When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I noticed was the warmth around me.
Chak was still holding me.
His arm was wrapped securely around my waist, like he had fallen asleep that way and never let go.
For a moment I just stayed still, listening to the quiet of the room and the slow rhythm of his breathing behind me.
Then I slowly turned around.
Chak's eyes were already open.
He had been watching me.
A small, sleepy smile appeared on his lips when our eyes met.
"Good morning, my artist," he said softly.
Before I could react, he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.
I frowned immediately.
"I'm still angry with you," I muttered.
Chak raised an eyebrow slightly.
"At me," he asked calmly, "or at Phalin?"
I gave him a sharp look.
The kind that already answered the question.
Chak watched my expression carefully for a moment, then said quietly,
"Phalin may have me on paper… but you're the one who has me here."
His hand rested lightly on my side as he said it.
Something inside my chest shifted.
Before I could overthink it, I made a bold move — one I wasn't even completely sure about myself.
I pushed him back onto the mattress.
Chak's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
I placed my hands on his shoulders and climbed onto his lap, sitting there while looking down at him.
He watched me with visible uncertainty now, clearly not expecting this.
Slowly, I lifted the hem of his shirt a little.
"This," I said quietly, my voice low, "Phalin will never see."
Then I leaned down.
First, I let my tongue slowly trace across the skin of his chest.
Chak inhaled sharply under me.
And a second later—
I bit him.
Right over his heart.
Chak inhaled sharply under me.
His hands instinctively moved to my waist, steadying me, but he didn't try to stop me.
"Niran…" he said quietly, his voice lower now.
I lifted my head slightly, looking down at the mark already forming on his skin.
Good.
That was exactly what I wanted.
I leaned closer again, my fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt.
"Now you have one here too," I murmured.
Chak watched me carefully, something warm and amused flickering in his eyes despite the uncertainty.
"You're very territorial this morning," he said softly.
I shot him a look.
"Don't start."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"But you said Phalin wouldn't see it."
I lifted his shirt a little higher, looking at the red mark I had just left over his heart.
"She won't," I replied.
My gaze returned to his face.
"Because it's mine."
For a moment Chak didn't say anything.
His hands were still resting on my waist, warm and steady.
Then he shook his head slightly, almost in disbelief.
"You're unbelievable."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because five minutes ago you said you were still angry with me."
"I am."
"And now you're marking me like a cat."
I frowned.
"You started it."
"I did?"
I pointed toward his neck.
"You came home with that."
Chak let out a quiet laugh.
"Fair."
Then his expression softened slightly.
His thumb brushed lightly against my side.
Chak inhaled sharply under me, his hands tightening instinctively on my waist.
I lifted my head slightly, looking down at the mark forming on his skin.
"Good," I murmured under my breath.
Then, without thinking too much—
"I want."
Chak frowned slightly, caught off guard by my tone.
"What do you want?" he asked quietly.
I didn't answer immediately.
Instead, my gaze slowly dropped.
Lower.
Avoiding his eyes.
My fingers tightened slightly against his shoulders.
"Tonight," I said softly.
Chak went still beneath me.
For a moment, the air between us changed.
He studied my face carefully, trying to understand what I meant—what I was really asking for.
My heart was beating faster now.
Not just from anger anymore.
Something deeper.
Something more dangerous.
Chak's voice, when he finally spoke, was quieter than before.
"…Are you sure?"
I nodded firmly, meeting his eyes at last.
"Yes," I said quietly, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions inside me. "Even if you're married with Phalin … you'll spend tonight with me."
Chak's eyes widened slightly, a mix of surprise, awe, and something else I couldn't quite name. He exhaled slowly, as if letting go of a held breath.
"You're… sure?" he whispered, his hands brushing lightly over my back.
I gave a small, almost imperceptible smile. "I've never been more sure of anything," I murmured.
The silence stretched between us, heavy but not uncomfortable. It was the quiet before everything else, the moment where the world outside the room didn't exist.
Chak's lips brushed against my forehead lightly. "Then… tonight is ours," he said, his voice low, steady, and full of promise.
I rested my forehead against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath me, and for the first time in hours… maybe even days, I allowed myself to truly breathe.
Tonight. It was ours.
I lowered my head again.
This time slower.
My lips brushed lightly across his skin, moving from the mark I had left over his heart down toward his chest.
Chak's breathing changed immediately.
Deeper.
Slower.
His hands tightened slightly around my waist as he watched me.
I kissed him again.
And again.
Small, lingering kisses across his warm skin.
But when my eyes reached the side of his neck—
The place where Phalin had bitten him—
I deliberately skipped it.
My lips moved past it like it didn't exist.
Like that part of him wasn't meant for me.
His fingers slid into my hair gently as he watched me avoid that spot.
I continued kissing the other side of his neck instead, slow and deliberate.
Then along his collarbone.
Then his shoulder.
Chak let out a quiet breath.
For a moment he simply watched me, something deep and intense growing in his eyes.
Then his hand moved from my waist to the back of my neck, guiding me slightly upward until our faces were close again.
His forehead touched mine.
And in a low voice, almost a whisper, he said,
"You're mine."
Not possessive in a harsh way.
Not like ownership.
More like a quiet truth he had finally allowed himself to say out loud.
My eyes lifted to his.
For a second neither of us moved.
"Don't say things like that," I murmured.
Chak's eyebrow lifted slightly.
"Why?"
"Because you're still married," I said quietly.
The words felt heavy again.
But Chak didn't pull away.
Instead, his hand gently brushed a strand of hair away from my face.
"Paper doesn't decide my heart," he replied calmly.
Without thinking too much about it, I leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his chest.
Right over the mark I had left earlier.
Chak's breath hitched slightly.
His hand slid slowly along my back, resting there.
"Careful," he murmured.
I looked up.
"Why?"
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"If you keep doing that," he said quietly, "I'm going to forget that you said you're still angry with me."
I straightened a little, giving him a narrow look.
"I am still angry."
"Sure," Chak said, clearly unconvinced.
Before I could argue again, a soft sound came from the hallway.
I slid off his lap quickly, grabbing the edge of the blanket.
And just a second later—
A knock sounded on the door
"Niran?" Anamarija's voice sounded from the other side of the door. "Are you here?"
I cleared my throat quickly, sitting up straighter on the bed.
"Yes," I answered.
There was a short pause outside.
"Oh, good," she said. "I woke up and you weren't on the couch anymore, so I thought maybe you disappeared somewhere."
"I'll wait for you both in the kitchen," she replied calmly.
Footsteps moved away.
Silence returned.
Chak and I exchanged a look.
"…We should go," I muttered quietly, sliding off the bed.
He nodded.
Neither of us said anything more as we got dressed and headed downstairs.
The moment we stepped into the kitchen, a warm, familiar smell greeted us.
Anamarija was already there.
Standing by the induction.
Calm. Composed. Like nothing in the world could shake her.
She didn't turn immediately, just stirred something in the pot.
I leaned slightly against the doorway.
"What are you cooking?" I asked.
She glanced over her shoulder, a faint smile on her lips.
"Coffee."
I blinked.
"…You're cooking coffee?"
She shrugged lightly. "It sounds better this way."
Chak let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
Then, without wasting time, he moved past me and started preparing breakfast.
Not something simple.
Something… careful.
Healthy.
Eggs, vegetables, toast—everything measured, everything precise.
I watched him for a moment.
The way he moved.
Focused.
Like this—this was how he took care of people.
Without saying it out loud.
Three cups of coffee.
Three plates.
For a moment, everything felt… normal.
Too normal.
Until Chak spoke.
"We're going to a family lunch today."
I looked up immediately.
"…Today?"
He nodded, taking a sip of his coffee.
"My mom insisted."
My stomach tightened slightly.
Then Chak added, glancing briefly toward Anamarija—
"And she said you can wear whatever you want."
Anamarija raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
A small, almost amused smile appeared on her lips.
"That's… surprisingly generous."
Chak didn't react much, but I noticed the slight shift in his expression.
"Yeah," he said quietly.
But something told me—
Today wasn't going to be simple.
Not after everything that happened.
Not after last night.
And definitely not… with all of us in the same room again.
"Will Phalin be there too?" I asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.
Chak didn't hesitate.
"I think so," he said calmly, continuing to eat. "She is my wife."
The words hit sharper than I expected.
I leaned back slightly in my chair, crossing my arms.
"I'm your husband," I replied, my voice quieter—but firm.
For a brief moment, Chak's hand stilled.
His gaze lifted to meet mine.
Something unreadable passed through his eyes.
Before he could answer—
Anamarija spoke.
"Chak… what's that on your neck?"
Her tone was casual, but her eyes were sharp.
Chak instinctively lifted his hand, brushing his fingers over the mark.
Over the bite.
The one I had left.
A faint smirk touched his lips.
"An angry cat did that," he said lightly.
And then—
He looked straight at me.
My chest tightened slightly.
Anamarija's gaze shifted between us.
Then her eyes moved to the other side of his neck.
Another mark.
Fainter.
But still there.
Her eyebrow lifted.
"And that one?" she asked.
I didn't even let Chak answer.
"That one isn't important," I said quickly.
Too quickly.
Anamarija looked at me for a long second.
Then she leaned back in her chair slowly, a knowing expression forming on her face.
"…Right," she murmured.
But the slight curve of her lips said—
She understood far more than either of us had said out loud.
And somehow—
That made everything feel even more dangerous.
Chak glanced at the clock on the wall, then set his cup down.
"We need to leave in twenty minutes," he said.
I frowned slightly. "That soon?"
He nodded. "If we're late, my mother will notice."
"That sounds like a threat," Anamarija muttered under her breath, finishing her coffee.
Chak ignored that.
"We should get changed."
He stood up first.
I watched him for a second…
Then pushed my chair back as well.
"Wait," I said.
He paused and looked at me.
"I'll choose what you wear."
There was a brief silence.
Anamarija raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained.
Chak, however, didn't argue.
"…Alright," he said simply.
---
We walked upstairs together.
The moment we entered the room, I went straight to his wardrobe.
Opened it.
And just stood there for a second.
So many options.
All of them… very him.
Clean. Sharp. Controlled.
I reached out, brushing my fingers across the fabrics before pulling out a black shirt.
Then paused.
"…No."
I put it back.
My eyes moved again.
Then I picked something else.
A softer color.
Still elegant.
But less… distant.
I turned back toward him, holding it up.
"This one."
Chak looked at it.
Then at me.
"…You're changing my image now?" he asked quietly.
"A little," I replied.
I stepped closer and handed it to him.
"And wear this with it."
I grabbed a pair of tailored pants to match.
Chak took the clothes without protest.
But his gaze stayed on me.
Careful.
Focused.
"You're very confident for someone who said he was still angry," he said.
I met his eyes.
"I am still angry."
A small pause.
Then, more quietly—
"But that doesn't mean I won't take care of what's mine."
Something shifted in his expression again.
Deeper this time.
More intense.
But he didn't say anything.
He just turned slightly—
"And what about you?" he asked.
I smirked faintly.
"I already know what I'm wearing."
And for some reason—
That made his gaze darken just a little more.
Chak didn't look away from me.
Not even for a second.
"Do you?" he asked quietly.
There was something in his voice now.
Something heavier.
More focused.
I didn't answer him immediately.
Instead, I turned away and walked toward my side of the wardrobe.
Opened it.
My fingers moved between the clothes, slower this time.
More deliberate.
I could feel his eyes on me the entire time.
Watching.
Waiting.
I finally pulled something out.
Simple.
But not careless.
Something that fit me well—clean lines, slightly fitted, just enough to make a statement without trying too hard.
I turned back toward him.
"This."
Chak's gaze dropped briefly, taking me in.
Then lifted back to my face.
"…You're doing this on purpose," he said.
"Doing what?" I asked innocently.
He stepped closer.
Slow.
Measured.
Until there was barely any space left between us.
"This," he repeated, his voice lower now.
His fingers reached out—just slightly adjusting the fabric near my collar.
A small touch.
But it sent a quiet tension through me.
"You say you're angry," he continued softly, "but you're still staying."
My breath caught for a moment.
"I said I was angry," I corrected him. "I didn't say I was leaving."
His eyes searched mine.
As if trying to read everything I wasn't saying.
Then—
A knock on the door.
"Five minutes," Anamarija's voice called from outside.
We both froze for a second.
The moment broke.
Chak exhaled quietly and stepped back.
"Get ready," he said.
But his voice wasn't as steady as before.
---
A few minutes later—
We walked downstairs together.
Anamarija was already waiting near the door.
And for a second—
Even I had to look twice.
She looked… effortless.
Confident.
Exactly like someone who didn't care what anyone thought—
but knew everyone would look anyway.
Her eyes moved between us.
Taking in the tension.
The silence.
The unspoken.
"Ready?" she asked casually.
I nodded.
Chak grabbed the keys.
And without another word—
We stepped out.
Straight toward whatever was waiting for us at that family lunch.
And somehow—
I had a feeling…
This time, there would be no pretending anymore.