#Chapter 185: Ex

ELENA I shouldn’t have asked him to mark me. The moment the words had left my mouth, I’d known they were too much. Too soon. I’d asked again, even after he told me no the first time—gentle, but firm. And still, I’d pressed. Because I’d wanted to believe this fluttering, electric feeling between us meant something permanent. Something we could seal with teeth and blood and fate. But he was right. I stared at the ceiling now, the silence between us heavy but not uncomfortable. I could feel his presence behind me, the warmth of his body, the tension in the air slowly bleeding away. Still, I couldn’t pretend I hadn’t crossed a line. I rolled onto my side and looked at him. His eyes were half-lidded, and exhaustion pulled at the angles of his face, but he met my gaze as I whispered, “I’m sorry.” He blinked, a little confused. “For what?” “For what I said.” I let the words come slowly. Deliberately. I wanted him to know I meant every syllable. “I asked you to mark me. I didn