Chapter 154 – Turn You
–LIA’S POV–
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My eyes shot open, and I sat up with a gasp, a thousand needles poking my skin at once.
“Lia,” Zane whispered beside me, kneeling on the floor.
I didn’t look at him. I didn’t move. Just stared straight ahead, my heart thundering within my chest, mind racing with a million thoughts.
I’d seen something.
I’d seen a lot.
My… my birth mother. Selene. I’d seen her. And I’d watched her leave me at Mom’s doorstep.
I’d heard a prophecy, the words loud and clear in my head.
Marked by two…
Bound by one…
Zane sat down in front of me, watching me with glassy eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. His hands reached. out towards my face, but he froze before they’d touch me.
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I frowned. He looked disheveled. His hair was wet and messy, he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and there were multiple wounds on his body, still bleeding.
What had happened?
“Zane,” I whispered, and he looked like he’d break into a sob.
“Lia…” he trailed off, still hesitating to touch me.
I blinked a few times, confused by his behaviour.
Then it hit me.
Blake…
He’d marked me.
I touched my neck, the spot where he’d bitten me.
“He marked me,” I said softly, the memory of it all feeling… wrong. Strange.
It was violent—what had happened. It seemed like a traumatic experience. But I couldn’t remember what it felt like. I couldn’t recall the pain, or the hurt, or the fear. It didn’t make me cry or disgust me.
It sent heat through my body, as if it was the sexiest experience of my life.
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And yet, I didn’t feel it anywhere else. I didn’t feel it in my soul like I should have.
Because of the mate bond, desire for him had been hardwired into me. And with his mark, grown much stronger. But that was
- it.
My body was at war with itself—heart and mind conflicted.
And I didn’t even know which felt what.
“I’m so sorry,” Zane cried, tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Lia.”
Why was he apologising?
This wasn’t his fault.
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” I said, a deep frown on my face. “Zane, what’s going on? What—what’s gonna happen
now?”
He sniffed, looking away from me.
He smelled delicious, despite the stench of blood mixing with his scent, despite the dirt and some other really strong, pungent smell.
I touched his check to turn his face towards me, but gasped and
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pulled my hand away as electricity shot through my body.
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Zane’s eyes widened too, and he glanced at me, mouth parting in shock.
“What was that?” I whispered. “Did you feel it?”
He stared at me, dumbfounded.
“Zane, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Lia—do you love me?” he asked, leaning closer.
I frowned. “What?”
“Do you love me?” he repeated, his tone urgent.
“Of course,” I replied incredulously. “You’re my heart and soul, Zane. Why are you asking tha–”
He didn’t let me complete.
His lips crashed against mine, arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me to his chest.
The world blurred. My heart raged so loud, it could have beat its way out of my chest. My body rejoiced, a million fireworks shooting through every inch of my skin. Heat pooled through me like it had never before.
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Chapter 154 – Turn You
I gasped and pulled away, unable to take it for longer than a
moment.
Zane stared at me, his eyes black with hunger, with passion.
“Come here,” he said in a low growl, grabbing me by the back of my neck and claiming my mouth once more.
My body shivered against him, heart pounding even louder. Goosebumps covered every inch of me, my mind numbing entirely.
I wasn’t floating at the top of the world.
I was drowning. Unable to breathe, unable to understand, but feeling so, so good.
“Zane,” I choked, turning my face away, everything trembling.
His lips didn’t stop, now shifting to my cheeks, my jaw, my forehead and
my neck.
“You’re mine,” he whispered, voice almost breaking. “You’re still mine.”
I let him savour it for another moment, before grabbing his hair and pushing him away.
“Zane,” I said louder, moving away from him. “Stop.”
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He growled, as if it pained him, then stood up and turned away from me. His shoulders moved up and down, breaths strained.
My own chest heaved, my body still burning with desire.
“What’s… happening?” I said, staring at him.
He took a few moments to calm himself down, then turned to me again, his eyes back to blue. In a swift move, he had me in his arms again, pulled tightly to his chest, his face buried into my hair. I froze for a moment, preparing for another passionate encounter, but he merely held me close, as if his life depended on it.
“I’m here,” I whispered, rubbing his back. “I’m here, Zane.”
Now he broke into a sob, kneeling on the ground, pulling me down with him. He refused to let go.
“Zane,” I said, taken aback. “I’m here, my love. I’m okay. Relax.”
“I thought I lost you,” he said between sobs. “I—I thought you were gone.”
“Shh. I’m not. No one can take you from me.”
He pulled away, sniffing, his nose red.
“Lia, he marked you. And I didn’t get there in time. He marked you, I thought I’d lost you to him forever.”
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I shook my head, cradling his face in my hands. “Nothing happened,” I said. “I… I feel weird. Not in love with him.”
“Tell me,” he urged. “What do you feel?”
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I looked away, trying to piece my thoughts together. “I don’t know. It’s like… I remember what happened, and I sort of know that it felt awful. Like it was terrifying. But I cannot recall the actual emotions I felt. I don’t feel violated or disgusted. I feel an odd pleasure course through me when I think about it. But it’s a pleasure I don’t… want. I don’t know if I make sense, but that’s how I feel.”
Zane nodded slowly. “You’re mated to him, but in love with me. So you’ve accepted the bond with him, and his mark, but your heart still beats for me.”
“I’m mated to you too,” I said.
“Not like you are to him.”
“No,” I said quickly, “something has changed in our bond too, Zane. Didn’t you feel it just now? Our bond feels far more intense that it used to. Why did his mark do that?.”
Zane frowned, his eyes narrowing slightly.
I touched the mark on my neck, and a shiver crawled through
- me.
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Two faces flashed before my eyes instead of one.
And the words from my dream echoed in my head again.
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“Marked by two…” I whispered, frowning at Zane. “Did you… did you mark me too, Zane?”
His eyes widened. “I… I was…” he stuttered.
“Did you mark me while I was unconscious?” I asked, feeling slightly disappointed. “I wanted to feel it, Zane. I wanted to remember it.”
“I wasn’t marking you, Lia,” he said, running a hand through his hair. He looked away from me, closing his eyes.
“What did you do then?” I whispered, afraid I already knew the
answer.
“I tried to turn you.”
