Chapter 45: Marking

Chapter 45: The Mark

"Shaoen..."

Pei Ju buried his head in the crook of Xu Shaoen's neck: "Baby..."

The pheromone scent went off-key.

The already rich floral fragrance now seemed to turn solid, flowing like water.

It was soft and wet, yet he couldn't move a muscle.

Sweat rolled off Pei Ju's forehead, his breath fanning across his back, his tongue licking away the nectar.

"Why... won't it come out?" Pei Ju's hand grabbed the already curling flutter sleeve, smoothing out the bunched-up fabric past the tangled ties.

Xu Shaoen's eyes were open, his mind still floating somewhere up in the air, his body sore and limp, like an overripe fruit run over by a wheel, juice squirting everywhere.

He could barely breathe—it was indescribable, heat pouring off every inch of him.

"Because it's knotted."

Xu Shaoen hadn't expected to be ready this fast either.

Maybe his body had picked up on his master's affection before his mind did—that affection, that clinging, seeping out from the bottom of his heart.

There was no room to argue.

Pei Ju held him, looking down curiously.

How much longer were they gonna stay like this?

This was the closest they'd ever be, so they might as well do a mental grooming session.

It was the responsible thing to do.

Xu Shaoen pulled himself together, taking a deep breath:

"Pei Ju, open your mental sea."

Pei Ju loved those hook-like threads. He lifted Xu Shaoen up and sat him on his lap.

The pretty doll let out a soft whimper, like he was a little uncomfortable, but quickly shifted his position.

His legs in pristine white stockings straddled him on either side, and Pei Ju fiddled with the intricate ties while opening his mental sea.

The mental sea was still a vast darkness, but stars twinkled above and a gentle evening breeze blew.

He gently kissed the tip of Xu Shaoen's ear: "I'm a B-rank now."

"Your rank went up that fast?" Xu Shaoen leaned against him, breathing lightly.

Xu Shaoen said softly, "You're amazing."

"It's all thanks to you, baby."

The praise came with a kiss, and Xu Shaoen hummed instinctively.

Pei Ju always liked to mess around, and he was used to it by now.

He closed his eyes for a moment to adjust, his lashes fluttering before he opened them again.

A good mental groomer had to be able to focus in any harsh environment.

He calmed his mind and sank into the mental sea.

Like soft moonlight pouring down, he entered that space—the wind gentle, the water gentle.

What had been a barren grassland now seemed to be sprouting lush water plants, swaying in the evening breeze.

A small pond had somehow appeared in Pei Ju's mental sea.

"Look, so much water."

Pei Ju pointed it out, smiling.

Xu Shaoen couldn't help wanting to bite him.

It seemed Pei Ju was really living the good life—the water plants by the lake were growing like crazy, and he clearly loved it.

Pei Ju said, "Look, there are more than a dozen stars in the sky, so bright."

Those were all Xu Shaoen's mental threads, woven across the endless starry sky, shining bright.

Pei Ju asked again, "So does that mean we get one star every time we do it?"

Xu Shaoen: "..."

Pei Ju nibbled his ear: "I wanna count stars with you every day—I'm sure we'll add a few more each day."

Xu Shaoen: "..."

So embarrassing. How could Pei Ju say stuff like that?

If every mental grooming session cast a star into the sky, year after year, the stars in this sky would only get more numerous, fuller, more gorgeous.

Coming here to count them every day...

It did seem kinda romantic.

But that kind of romance couldn't last, because in the end it was just an excuse for that scheming silver wolf to flirt with him.

Xu Shaoen was a little too full. He took a deep breath, curled his toes, and smacked him, trying to distract Pei Ju.

"Don't you ever get tired of it?"

"Pretty baby, I'll never get tired of it no matter how many times I have you."

**

Upstairs, they'd only called room service again today. Xiaojin was lying in the hotel room, left to his own devices.

He figured Brother Pei had probably forgotten all about the arena.

That was fine too.

Xiaojin turned on his game console, turned off the teen mode, and surfed the internet freely.

And Pei Ju, finally able to move again, carried his little kitty to the shower.

The water came down, washing away the sweat and the heat.

"Have we been watering enough these past few days?"

Pei Ju was puzzled, wrapping his arms around his thighs to make him look at the mirror not yet fully obscured by steam: "Is your heat really going down? I don't think it is."

Xu Shaoen was barely able to speak.

He'd gotten a real taste of Pei Ju's mouth lately—most of his questions weren't meant to be answered, just to make him blush pinker, feel more embarrassed, and get more flustered.

That was always Pei Ju's way—asking questions he never expected answers to, again and again.

Xu Shaoen didn't want to be touched anymore. He squeezed his legs together and said, "That's enough for today."

"Really enough?"

Pei Ju lowered his head. "Clearly still hungry for more."

The long hem of the skirt fell down, already soaked through by the shower, clinging to Xu Shaoen's legs like a mermaid tail.

The hoop skirt had been tossed aside on the bedroom floor long ago. The sheer white thigh-highs hugged his soft calves, and his pink soles pressed against Pei Ju's chest, and the satisfaction was beyond words.

His golden-brown wavy hair was drenched, his eyes still glistening, lips slightly parted like a fish gasping for air.

The ribbon was untied, revealing a large expanse of snow-white shoulder and neck.

The lines were so beautiful, like a masterpiece from the Creator.

The line between shame and desire was completely blurred by the steam.

Pei Ju leaned down—even kissing him now was no big deal.

The alpha's hair was soaked and slicked back, making him look strikingly handsome.

"Little kitty's sweet honey."

"I only need to eat my little kitty up."

He grabbed Pei Ju's hair, not sure if he wanted to push him away or pull him in.

His palms were slick, and his fingers were completely limp.

Behind him, the edge of the bathtub was cold against his skin.

Pei Ju leaned in to kiss him, and he didn't even have the strength to shove him off.

His face still glistened with water, carrying a sweet scent of gardenia and cypress—something you couldn't quite put your finger on.

The shower was turned down to its lowest setting, rinsing him slowly, bringing a gentle warmth to his body.

"Can we do it here in the bathroom?"

The alpha's whisper was like a devil's murmur in his ear.

How was that even possible?

Xu Shaoen was completely drained.

Fine, whatever he wants.

Pei Ju massaged him with his fingertips, the gentle touch making his senses razor-sharp.

His mind wandered as he stared at the frosted glass.

He suddenly realized—this glass was see-through from the other side too.

Clearly, they were on the same page.

The hot water slowly filled the tub, pink aromatherapy bath bombs tumbling around, casting a dreamy pale pink glow over the water.

Pei Ju reached out and hit a switch, and the entire frosted glass turned clear, revealing the outside with perfect clarity.

The bed was a wreck—blankets twisted, petals scattered on the floor, and ribbons, hoop skirt, tie, and suit jacket thrown carelessly across the carpet, all tangled up together without a care.

And so were the two of them.

With his chest pressed against the cold tiles, Xu Shaoen lay in Pei Ju's arms, forced to remember: "Back then, when you did it in the bathroom, were you thinking about me?"

Xu Shaoen turned his head away, instinctively trying to dodge the question with silence.

But this time Pei Ju was different—he was dead set on getting an answer.

"Were you?"

His finger traced a circle, completely wrecking Xu Shaoen's composure.

His body leaned forward involuntarily, but his completely limp frame couldn't escape Pei Ju's hold.

He let out a low gasp and finally answered, "Yeah."

"What an honest little kitty." Pei Ju was satisfied. He leaned in to kiss him, and only after he'd had his fill did he rest his chin on the other's shoulder and ask the next question.

"Want to know something—when you first saw me, did you think I was hot? Was I your type?"

That one was easier to answer: "Hot."

"How's the bod?" He guided his fingers over his abs.

Xu Shaoen gave a half-hearted touch: "Amazing."

Pei Ju wasn't satisfied with that answer—mostly with the kitty's half-hearted tone.

"Do you like it when I hold you?" His arms wrapped around him, his fingertips mischievously pressing harder.

Xu Shaoen grabbed Pei Ju's wrist, pushing against his thumb to pry him away:

"Yes."

Pei Ju chuckled softly, pressing against his sensitive neck, nibbling his ear, and murmuring low:

"Then let me have a little taste, baby."

He carried Xu Shaoen out of the water, set him on his knees on the soft towel, and fed him.

Xu Shaoen looked up, his delicate eyelids flushed a pale pink. His already stunningly deceptive features became utterly breathtaking in moments like this—indescribable.

How could he be this good.

Their eyes met, their breathing instantly fell out of sync, and Pei Ju nearly cursed under his breath.

He cursed inwardly, picked him up, and set him on the countertop facing the mirror.

Xu Shao'en hadn't even reacted yet, his lips still slightly parted. When he was pushed to his limit, his expression went completely blank.

Xu Shao'en stared at Pei Ju, who was frowning, panting, his body taut. The abs and V-line he'd just praised were ridiculously defined, even his neck flushed, veins visibly throbbing.

It was because of Pei Ju that he'd become like this.

His heart was full of satisfaction and warmth, his body felt soothed and soft, ready to take in everything.

A tear slipped from the corner of his eye, wetting his lashes.

"Good boy, good boy."

Pei Ju kissed away the tears at his eyes, his movements fierce and heavy.

His heart lurched and sank, but his body was held steady.

Another knot was forming...

He tried to squint, but his eyes were too blurred by tears to open fully.

So pathetic.

It was a permanent claim.

Inside and out, he had to be marked.

**

Pei Ju was such a liar.

He'd said it was the last time, but now he was tricking Xu Shao'en again.

Wrapped in a bath towel, dripping wet, he was carried back to the bed.

The bed was a mess too, so they relocated to the sofa.

Xu Shao'en started to let himself feel.

In the dim light, his face still glistened, slick with moisture.

He was already too far gone, too soft, truly unable to take any more.

Pei Ju finally took pity on him and led him to the bathroom amid his pleas.

"That's it."

The water from the shower rained down, drenching Pei Ju and his darling completely.

He gently kissed his face, and his chin, still beaded with water.

When the sound of the water finally faded to a stop, Xu Shao'en clung to his shoulders, curling up like a boiled shrimp.

He felt utterly content.

The scene he'd imagined had actually come true.

His favorite moment—

Just like that, it was a done deal.

==========Author's Note:==========

Who else but Pei Pei is such a seasoned reader and loyal fan? Little Xu only gets the best of the best!

Twenty lucky red envelopes dropped at random!