The Mark I Didn’t Want-The Mate I Never Expected Chapter 03
There was more than one guard in that room, and apparently they all had a death wish, because they started piling on.
“Exactly! Last full moon, someone was staring at Elara’s photo on his phone screen like he was starving, staying up until he was barely conscious, mumbling her name over and over. Probably dreaming about her too, am I right?”
“And the full moon before that, someone drove to her dorm and parked there all night. How many times did he almost storm inside, only to force himself to stop? Even a Ninja Turtle would bow down and call him ‘dad.’”
“If we don’t tell her, she’ll never know. Are you really going to suffer alone forever?”
“Shut up,” Baron said coldly, his eyes dropping. “I can handle it.”
The doctor was practically screaming beside him.
“Tough it out my ass! You keep this up and you won’t see tomorrow’s sunrise.”
“And you, beautiful—what are you just standing there for? Do something! Help him!”
The guards by the bed all bowed deeply at the waist, their posture rigid with respect.
But I froze. “What am I supposed to do? I don’t know how!”
The doctor snipped away the blood-soaked bandages with scissors and said.
“Kiss him!”
My face burned bright red.
I stood there by the bed, clueless about how to kiss a man who clearly wanted me gone, especially in front of everyone.
Then one of the guards suddenly shouted.
“Ms. Vance, do you know how Baron got hurt?”
“Two days ago, when Westbrook Memorial Hall caught fire, weren’t you trapped inside? Didn’t you pass out from smoke inhalation and almost suffocate to death?”
“I’m telling you—Baron pulled you out of that fire.”
“Because of the marking, he can sense when his mate is in danger.”
“He ignored everyone trying to stop him, ran into the flames to find you, and when he carried you out, a beam collapsed on him. His entire back caught fire.”
“But he still fought through the pain, used every last ounce of strength to get you out—and then Shane snatched you away.”
“The second Shane saw Baron carrying you out, he ran up and grabbed you from his arms. If he was so worried about you, why didn’t he go in himself?”
What?
I couldn’t believe it. That was how Baron got hurt?
I remembered waking up from unconsciousness two days ago with Shane by my side.
I’d assumed Shane was the one who saved me.
There was too much information coming at me today.
I didn’t have time to be shy or self-conscious.
Saving him was what mattered.
Without thinking, I leaned in close to Baron.
I locked onto his lips and kissed him hard.
“Don’t touch me,” Baron said, his voice harsh, pushing me away. But his hands gripped the sheets tighter, his throat bobbing as he swallowed, his eyes rimmed red and fierce.
The sight of him like that—beautiful, suffering—was practically criminal.
But his voice got even colder: “Elara, do you even know what you’re doing? You normally run a million miles from me. Don’t do this just because you feel like you owe me. And don’t listen to them—it’s useless. Kissing me does nothing. I feel nothing.”
The doctor suddenly shouted in excitement.
“It’s working! The bleeding is slowing down!”
“Ms. Vance, keep going! Keep kissing him!”
“His body’s way more honest than his mouth—kiss him hard!”
The doctor’s words hit that stubborn mouth of his like a slap to the face.
Baron’s expression shifted, uncomfortable.
He actually buried his face in the pillow.
Was he… blushing?
His ears were red enough to bleed.
