Page 168 of Toxic

"It has no bearing on anything!" His voice sounded almost panicked and high-pitched. "It happened outside of heat, and I’m still a beta by design," he added dismissively, as he usually did when it came to this subject. Yup, Soren chose to treat it as just a random occurrence related to his hormonal changes.

I opened my mouth to say something, to protest, to ask about other possibilities, but… the words wouldn't come out.

It became more and more disheartening and exhausting to keep coming to the conclusion that we could be True Mates, only to be discouraged from even delving into the subject. It felt like a constant cat-and-mouse game with the thought. Are we True Mates or not? Back and forth, back and forth.

But… on the other hand, what would be the purpose of annoying him and pushing the topic if it really didn’t change much? If we were True Mates, we would experience all the effects of it, whether he accepted it or not. So I gave up on pressing him to discuss it for now, not wanting to disrupt his mood.

Soren left the room, heading toward the bathroom.

We didn't speak about it anymore that day, but during dinner, as I wore a T-shirt with a loose collar, I noticed his short, curious glances at my neck glands, now reddened and slightly swollen.

At one point, I caught him with a sort of absent-minded smile on his face as he stared at the mark. When he noticed I was watching him closely, he quickly lowered his head over the plate, pretending nothing was going on. Still, he couldn’t quite hide the subtle smile lingering at the corners of his mouth. He seemedvery pleased with the mark on my neck, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

***

The next morning, I woke up feeling something strange. My neck tingled, and the area around the gland was a bit sensitive to the touch. I knew it shouldn’t be the case—after I bit Soren, he didn’t have any inflammation there; it had all healed overnight thanks to the MT healing magic.

But what if it didn’t inflame because Soren was still hormonally beta then, with his glands unreceptive, and now he had changed, making the effect of his marking much more intense?

I went to the bathroom to check it out.

Indeed, the bite mark itself had healed into a smooth, perfect scar—the only thing left was this weird tenderness. As I stared at myself in the mirror, Soren walked into the bathroom behind me, completely naked, heading for the shower.

Suddenly, my attention was drawn to an unusual smell.

"Wait."

Something caught my attention, and I looked at him more closely, inhaling deeply. I didn’t have to try too hard; the scent was strong, much stronger than usual.

"Your scent—"

Soren snorted. "I know, I know, I probably stink after the whole night—"

"No, that’s not it. You never stink. Your scent… is so much stronger, but also different. You smell more like an omega now!" Saying this, I grabbed him around the waist, pulling him close with a swift motion to investigate his glands.

Yes, Soren’s scent had become more Allure-like! There were pheromones present, very enticing and intoxicating. Soren’s eyes widened, he swallowed loudly, as if struggling with how to respond. His pupils dilated, and his gaze settled on my gland.

"Do I have my own Allure…?"

I nodded with a soft smile. "Yes, and it’s getting stronger. You’re changing," I whispered, gently kissing his forehead.

Soren blinked, his gaze still stubbornly fixed on my neck, and he made no comment.

My hungry eyes wandered toward his bitten gland and… it was slightly reddish too! A curious case. Was it now just more susceptible to marking after its hormonal activation?

Soren raised his hand and skimmed over my neck.

"There were two pretty large puncture marks after my bite, and now there’s only a flat scar," he said softly.

I smirked. "Yes, it’s healed, just like my bite on you. It's smooth, with a bit of reddening. I suspect since you’re more hormonally active now, our bites will have a stronger effect."

There was a moment of silence.

My hands on his warm, naked skin could only mean one thing—a delayed shower. We didn’t have much time left before work. I could already hear his breathing deepen, his hands rising to embrace me as his eyes instinctively closed. Seeing him get worked up, I reluctantly took a small step back.

"You know… there’s one more thing. I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a while. I noticed a new, very light and subtle note in your scent right after the first time we made love, but today… it’s even more potent."

He blinked, his face a bit disappointed that I stopped stroking him. His hand, unbeknownst to him, slid down to his already hard dick. I had to admit, Soren was incredibly reactive to even the slightest touch—more than anyone I’d ever been with. Or was he? By his own admission, he didn't have a highlibido before he met me. Could it also be the magic of TMs between us?

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