Zion let out a deep, weary sigh, the sound heavy enough to ripple through the quiet air. His chest tightened as that familiar knot of frustration and longing twisted inside him.
The mark, the one thing that should've bound them before the world, still hadn't been sealed. No ceremony, no public acknowledgment. Everyone knew he and the others were Addison's fated mates, yet without the Marking Ceremony, without that sacred bite before witnesses, his claim meant nothing.
It gnawed at him more than he wanted to admit. The thought that his place beside her wasn't secured, that someone could still challenge him, made his blood stir with a mix of jealousy and fear.
He wanted to believe Addison was just taking her time, that she wasn't rejecting the bond, just… waiting. But doubt was a cruel thing, whispering in the back of his mind every time he looked at her.
