The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 336: The marking-Why my ankle?

"I’m sorry I made you wait so long," I said, but Thalor did not answer with words.

He pulled me deeper into the center of the lake, his powerful tail acting as a propeller that moved us with ease, anchoring me to him as the world seemed to go quiet and all we could hear were our heartbeats and the gentle ripple of the water.

This must be what it feels like to love a fish, haha.

The thought slowed in my mind as I wondered, ’Do I love Thalor?’

I wasn’t sure. There was still a lot of time ahead of us, so even if I didn’t love him now, I would definitely learn to.

He’s not exactly hard to love.

I leaned into his body, resting my head on his wet shoulders and closing my eyes.

"Arinya," Thalor called softly. "This feels like a dream."

"Why?" I asked with a quiet voice. "Is it unreal?"

"Yes, very." He said, and I chuckled silently.

"Well, I’m not unreal, and so is this situation. It’s real." I reached my hand over his wavy hair, which seemed to shine beautifully under the moon’s reflection.

"Arinya," he called again. "Can I mark you now?"

I paused for a second.

The water was cool against my skin, but that question felt like a heavy, final stone being placed in the foundation we’d spent all month building.

I looked at him—really looked at him—and realized that for all the work we’d done, this was the moment he needed to truly feel he belonged to the West Way. To me.

I thought of the marks already etched into my skin. Damar’s snake coiled near my neck, Noah’s wolf on my right wrist, and Fenric’s white tiger over my heart. Adding a fourth wasn’t a burden; it was a completion.

"Yes," I whispered, my fingers tightening in his hair. "I believe it’s time." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

I tilted my head, offering the space at the other side of my shoulder, expecting the familiar sting of a mate’s claim. But Thalor didn’t move. His gaze remained locked on mine, intense and searching.

"And," he added, his thumb tracing the string of silver scales around my neck, "I want you to mark me as well."

My breath hitched, and I blinked again.

I quickly remembered Damar asking me the same thing, his eyes full of a quiet disappointment when I told him to cure the wound he wanted to use as my mark.

In this world, females didn’t seem to have a way to leave a permanent mark on their males. I had promised him then that if I ever found a way, I would.

That was the only reason he gave up on letting the push fester and healed it.

To think there was really a way.

"Is there really a way for that to happen? For a female to mark a male?" I asked Thalor, my eyes lit with a newfound excitement.

"In the deep, the bond is a circle," Thalor explained softly. "We have a specific type of pearl from a deep-sea clam. The females use it to etch their sign into our skin. It stays forever, glowing whenever the mate is near."

Ah, a way to mark them back. I felt a surge of warmth around my heart that had nothing to do with the water.

Damar will be really happy.

"A pearl," I muttered softly. "I’ve wanted to do that for so long," I said and then lifted my head. "Well, do you have one with you?"

"I did not think you would say yes today, so I do not have it with me," he murmured, looking almost sheepish. "I will go to the coast tomorrow to find one."

Why yes, that figures. He couldn’t possibly go around with such a pearl when I told him to wait.

Hm, and just in case it works on land dwellers as well, I’d better try it on Fenric and Noah, too, so I don’t put my hopes up for Damar, only to be dashed when that time comes.

"But for now..." Thalor added and leaned in, his lips ghosting over my collarbone. "Allow me to leave mine on you."

I nodded, closing my eyes and waiting. But instead of the sharp puncture at my neck, I felt only a soft, lingering kiss on my collarbone.

There were no teeth.

"Thalor?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly. "Why haven’t you...?"

He let out a low, melodic hum and said, "Because the place I want to mark you is beneath the surface, Arinya. Can you swim well?"

"I can," I said, though a flicker of confusion crossed my mind. What does me knowing how to swim have to do with the marking process?

Then, without any more words, he let go of me, his massive indigo tail whipping the surface as he dived into the dark depths of the lake.

Was he playing hide and seek right now?

I took a deep breath and followed him down. I dunked my head beneath the surface, squinting through the moonlit, clear water.

I saw him submerged, his hair living up to its wavy texture as I watched it float around him like violet silk.

"What is he up to?"

I watched him swim about a bit, seeming excited and trying to calm himself. He was so fluid in the water, and his tail was also very flexible. Almost makes me wish I had a total, haha.

But then, he moved toward my feet, his jaw opening as he sank his teeth firmly into my ankle.

It wasn’t a nip; it was a deep marking claim.

My eyes went wide underwater as the sensation hit me—a heavy, grounding heat that felt like a shackle of ice and fire locking around my leg, connecting me to the water and to him.

The shock made me blow out all the air I kept locked in my jaws, and I quickly kicked back to the surface, gasping for air.

"Thalor!" I screamed his name, not out of rage, but shock.

He surfaced from the water as well and watched as I panted, trying to catch my breath.

Then, I looked down through the water, feeling the strange, heavy heat of the mark already pulsing against my skin. It felt heavy, like I couldn’t move my legs properly. At this rate, I might sink.

Thalor swam closer, the water rippling around his chest as he reached out to steady me. His violet eyes were soft, glowing with a quiet triumph that made my heart hammer against my ribs.

"Why my ankle?" I asked, searching his eyes to see if he was actually a pervert. "Is that a tradition in the sea? Marking the feet? Do mermaids even have feet?"

No, right? So is it their tails they mark?