Marco wakes up, feeling the slight movement coming from the woman in his arms. A smile creeps onto his lips upon remembering what happened last night. His eyes travel to her arm that rests on his chest. He traces the mark on her skin, feeling overwhelmed at the realization that they're finally mates.
Centuries of waiting is worth it.
Last night had been engraved in his mind, still fresh, memories of claiming her and being claimed by her.
Her eyes slowly open, she blinks a few times before smiling at the sight of Marco looking at her, embracing him closer. He did the same, heart fluttering upon feeling the warmth her naked body provides.
"Are you awake, yoi?" He softly whispers at her.
"Hmm... This is comfortable." She answered before nestling her head on his chest.
"We should take a bath." Marco suggests, hands caressing her back. Ever since he finished the rebirth and mated with her, they've been going at it for hours, non-stop. He can feel the sticky fluids on their body from mating.
"I think we should." She answers, looking up at him.
Marco stands up, offering his hand for her to take. She blushes slightly upon seeing him naked again, making him chuckle a little. He kneels in front of her to scoop her in his arms, taking her outside of the cave so they can soak their bodies under the clean water.
Ann automatically places her arms around his neck while being carried outside of the cave. As soon as they're outside, she still sees the wall of blue flames surrounding the waterfall, barring them from anyone's reach.
"I will take the walls down later, yoi." He said to her, understanding what's on her mind. "Is your body alright?" He asks as soon as they settled on the shallow waters, sitting on a flat rock, water reaching just above their chests.
"Yes, my body's fine. A little sore, but it's not that bad." She's sitting between his open legs, her back against his muscled chest. Last night's activities just make her smile upon remembering them.
She still can't believe that they're finally mates. She can feel the changes in her body as if a part of his powers is in her, flowing through her veins. Her eyesight's sharper than before, seeing clearer details of the things around her, like the droplet of waters on the leaves that are several meters apart, or the ants crawling on the trees outside of the wall of blue flames.
Her sense of hearing improved greatly, hearing the ruffles of the leaves, the tinkering noise from the Ipraecian palace, or the rustles from the curtains.
"You will get used to it soon, yoi." He said, kissing her shoulder blade. "Don't be anxious."
"I am not. It just feels new to me." She leans on his neck, slightly looking up to meet his eyes before grabbing his head to pull him into a soft kiss that turned deeper every second that passes by.
It didn't take long before the two of them to give in to their desires of wanting more contact, reliving the mating they did last night. This time, in the waterfall.
As it turns out, it took them three days before Marco decided to take down the wall of blue flames, and for them to go out. As much as he wants to stay here with her, they have bigger responsibilities waiting for them.
The need to help Ann in getting used to the changes after the mating is also one of his priorities. In the days that they spent in the cave, she randomly takes her wings out in the middle of the night, startling Marco awake.
That had been a funny encounter, of her freaking out because she can't put the wings back. Her wings are slightly similar to Marco's, albeit smaller. Unlike Marco, she does not transform into a Phoenix or has a beastly form.
The only thing she has is the wings and the flickers of blue flames surrounding her arms.
An hour before they stepped out of the cave, Marco had asked Izou to deliver a change of clothes for them. As soon as they stepped out, the Warrior Commanders of Ipraecia welcomed them, cheering at the top of their lungs as they shout congratulatory words to their new High Princess.
This news quickly spread to Raftel on the same day - the news of their mating.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Sab received the good news from Achilles while she's sitting on the ground, playing with the pups of the wolves in the forest. Kidd is nowhere in sight but she's sure that he's somewhere nearby. He's never too far from her.
"I may visit them tomorrow to congratulate my stubborn sister."
'Hmm. Yes. And maybe it is your turn as well.'
That made Sab frown a little, thinking back to the oddity she noticed about Kidd the past few days. Thinking about the way he kind of avoids her, the way he looks away when she's nearby or when she's physically close to him.
"Maybe. Only if he will stop avoiding me."
'Does he, now?'
"I think so."
'He's probably thinking about your physical condition, or he could be avoiding you to control his instincts.'
"What do you mean?"
'Now that he's come to terms with his fate, his instincts are finally taking over him. That is to mark you. To mate with you. With the stress that you went through, he couldn't afford to lose all his rationality and may end up hurting you. At least that's what I think.'
Sab thinks for a moment, trying to understand the logic behind Kidd's actions.
For the past few days, she was able to see that underneath that beastly attitude of his is a caring man, a true leader. His people respect him for his power and his love for this kingdom, Sab bore witness to how they act before him.
'Are you ready?' She turns her head to meet the eyes of the Wolf Lord, eyes that could see through her soul.
"Yes." The answer came off her lips, lacking any hesitation that one should feel in this situation - a situation that will change her life forever.
'We are waiting for the good news, Your Highness.' Achilles' eyes spark while looking at Sab, encouraging her to do what she must. That made her laugh at how cunning he is when he called her 'Your Highness'.
Achilles bowed to her before leaving her alone to ponder on the thoughts that had been on her mind for a few days now. She stayed there for a few minutes before standing up to go back to the Palace.
On her way, she chanced upon creatures of Beogia, bowing to her, greeting her with the respect that a High Princess should receive. She's not a High Princess, at least not yet.
"Is Kidd already here?" She asked the Palace servant. Their connection is still not stable, hence, Sab cannot sense if he's in the Palace or not. She can sense that he's nearby, but it's not as accurate as what the beasts felt.
"Yes, Your Highness. He should be upstairs, in your chamber." Sab nodded, thanking her before walking upstairs to where their shared chamber is. Her head slightly turns to the open window of the palace. The scenery outside made her feel melancholic, the moon is rising at its full glory, full, and shining brightly, illuminating Raftel.
She remembered what Robin told her, that when the moon is full, the beasts' instincts are almost out of control. Suddenly, a question arose to her head. 'Was he avoiding me because of his incontrollable instincts?'
Avoiding may have been a loose term. Kidd is not exactly avoiding him, he's just a little distant, almost afraid to touch her when she's close by. They still talk and sleep on the same bed, but Sab can feel the hesitation in him, the way he flinches when she touches him, the way his eyes turn red when she's around.
'How considerate of you' she vaguely thought to herself, smiling as she steps into their chamber to search for him. He's not there, but the splashes of water in the bathroom proves otherwise. She frowned, thinking if she should wait here for him or not, then, a devious idea comes into her head, making her smirk devilishly.
Her body's healed enough, almost no traces of the injuries she sustained. Even the scars are long gone, probably because of the healing effect that she received from a Royal beast's blood essence.
Why wait when they can mate now?
She's not in a hurry to be mated with him, but the sense of being incomplete bothers her. If not now, they will spend more time dancing around each other, waiting for the inevitable to come.
With that in mind, she started taking off her dress, leaving it on the floor, followed by other pieces of clothes that left her naked as the days she was born.
She feels cold and nervous as she stands there in front of the bathroom door, naked. Her hand is shaking while reaching for the doorknob, twisting it to unlock the door.
The sound of the door being unlocked took Kidd by surprise, head turns to the door that is now open, only to find Sab standing there, naked. He felt her presence when she stepped into their shared chamber but didn't think that she will follow him to the bathroom.
He lays there in the stoned cistern, half of his body is soaked under the warm waters stored inside, while his eyes remained as wide as saucers, staring at the woman who's walking closer to where he is.
He panicked a little, but the beats in his heart speak more excitement than confusion. The silence between them makes it harder for Kidd to breath, he can't, not when his instincts are going wild at the sight of her looking like a goddess that descended from heaven.
"Sab..." He growls lowly as if warning her but she didn't listen. When did she listen to him anyway? A smile graced her beautiful lips as she stepped into the stoned cistern, creeping closer to him. Her scent overflowed his senses, making his eyes turn redder than it is, irises transforming into his beastly form, signaling that his inner beast is taking over him.
'Claim her now. Claim your mate.' That was the shouts coming from the back of his head, making Kidd lose all rationality he has. The full moon only ignites the desires in him. His hand reaches for her, grabbing her arm to pull her closer to him. She yelped in surprise but only for a moment.
"You're testing me." He growls, lips on her right ear, nose smelling the sweet scent that's driving him crazy.
"I am not." She answered, whispering in his ear as her hands found their ways on Kidd's shoulder. A satisfied hum left her throat upon feeling the warmth that his body provided.
"Damn it. I don't think I can hold back." Sab can feel his nails digging on her soft skin as he trembles, lips close to her neck, licking it clean as if preparing to bite it later.
"Then, don't. I am not as fragile as you think I am." She slowly pulls back from the embrace to look at him in the eyes, smiling when she saw the surprised look on his face. He must have thought that his actions went unnoticed by her these past few days. This is where he's wrong.
"Did hearing about your sister's mating with Marco sparked jealousy in you? That made you desperate to be mated?" That made Sab roll her eyes. He's teasing her to get a reaction that he can use to irritate her later.
"No. Your constant flinches and awkwardness did." She answered, bringing their foreheads closer.
"Is that so?" The smirk on his lips made her shiver in excitement and before she can react, he claims her lips into a bruising kiss, his tongue demanding an entrance that she will never refuse. His lips started moving, sucking on hers aggressively, tongue pushing hers, licking the insides of her mouth that almost made her unable to breathe.
His hands worked wonders on her naked body, traveling south, tracing the skin and flesh she can offer. It reaches for her backside to squeeze the round mound that made her moan in surprise. He smirks into the kiss, his devious side is finally taking over him as his other hand reaches for her left breast, squeezing it before he started pinching her nipple.
He finally lets her lips go, leaving her panting and moaning by the incredible sensation his hands are giving. But he is not done, not yet. He turned his attention to her neck, licking it and sucking it before he slowly moves down, to reach for her right breast.
His tongue showed no mercy at all, licking her right nipple before sucking on it, making it wet and hard. He hums in satisfaction after hearing her loud moans that echo in the bathroom. She sounds delirious from the sensations of her breasts being played by this beast - a hungry one at that.
His hands found their ways on her hips, lifting her so she can straddle him properly which only made her blush profusely upon feeling his erect member from her behind.
"Sab..." Another whisper before he claims her lips, but this time, Sab initiated the aggressiveness, slipping her tongue inside, pushing his back. He smirks into the kiss, letting her have control, but only for a moment. The hand on her rear end slides into a more sensitive spot, creeping closer to her entrance that is now undoubtedly wet from the pleasure.
"Hmph, ah!" She gasped, breaking the kiss when she felt his finger slipping inside. Kidd did not let this chance go to reverse their position. Half of their bodies still under the clear waters of the stoned cistern, but that did not prevent Kidd from seeing her nakedness.
He lifts her, placing her to sit on the edges of the stoned cistern before, spreading her legs open so she can fit between them.
"What - " He gave her no chance to complete the question because he demonstrated the answer through his actions, diving in between her open legs to taste her entrance that made her grab his hair, tightly holding onto it even while screaming for his name.
Kidd wanted to do this, the scent he smelled earlier is so sweet, making him go feral by the thought of tasting it. Her entrance is so wet and this is not because of being soaked in the water. He licks the twitching entrance, tasting the hot sticky liquid oozing from it, smirking when he was rewarded by her screams that made his instincts reach a higher level. He wants her now.
He abruptly stops to look at her, eyes clouded by the desires in him, his inner beast is uncontrollable. He lifts Sab, who immediately wrapped her legs around his stomach, both are kissing while Kidd rushes to walk out of the bathroom to their chamber. He laid Sab on the soft bed before kneeling between her legs, his cock erect and desperate to be inside her.
Seeing his erect member made Sab swallow her saliva wondering how it will fit inside her. She expected that his member will be this huge but seeing it up close didn't make it less surprising to her.
His hand grabs her legs, hooking one of them on his hip as he inches closer, the tip of his cock touching her wet entrance, slowly pushing it in that made her yelp when it hit her hymen.
"S-Sorry." Kidd muttered an apology, keeping himself in check because right now, he wants to ram his member inside her, to claim her, to fuck her as fast as he can. All his selfish thoughts are put aside in favor of making it hurt lesser for her.
"I'm okay." Sab winces a little but the pain is slightly going away by his kisses and touches that distract her from the slight pain from being penetrated. He slowly moves, pushing deeper inside as gentle as he can.
He trembles, flooded by mixed emotions inside, the difficulty of keeping his instincts from going out of control, the pleasure, the happiness of being one with her especially after what they went through, and her near-death experience. It's surreal, so breathtaking, overwhelming him that almost made him cry.
"Kidd." She calls out from underneath. "Look at me." She commands and he follows, looking into her beautiful eyes. "I'm here with you." She reassures.
"You will forever be by my side." He said before he started moving his hips, slowly going in and out of her as he watches her expression changes every so often when his cock hits her sensitive walls. The sheer joy of hearing, seeing, and feeling her is unexplainable, almost sending Kidd to his end's wits.
"A-Ah! Kidd! Aahh!" The euphoria she's feeling from the sensation of her cock inside her made Sab see whites from the overwhelming pleasure. She shouts at the top of her lungs, not caring if everyone in Raftel will hear her screams because this is the only way for her to let the emotions inside her go, to express it.
Kidd loves these expressions very much, smirking at him as he rolls his hips, slamming his hard cock inside to hit the spot that made her scream in pleasure. More screams followed when he sucks on her nipple even while ramming his cock in a pleasurable rhythm.
Kidd pulls out, making her open her closed eyes to look at him in question. He didn't answer, he turned her around so she will be on her knees. Without any warning, he slams his cock inside her again, from behind, and it went deeper than she expected.
"Nnggh, ah!" She mewls in pleasure when Kidd is going fast and hard inside her. This made her think that his inner beast is in sync with himself. He fucks her like the beast that he is.
The chamber is filled with a mix of growls, moans, screams, and wet slapping noises coming from their skins making contact with each other with every thrust of Kidd's hips.
The climax is near, both can feel it. Kidd leans close to her ear as he whispers 'mate' that sent Sab to reach her climax earlier than he did.
He chased after it, thrusts are erratic, no rhythm whatsoever until he reached his climax, releasing his seed inside her before biting her nape, licking the blood from the wound he inflicted.
"Mmmnnn..." Sab can only moan from the surge of foreign feelings coming from being bitten by Kidd. She can feel the hot liquid being released inside her and the heat that squirms into her veins from the bite.
She collapses, laying on her stomach even while feeling Kidd's soft member inside. A whimper left her throat when he pulled out of her.
"Mate..." He whispers again, lying by her side, looking at her with desires that never died down even after that mating dance.
"Yes... Mate." She answered before biting his neck, surprising him, even more so when she straddled his hips. "Don't tell me what Berserkers can only last one round?" She challenges, smirking when she saw him flinch at her words and when she rolled her hips, making contact with his now erect member.
"Damn you." He answered before lifting her to align her entrance to his cock before slamming her down without warning.
"Ah!"
"What were you saying again?" He asks.
"You beast." Sab muttered before rolling her hips, moving it up and down his shaft.
He kisses her while smiling, in pure bliss as they share another round of pleasure.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
Luffia just stares at the full moon, thinking about her sisters at this time. She visited Ann as soon as she heard the good news from Ipraecia, congratulating the two of them.
Seeing the mark on her arms made her feel something inside her. Looking at it made her think of something she cannot explain, and oddly, it made her back heat up when she thought of the word mate.
She ignored those feelings in favor of celebrating with her sister. Marco did not hesitate to prepare a banquet when Luffia visited.
"We will probably have a joint celebration once they're mated, yoi." Marco said to Luffia when she asked if there's a plan to celebrate with everyone in Raftel.
"Oh. That's right. Sab and Kidd!"
"Yes. It shouldn't be too long before the two of them are finally mates." He sounds so sure about it that made Luffia question why. "Fullmoon is near, yoi." That's what he answered.
Even without further explanation, Luffia understands what he meant by that. They are beasts, creatures who can live in the dark, and the light coming from the Fullmoon might intensify their beastly instincts.
After the banquet and annoying her eldest sister, she bid her farewell to them, waving her hand while following Zoro whom she forced to accompany her. Her wounds are no longer severe, she can move freely now, thanks to her amazing vigor that surprised Zoro and the others.
Even so, she still stayed in Vaelon, citing that she liked the ambiance of the place, and staying here will help her recover, although everyone doubts that it's the real reason why. She loves staying here because she can annoy the hell out of Zoro, everyone knows this. No one just says anything because they find her attempts of irritating the High Prince as entertainment.
Now, here she is, sitting on her balcony, staring at the moon above and that's when it happened. A sudden sting from her head hit her so hard that it made her close her eyes from the pain.
"Ugh." She mumbled to herself. The headache just made her curl on the floor of the balcony, hands grabbing her hair hard in an attempt to push the pain away.
A sudden flow of memories flooded her mind, memories that she never thought existed.
"I see him. A green dragon in my dream." Luffia told her parents who were surprised at her words.
"Green dragon?" Rouge asked, frowning as she did. There's a visible worry in her eyes that puzzles Luffia, but she sets it aside.
"Yes. Then, there's a mark at my back." She said.
"A mark? Can you show that to me?" Rouge eagerly asked.
"Sure! But it often disappears!" She lifted half of her shirt so she can show them half of her back, and there it is, the mark of the green dragon on her back, slowly disappearing before appearing again. "It looks magical!" She grinned.
"Luffia, close your eyes, honey." Rouge commanded.
"Why?"
"Just trust me and close your eyes." She did and that's the last thing she remembered before her consciousness started fading. Before it did, she heard her mother talk to her father. "It's too early for the seal to weaken. It hasn't been 15 years."
"Just reseal it for now and seal this memory." Roger said and this is when she lost her consciousness.
Luffia panted, eyes are now open. The pain in her head is slowly disappearing. The memory confused her because she never remembered anything about it.
Slowly, she sits up, hands are on the floor to support her trembling body, sweats running down her forehead. The pain is now gone, but the impact it did on her body isn't.
Then, she feels it. The familiar warmth at her back that she's been feeling for quite some time now but is continuously being ignored. She rushes to the bathroom, finding herself in the big mirror inside.
With hurried movements, she strips herself naked and slowly turns her body so she can see her back that should be bare of any markings.
But it's not.
There it is, a mark of a green dragon encircled on the woman in the middle. Luffia blinks a few times, staring at her back. She can't fully see it, but there's no doubt that it's the same as what she saw on Zoro's.
A few minutes have gone by and the mark is slowly fading, just like in her memory, until it's long gone, no trace, and her back is now bare with any markings.
She thinks back at the memory that just flooded her mind out of nowhere, wondering why it did. Questions are on her mind right now but even if she asks anyone, she doubts there will be an explanation of why she had the mark or why she doesn't remember anything about it appearing before now.
With the questions circling her mind, there's one thing she's sure of.
"OH." She whispers to herself, realization hitting her like a splash of cold water thrown at her face, the reality that she's Zoro's long lost mate.
===XXX===XXX===XXX===
AN:
Sorry for the late update. Was really busy and schedules are hectic. But here it is! I will try to finish this story in 50 chapters.
