Hello my lovely readers! So, I was advised that my chapters were a bit short and my descriptions were a little lacking. So, as of last night 12-20, I went back into all the old chapters and just fixed some things here and there. I didn't change or add anything particularly important. If you want to go back and reread, feel free to do so, but you won't miss anything if you don't.

As far as the length of the chapters, I like to post fairly often. Which will be much more difficult if I have to double or even triple the length per chapter. Also, I know it must drive some people crazy, but I kinda love leaving you guys wanting for more. Which, judging by the reviews, I seem to be doing a pretty good job of doing so. ;) I feel most comfortable writing at the length I am, but if the common consensus is that the chapters should be longer, I will do my best to make them longer. Know that it will take longer to post if I do that though! But anyways, on to happier topics!

Again you guys, wow! 1,400 reads and 22 reviews! You guys are FANTASTIC!

So writing this chapter took a bit longer than expected, sorry for the wait! But, hopefully, it will be worth the wait!

So here we go!

She froze. She didn't know what else she could do. After being reassured that this place, this school, would be a safe place, she was staring at the one thing, the one person she had ever been truly frightened of. It was actually Logan who reacted first. She heard the telltale sound of his claws extending.

"What the hell is this?" Charles sighed. Charlie could tell he was trying to prevent any conflict, especially one that could damage the school, or even someone inside.

"Victor wishes to speak to you, alone, Charlie. He has given his word that he will be on his best behavior." Charlie found herself laughing at this. Everyone around her looked at her like she had lost her mind. She sputtered out,

"His best behavior? How good could his best possibly be?" Charles cracked a small smile at this.

"He has assured me that he will be a perfect gentleman."

"I'm glad that you trust him, sir. However, I'll need more convincing than that, no offense. I need to see Hank before I speak with anyone." Logan spoke again.

"We've been trying to get her away from this animal for three days! And you just want to hand her over?" Charlie felt a leather-clad hand slide into hers. She looked over to see Rogue, smiling reassuringly at her, though she looked quite nervous herself.

It was then that Hank finally made an appearance. Charlie couldn't control herself. She sprinted towards him, crashing into him. Though he stumbled back slightly, he wrapped his arms around the smaller woman in a fatherly hug.

As she pulled away, she noticed Hank eyeing the scar on the side of her neck. He ran a knuckle down it. Unlike Victor's touch, this didn't soothe or arouse her, but rather made her feel uncomfortable and almost violated. Out of the corner of her eye, Charlie could see Victor struggling to restrain himself.

"Well it's permanent. You've started the process. I hope you're proud of yourself, Victor." Hank said somberly.

"Oh, don't worry, I am. Now get your hairy blue paws off my mate." Victor growled.

"What process?" Charlie asked.

"Perhaps this conversation should be held elsewhere?" Charles suggested.

"I agree." Hank answered. Charles led Charlie, Victor, and Hank to a spacious office. Charles wheeled himself behind his desk. Hank walked around to stand beside him and began.

"When Victor bit you, he began the mating process. The mark, as far as I can tell, is permanent."

"So, what does this mean for me?" Charlie lowered herself into a chair, needing to process the information being given to her.

"Approximately a week after the time you were bitten, you're going to go into heat. When this happens, you'll be in a constant state of…arousal, until your needs are met. Your body will give off pheromones that will render you irresistible to any feral. It could even affect non-feral men as well. After you've mated, you will be bonded to whoever it was that you mated with." Hank was uncomfortable speaking of this. Charlie may not have been his by blood, but he viewed her as a daughter. Charlie was in shock.

"And what if I don't, um, mate? What if I lock myself away, what would happen?"

"You'd die." Victor finally spoke. Charlie ran her fingers through her hair, softly scraping her claws over her scalp as she went.

"Alright, then. What if I mate with someone other than Victor?" She asked. In a flash, Victor was hovering over Charlie, his claws wrapped around her throat. Not tightly enough to do any real damage, but enough to act as a warning.

"Ain't gonna happen." He growled down at her.

"It was merely a question, Victor. Calm down." Charlie answered, her tone void of any hope. When he didn't remove his hand, Charlie reached up and laid her hand on his wrist. She just barely squeezed it, as if reassuring him. He pulled his hand away, softly dragging his claws against her mark in the process.

Hank and Charles watched in awe at the exchange. It was obvious that there was a connection between the two already, regardless if either one directly realized it.

"Describe this bond to me."

Hank was at a loss. His research was all hypothetical. He himself was not mated, nor had he witnessed the relationship between fully bound mates. It was Victor who had the answer.

"Mates usually have the same mutations. That's why your mark healed so quickly. You've already gained my healing factor. Other than that, I don't know. What the hell does it matter? In one week, we'll be mated, end of story. You're stuck with me, kitten." Tears rushed to Charlie's eyes. What had she done to deserve such a fate?

"May I speak to Victor? Alone, please?" pleaded Charlie. Charles' eyes were filled with sympathy.

"Of course. We'll be close by, should you need us." He responded, sending a look of warning in Victor's direction. Both Hank and Charles quickly left the room. Victor stood to Charlie's left, gauging her reactions.

She sat there, in the soft leather chair, just staring ahead. She didn't know what to say. What could be said? She didn't have a choice in the matter.

"So what's it gonna be, kitten?" She softly shook her head, smiling ruefully to herself.

"My choice is be raped or die. Both choices suck. But I'm not going to give up my entire life for one night of hell."

"Jesus, kitten. It ain't gonna be rape. Trust me, I've raped before. It ain't gonna be bad."

She scoffed at his words.

"I'm sorry, is your half-assed attempt to make me feel better supposed to work? 'It ain't gonna be bad?' Are you joking?" Victor found himself getting more and more annoyed with her. He quickly grabbed her hand and yanked her to her feet. She stumbled into his chest. With no warning, he picked up her small body and placed her on an empty space on the edge of Xavier's desk. Before Charlie could question his actions, Victor slammed his lips into hers.

Her mind went blank. But the second that his lips moved against hers, her instincts took over where her thoughts had abandoned her. Immediately, she slipped her hands into his cropped hair, dragging nails against his scalp, just as she had done to herself earlier. The kiss wasn't gentle. It was rough and animalistic. Victor sharply nipped at her lower lip, demanding entrance. As she tentatively opened her mouth, he thrust his tongue in, quickly establishing dominance.

Victor's hands were at her waist, massaging her hips. Though it wasn't an overly sexual action, it was driving Charlie wild. A small, breathy moan escaped her, only to be stifled by Victor's lips on hers. He pulled away from her lips only to drag his lips down her jaw to the mark on her neck. The moment that his lips connected with it, Charlie's hips bucked of their own accord. She gasped out,

"Victor!" She felt him smirking against her neck before pulling away to meet her eyes. Her pupils were dilated and he could smell her arousal in the air. He looked pretty damn proud of himself.

"Now tell me, kitten. Did that feel like hell to you?"

Whew! Not gonna lie, writing those last couple paragraphs was *ahem* difficult. ;) I hope you all enjoyed! Follow, fave, review, and all that good stuff!