Chapter Text
It started out as an intense blossoming pain in the middle of her back, the kind of pain that makes you curl in on yourself and howl until it subsided. A small price to pay if it meant that by the end she’d know that her soulmate was out there. Alive and well. Waiting. So many years went by with nothing. Hide nor hair of this mystery person that should’ve surfaced when she was young and bursting with joy for the world awaiting her. Yet here she was, a woman in her late 20s, a junior deputy and not much of a life started. In recent years she got it in her head that God was cruel, that he left her and destined her a fate worse than death.
Sometimes the mark that appeared would manifest itself as the first words you speak to each other, that’s what the lucky ones get. Makes life so much easier. Next in line for the gamble is that person’s name. But luck was never on her side. After all, she’s waited so long for this pain that would signal a brand on her skin.
That’s why, when she turned around to look at where it’s been placed on her back she almost broke down crying. Had to refrain from ripping that piece of skin from her body.
She didn’t even know what it was. A sort of symbol. Like a star. It wasn’t a pentagram. Or the Star of David. It was a thick cross, (or maybe a ‘T’) with much thinner lines going through it in an ‘X’ pattern. A tiny circle was in the middle. She couldn’t identify the damn thing. Spent hours online doing research. Hoping it’d be some religious thing that she could find. At the end of the day she came up empty. That hollowness in her stomach was back. Her mind was, once again, blank. Seems like God wasn’t as merciful as she assumed. He wasn’t done playing games.
*****
The day before she took off to make an arrest, one that’ll (fingers crossed) kick start her career, her soulmate mark was causing her to struggle with each breath she took. Everything felt too high strung. Like at any moment she would lose her composure and snap. Lash out at anyone and everyone around her.
Rook was trembling when she set foot in the church, her body reacting to the environment that seemed to take a shift in tone as soon as they stepped through the doors as uninvited guests. Her mark was throbbing bitterly in time with her footsteps. Making itself known as she stood in front of Joseph Seed. He radiated an aura that made her shoulders relax yet had her heart pounding out of her chest. He was intense to say the least.
When she took his wrist in her hand she was certain she felt a jolt of electricity bind them together, coursing through their veins and making her head spin.
He cocked his head to the side as she hesitated, took in those too blue eyes that reflected all her emotions. It was a brief pause, though she was sure he, like her, felt it go on forever. She was out of her element. Too late to turn back, to wuss out and take the teasing from her friends.
That’s why she was reacting this way, because she knew who this man is, has read reports on him and his family. His was sadistic and that’s why bile was rising in the back of her throat and her the symbol of her soulmate was making her want to cry out from the feeling. Simply letting her special one know the danger she was in. That’s all. It was a foreign feeling and her body was coping the best it could.
Joseph listened well, put up no fight. Told her that God wouldn’t let her take him. Rook was still bitter about what God had engraved into her backside, she had to refrain from telling him that he was probably right. That her and God weren’t on the best of terms and there was no way He was protecting her tonight.
Joseph was seen as a prophet, a man holier than all those around him. With that thought nagging her she led him half heartedly to the helicopter. Wincing at the loud sound the blades made.
The walk there seemed longer than it was. Gave her time to panic at what his people could do. It also gave her ample time to look over his body, see what kind of soulmate mark he got. Surely he was close to God. Most likely already bound.
She came up empty time and time again, trying to be discreet as possible while checking over his shoulder and glancing at his hips and chest when she saw nothing of interest on his back. She was sure he caught her looking. More like ogling as she realized that she wouldn’t mind at all hopping into bed with him. He didn’t look smug about it, only curious as to why she was watching him so intently. Not like he was doing the same to her. His gaze was unlike anything else. Unable to settle on one thing, always flicking around her face, down the expanse of the open skin on her arms. Always coming up dissatisfied in whatever he was searching for. Just as she was.
That set her on edge, made her walk faster and push him along.
Hudson grabbed him, helped pull him into a seat and offered Rook her hand. She gripped onto it, relishing the contact as it helped to ground her. Bring her back to the present.
She didn’t let go of Hudson’s hand. Squeezed it for dear life until she noticed the scowl on Joseph’s face. How he seemed angry at her. Fair considering she was the one who slapped handcuffs on him and stole him away from his family, though the amount of wrath he was conveying didn’t fit the situation. Not with how he kept glancing on where their hands were interlocked. When their eyes met again, those bright blue eyes, she shuddered. Suddenly feeling sick, Rook let go of Hudson like the woman had caught on fire.
Rook balled her hands into her lap as the bird ascended. Praying to God just as Joseph was probably doing right now.
It was like a game to see who would win over His favor.
No surprise when the helicopter came crashing down. None at all as she lost and God rewarded his little prophet here on earth.
She just wished the impact wasn’t so damn hard. It made her blink out of consciousness. Nothing felt broken, though she was hanging upside down with blood rushing away from her head so she wasn’t the best judge of character at the moment.
Her ears picked up on Joseph’s soft voice. Sweet and melodic from wherever the hell it was coming from. It certainly wasn’t where he was locked in just a moment before.
Tears made hot streaks down her face as she scrambled to rip off the seatbelt that kept her confined. She’d call Nancy once she was free. Respond to her distressed cries when she knew she’d be able to grab the headset and check if everyone was still alive. Her hands weren’t working properly though. They were floppy and wrong. Like jelly.
A larger set of hands covered her own. Caused her to stop panicking as a thumb wiped away the tears that hadn’t stopped yet.
...a wretch like me...
I once was lost…
...was blind...now I see
Halves of words that she couldn’t piece together coming from Joseph. Right by her ear as he leaned in close to whisper the words that her brain sluggishly tried to make sense of. It was all wrong. The sounds of the world coming back slowly. The roar of the fire wasn’t nearly as loud as it should be. The barrage of people talking seemed miles away.
Her eyes blinked rapidly to clear up the image of Joseph as he pulled back and held her face in his hands.
“And you. You are coming with me.”
*****
Her body felt heavy. A concussion no doubt. Though there was a warmth spreading in her veins. Making her calm down as something, or someone, shrouded around her.
There was a person who was holding onto her as if she would disappear the moment they loosened their hold. It would be nice if said person wasn’t practically snarling when anyone got close enough.
Rook caught snippets of conversations as she was dragged along. Tripping over her own two feet.
“Joe are you sure…?”
“Maybe if we could...please.”
“...help you.”
Then blindingly clear above all the rest:
“That’s enough!” Not exactly a yell, more of a stern warning. Then in a softer tone on the verge of screaming. “Everyone please stop. Leave me.”
“We can’t just—“
“I said,” She felt herself being pivoted as the man holding her turned around to confront whoever was not letting him continue down him path. “Leave me. Leave us. Look at her Jacob. John, Faith, you too.” Her chin was held in a gentle grip, making her glance up as her hair fell around her. Giving everyone a better view of her face. “This one is mine. I need her to know that. I need God to see that I’ve received his message and that I understand my role in her life. She’s mine and I won’t have anyone interfering with that.” A deep breath that made the man’s chest shudder, in turn making her unsteady on her feet.
The sound of footsteps falling away from them, before this man—Joseph—because that’s the last person she saw, it had to be him, began murmuring to himself. Crazed rantings that she could make out more clearly as her brain rebooted and the fog around her eyes cleared up.
“Just you and me now child. As He intended.” Joseph glanced down, a soft smile on his face when he saw her watching him. “You’re awake. And safe.” The last part said with a growl, something close to disdain as he looked behind them, memories of whoever was trying to stop him flooded in his mind. “You’ll be safe with me and only me.”
He walked along with her until they reached a small building, one that was completely white and had bright lights on the inside. “Our home.” Joseph nuzzled into her cheek as he whispered the words like a prayer. His beard scratched at her face, the kind of sensation she didn’t know she was longing for until he pulled away.
He went about introducing each segment of the house, it was hard for her muddled head to keep up. She was spinning. Utterly confused at to why Joseph Seed, The Father, wanted her to be with him. What had she done to catch his attention?
They stopped in the bedroom, a sight that had her relaxing further into his grip. It was warm and welcoming. A presence that made her whine when Joseph instead guided her over to the opposing wall, pressed her face into it so he could tear up the back of her shirt. His palm traced her mark. The one she’s yet to identify. He made a noise in the back of his throat that had her keening.
His hands were gentle, callused in just the right places. Making shivers run down her spine as he began laying soft kisses on the blackened ink. “Exactly as I thought. Exactly as He told me when you walked in. He’s never led me astray.”
Rook turned her head to watch him breath in her scent. Release the held in air slowly like he was trying to savor it. His tongue darted out between chapped lips to taste the sweat that gathered on her skin. He was pressing himself up against her fully. Letting them mold together as the contours of their body lined up perfectly like that of a puzzle.
Their noses bumped as he leaned in impossibly close. Those eyes of his, too much to handle at first glance, they could tell a million stories. They could protect her from the world. She saw devotion in every look he cast her way. And that made her melt into him. Made kissing him, opening up and granting entrance, so much easier.
It felt right. For the first time in weeks she felt that soulmate mark on her back that she’s been cursing, finally settle. It became apart of her flesh. Like a tattoo and no longer a foreboding presence.
Joseph pressed once more kiss to her lips before breaking away and leading her to the mattress. Hands always wandering, never wanting to let go. He guided her to lie on her stomach, keeping sight of that mark. He was infatuated with it.
“You, my child. You belong to me now. We are bound.” Said as he helped her wiggle out of her clothes. Proven way too difficult from the position he chose, he had determination with everything he approached and wouldn’t stop until she was bare before him. “All my life the world has remained colorless, drab. I tried to fill those holes, tried to fix those parts of me that didn’t allow me to fully experience the world as God intended.” When she was naked he pulled her up slightly, enough for her upper body to be arching into his chest. Enough for him to place both of her full breasts into his hands.
“Then you came along. Walked in my church filled with bravado. Following orders that weren’t yours. Being led like a puppet on a string by those above your status. Not anymore though.” He tweaked a nipple and relished in the way she squirmed. “I won’t let anyone lead you astray. I won’t let them take advantage of you my darling soulmate.”
Joseph brushed her hair out of the way to kiss the nape of her neck. With gentle hands that moved from her breasts he directed her on hands and knees. Whispering softly in her ear of all that he wanted to do with her. That she would always be his.
He pulled away to remove his belt, glancing between the buckle and the mark on her back.
One and the same.
He draped himself over her back, pressing down into her. “Tell me your name child.”
She complied. Muffled in the sheets as she pushed back into him and the weight he held onto her made her arms give out. She whispered it one more time and felt Joseph pull her back up on her hands and knees. Intertwining his hand with her own. The back of his hand was on top, showing off black swirly letters that spelt out her name.
His mark.
“Just as He intended.”
Joseph took her from behind that first night they made love. Had her bend over for him as he teased her folds. Rubbed his cock over her swollen clit as she begged for more.
Her body knew what to do. Knew this was the man that she was bound to be with no matter what. She was his. She opened up for him.
He put his cock in slowly, gritting his teeth at the way she clamped down on him. He was no saint, definitely not a virgin, but it’s been so long. And now he could perform such acts without it being sinful. That made it feel all the more better as he sunk down to the hilt. Joseph stayed like that until her walls squeezed him tighter and she began to whine with pent up need.
Joseph started thrusting in languid motions. Drawing out slow and shoving himself in with force that had her jolting forward as her breast swung roughly. The tiny stints of pain were followed up with soft kisses to anywhere he could reach. His beard brushed her unblemished skin. Scratched in all the right ways as he trailed along her shoulder blades then up the curve of her neck.
“Oh my—love…” Breathed gently in her ear as he picked up the pace. His arms caged her in, switching between resting on her hips and going to run across her shoulders.
“All this to offer me, and it’s mine.” She could hear the smile in his voice. Could imagine it in her mind’s eye despite not knowing him for long. That thought right then should’ve had her scrambling to get away. That he was practically a stranger. A manic one at that. But it felt good and it felt so right for his cock to be stuffing her full.
“More, Joseph.”
A hard thrust to accompany her request. One that had her moving back to meet him.
When her walls pressed down on him he dropped one hand to rub between her folds. To play with her nub. It was soft, he started everything in a slow pace. Careful not to hurt her, building up to when he would go harder. And that didn’t take long at all. He was just a man. A man with wants, needs and desires. His built up energy had him rocking in and out of her at a fast pace that made her teeth clack together. He rubbed her clit faster. Made her whine and cry out as she got closer.
Joseph mumbled soothing words as she came. Cursed under his breath as she got tighter and made him spill inside her.
They stayed like that. With her sinking down into the mattress with her hips up in the air and him not pulling out. Joseph placed soft bites on her neck. Leaving bruises, wanting those to know that she already had someone. That she belonged to him.
*****
Joseph was attentive from then on. Wherever he went, she was nearby. Usually pressed close to him. He always found a way to make sure their bodies were close. That his hips were lined up with hers in public, disguising it as a show of affection as his chest was on her back. His hand on her shoulder. It was something that constantly reminded her of her mark. The Eden’s Gate symbol she realized. The same one that was on Joseph’s belt buckle.
She didn’t mind. Enjoyed having him right up against her. Like how he would show jealousy. It was endearing. It was everything she thought she would never have. That rang true for the both of them. Made them stay near one another out of fear that their God wouldn’t remain as kind.