*Tiara* I stared at X with disbelief and hurt in my eyes as a torrent of emotions crashing over me. Why did he do this without even asking? "X, how could you do this to me?" I protested, my voice carrying the pain of anger and betrayal. Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, but I tried to hold them back. "What do you mean, baby?" he asked as his face twisted in confusion, and I could see the furrowed lines on his forehead but his voice remained soft. "You can't just mark me like this," I cried out, my voice breaking. "Baby, why are you saying that? You're my mate. You must wear my mark,” he insisted. However, his hurt was evident in his words. The mark had connected us internally, soul and body, and now I could feel his emotions. His mark on me was his claim on me; he had now bound