Chapter 370: The Mark of Desire
The Mark of Desire
Leon closed the door softly with careful slowness, the soft click engulfed by the quiet of the evening. He stood for a moment, palm against the smooth wood, as if closing a sanctuary door behind him. In that room rested Cassidy and Mia—mother and daughter—blessedly awarded a slice of tranquility.
He nearly departed silently, but a gentle laugh betrayed him. The memory was too recent to ignore. Before he slipped away, he’d leaned down and kissed each of their foreheads. The manner in which both of them had stiffened into shock, then blushed with shyness, almost innocence, had been too much. They’d widened their eyes like frightened kittens, mouth open but unable to speak. That expression—half shock and half sweetness—stuck to him still, drawing another low laugh from his body.
"Cute," he whispered to himself, wagging his head as he finally walked away.
The hallway lay long and hushed, shrouded in silver. Moonlight flooded the high arched windows, laying down pale ribbons on the floor. There was a faint stirring of air, cool drafts slipping through cracks, rustling the curtains like ghostly fingers. Leon slowed, breathing it in. He allowed his chest to expand, letting the quiet of the night fill him. For an instant, the turmoil of his desires, his duties, even his need for touch—all of these eased into stillness.
He was drawn to the window, propping himself against the sill and allowing his eyes to drift out. The sky was wide and limitless, a velvet black pierced by stars. But it was the moons he was entranced by. Two shining orbs suspended above him—one a pale yellow, one a ghostly pale blue. They were twin eyes gazing down at him, unwinking, ageless. For one instant, he felt as if the universe itself watched, waited.
And then, the quiet was broken.
[Now what, bro?]
The jolt of voice in his head snapped him out of his daze. His gold eyes slanted a little, and he breathed out through his nose.
"...What do you say by ’what now’?" Leon asked softly, though the question was in his mind more than on his lips.
A tongue click sounded in his head, crisp and taunting.
[Tch tch, host. I say just what I mean. What are you going to do now? You have the rest of the night ahead of you... and you left two lovelies behind that door.]
Leon’s mouth curled, the corner creeping into a sly smile. He leaned in, still gazing at the shining moons.
"Suppose you do? Did you forget I have wives beyond you who long for my caress as much? Tonight, I will not deny them." His voice had thickened with promise, a low rumble of lust filled with conviction. "They’ll feel me. All of them. And more than that... I’ll claim them, all of them. With my mark."
The words weren’t hollow. His gaze blazed with instant fire, passion hot enough to match the heavens themselves. It was more than lust—it was possession, the need to become part of their lives so thoroughly that no one could ever take them apart.
[Hmmm...] the machine whirred, as though savoring the thought of a fine wine. [That’s a damn good idea, bro. Think of it—every time you do, you bind them tighter, body and soul. Piece by piece, you’ll link them all to you fully.]
Leon’s grin grew wider. "Just that."
He stood there for a moment, bathed in moonlight, thoughts reaching out beyond this night. Then another question welled up in him, like smoke.
"By the way, system... do you know what further use there is to these tattoos? The ones that I provide them with when I... complete inside them." His golden eyes narrowed, piercing the vacant air as if the response would materialize among the suspended curtains.
There was a delay. He could nearly sense the frown of the system, the gears grinding.
[Bro... I still don’t know the whole story. Not yet. But don’t worry—I’ll get to the bottom of it. I’ll know soon, I swear. There’s more to those scars. I can sense it.]
Leon nodded, accepting the doubt without irritation. He had long since mastered patience—at least, where power was concerned.
"Fine. Leave it for now," he muttered, a wolfish grin returning. "I’ve got other priorities tonight. Because tonight..." He inhaled, chest rising, his voice brimming with dark joy. "...tonight I’ll have my first true orgy. All of them. My women, gathered in one chamber. And I’ll take them all together."
The acceptance itself made his blood boil, his heart pounding like drums of war. He remembered earlier, the way he had already spent hours wrapped up with Cassidy. Her skin had been blaze under his fingers, her whimpers still ringing in his mind. But even after so many hours, his hunger had not dissipated—it had intensified, become maddening. His desire was beast now, trapped inside his body, tearing to be set free.
[Hah! That’s the spirit.] The system laughed, tongue clicking in amusement. [Go on then, bro. Go have fun. I’ll be kept occupied trying to find out the secret of your tattoo while you wallow in their bodies.]
Leon’s laughter was deep, depraved. "Fair trade."
He shrugged from the window, rolling his shoulders, and started his stroll along the corridor again. His footsteps were light but determined, the thud of boots quiet on the moonlit stone. The castle was still, but he sensed the pressure of the night around him, nudging him on.
Memory seeped into the present as he walked. He followed the same route he had followed with Nova to lead him. Each archway, each forking corridor, each ornamented stone was familiar now. He recalled how her hand had touched his as they walked then, how her eyes had flashed to him when she thought he wasn’t noticing. That route had taken him further into this place, further into their lives. And now, it took him to a chamber where all his wives gathered.
The idea tightened his chest—not with fear, but with hunger so raw it was almost pain. His jaw was clenched, breathing deepened, every step more labored than the last as if relishing the approach.
By the time the doors of the chamber were visible, his eyes blazed—golden fire in silvered night.
Tonight, his hunger would have its match.