offered him a look that told me everything. Her words were careful. “Some situations are out of your control.”
I honestly had no idea what the man would do, but after a long stare off, he broke and looked back at Marco. He was gone then, leaving all of us in a moment of silence. I ran a hand along the back of my neck, glad to have the distraction from my father being here, but also annoyed with his words.
I let out a chuckle as Marco was suddenly striding away with Maya, her eyes wide in surprise. Yep, I had guessed that was coming.
Turning back towards the room, I shared a look with my brother, his eyes filled with a stark sadness that I no doubt reflected. I hadn’t planned on ever confronting my father again, but Maya’s strength was inspiring something inside of me. I just wasn’t positive if it was a good thing or not.
More so, I wasn’t positive if he would survive that confrontation.
16
Maya
“Marco?” I asked, confused as I tried to keep up with him, my face flushed by the energy soaring through our bond. It was a heat that was whipping away anything else as I shivered from the raw power of it. I had felt his energy amping up consistently since we had arrived here, but I honestly hadn’t known what it would result in. This was something else entirely. I let out a relieved sigh as we left the ballroom and began down a hall, the pressure of eyes from my parents and apparent brothers on us suddenly gone as I felt like I could be myself far more.
Marco’s fingers were intertwined with mine, my left hand quite warm as he rubbed his thumb over the skin in a soothing pattern. Specifically the finger next to my pinky. It confused me because I almost felt like he was hiding my hand, encompassing it completely with his own as people watched us in passing.
“This is going to drive me up the fucking wall,” Marco mumbled under his breath. Before I could ask what he meant, I was quickly pulled down an empty side corridor, his massive body crowding mine up against the smooth, hard surface. His tense demeanor softened slightly as he ran his nose down my neck, seeming to consider something.
“Marco? Are you okay?” I asked softly. I tried to angle my face to see him but he kept me locked there, his entire body tense and his dragon shifting under his skin, causing his pulse to hitch.
“Can you do something for me, baby girl? Wear something for me?”
“Yes?” I tried to pull back again to see his expression, but it was almost impossible with how he was holding me. I could feel his dragon right under his skin, trying to escape, so the rumble that came from his throat at my movement wasn’t very surprising.
What was surprising? The cold, delicate band I felt slip onto my finger, a flash of something shiny bouncing off the walls in reflection.
Had he just put a ring on me?
Marco slowly pulled back as I immediately brought my hand up, my eyes widening in first confusion and then awe at what was on my finger. Because there was absolutely no way to not see what was on my finger. I mean, it was huge!
“What is this?” I asked softly, emotion catching in my throat at the vulnerability on Marco’s face when I looked back, his eyes trained on my expression.
“Something that I have been wanting you to wear for a bit now,” he confessed roughly, looking down at my left ring finger. “It looks beautiful on you.”
I nodded, unable to focus on the shiny piece of jewelry because I needed him to help me understand what was going on here. I opened my mouth but he kissed me, deeply, as I let out a happy hum, trying to decide how to shape my question.
“This is my ring finger,” I pointed out breathlessly as he pulled away. “A ring is on my ring finger. Like, the finger that you are supposed to wear a ring on while married.” Okay, this wasn’t ending up a question.
Marco’s eyes flashed with amusement. “Yes, that is the finger, and it does have a ring on it.”
“So what does this mean to you?” I asked softly, my voice thick with emotion, wanting him to say what I hoped he meant, even if it was only an eventually. Even if it meant feeling awkward on how to handle this. I didn’t want this just to be about him being protective because I had noticed my mates were very much so.
Marco’s voice turned soft and velvety. “It means the same thing as the brand on your arm and the bites on your body. It means you’re ours. Forever.”
Oh. My heart began to inflate.
“And you’re mine?” I clarified before smiling. “You know… you may end up having no places left to mark me between all of this.”
“Always yours,” Marco answered sincerely, his eyes burning with truth before he admitted, “You know how much I love you.”
“I love you too.” I blushed.
“Plus, there are always other ways to make it very obvious who you belong to.” He leaned down and nipped my lip, making me sigh into him as his fingers ran up my waist and his thumb drew lazy circles on my stomach. “I want all these fuckers to stop trying to steal you away from us. I’m selfish with your attention. I didn’t realize how much I would hate having to share you with the rest of the world. I want to mark you in every single way possible, Maya. It’s like a damn compulsion.”