The Girl He Marked by Laila Callaway novel Chapter 3

Axel's POV.

My mate's sweet little body convulses underneath me. Pleasure consumes us both and my hips thrust back and forth of their own accord. Grace cries my name and I moan against my mark on her neck.

Our orgasms grip us both and stars burst behind my eyelids. The pleasure is overwhelming.

It takes a while for us both to come down from our highs. I retract my teeth from her neck and lick away the stray drops of blood. Grace shivers and wraps her arms around me, keeping me close to her.

'I love you,' she murmurs in my ear.

I kiss her cheek. 'I love you.'

After cuddling for what seems like forever, we eventually decide to move. Grace goes to the bathroom and cleans up. When she comes back in, she's walking gingerly, and guilt floods me.

'Oh, Strawberries, I'm sorry,' I apologize and pull her into bed as soon as she's close enough.

She shrugs in my arms. 'It's okay. It gets easier each time, right'

'Yes, it does,' I respond and kiss the top of her head.

'I'm kinda sleepy now,' she mumbles, making me chuckle.

'Let's go to sleep, then. Night, Strawberries.'

'Night, Axe.'

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There's a smile on my face when I wake up. My beautiful mate is spread across the mattress, next to me. Her hair is a wild mess of a mane, strands going in every direction.

She's naked underneath the duvet, which has ridden down a bit to show off her breasts. I feel myself getting hard just looking at them and I quickly pull the covers up to her neck.

Grace stirs at the movement. She opens her eyes and blinks a couple of times. When her pupils focus on me, she smiles and stretches languidly.

'Morning,' she mumbles, her eyes falling closed again.

'Morning,' I reply and lean over to kiss her lips.

Grace responds to me instantly, wrapping her arms around my neck. She pulls me against her, pressing her naked body to mine under the covers. My hard cock rubs against her soft stomach and I pull back, not wanting her to feel it. Grace moves with me, rubbing herself against my erection.

This little seductress has no idea what she does to me.

I roll back and Grace rolls with me, straddling my waist. She presses her crotch down against mine and gently grinds her pussy against my erection. I groan into the kiss, a shudder of pleasure shaking my body.

'Grace,' I warn her softly. 'Aren't you sore'

She shrugs and kisses my nose. 'Maybe…maybe not. Want to find out'

Her coy expression is everything, it turns me on even more. Her small hand reaches between us and grabs my cock. She lines herself up above me and then slowly sinks down, taking me inside her.

A grunt leaves my lips at the exquisite feel of her tight body clamping down around my cock. I grab her hips, feeling her hot skin beneath my fingertips.

Grace starts lifting herself up and down, riding me. She looks like an angel with her red waves tumbling around her shoulders. Her breasts move up and down as she rides my cock.

She takes me all the way in and then lifts up until only the head of my cock is inside her. She does this again and again, working up a rhythm.

Grace puts her hands flat on my chest to support herself, and I frown as I feel how she's burning up.

'Grace, you're burning up,' I tell her, concern in my voice.

I reach up and feel her forehead, it is damp with sweat. Her panicked eyes meet mine.

'Axe,' she gasps. 'I feel weird.'

Realization dawns on me. 'You're going to shift.'

I grab her hips and lift her off of me. I jump to my feet and throw a t—shirt at her.

'Put that on, we need to get you outside.'

Grace yanks the t—shirt over her head, shoving her arms through the sleeves. I pull on a pair of shorts and the two of us rush downstairs. I unlock the backdoor and take Grace's head.

I practically drag her into the trees, just as she drops to her hands and knees on the ground.

'Axel,' she whimpers. 'I can hear my heartbeat in my ears.'

I crouch down next to her. 'It's okay, Grace. Don't fight it. Take deep breaths.'

Her body shakes and, moments later, starts shifting. Her bones move under her skin. My nails dig into my palms as I clench my fists, trying to contain my anger at being so helpless.

There's nothing I can do but try and reassure her as she lets out a scream of pain. Her body changes before me, shifting into a small, auburn—furred wolf.

She falls to the ground, her chest moving up and down as she pants. I reach out and stroke her fur, feeling how soft it is beneath my fingers.

'You're okay, Grace,' I reassure her soothingly. 'You did it.'

She blinks her blue eyes up at me and then sighs, the breath coming out in a foggy pants.

'You did it, Strawberries,' I tell her softly. 'That's the hardest it will ever be. Every time will be easier now.'

I take my shorts off and shift into my wolf. I nudge my snout against hers, encouraging her to get up.

Shakily, Grace gets to her paws. She stretches out and then wags her tail. I nod my head in the direction of the trees, indicating we should go for a run.

Grace breaks into a trot, trying out her new legs. I follow closely behind, keeping my eyes on her for any sign of pain.

Once I'm sure that she's okay, we start running. I don't know how long we're out in the trees, playing and chasing one another. Grace adapts quickly, showing off her swiftness due to her small size.

I barrel along behind her, much bigger but also slower. She's a faster runner than me, and I'll admit that needles me a bit.

It's amazing to see her adapt so well, so fast. I was so worried that she wouldn't accept me or this life. That she would be scared of shifting forever, but she's done it.

The hardest part is over, and now we can start enjoying the rest of our lives together. I don't have to worry about my mate being human anymore. She will heal faster; she'll be faster and stronger. She's more capable of defending herself and that is very reassuring.

Eventually, we decide to return to the house. Grace remains in her wolf form because my t—shirt ripped when she first shifted. I pull on my shorts and jog into the house to get her some clothes.

I get her some underwear, a top and sweatpants from her bag and rush back downstairs. My parents are in the kitchen, making breakfast.

I take the clothes to Grace first and explain to her how to shift back. After a few attempts, she turns back into her human form. She gets dressed and then I take her hand, leading her back into the house.

I'm beaming with pride as we enter the kitchen. My mum rushes over to hug her.

'Congratulations, darling!' She gushes. 'You're one of us, now.'

My dad gives her a quick hug, too. 'Congratulations, Grace. Both of you.'

We have a celebratory breakfast. Grace texts Rory to let her know and my mum starts baking a cake. We invite our friends around in the afternoon, so that we can share the cake and celebrate together.

This is a huge deal and, despite the permanent blush on Grace's cheeks from so much attention, I know she's really happy.

Now that I've marked her, there is a strong connection between the two of us. I can feel her emotions as strong as my own. I feel closer to her than ever and I love it.

As our friends arrive, we start to really celebrate. Dad pops open the champagne, and we drink and eat cake in the garden. Grace sits on my lap, grinning from ear to ear.

My mark is clear on her neck, making me burst with pride. I finally claimed my mate, after 9 weeks!

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