Mark of Mars

The woods were peaceful. Damp earth squished between my toes and the scent of fresh rain hung in the air. Normally, I’d hate being here, but now, I wasn’t so sure.

The ferns’ bright green leaves were all curled up, poised to unfurl, and the tall, dark trees swayed gently in the breeze.

I was still scared, but the nagging sensation of being watched was less intense. For the first time, I saw the forest for what it was—a tranquil haven.

I was crouched down, examining a plant, when a twig snapped nearby. I spun around to find a massive black wolf towering over me, its shadow engulfing me.

Its enormous teeth made me stumble backward, and I tripped over a rock, landing on my butt. I instantly regretted not heeding Mars’s advice to use the bathroom before bed.

I was on the verge of panic when, out of nowhere, the giant beast flopped onto the ground, rolled onto its back, and let its tongue loll out lazily.

I don’t know what possessed me, but when I heard another noise in the forest, I found myself curling up next to the wolf, like a child clinging to their mother’s apron. I felt safe with him.

I felt his soft fur as I tentatively began to stroke him, his bright green eyes gazing at me with pure joy. He let out low rumbles of contentment, his massive tail wagging.

I don’t know how long we stayed there, curled up together, but I was jolted awake by the sensation of someone kissing and nibbling my neck.

I raised my hands to swat the intruder away, only to be met with a familiar rumbling sound, just like the wolf from my dream.

Blinking my eyes open, I found Mars’s deep green eyes staring back at me. He chuckled, his laugh sounding deeper, probably because he’d just woken up.

“My wolf is pleased you finally let your guard down and let us in. I care for you deeply, Fawn. I hope one day you’ll let me in enough to feel just how much.”

His sincerity was evident in his soft eyes and the gentle smile on his full, pink lips. I blushed furiously, raising my trembling hands to sign.

“So it was you all along in my dreams? I can’t give you much more than that, this is all too overwhelming.”

I turned my head away and started to climb out of the enormous bed. As I slid off, Mars scooped me up and placed me on his hip, making me gasp.

“I’ll have to mark you soon, mate. Ready or not.”

He continued to lick and bite the same spot on the crook of my neck, sending tingles down my spine. I pulled away nervously, biting my lip. “What is a mark?”

Grinning, he pushed me against a wall and shifted me from his hip to straddle his front, keeping his face in my neck.

“A mark is something mates do to keep unwanted mutts from trying to take what isn’t theirs. I’ll be sinking my canines right…here,” he said, nibbling the same spot he’d been teasing on my neck.

Realizing what he meant, I pushed against his chest, trying to wriggle out of his arms. He growled, tightening his hold on me as I flinched, making me shrink into his chest.

“I will be marking you, mate. Shh, don’t cry, little dear. It’s for the best, for us. After I mark you, the bond we share will be stronger and you’ll be able to feel it like I can, like a Lycan.”

“I don’t want to be like a Lycan, I don’t want you to bite me!” I started to sniffle as large tears rolled down my raw red cheeks.

“Enough of that Fawn, don’t act like such a child. You talk about change in the relationship between our races, but you’re not even willing to put in the effort.”

Maybe he was right, but the thought of me changing physically scared me. Not to mention the horror of being bitten in the neck by one of the most lethal beings known to man.

“If you’re going to act like a child, mate…you’ll be treated as such, and decisions will be made for you.”

He leaned down to my ear, close enough for me to feel his minty breath on my neck. “And I have a feeling our ideas of boundaries are very different…”

I swallowed audibly, clutching his shirt tightly.

“We have things to do mate; let’s shower and then get you into some new clothes. We’re going shopping.”

“Shower…? I’ll wait here, you go first, Mars.”

He growled low, almost purring, his voice deep. “As much as I like the idea of you signing my name, your little plan won’t work. We’re showering together. Now go. You’ll have to get used to me seeing your body, little one.”

My face was a hot red at this point, I mustered up as much courage as I could and let him carry me to the bathroom, undress me, and place me in the shower.

I kept my back to him the whole time as he cleaned me until it was time for him to pick me up again.

He laid me on the bed after drying me off and then gently dressed me. It was kind of embarrassing, but a part of me liked being taken care of for once.

“I had this brought over so you’d have something to wear while we shop. Sit up and let me look at you, mate.”

It was cute. I wore a plaid gray and red skirt with a white long-sleeved and a deep red cardigan. There was also a pair of Mary Janes and some black see-through tights. I was surprised they got all my sizes right.

I’d never seen an outfit like that before but I liked it. My long brown hair was brushed loose, my natural curly waves flowing free.

I felt like a part of myself was given back to me in a way. Although I’d never looked like this, I felt normal.

I looked at Mars, only to see he’d been staring at me looking at my reflection in the mirror this whole time. He smiled a big toothy grin with his perfect, straight teeth.

“I’ve never seen you smile before. Beautiful. I plan on making you smile a lot more, sweet Fawn.”

As my cheeks heated up, Mars scooped me up and cradled my head against his chest. He carried me out of the room, down a flight of stairs, and into what appeared to be a dining room.

He settled at the head of the table, with me nestled in his lap. I glanced at the table, my senses overwhelmed by the array of aromas. The table was laden with pastries, bacon, pancakes, and every other breakfast food you could imagine.

My eyes widened and my stomach let out a loud rumble. Embarrassed, I buried my face into Mars’s neck, which elicited a chuckle from him.

“Eat, mate. You’re too thin.”

I was famished, but the spread before me was overwhelming. I didn’t feel like I’d earned such a feast. Thoughts of Melissa swirled in my mind, and I shook my head.

“No? You don’t get to say no, little mate. Now eat.”

I hesitated, feeling anxious about the whole situation. I sat quietly as he began to cut up the food in front of us and bring it to my mouth. The scent of syrup wafted up to my nose and I took a bite.

We continued like this until the plate was half empty. Once I was full, I shook my head and he started to play with my hair, allowing me to lean my head back against his chest.

I noticed a few maids watching us, some with surprise and others with a jealous scowl. “Why are they all looking at us like that?”

“Mates feed each other as a sign of their bond and affection. They know you’re my mate and their luna.”

He let out a loud growl. “Get back to work!”

I jumped, and he began to soothe my back. Dana’s large figure appeared around the corner and I flinched. She shot a scowl at the nearby maids.

“You heard the alpha! Show some respect to your alpha and luna and get back to work!”

Dana then turned to us, bowed her head, and hurried off in the same direction as the other maids. I watched in surprise. Dana must be one of the fiercely loyal wolves Mars had mentioned.

“Let’s get going, love.”

We drove for a while, with me sitting on his lap in the backseat of a blacked-out BMW, before arriving at a large, fancy building.

Once inside and away from the cold, Mars took me to every store, buying anything he insisted I needed or anything he saw me staring at for too long.

After hours of shopping, we had the driver take our bags to the car and we had lunch at a small werewolf restaurant within the shopping center.

The moment I walked in, everyone started staring at me, which made me feel anxious.

“What’s wrong, baby?”

“I’m just not used to being stared at so much,” I signed, looking up at Mars and shivering as he rubbed his warm hand up and down my thigh.

He nodded, glanced around the restaurant, and glared, causing everyone to quickly turn their heads back to their food.

“Don’t worry, love. Most of that will fade once we have our mating ceremony in front of all the Lycan packs.”

The thought made my head spin, and I quickly stood up.

“What’s wrong, mate?”

“I’m just going to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”

Mars instinctively stood up as well, but I managed to convince him that I’d be fine on my own for a few minutes.

Heading to the bathroom to cool off, I bumped into someone. I lifted my head to sign an apology, and found myself face to face with Melissa.

Judging by the door behind her that led to the kitchen, I assumed she was dressed in a uniform meant for the restaurant staff.

She looked thinner than usual, her skin dull and her hair thin. She looked like she’d been through hell and back.

“Melissa! Where have you been? What happened?!”

“Come with me, Fawn. We can’t talk here.”

She grabbed my arm forcefully and pulled me out the back door into a damp alley. I wriggled my arm free so I could sign, feeling both frustrated and a little scared.

“Melissa, just stop and tell me what’s wrong! Please, I’ve been so worried!”

Looking into Melissa’s eyes, I saw a mix of guilt and anger.

“I’m sorry, Fawn.”

Confused, I stood frozen, watching her scurry away as two large men took her place in front of me.

Realizing that this was no friendly reunion, I turned to rush back to the door, only to collide with a hard chest. He must have snuck up behind me while I was talking to Melissa.

“Oh no, you’re coming with us, little girl.”

The man wasn’t as tall as Mars, but he was tall enough to overpower me. His breath smelled like the trash cans we were standing next to. Their somewhat scrawny build suggested they were human.

Another man crept up behind me and I felt his hands slide up the sides of my skirt and under my cardigan, resting on my rib cage. I felt sick to my stomach.

“Let’s have some fun first. She can’t even scream. No one will even know we’re here.”

In a panic, I kicked the man in front of me in the groin as he moved toward me. He doubled over in pain, groaning loudly as I tried to make a run for the door.

I hadn’t even reached the first step when I felt a burning sensation on my scalp as I was yanked back by my hair, landing hard on the asphalt.

“You fucking bitch! Oh, you’re getting it now!”

The next moment, the man was on top of me, straddling my hips as he ripped off my cardigan and then my shirt.

I kicked and bucked, trying to dislodge him, but a hard punch to my right eye left me seeing stars. As tears streamed down my face, I could only think of one person. Mars.

Feeling like I was giving up too easily on the prospect of being Mars’s mate, I grabbed the man’s head and shut my eyes tight as I dug my thumbs into his eyes.

Hearing him scream in agony, I pushed through my fear and crawled into a corner of the alley. I had no strength left to fight these men off.

Is this it? Am I going to get raped and left to die in a dirty alley?

The man I’d kicked earlier grabbed my hand forcefully and pulled me to my feet, only to throw me back to the ground and climb on top of me.

“Do you really believe anyone cares about humans like us? You’re mistaken, darling. He’ll use you, have a few kids with you, and then abandon you to die with the rest of us.”

As he tried to tear off my bra while I struggled to push him away, he landed a punch on my mouth, filling my mouth with the metallic taste of blood.

I was on the brink of surrender when an earth-shattering roar echoed through the room, sending chills down my bruised body.

Before I knew it, Mars was snapping the man’s neck and then tearing it from his body. As I teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, I saw Mars advancing towards the other two men with determined strides.

My head throbbed painfully and my eyes felt like they were on the verge of exploding if I dared to open them.

I could sense someone lying next to me, fingers gently twirling my hair, and the familiar scent of pine and cinnamon told me it was Mars.

As I tried to sit up, I realized how drained my body was. Mars gently eased me back onto the bed.

“No, sweetheart, you need to rest. You’re safe now, I’m here. You’ve done well, my mate. I’m so proud. Now, go back to sleep.”

Feeling a tender kiss on my forehead, I snuggled into Mars’s warm embrace and drifted back into a deep sleep.