Word Count: 2527

~Dove

Shielding my eyes against the weakening late afternoon sun, I stalk outside.

I'm utterly exhausted. I've been studying for the test I just sat all week, all while recovering from Ciella's wedding last weekend.

A friend from class emerges out beside me, stuffing his books into his backpack. He's been helping me with catch up on some classes I missed when I couldn't get out of work.

"How do you think you did on the test?" He asks, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

I sigh, tipping my head back. This is the last of my study, which means I'm being confronted by my future. I want to focus on politics, but doing in my own pack means encountering Matthias again.

That thought is haunting...

"Okay, hopefully," I respond tightly, flexing the muscles in neck in an effort to stretch them. "I don't tend to test well."

David nudges me. "And yet you're the smartest in the class."

"Not really. I only do well because of what my father taught me," I explain. "You'd be shocked at how far practical experience gets you."

My heart aches a little thinking about my father. He would be happy I'm finally studying, although would have tried steering me away from politics.

David turns, the sun bathing his face, turning his hazel eyes golden. "Hey, you still on for dinner tonight?"

Shit, I was so focused on the test I forgot about his offer for a celebratory dinner once we were done.

The sun will be gliding behind the buildings soon, dousing the city in darkness. Usually I would be heading home to crash on the couch and play a board game with Dev at this hour.
 
I gesture at the students flooding out of the building. "Oh sure. Is everyone coming? I was thinking of inviting my friend, Dev—"

"Actually I was hoping it could be just us," he cuts in quickly, clearing his throat.

I blink, nodding slowly as that information sinks in.

He's asking me on a date.

I haven't even thought about dating for a long time. My focus has primarily been on study and work. Plus, dating with an Alpha's mark on my thigh has felt virtually impossible.

It's not that I'm not interested in getting to know David more. He's nice, and a good friend, but I'm not attracted to him.

Not like how I'm attracted to...no, it doesn't matter.

But it's not like I have anything better to do tonight.

"Okay, that sounds great," I say, teetering from my heels to the balls of my feet.

He reaches for my shoulder. "Let me hold your bag and we'll walk. I know the perfect...holy shit."

His gaze has drifted past me to the street, all the blood draining from his face. He looks like he's just witnessed an accident on the road.

I follow his gaze. "What?"

The moment I see what has captured his attention, my stomach sinks.

Varian stands at the curb, leaning back against his vehicle, arms folded. He's watching me —  he's been watching me.
 
"T...that's Alpha Varian," David stammers. "Holy fuck, what is he doing here?"

"Oh no," I whisper.

Varian smirk is slow and menacing. He's clearly been waiting out here for me to finish my class. All of my classmates are stumbling over each other, taking a wide berth around him. I've never seen a street fall so silent.

To people here, Varian is someone to fear. We've been fed unsubstantiated propaganda related to him since we were young, and almost everyone believes it.

"He's so much bigger in person than I thought he would be." David reaches for my arm. "We should probably walk another way."

The warm, honeyed light of the falling sun douses Varian's dark clothing and hair, giving him the appearance of someone otherworldly.

"Unfortunately I think he's here for me," I tell him, pulling my arm away. If he values his life, he won't touch me in front of Varian, who has made it his life's goal to torment me.

David turns to look at me, his brows furrowing. "You? Why?"

Varian pushes off the car, heading toward us. The action sends people scattering, someone even screaming a little.

"Oh shit he's approaching." I turn to face David, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. "If he asks, you're just some guy from my class and you definitely aren't about to take me on a date."

He fiddles with the button of his shirt anxiously, passing his gaze between me and an approaching Varian. He looks close to fainting, his expression crumbling under the weight of his worry.

"You want me to lie to an Alpha?"

My stomach hollows as I pin him with a harsh look. "You want to live, don't you?"

The crushing weight of Varian's proximity overcomes me. He pauses before us, a vaguely amused smile at his mouth as his hands slide into his pockets.

"Dove," he greets with that smooth, molten honey voice of his. "I heard I would find you here."

He looks up at the building, studying it contemplatively as if he has a reason to return. I look at everyone walking around us, watching me interact with the Alpha.

No one is ever going to take me seriously again...

"Let me guess, Dev betrayed our friendship and told you?" I prop my hands on my hips.

"Actually I had you tailed by some members of my recognisance team," he tells me flippantly, as if that bears no meaning at all.

My clinches as I glare up at him. I hate how at ease he always looks, not struggling to exercise control in everything around him.

"Okay, you've taken it too far now," I hiss. It's no wonder I've felt strange walking down the street this morning. He had people watching me.

"I needed to find you." He shrugs simply. "I figured it was time to have your mark—"

"Actually I'm busy tonight," I cut in.

Him and I are not having this conversation here, on this street. He shouldn't even be here. I'm surprised Matthias hasn't been made aware of his presence and sent soldiers to detain him.

Varian mentioned that he wanted to take me to have the mark removed, but I didn't think he was serious. Nor did I think he would actually show up here out of nowhere like this.

I wasn't supposed to ever see him again.

He quirks a brow. "Busy?"

His gaze sweeps over to take in David, who hasn't moved an inch since Varian walked up on us. I think he's hoping Varian wouldn't notice him standing there.

"I have another test to study for," I tell him curtly, brushing my hair back over my shoulder. I'm trying not to get David killed today.

"You have a job offer. You don't need to study." He offers an indulgent smile that might have worked on me if I wasn't aware of his history.

I adjust the strap of my bag on my shoulder, taking in David's desolate expression. "Look, I think I'm going to go."

If we stay here a moment longer, I fear I'll be dragged David's unconscious body down the street. I'm not sure he's even drawn in a breath recently.

"What's your name?" Varian's simple question heralds an insidious warning.

"David." His voice cracks, and I can practically hear him cursing internally.

Varian knows he's an intimidating person. He towers over everyone else in the street, and carries an unspoken power and strength that people actively avoid.

"He's a friend from my class," I tell Varian quickly, hoping he will come to his sense and leave the poor man alone.

"She's pretty isn't she?" Varian glances my way, eyes darkening.

David is stunned, nodding numbly. "Yeah..."

Varian bows his head closer to David's, holding my gaze as he speaks into his ear. "She makes the prettiest sounds when she's close to orgasm. You wouldn't believe it..."

"Varian!"

He's said it so quietly, it's not possible any of the passersby could hear, yet I'm still affronted. I can't tell if he's staking a claim, or if he's trying to publicly humiliate me.

"You're together?" David asks breathlessly, reviewing me from a new perspective.

I roll my eyes. "Absolutely not."

"She just bears my mark." Varian claps David on the back, giving his shoulder a little shake. "You probably would have seen it if tonight went well. You two were going out, weren't you?"

My jaw goes slack as I read the wicked amusement in Varian's eyes. He's unbothered by my blistering stare, laughing huskily as David trembles beneath his touch.

"I'm sorry David. It's a terribly long story that I'll tell you when I'm back at class tomorrow," I explain to my friend desperately, although I sense he's clocked out of this conversation.

"She won't be back until next week. She's going to need a few days to recover," Varian adds, finally releasing David.

My poor friend stumbles back. "Bye."

I throw my hands up, exasperated as he darts off into the departing crowd. There is a good chance he never wants to speak to me again, let alone take me on that date.

"Ugh, you're such an asshole," I snap at Varian irritably.

"Why?" He puzzles, his smile knowing.

Despite not wanting to spend a moment more of my time near Varian, I'm going to take up his offer to get this mark off my body. If he wants to pay for it, then great, and once it's gone, so will be anything that connects us.

"David is a really nice guy. And he's yet another person I will never speak to again thanks to you and your stupid mark." I barge past him, making sure my shoulder knocks into his as I head for his vehicle.

Unfortunately, it only leaves me with a sore shoulder and a bruised ego.

"Well that will all be resolved." He weaves in front of me, popping the door open, his eyes glistening. "Get comfortable. It's a long drive."

***

The drive takes us from Matthias' pack into Varian's.

By the time we reach our destination, it's close to midnight, and my limbs ache. I've been propped awkwardly against the door for hours, pretending to sleep so Varian wouldn't talk to me.

The only thing that has been keeping me going is knowing I'm getting this mark off me.

Stepping from the vehicle, I stretch, hearing my joints crack and pop.

"Any second thoughts?" Varian asks, a cool, late night breeze ruffling his hair.

I scowl at him. "Not a single one."

The mark removal place is in a small town deep into Varian's pack. The cloak of night ensured I didn't see anything the entire drive, which is a good thing. I don't want to admire even an inch of his pack.

Even if this small village is quaint, and the mountains behind them glow white and stark, even in the darkness.

Mark removal is outlawed in Matthias' pack. My plan was to head to the pack over from Matthias' to avoid Varian's, but this will work. Here, it's actively encouraged if necessary, and a lot cheaper than anywhere else.

Varian leads the way into the small shop. It's an average store that sells miscellaneous home items and Knick knacks. Varian told me the owner is his previous, now retired family physician, and can perform the procedure with no problem at all.

"Ronald, it's me," Varian calls out. He assured me Ronald has been expecting us.

I take a look around the dusty shop, nerves starting to corrode my resolve. This is going to be a painful experience. Very painful.

I can't back out. This is what I've been waiting for all year.

An older gentleman appears from behind a threadbare curtain, a handheld lamp in his hand.

"Varian, how good to see you," he greets merrily. "What brings you in today?"

Varian gestures back at me, where I stand awkwardly between a shelf full of glass animals and an overly statute of a gnome. "This is Dove and she needs a mark removed from her body."

"Certainty. Come back through here."

We follow him into his back room. The place transforms from a store to a physicians treatment room. Pale counters rest against the edges of the room, and glass cabinets stand above them, filled with a variety of small containers and equipment.

"Sit on this chair, Dove," Ronald encourages, swinging an overhead light around to focus on the eerie chair in the middle of the room.

I sit on it tensely, looking up at Varian.

He looks concerned, but restraint pulses in his jaw. He doesn't seem concerned about the procedure going safely, but how I feel about it. He can read my fear all of my faces, leaving me feeling exposed and uncertain.

"How is this going to work?" I ask, trying to fill the clinical space with noise.

Ronald turns from where he was fiddling with something at the counter. He turns, holding a small glass out to me with a clear liquid in it.

"You're going to drink this concoction first, then I'm going to place a compress on the mark made up of my own mixture that will destroy the mark and the bond between two individuals," he explains.

I take the glass with shaky fingers, giving it a sniff. It has no smell.

"Is it going to hurt?" I ask softly, squeezing my thighs together.

Varian's hand rests on my shoulder as I lean back in the chair. He gives it a comforting squeeze, eyes searching my face for a hint of doubt.

I can see his guilt. Even though he felt like he needed to mark me, he regrets doing it. I pretend not to notice, though, focusing my attention on the physician.

"Unfortunately yes, but it will only be temporary," he tells me. "You'll need plenty of rest afterwards."

"What is the mixture?"

"It's an herbal mix that is only used for this procedure." He holds up a closed container that I can't see through. "Others use chemicals and all manner of techniques, but this is clean and swift."

I nod slowly. "Alright..."

Varian may be many things, but I don't think he would take me somewhere dangerous. He explained that Ronald has worked for his family for years, and has done this kind of procedure many times.

"It's going to be okay, Dove," Varian murmurs softly.

I swallow thickly, trying to nod, but suddenly I can barely move. Ronald comes up next to me, sliding over his tray with everything he needs on it.

"Now." He smiles, looking over me. "Where it the mark?

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***

My hands tremble by my sides. "Don't sleep with her..."

He steps toward me, his eyes dark. "Why not?"

"Whatever you were planning to do to her tonight, do it to me instead," I whisper.

***

~Midika 🐈‍⬛💜