When they touch me (Shelagh Milano)



ARTEMISIA

My mother had told me so many things to prepare me for my mark.

She told me about how wonderful it was as my father finally marked her, and she became officially his.

She told me how happy she was, and how it had stung a bit but that the butterflies erupting in her stomach covered every pain she would feel.

I was prepared.

I was looking forward to it.

Or so I thought.

Because as Logan's fangs sank into my flesh, all I did was feel pain.

Excruciating pain.

And being marked while screaming my lungs out in pain and fear certainly wasn't on my bucket list.

I feel like he is injecting venom through his canines, poisoning me slowly as the burning substance wanders down my shoulder and right to my heart, making it still in my chest.

I remember my mother telling me that it was important for me to be relaxed when it would happen.

That a mate would see to make you feel at ease, so it could be as pleasant as possible.

I'm already starting to lose my senses as his teeth sink deeper, and I hear someone charging against my front door before bursting through it to reach

me.

But it is too late anyway.

As various voices fill my room, they already seem so far away.

Logan doesn't seem to be bothered by them as he finally lets go of me, passing his tongue on his mark now burning on my shoulder to seal it.

I can still feel the grin in his voice as he presses his lips against my ear, growling lowly, "Mine."

Just before being torn away from me.

The first thing I see as I finally get my eyes to open is Fynn.

He is sitting in a chair next to my hospital bed, his head buried in his hands.

Blinking my heavy eyelids slowly, I turn my head to find Matthew with his head laid down next to my legs. His eyes are closed, and I smile tiredly, as I lift my hand to pass it through his hair.

He sighs, making Fynn lift his head. “You are awake."

"Yes," I distort my face as my raspy voice fights her way out of my throat painfully. "How long was I out?"

"Two days," he answers, getting up to stand next to me. "Cayden just left. He wanted to change... I made him go take a break, he felt horrible because he didn't hear your cries until it was already too late."

I push out a shaky breath. "It's not his fault. Logan... he..."

"Yeah... He is in the dungeons. Don't worry. Apparently, as soon as he had marked you, he came back to his senses. He says he was like in a movie... Didn't you tell me he acted strange lately?"

My brain totally ignores his questions as I push myself up, my fingers running over the mark on my shoulder.

Panicky, I look up at Fynn, as my hand claws down on the mark. "Oh, my Goddess. He marked me! Does that mean...?"

My voice fails me before I can finish the question, desperation creeping into my bones, and he leans in,

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cupping my face soothingly. "No,, princess. Him marking you was a dick move, but it won't take us from you. It just means that we will have to hold our marking ceremony a bit earlier. But that's not exactly bad, right?"

"We thought that maybe Cayden should mark you in the next few days so that you wear the mark of an Alpha. And it will make Logan's mark took less random," Matthew rubs his eyes, his tired voice getting me to look at him.

"We will decide that as soon as you feel better, don't worry about it now," Fynn adds, making me nod.

"Can you mind-link Cayden, please, and tell him that I'm okay?" I ask Fynn.

He caresses my hair, smiling at me. “Sure."

It seems like only a second has passed from the moment Fynn's eyes glaze over to when Cayden barges into the room.

"Missy," he breathes out, as he steps next to my bed. Leaning over me, his eyes roam my face as if looking for any little tell of any bit of pain or sadness.

But I'm just feeling too exhausted to feel anything of that kind.

"I'm fine, Cayden," I chuckle, causing me to cough.

Matthew gets up, squeezing my leg. "I'll get you something to drink."

"And I'll get Dr. Davies, now that you are awake." Fynn flashes us a sad smile before walking out of the room after Matthew.

I let myself fall back into the bed, closing my eyes with a sigh.

"How are you feeling?" Cayden asks me, leaning in to caress my face.

"I'm fine," I say with a small smile. "Just exhausted."

He distorts his face, regret flashing over his face. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I didn't even notice what was happening until it was already too late." "Don't be! I'm fine and it's not your fault!" I say, caressing a curl out of his face. "It all happened so fast."

He remains silent, studying my face and I see his eyes fall onto my mark.

"You need to sleep." I say softly, wanting to get his eyes back on me. "When was the last time in the past two days that you had a break?"

He shakes his head, capturing my hand to press a kiss on my palm. "How can I sleep when I wasn't able to protect you?!"

My heart breaks as I see him like

this and scoot over to the edge of my small bed. Tapping the mattress next to me, I finally get him to smile genuinely. "Come. I'll help you fall asleep."

After looking over his shoulder, he gets into the hospital bed, making me giggle as his tall and bulky frame nearly doesn't fit in it.

Wrapping his arms around me, he pulls me close, burying his head in the crook of my neck.

I let him breathe me in, feeling him relax against my frame.

"Would you please mark me?" I ask lowly, making him push out a deep sigh.

"Not now, my love. You are still weak, but I will make sure that I can mark you as soon as I can."

I lean my head against his head as he snuggles in closer against my chest.

"Thank you," I whisper and hear him snore softly shortly after.

I caress his back gently and giggle lowly as Dr. Davies pops in his head, grimacing before fleeing the scene again. "I'll check on you later."

Matthew hands me the glass of water, and I sip it slowly through a straw, careful about not to wake Cayden up.

Fynn and Matthew let themselves fall into their respective chairs with exhausted sighs and soon enough, surrounded by my mates, I fall back asleep.