#Chapter 55: The Mark

Ella I ran through the forest, the leaves and trees blurring past as I raced toward my mate. I felt no fatigue, no pain. My heart pounded, not from fear or exertion, but rather excitement. My mate ran beside me, also in wolf form, chestnut fur catching the light of the full moon. We locked gazes for a moment, and I could practically see his smile. I looked down, and saw not two feet but four, not pale skin but instead gleaming, silky fur. My wolf had returned. We came to a stop beside a babbling brook and shifted, laughing. We fell back onto the soft grass, arms outstretched, the moon hovering above us like a disk in the sky. Warm fingers intertwined with mine. When I looked over, Alexander’s skin was bare, and so was mine. Still smiling that same handsome, ethereal smile I’d seen in the hospital, he rolled over me, positioned himself between my legs, and… “Ella…” “Ella!” I jolted awake to the sound of shouting and commotion and someone c