The permanent reminder that I belonged to him.
Igathered everything we needed and laid it on the nightstand.
Alcohol wipes.
My blade.
Gauze.
Tape.
Scarring oneself wasn’t something to be taken lightly, and any misstep could mean a medical emergency. I’d never forgive myself if I landed Avery in the hospital because I made a stupid mistake.
So, we’d take precautions.
She was lounging against the pillows, clutching the blanket at her hips, observing me. She didn’t look scared or worried. Instead, her eyes were calm, confident, sure of the choice she’d made.
I grabbed the blade, immediately noticing how it felt heavier than usual as I palmed the grip, letting the reverence of this moment sink in.
I couldn’t believe she’d asked me to do this, to mark her up with my name, my claim. Seeing her take the dive into me solidified our connection. It wasn’t in my mind. She was here, breathing, waiting,wantinga permanent reminder of the deviant duo we’d become, a tangle of depraved love.
“Last chance,” I told her. “You can still change your mind.”
She shook her head. “I want this.”
I studied her for a moment, watching for any hint of hesitation, but there was none. She really was committed to this, to letting me carve myself into her skin. My chest tightened, overwhelmed with the thought she trusted me that much.
I kissed the untouched spot once more before putting on gloves and pouring alcohol on a cotton pad to clean the area and my knife. My breathing was shallow, chest tight, as I put the tip of the blade against her perfect, unmarked skin.
When I looked back up at her, she nodded, a slight smile on her lips and peace in her eyes. Even though the moment was silent, it wasn’t empty. It was full in every way that mattered.
I cut into her soft flesh.
The line was shallow, but it would be enough to leave behind a scar. I remembered the sting so well, I could practically feel it as herbreath caught in her throat. She didn’t cry out, though; she just gritted her teeth.
I tried to focus on the task, not wanting to fuck up a single line. This had to be perfect.
Just like her.
She gripped the blanket with white knuckles as I completed the first letter—R.
I started the letter for my middle name—Blake—wincing with her as she hissed. This one probably hurt worse than the first, the initial rush of adrenaline that had dulled the pain already fading.
“Stay with me, baby,” I encouraged her. “You’re doing so well. Such a good girl for me, aren’t you?”
She nodded and whined a little, closing her eyes while I completed the last curve of the ‘B’.
Blood had welled up in both letters, but I caught the drips before they dotted the sheets. I cleaned the edges enough to continue, then carved the next letter—T—beside the rest, feeling guilty for hurting her as she groaned through the pain.
But fuck, did it make my cock so damn hard knowing Avery now had my initials on her, a permanent mark of my claim, one she could never deny. The proof was there now, carved into her smooth skin.
I grabbed a cool cloth to hold against her wound, taking extra care not to push too hard, and looked up at her face. She shook her head and covered her eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that right now,” she muttered.
“Like what?”
She deadpanned me. “Like you want to devour me.”
