Hello people!

I hope you are all doing well. I haven't been able to write as much as I wanted to this morning as in a moment I will have to go and revise. But it's okay though, do you want to know why? Because tomorrow is my last exam! Which also means no more having to revise, equalling more writing time! Yaay!

Anyways, I am pretty sure by the end of this chapter you are going to hate me, or at least want to shout at me a little bit, but oh well! I hope you enjoy the chapter regardless! That's all I am saying for now, apart from the chapter is from Rogue's point of view today

Enjoy :3

Chapter Twenty Three-

Let her go

"Just let her go."

For a moment, I am frozen. Contemplating the words that the man I have always considered the closest thing to family, besides Skiadrum, has just spoken to me. His words nagging a sense of reasoning at the back of my mind, the look on his face, from the corner of my vision, looking worried yet firm.

I have known Sting since childhood. We are the 'Twin Dragon Slayers', light and dark, and he is like my slightly reckless, but overall well meaning older brother who has been there for me if I have ever needed him. More so, at least than my sworn older brother. We are partners, old friends, and I have never trusted any human more that I have trusted him, and that is a very hard thing to admit. Admit that trust exists in a world where mine has been broken so many times.

Gulping, with my eyes still downcast, I stare down at the blond haired woman laying beneath me who's face is against the dirty. I can hear her slight whimpering, and, for a second the voice in my head is telling me to stop pressing against her back and let her go from beneath my iron grip. But I know that Sting's words aren't as simple as just allowing Lucy to stand. They mean that I'll have to let go of the blond completely, allow her to leave me alone and empty. These thoughts slowly turn to anger and the woman wriggles beneath me, her scent rising and hitting my nostrils sending me into a downward spiral to insanity. That's when I feel an insane realisation rising, which, if I was thinking clearly, would sound absurdly ludicrous. Yet in my state now is perfectly plausible.

Sting doesn't know what is best for me, he doesn't care! I know why he is here, what he is doing. He is trying to pry Lucy away from me, because he wants her as his mate!

Lucy's whimpers fill the air as I subconsciously ball my hand against her back into a fist, holding her clothes so she can't be taken away.

I wont let him take her! I have to protect her, from Sting. And from the Salamander! Lucy is my mate, not theirs!

"R- Rogue..." Lucy's voice is shaking and I can feel her body trembling. Her action only causing my anger to grow further. "L-listen to h- him, Rogue."

"Don't worry, my mate. It'll be okay." I almost purr to her as I stand slowly, pulling Lucy up with me by the back of her shirt. She yelps slightly at the motion. When her feet are against the floor firmly, I hold my arm around her upper chest, pulling her closer to my body to keep her safe as I turn my head to look at her, speaking close to her ear. "I'll make them go away so we can together."

"No!"

I hear her wail, but throw it aside as if it is nothing. In this moment, all I am aware of is the overpowering need to keep Lucy away from the men before me. The blinding need to make her mine; take her, so they cannot. With that thought in my mind, I use the hand of the arm across Lucy's upper chest, to pull her head to the side. The fingers of my other hand stroking along the milky skin of her neck, pushing her hair out of the way.

"One mark, and you're mine to take."

"Please don't! Rogue, Rogue no!"

Lucy begins to squirm as I expose her neck, but I pull her against me, stifling her attempts to free herself. Ignoring her pleas. I know somewhere in my head that this is all wrong, but I smoother those thoughts as a raw dragon instinct suddenly rises within the pit of my stomach, a hot sensation flowing through my body. I can feel myself becoming aroused at the knowledge that as soon as I have bitten the soft skin of Lucy's neck, she is mine. That I can take her, rip the clothes from her body and thrust inside of her, make moans slip from her lips and claim what I have pined over ever since I had saved the full breasted blond from her attacker in the woods of Fressia Town. That whether she may object now or not, this woman will be mine to keep until the day we die. Mine to touch and feel, lick, bite, own, when no one else can. Mine to love. My mate.

From in front of me, I hear Sting's voice suddenly rise and he cries out for me to stop, the Salamander shout Lucy's name, but I ignore their words. A deep growl sounds from the back of my throat as I lower my mouth to Lucy's neck, an overwhelming feeling of this act being right and natural consuming my mind, pumping hot dragon blood coursing through my veins.

"Let me go! Rogue, no! Please!"

She tries to move again, her attempts at punches desperate. But I hold down many and take the few which she successfully hits, the hits doing nothing to my determined body. My sharp canines approach Lucy's skin, ready to break it and mark what is mine. Writing my name across her, almost, so everyone know's not to touch or take her. The closer I get to the crook of her neck, the more her smell overwhelms me.

Everything around me in this instant seems to run in slow motion.

Any moment now, as soon as my teeth meet her skin, she will be mine.

She will be marked.

She will be my mate.

Forever.