My Fated Mate Can Have Her-Chapter 230: Crossing The Border

Violet

I rushed to the river, my bag hovering in the air behind me. Even with the makeshift barrier covering my rear, I could feel the weight of his gaze like a physical touch, trailing down my spine and lingering where my hands couldn’t reach.

I washed myself and noticed something that stunned me.

There were marks all over my body.

They were scattered across my neck and collarbone like a constellation of small bruises. Some were faint pink, barely there. Others were darker, and deeper unmistakable evidence of teeth and suction.

I stared at them, my fingers hovering over a particularly vivid one just above my pulse point.

It was everywhere...

Anyone who looked at me would know, would see, and would understand exactly what had happened.

I quickly pulled out a fresh pair of clothes that had provided enough coverage. After wearing my pants, I yanked my shirt over my head with more force than necessary, my face burning hot.

I heard him rise, followed by the quiet pad of footsteps on the grass.

I was about to turn around when his hand found the small of my back.

I startled so hard I nearly tripped.

"Sorry," he said, steadying me. His palm lingered against my spine for a moment longer than necessary before dropping away. "I didn’t mean to startle you."

"It’s fine," I said automatically, even though my heart was racing.

He appeared at my side and I watched his eyes traced the faint mark peaking out from my neckline. I immediately slapped my hand over the area with a slight frown.

"This—"

"Sorry, I got a little too carried away last night," he said softly, his gaze still on my neck.

Something flickered in his expression, satisfaction or possessiveness, before his features went back to normal.

I think he looked proud and I did not like how it made me feel good deep inside.

I noticed the concern slip into his eyes immediately and he glanced at my things. "It should fade before the day ends, but we could find something else with a higher neckline to cover—"

"It’s fine," I heard myself say.

His eyes widened slightly, surprised. Then a slow smile curved his lips, pleased in a way that made my stomach flip.

I looked away before he could see how much that smile affected me. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

[ - ]

We had gathered our things and before we had even set off, Rowan kissed me. It was a welcome surprise that did not help to ease the fluttering in my chest, and as we left that region and the curious sifs behind, I noticed he was very touchy. Even more than before.

The landscape had shifted as we walked, the lush greenery giving way to rolling hills dotted with wildflowers.

Rowan walked beside me.

Close beside me.

His shoulder brushed mine with every few steps, and I couldn’t tell if it was intentional or just the natural rhythm of his stride. When the path narrowed between two large boulders, his hand found the small of my back again, guiding me through.

It stayed there even after the path widened.

I shot him a stunned look.

He gazed back at me with an expression of pure innocence that I didn’t believe for a second.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

"Your hand."

"What about it?"

"It’s on my back."

He glanced down, as if noticing for the first time. "Oh..."

He didn’t move it.

The faint touches and caresses continued throughout the morning.

When we stopped to drink from a stream, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. When we climbed a steep hill, his hand found my elbow, steadying me even though I didn’t need steadying. When we paused to rest, he sat so close our thighs pressed together, and his fingers kept finding excuses to brush against mine.

He couldn’t seem to stop touching me.

It was strange.

"We’ll reach the border by midday," Rowan said eventually, gesturing toward the horizon where a line of low mountains rose against the pale blue sky. He looked a bit proud as if he couldn’t wait to show me his home. "My territory starts just beyond those hills."

I nodded, grateful for a topic that didn’t involve his hands or my flustered inability to deal with them.

At some point, he decided to shift into his wolf form and have me climb his back which I found a bit disturbing. He was going to bring me into his territory just like that? Everyone was going to be curious about the woman with him and at this point I couldn’t help the feeling that he had considered that and even wanted it.

The border marking appeared at the row of a rising forest wall in front of us. I couldn’t help but notice a subtle shift in the air, particularly a change in energy that made the hair on my arms stand up.

Waves of his strength rolled off his massive form underneath me as he stepped in.

His presence seemed to amplify as we crossed the border markings. His posture had changed and his eyes scanned the horizon with the sharp awareness of a predator in his own domain.

This was his land.

We had been moving through the forest for a while when I sensed wolves approaching from afar at a rapid pace.

My body went rigid on Rowan’s back, my fingers tightening instinctively in his fur. But when I noticed he was calm, and still walked at the same unhurried pace. His head turned slightly as if to acknowledge the approaching wolves without concern and his tail even swayed lazily behind him.

What was I even doing reacting like this? He had called upon any of his wolves scouting the area nearby.

They were coming, and they were going to find their Supreme Alpha in his wolf form, casually strolling through the forest with a strange woman mounted on his back like she belonged there.

What would they think?

I became acutely aware of how I must look and underneath my clothes, the marks he had left on my skin seemed to burn with renewed intensity.

Wouldn’t they smell him on me?