Alpha's love

The last week had been more quiet than ever. No rouges had been spotted since Eric had shown up at Marcus's house. Aria had pushed away all feelings that she felt that night, choosing to shove them as deep down inside her as she could. Although she knew that Marcus had felt some of her pain she had hid most of it with as much of her power as she could. She had tried not to let his words affect her but when he had told her that there was no "we" and that she shouldn't even come watch his fight. She wasn't sure that she could keep herself away, now that their mate bond had grown closer than before her wolf was fighting her human side constantly, making her more exhausted than she had ever been in her life. She had spent many hours holed up in her study forming plans with Eve for war and planning how to keep her pack safe. Even more so she had been dreading going out into the woods, hiding from her wolf and pushing her away. The knock on her door pulled her away from her thoughts as the doors opened to Eve who stood fidgeting in the door.

"Alpha, you have a visitor, who seems very anxious to see you," and then she was pushed aside rather roughly as Marcus stood in the doorway his eyes wild, hair disheveled. Aria pushed her wolf away and managed to keep her face neutral. "Marcus....hi," she unconsciously smoothed her hair down trying to blink the sleep from her eyes. He hurried over to her reaching out for her when she stepped back a little and he froze, hurt in his eyes. She took a deep breath before continuing, "It's just that I want things to be okay with us of course, you don't need to be distracted when you kill Eric. I know that I need you and you need me too, but think we just need to slow down for a second and talk instead of just jumping each others bones." Marcus ran his hand through his hair before slumping into one of her leather chairs.

"I wasn't going to jump your bones, Aria I just wanted to feel you close to me because for at least one last time. I came to tell you that today...today I fight Eric." Aria's eyes widened and she sunk into her office chair gripping the arms tightly. Marcus reached across the desk touching her arm, his eyes crinkled in pain as his wolf reached out trying to comfort her. She leaned into his touch slightly before pulling away her eyes steely and cold.

"You won't die. Even if he wins I'll kill him," her voice dripped with hatred as she spoke, spitting the words out of her mouth as if they were poison. Marcus flashed her a grim smile before speaking again, "I know you want to be there, but you should really stay here and protect your pack." Aria let out a small growl before standing from behind her desk, hands planted on the desk,

"My beta can stay here with the rest of my pack, my wolf will go crazy if she can't watch you!" Marcus let out a growl of his own, before speaking again in a darker\sterner tone,

"You WILL stay here!" He demanded ending with a loud growl. Aria's eyes widened before she let out a snarl that filled the room as she stalked around the desk.

"Did you just use your alpha tone on me," she asked her voice deadly quiet as she glared up at Marcus, her hands balled at her sides, her nose almost touching his. His eyes narrowed as he moved closer to her his nose touching hers as he stared down at her their eyes challenging each other as bolts of electricity filled the air around them. Aria faltered, some of her anger draining as his eyes glanced down at her lips as they parted.

He made the first move, grabbing her waist and pulling her towards him as his lips crashed down onto hers. She resisted at first and he pulled away until Aria pressed her lips back against his and he pushed her against the desk. Just as things were beginning to get heated a knock on the door made them pull away from each other. Marcus growled staring at Aria's lips once again before pulling away as Eve burst into the room, his beta on her heels glancing at Eve before stepping forward a grim look on his face.

"Alpha Marcus, Eric is here. He wants to hold the fight on Aria's property....in her front yard." Aria snarled at this stepping past Marcus, "I forbid it, he's not welcome on my territory. Kill him. Now. He trespassed on my land, killed my beta, threatened my mate, and me, and now he has come on my land without my permission and I can kill him." Eve hesitated before stepping forward bowing her head quickly to both alphas before speaking,

"Alpha Aria, Eric challenged him before he came on the property. Under the laws, he us under protection even though he has trespassed on your lands." Aria snarled and gave Marcus a quick hug and kiss pushing away the urge to do more before she led the way out of the room outside to where Eric was standing, alone. His arms crossed and he smirked at Aria before turning his attention to Marcus.

"Marcus, I'm sure you know why I am here. I, Eric challenge you Marcus to a fight to the death for the position of Alpha for this pack." Aria let out a growl and stepped forward but Marcus put a hand on her shoulder stepping forward with a solemn nod, his eyes flashing with anger. He pulled his shirt over his head quickly and Eric grinned before stalking towards the large yard in front of Aria's pack house.

Marcus was the first to shift, his big black wolf shaking its fur out before snarling at Eric who turned a pale shade before shifting in his wiry brown wolf. Marcus circled Eric before launching himself at the wolf who darted out of the way as Marcus hit the ground on all fours spinning to face the brown wolf again. Aria bit her lip and sucked in a big breath as she watched Eric snap at Marcus's leg who snarled and spun biting into Erics shoulder and shaking his head viciously as Eric yelped and squirmed lashing out at Marcus with his paws. One of his lucky swipes landed on Marcus's snout causing Marcus to yelp in pain and release his hold on Eric. As soon as his hold on Eric released eric twisted and jumped on top of Marcus who pushing his head into the ground as his jaws snapped at Marcus who barely managed to fend him off with his pummelment of paws that clawed at the underside of Eric's belly. His hind legs pushed hard against erics belly flinging him through the air where he hit the ground with a THUMP followed by a crack as his head hit a rock. Cheers sounded from Marcus's pack as he stalked over to Eric trickles of blood flowing down his face as he stood over an unconscious Eric his snout contorted in a snarl.

Aria sighed in relief as Marcus raised his paw to slice it across his neck, and then her sigh turned to a silent scream as Eric's eyes flew open and his paws came up slicing across his Marcus's neck. Marcus staggered backwards in surprise as he tried to howl, three deep gashes covering his neck, blood flowing from his neck freely. Eric's wolf snarled as he stalked towards Marcus who fell to his side trying to howl in pain. Aria screamed as a hot white pain crashed over her and she stumbled towards Marcus who's wolf was whimpering as best as he could. Eric approached Marcus's wolf his jaws snapping and his paw raising to deliver the final blow. The crowd was dead silent, their bodies tensed as they held each other back from killing the threat that threatened the kill their alpha. Aria couldn't stop her wolf from shifting before Milean lept through the air knocking Eric over. He squirmed underneath her and she delivered the final blow to his neck leaving him to bleed out as she ran to Marcus's side whimpering and nudging him. The pack was dead silent as Eve and Blake rushed forward in human form pressing their hands to Marcus's neck. Aria forced her wolf to shift backwards crouching at Marcus's side as dry sobs wracked her body as Marcus's wolf stared up at her his eyes glazed over.

"NO, Marcus you can't die on me okay? Moon goddess help me, she gave you to me for a goddam reason and I intend to fulfill that reason okay!? I was being stubborn because I had to protect my pack and I don't want to step down, but that doesn't mean we can't bee together!" Blake looked at her sadly as the light in Marcus's eyes faded his wolf giving one last whimper before silence enveloped the yard. Aria felt a cracking in her heart, as an immense sadness filled her entire body. She shifted involuntarily and let out a heartbreaking howl curling up next to her mate's lifeless body as the other pack members gathered around their howls filling the air, mourning the loss of their alpha.