Reincarnated as a step-dad in a fantasy world

Chapter 342 : Gods’ Marks (2)

Alex finally realized why Freya had said with quite some conviction that what she needed to tell him may very well push him away from her. Well, even now he was adamant about having her, but he at least understood that there was a good chance that if it was someone else, they might want to stay away.

Being marked by a god could only mean one of two things: either you have been blessed by a god, or you have been cursed by that god.@@novelbin@@

If it was the former, then everything was alright—more than alright even. Those who had been blessed by the gods often led good lives, they were people extremely lucky in general, and depending on the god that had blessed you, you would probably gain other advantages.

If you were of the latter category, though, then you would probably live a miserable life. Those who have been cursed by a god almost every time, at some point in their lives, attempt suicide. One might think that it is sad that those people would wish to kill themselves to escape from their supplices, but actually, those who managed to kill themselves are the luckiest of them all. Whether you have been blessed or cursed, you would probably live for a long time, and while if you were blessed that would be good, if you were cursed, then you would only spend your time suffering, and even your death would probably be something insanely gruesome.

There was a problem, though—an issue that made people avoid those that bore the mark of a god as if they were plagues. That problem was that there was no way to differentiate someone who had been blessed or cursed through their mark. Be it a blessing or a curse, every mark, whatever its design, evoked the same unsettling feeling if you stared at it too intently.

Of course, as they go along in their lives, most mark bearers would come to understand whether they had been blessed or cursed and the name of the god that had marked them. This was a process that might take time, though, which was why until it was determined which category you belonged to, people would probably ostracize you the second it was revealed that you had been marked.

There were even some people who were paranoid enough to chase down those who had been marked. These people usually had one excuse, and that was "for the greater good." For them, if you had been cursed, then it was better to get rid of you before your curse brought misfortune to others. And what if the person they were trying to kill was blessed instead of cursed? Well, those lunatics had even thought of that, and their conclusion was that if you were blessed, you needn't worry about them— the god that had blessed you would probably protect you against them.

Unfortunately, though, even those who had been blessed usually faced an unwelcomed consequence. And that... was that in most cases, those people would remain single for the remainder of their lives.

It wasn't a consequence of their blessing, but rather a consequence of people's beliefs. For the common folk, if you had been marked by a god or goddess and that mark signified a blessing, then it probably meant that this god or goddess was in love with you. And who in their right mind would dare to become the rival of a god?!!!

For that reason, even if it was determined that you were blessed, people would still be cautious around you.

Alex personally thought all of that was utter crap. He was still determined to have Freya, and whether she had been blessed or cursed by a god, he couldn't care less. He neither had faith in nor respected the gods to begin with, so why would he abandon a woman he genuinely liked just because some god had decided to mark her?

[Careful with what you think or say, little lover. Some gods are quite petty, you know,] the goddess of lust said, her voice echoing directly in his head.

"Fuck off," Alex replied. He was still annoyed with her from earlier, and now was seriously not the time to hear her voice in his mind.

The only response he got was a soft giggle, the goddess of lust clearly unbothered by his rudeness. He was only a mortal in her eyes—there was no reason to take what he thought or said seriously. One could only say that Alex was lucky that it was a god with this particular mindset he was addressing. If it had been other gods, he might have bitterly regretted his words.

Alex didn't really care at this moment, though. Right now, he was finding it hard to even control his anger. He had never liked the gods to begin with. They did everything on their whims, never caring about mortals like him, and as if that wasn't enough, those beings often acted against mortals based on emotions such as rage, jealousy… or pettiness. They were gods, goddammit! Weren't they supposed to be above the very concept of emotions? Weren't they supposed to be wise, impartial? And yet, time and time again, they proved to be nothing more than selfish, capricious entities who saw mortals as nothing more than playthings.

Watching the mark on Freya's face, his anger only seemed to increase.

Noticing the shift in the air and the expression on his face, Freya was taken aback. At that moment, she thought that Alex was mad at her for hiding her mark from him, and she felt something break inside her.

She instantly moved to put her bracelet back on her wrist. "Sorry, I know I should have told you sooner, it's just that—" Before she could place the bracelet back, Alex stopped her.

"Wait!" he exclaimed, delicately placing his hand over hers.

Seeing the expression on her face, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, Alex almost felt like kicking himself.

Freya glanced up at him, and she saw him watching her with a guilty expression.

"I'm not mad at you or anything like that," Alex said, putting on his most reassuring expression. "I can't even be mad at you for hiding such a thing, and it's not like it's your fault that you carry this mark," he added with a smile before continuing, "I still like you just as before and still want to continue being with you despite this mark."

Hearing this, Freya was at first stunned. She had been hoping to hear such an answer, but now that she heard it, she didn't know how to react.

Seeing this, Alex pulled her closer and sealed her lips with his.

The matriarch was surprised, her body tensing up, but as warmth spread through her, she allowed herself to relax and kissed him back, small tears running down the side of her face.

The kiss wasn't the sweetest nor the most passionate one they had shared, but in a sense, it felt like the most meaningful one. 

Seconds later, they pulled away from each other, their foreheads pressing together as they stared deep into each other's eyes, their breaths mingling in the intimate space between them.

Alex grinned. "See? There was nothing to worry about."

"Yes, you are right," Freya replied, her voice filled with relief and happiness, before she passionately pressed her lips against Alex's once more.

While kissing her back, Alex wrapped his arms around her slender waist and pulled her closer, pressing her body flush against his. The heat between them intensified as the kiss deepened, their lips molding perfectly together, and their breaths became ragged.

Their hands roamed across each other's bodies, exploring, feeling, memorizing every curve and contour. Their lips moved in a feverish rhythm, tongues intertwining in a heated dance, as if waging a battle neither wanted to win.

Seconds… or perhaps an eternity later, they finally pulled away, their breathing heavy, a thin trail of saliva still connecting their parted lips.

Beads of sweat rolled down Freya's flushed face, her pupils slightly dilated, and an almost palpable mix of love and lust shone in her eyes, making her look even more breathtaking than ever.

"Who would have thought the gorgeous but cold Matriarch Freya could have such an expression? I'm surprised," Alex teased, lowering his head and placing a lingering kiss on her neck.

"And who would have thought the frightening Arcanor would be such a charmer and a joker?" she replied with a soft chuckle, a smile plastered on her face. She reached down, her fingers gently caressing Alex's sharp jawline, her eyes burning with desire.

Freya's fingers then tightened slightly around Alex's collar and she whispered, her voice barely above a breath, "Stay with me, Alex... just like this." Her gaze remained locked onto his mesmerizing silver eyes, filled with a longing that words alone couldn't express.

"Oh, I won't let you go tonight," he murmured, his eyes glowing with a faint pink light as he placed another lingering kiss on her slender neck, simultaneously twisting his waist and gently laying Freya down beneath him. "And I'll make sure you don't forget it."