Page 247 of Unmarked
I stare down at my mug. My tea’s gone cold. My brain’s a soup of panic and affection and the deep, existential horror ofI might have to fill out actual paperwork for this.
But I take a breath.
“I’m tired of being half-something. Of waiting for the other shoe to drop. I don’t want to go back to pretending I’m not who I am.”
I meet each of their eyes in turn. Let them feel it.
Let themknowit.
“I want to be a pack. With you.Allof you.”
Theo's shoulders sag with something like relief.
Ash’s mouth twitches - not quite a smile, but something close.
Kai salutes me with a grape and smirks, but there’s something suspiciously bright in his eyes.
Lucian’s hand flexes again at his side, but he nods once, sharp and absolute.
A king surrendering to the only crown he’s ever wanted to wear.
“Then it’s decided,” Theo says. “We form a pack.”
I blink. “All at once?”
Kai immediately perks up. “Please say yes.”
“We’ll need to set a time. A place. Some rules,” Theo confirms.
“Rules?” Kai grins like a devil granted permission to make mischief. “Aw, golden boy. You’re gonna ruin the mood.”
Ash snorts. “He’s right, though. This isn’t something we want to screw up.”
“The bond is one thing, but marking?” Theo's gaze finds mine. “That’s permanent. Permanent in a way even a bond can’t fully undo.”
“We do this properly,” Lucian cuts in. “No mistakes. No hesitations.”
Kai stretches like a bored cat. “Well, if we’re doing the whole blood-oath vibe, we might as well pick a place with good lighting. I refuse to be marked in shitty fluorescent overheads.”
Theo rolls his eyes. “You’re a menace.”
“I’mthemenace,” Kai corrects cheerfully. “Get it right.”
“This house is perfect for it,” Ash says, steering them back on track. “It’s protected. Isolated. No risk.”
Lucian hums low in agreement. “It’s secure.”
Kai whistles low. “God, you’re all so romantic. Maybe afterwards, Lucian can brand us like cattle, too.”
“We’ll do it in the solarium,” Lucian says, pointedly ignoring Kai, his voice final. “Tomorrow night.”
Theo nods, pragmatic. “Gives us time to prepare.”
Ash’s eyes cut to me. “You sure about this, sweetheart?”
The nickname hits somewhere deep in my chest - a place still tender from everything we’ve been through.
I sit up straighter, lifting my chin and meeting all their gazes without flinching.
