Marked Twice by the Alpha King Chapter 145

**Ava's POV**

Moonlight slipped through the curtains as Blake peeled away my last piece of clothing, painting silver across his shoulders. My breath caught. His fingertips skimmed up my inner thigh, and every nerve ending lit up like fireworks.

The Hayes nightmare—all those power plays and humiliations—faded to nothing. Here, now, I breathed in only him: pine trees after rain, worn leather, and that crackling, electric Alpha scent that made my wolf pace restlessly beneath my skin.

His mouth blazed a trail from my navel downward, each kiss lingering just long enough to make me squirm. I tangled my fingers in his hair, caught between pulling him closer and pushing him away before the sensations overwhelmed me completely. 

When his tongue found me, hot and deliberate, a sound escaped my throat I barely recognized as mine. He licked a slow, torturous path from bottom to top, before circling the sensitive bundle of nerves that made my thighs tremble uncontrollably. His large hands spread my legs wider, thumbs pressing into the soft flesh of my inner thighs, exposing me completely to his hungry gaze.

"Look at me." His voice rumbled from between my thighs, storm-blue eyes ringed with gold at the edges. 

I made the mistake of obeying. The sight of this powerful Alpha, this man who commanded an entire territory with a word, positioned between my legs with an expression of pure hunger—it almost undid me on the spot. 

His tongue traced every contour with maddening precision while maintaining that predatory eye contact. When I tried to look away, his hand shot up, fingers capturing my chin.

"I said, look at me." This time, full Alpha command coated his words, vibrating through my bones.

Everything became a blur as he worked me higher. My brain short-circuited into half-thoughts—How could Jackson and I ever—This is what real mating feels like—His tongue, oh god—

Orgasm crashed over me without warning. My back arched off the bed, and his hands clamped down on my hips like iron bands, anchoring me as pleasure tore through my body. My wolf howled, desperate to connect with his Alpha wolf, while all I could do was clutch the sheets, his name forming silently on my lips.

Before I'd even caught my breath, he was moving up my body, his warmth spreading from between my legs to my stomach, chest, and finally settling at my neck. His gold mark pulsed like a second heartbeat when his lips touched it, recognizing its creator.

"Got an idea," he growled against my ear, his voice rough like gravel. "Wanna see what it takes to make a warrior beg..."

I bit back a smile, raising an eyebrow. "Funny, I was just thinking," my fingers traced the hard planes of his shoulders, feeling his wolf stir beneath the surface, "how much I'd like to see if the mighty Alpha King can keep his cool when I'm on top."

Without waiting for his comeback, I planted my hands on his chest and pushed. He went willingly, eyes darkening with heat as I claimed the dominant position. Here, between us, he wasn't Alpha King and I wasn't the stubborn fighter with walls a mile high. Here, we were just us.

I straddled his thighs, drinking in the sight of him laid out beneath me. Blake simply watched, hands resting on my hips, surrendering control.

When I finally sank down onto him, everything froze. He filled me completely, stretching me to my limits in the most delicious way. The initial burn quickly gave way to pleasure as my body adjusted to his size.

"Ava." Just my name, but the way he said it—rough around the edges yet impossibly gentle—made my chest ache.

I rolled my hips, feeling him stretch me from the inside, watching his eyes go hazy with pleasure. Leaning down until our lips barely touched, I whispered back, "Blake."

We started slow and deep, savoring every sensation. The friction when I lifted and lowered myself sent sparks shooting through my veins. His hands mapped my body like he was committing it to memory—shoulders, ribs, waist—fingers tracing the curve of my spine before grasping my hips, guiding my movements. 

Each time I sank down, he thrust upward to meet me, hitting a spot deep inside that made stars explode behind my eyelids. Sweat beaded on his forehead, muscles in his neck straining as he fought to maintain control. His fingers pressed harder into my flesh, urging me faster, rougher.

I straightened, throwing my head back, giving him everything—not as anyone's possession but as his equal. His hungry gaze traced every curve, thumb finding the sensitive bundle of nerves where we joined.

My second release hit harder than the first, dragging him over the edge with me. I clenched around him, walls pulsing and gripping as waves of pleasure crashed through my body. His whole body tensed beneath mine, hips bucking up wildly, driving himself impossibly deeper. His hands held me in place as he emptied himself inside me, the heat of his release intensifying my own pleasure. 

His eyes were pure gold now—wolf completely overtaking man. His canines elongated slightly as he growled my name, the sound primal and possessive. Yet even lost in pleasure, I recognized *him*—the Alpha King who made me feel safe even when everything was falling apart.

The truth hit me like a physical blow: I'd fallen in love with Blake Morgan. Not for his power or what he could do for my family. But for making me feel like I could be exactly who I was—strong and vulnerable, fierce and tender, all of it.

Our release mingled as we cried out together, his growl and my gasp twining like our bodies, our scents, our fates.

After, he gathered me against him, spooning me from behind, his arm a protective band around my waist. We stayed connected, his heartbeat steady against my back, as I watched moonlight play across the forest through the window.

The difference between this and Hayes territory hit me all at once—no eyes watching, no plots brewing, just... peace. Maybe temporary, but real.

"Penny for 'em?" His breath tickled my neck, lips brushing the shell of my ear.

"Just thinking this beats that crappy Hayes bed by about a million miles," I said, fighting a yawn.

His arm tightened, pulling me closer. "Nobody's taking you back there." Not a threat, not a boast—a simple fact, stated with absolute certainty. "Not while I'm breathing."

His words wrapped around me like a warm blanket, the fierce protectiveness in his voice making my wolf purr.

"Anyone ever tell you you're crazy possessive?" I teased, sleep already tugging at the edges of my consciousness.

He chuckled, the sound vibrating through my back. "Only about what matters," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my shoulder.

As exhaustion pulled me under, I felt his lips brush the gold mark on my neck. My wolf curled up contented, and I sank into the deepest sleep I'd had in weeks, finally home.