Chapter 244: You can mark me

Azura’s POV

I stood near the edge of the stream, my eyes fixed on the petals scattered across the damp earth.

Welcome back, Mud.

The name hit my chest like a sudden splash of warm water. A thick wave of familiarity filled my heart, pulling up distant, faded memories from a lifetime ago.

I heard soft footsteps rustling through the fallen leaves behind me. A second later, the air rippled with the unmistakable pull of our mate bond, warming the back of my neck.

I turned around slowly, my golden dress brushing against the tall grass.

Rhydor was standing a few feet away, dressed in a soft linen tunic rather than his heavy Alpha armor. His dark brown hair was neatly brushed back, away from his face. In his right hand, he held a single, long-stemmed red rose.

"Welcome back, Mud," he said softly, his voice full of quiet warmth.

I stood completely still, staring at him in total silence. My mind was spinning. How on earth did he know that name? How did he know this place?

"Tell me one thing, Mud," Rhydor asked, his voice dropping into a murmur.

"Why did you run away back then?"

A sharp ache pierced my chest. My lips parted, but no sound came out. I just kept looking at his face in pure shock.

How could the boy who used to sit beside me on these exact rocks be the very same person standing before me today? How was any of this possible?

"You know, you were the very first girl I ever called a friend," Rhydor continued, taking a slow step toward me.

"And then all of a sudden, you just vanished into thin air. Without leaving a trace. Without telling me why you left."

He stopped walking, his dark eyes searching my face.

"Say something, please. I want to know the reason."

"How?" I gasped out, my voice trembling as tears welled up in my eyes.

"How is this even possible?"

Rhydor shrugged his wide shoulders lightly.

"I did not even realize it myself until you showed me."

My brow pulled down into a deep frown.

"I showed you?"

He did not answer my question directly. He stood there, watching me with a steady, intense gaze.

"Why did you run away, Azura?" he asked again, keeping his tone gentle.

"I was looking for you," I said honestly, a lump forming in my throat.

He froze, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"You came looking for me?"

I nodded my head, tears blurring my vision.

"You stopped showing up at our spot. I waited for days, and when you did not come back, I thought those mean older boys had caught you and hurt you. So I went into the deep forest to search for you."

The hard edge in his eyes softened.

"I thought it was all my fault," I continued, wiping a tear from my cheek with the back of my hand.

"I tried so hard to find where you lived. But I ended up losing my way in the dark woods. I did not know how to get back home. I did not know where I was going. I was just a scared little girl who lost her way."

"Are you telling me you left this spot because I stopped coming?" Rhydor asked slowly, his voice laced with disbelief.

"You said we were friends," I sobbed out, my shoulders shaking as the heavy emotional dam inside me finally broke.

"You were my very first friend in the whole world. I thought I was doing the right thing by looking for you. I was so naive back then. I really needed a friend during those lonely days, and then you showed up out of nowhere."

"But then you vanished, and I thought I ruined everything. I just wanted to find you."

I buried my face in my hands, my body trembling as hot tears poured down my cheeks.

Rhydor closed the distance between us in two quick strides. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me tight against his chest, holding me so close I could feel the hard beat of his heart through his clothes.

He rested one large hand against the back of my head, tucking my face into his neck to soothe my heavy sobs.

"I could not find you anywhere," I whispered into his shoulder, my voice broken.

"I am so sorry."

"No," Rhydor murmured, burying his face in my hair as his arms tightened around me.

"I am the one who should be apologizing. I am so sorry for not showing up that day. I am so, so sorry."

I slowly pulled back from his chest, wiping my wet face as I looked up at him. He looked down at me, his eyes full of raw emotion.

I lifted my shaking hand, reaching out to gently touch the soft brown hair near his temple.

"Stone?" I whispered, my voice barely louder than a breath.

A small, breathy laugh burst from his throat.

"Mud," he replied, a warm, beautiful smile spreading across his face.

A sudden laugh escaped my lips, mixing with the tears still falling down my cheeks.

"How could I be so stupid? How did I not realize it was you all along? You and your big knucklehead."

He chuckled softly, reaching up to brush a tear away from my jawline with his thumb. I noticed a faint sheen of moisture in his own eyes now.

"Honestly, I should be the one who is completely shocked," Rhydor said softly, looking down into my eyes.

"No female has ever stood in front of me with zero fear the way you did on your first day at the pack house. Not since the day we met by this stream. I do not even understand how I was able to forget your face for so long."

I kept my hand resting against his cheek, listening to his every word.

"I am so sorry," Rhydor whispered, his tone full of regret.

"I am so sorry for forgetting about you. If you had not shown me the truth, I might never have remembered."

"I still do not understand," I said, pulling my brow down in confusion.

"What do you mean when you say I showed you?"

"I kissed you on the tomb," he explained gently, a soft look in his eyes.

"And the moment our lips touched, the memory flooded straight into my mind. It felt as if your soul was showing it to me directly through the bond."

"I do not remember doing that at all," I said, frowning slightly.

"You do not have to remember," Rhydor said softly, taking my hand in his and lacing his fingers through mine.

"I just want you to know one thing for certain. You were my very first female friend, Azura. And you will be my last. You were the very first girl I ever cared about... and you will be the last one too."

"Except our daughters." He added.

And we both laughed.

He paused for a moment, his grip on my hand tightening slightly. He looked straight into my eyes with a serious, hopeful expression.

"Azura Moryn," he said, his voice deep and steady.

"Please let me mark you."

I blinked in surprise, staring at him.

"Wait a second. I thought you were setting up this whole romantic scene to propose to me, but you are just asking to mark me?"

A bright, genuine smile lit up his face.

"Yeah. But I really need to mark you first. I want to claim you completely as my Luna."

I reached up with both hands, gently cupping his warm face.

"You can mark me, Rhydor Drakemire," I whispered.

The silence around us was so heavy and peaceful, as if the whole forest was waiting just for us.

Rhydor looked down into my eyes, his amber eyes burning with so much feeling that my legs felt a bit weak.

"You can mark me, Rhydor Drakemire," I whispered again, letting the words sit between us.

Instead of leaning down to bite my neck right away, Rhydor leaned in slowly and pressed his lips against mine.

The kiss was not wild or rushed. It was soft, long, and full of deep love that made my heart jump inside my chest.

He kissed me as if I were made of glass, holding my waist with so much care. Then I responded to his sweet kiss.

When he finally pulled back, his breath felt warm against my lips. A slow smile spread across his handsome face.

"Not just yet," he said softly, his thumb gently touching my cheek.

"I have one more surprise for you first."

I pulled my forehead down into a small, playful frown.

"Another surprise? Rhydor, you already made this whole petal heart by our stream."

"Just follow me," he said gently, grabbing my hand and fitting his fingers between mine. ℯℯ𝘭.

He led me away from our childhood spot, taking me deeper into the quiet woods.

We walked along a narrow, hidden path under the tall trees, the soft ground making no sound under our feet.

The warm afternoon air felt nice and cool, smelling like sweet flowers and fresh grass as the sun shone softly through the leaves above us.

After walking for a few minutes, Rhydor stopped beside a large bush. He reached out and pushed the green branches aside, stepping back so I could walk through first.

My breath caught in my throat, and my eyes went wide. It was a beautiful lace tent that was decorated with flowers, fruits, and drinks.

Aww, he’s so sweet

His playful look completely vanished, replaced by a deep, honest feeling that made my chest feel full.

"I spent years thinking I had lost my soul, Azura," Rhydor whispered, his voice deep and shaking just a little bit.

"I walked around feeling cold and empty inside. But standing here with you... looking into your eyes... I know my soul was never lost. It was just waiting for you to come back to me."

His words hit me so deep that tears immediately filled my eyes. Before I could stop it, a single tear rolled down my warm cheek.

Rhydor did not move his hand away. He leaned forward slowly, bringing his face close to mine. He bent his head down and gently pressed his warm lips against my cheek, softly kissing away the tear from my skin.

His lips stayed against my cheek for a quiet moment, his warm breath tickling my ear.

The moment his lips touched my wet skin, every single worry in my mind melted away.

A sudden, strong wave of pure heat rushed through the air around us, firing straight through our mate bond.

My heart started beating fast against my ribs, my breath coming out short and soft as my pulse raced right under his thumb.

I looked into his eyes, and his dark center grew wide, burning with a deep, strong need for me.

The air inside the small lace tent became warm, thick, and heavy, filled with our strong desire for each other.