The Change (Fated Series: book1)

Marcus didn’t need to see the small smile on her rosy lips to know he had impressed her. He had outdone any expectations she might have had. It was no secret, he wasn’t the romantic type. Who, except she-wolves, was a romantic at heart? He was just smart enough to listen to his mate. Oh, yes, he was listening and cataloging every little request or complaint his spitfire made.

So when she pointed out she needed some romance and wooing, he started planning putting together a romantic dinner. True, he needed a lot longer to come up with a plan, but he was the Alpha and could swear to secrecy some pack members to help surprise Nessa and reminded himself to personally thank everyone for pitching in his romantic evening.

Her request to go to her apartment had caught him off guard. Sure, he needed her away from the backyard to prepare it, but he didn’t want to let her go anywhere without him. Talk about being whipped! More importantly, she was still in her heat, and even though he was constantly enforcing his scent on her, she could still feel the longing and pain. Marcus would rather die than see her in any pain that his touch could have prevented all together.

As soon as she saw him, she had been on edge. Vanessa, just as about anyone who had met him, knew Alpha Marcus “Ned” Edwards was not the romantic type. But he did his best to please her. She was his everything and the sooner she understood he stood by her, the better it was going to be for both of them.

Marcus had plans. And boy, they were grand! He would give her so much romance she would beg him to stop. Then he would move to much more important topics…. Such as children.

Their flirty-back-and-forths got heated. He was shirtless by own her request and she was openly admiring his body.

Marcus never saw himself as anything but intimidating. How Nessa enjoyed his physique was beyond his comprehension.

Emma never openly stated her attraction for him and that made him cautious. Alphas were often taller, larger and more muscular, and Marcus always saw Emma as fragile. He had to be strong for both of them to make their relationship work.

On second thought, he had to be a lot of things for their relationship to even take off. He moderated himself and became convinced the change was a part of being a mated wolf. He no longer invited the guys over, and learned to temper his emotions in order not to scare her. He had to persuade her her, to be strong for both. Emma changed him into a milder, more censored version of an Alpha, until one day he failed to protect her.

He could be himself around Nessa without worry. She welcomed the playfulness with her own jesting, always challenging him and pushing on established barriers. The foundation of their relationship was their teasing, flirting and mischievous courting. They were ‘partners in crime’. And he more than liked it. The emotionless facade his Alpha duties dictated was left in his office. It was easy to throw caution out of the window and just enjoy being with Nessa. It didn’t matter how mad he got, he could always share his frustration. He could growl and snarl in per presence and not have her retreating. She was not afraid to call him on his behavior or refocus his attention in more productive manner. He grinned. His Choice mate was everything his True Mate hadn’t been.

Marcus found himself wondering how Fate matched him with a True Mate as timid as Emma was. True, he was more rowdy and needed to learn control, but caging in his animal or emotions wasn’t successful long term strategy. It wasn’t until he met Vanessa, Marcus realized he could relax and be himself around her without fretting about being “socially acceptable”. Wasn’t that the ultimate relationship test?

It wasn’t just her acceptance of his behavior that ultimately brought them closer. He had not once considered his height a hindrance in their relationship. He had an intimidating posture as any Alpha but his height and often sharp sarcasm made him feared, dangerous…. Not that Marcus minded. Being strong was a trait that was actively groomed in Alphas. You had to be big and strong to lead. When it came to his personal life, oh, well, that was another story. After all, how can you not consider it a hindrance when your own mate jumps in fright if you all but surprise her? Not to mention that spaces could feel rather small if your head nearly brushed against the ceiling. It was a reason enough to avoid visits to other pack lands. Why would he knowingly put himself in crowded, cramped places when he could avoid them or host such meetings in his own spacious Pack House? On the rare occasions, that he did attend meetings on the territories of other Alphas, he preferred the outdoors ones.

He knew that made him eccentric, extravagant and odd all at the same time. He knew of the whispers of his blood thirst and vengeance and he didn’t care. He couldn’t be bothered to “accommodate” anyone in his shattered life. If you wanted to speak with AlphaNed, you abided by his rules. He didn’t owe anything to anyone outside his pack.

It hadn’t been till Vanessa ran into him that his height and physique lost their intimidation. The little minx barely reached his shoulder, not only didn’t retreat frightened, but teased him instead. Her playfulness knew no bounds and she even went as far as physically assaulting him. Marcus all but wanted to commend her for her bravery to stand up for herself, even if it was as his own expense. Who was he kidding? He wanted to kiss her senseless, every single time that she had shown character. Her independent, sophisticated, headstrong pretty body made him long for love once again. And he made damn sure she knew she belonged to him.

Nessa slowly relaxed as the evening carried on. He had brought that smile on her lips. He was the reason for her happiness. What else could he ask for?

When she squatted over his lap, he knew he was gone even before her soft hands traced his shoulders and then charted their territory down to his abs. The desire in her eyes was all the proof he needed to know she wanted him just as bad as he wanted her. She had fallen in love with their wicked conversation and their bedroom compatibility, not because of his title or power. She had even had the guts to threaten him with no other than her badass Alpha Ned to keep him in line. She was amazing and he had to thank his lucky stars he had managed to find her.

Choice Mates did not stay together because of the mating pull or the fates. Their paring was made on the conscious decision they truly loved and left complete with each other. Fate was not forcing her actions, it was Vanessa who had chosen to be with him and that meant the world to him.

He had to grind his teeth to keep himself from marking her again as her fingertips lazily teased his belly button. Damn, he wanted to sink his teeth into her flesh and ravish her right about now.

Screw romance! Marcus needed her!

Just as his canines shifted and he was going to mark her again, her astonished voice finally registered in his lust-clouded mind.

“You have white hairs!”

Marcus had to blink twice before he could fully understand her. She pushed up from his lap to investigate his hair, effectively bringing her breasts to his face.

“Grey,” he corrected her enjoying the view in front of him. He shifted his index finger to a claw, dragging it down through the material of her shirt, opening the cleavage to the cold air and his inspection. She must have felt the coldness, as she scolded him.

“You happy?”

“Very,” Marcus smirked and squeezed his hands as they were gently kneading her butt cheeks. That brought her delicious body closer to him, allowing him to bury his face into her breasts.

“How old are you again?” She questioned him, obviously referring to the lack of restraint on his part. True, he was acting as a hormone-crazed pup, but it was her fault. She was in heat and even her scent was enough to give him a hard on. So what if he reacted to her body with the rush and excitement of a pup?

She was his and he was hers!

“Don’t worry, we’re both legal. You can ravish me,” Marcus informed her, intentionally overlooking her actual question.

His lips sucked down on the top part of her left breast, leaving redness and saliva over her skin. His claim. He smiled at his handiwork and noticed how short stubble had grazed her delicate skin. Damn, he had forgotten to shave once again in his hurry to meet up with her. Hairiness was such a bane for werewolves. No wonder most Alphas gave up on appearances and sported a beard before they found their mates. The damn stubble was growing faster than weed in a vegetable garden!

Nessa’s finger brought his chin up. Looking at her dazzled eyes and perky lips was his undoing. Marcus felt the ever so-constricting presence of his pants and was sure his mate had a pretty good idea how he felt.

“Grey hair,” she prompted.

“32 and I’ve been through a lot so I am allowed to be greying!” Marcus replied.

It was strange how they knew so much about each other, but yet had never talked about mundane things such as age. Had Marcus never seen her Pack file, he would have never known how old she was. It only seemed fair for her to know his age. Five years were not such a big difference, neither in human, nor in werewolf’s societies.

She was indeed right. They needed to get to know each other over dinner, but Marcus was impatient. He knew what it was to lose a mate and he was not going to waste time and putting things on hold. He wanted to live life at the speed that life was slipping away. There was no time or space for small things that made no difference to the overall big picture. She was His. He was Hers. Nothing else mattered.

“I’m surprised you haven’t noticed it before!”

“Well, obviously, I have been distracted,” Nessa replied tracing his jaw line with a finger.

“Let’s distract you some more,” Marcus agreed and started kissing her collarbone. Where was he going to mark her again? Bellow or above it? Marcus simply couldn’t decide.

“Marcus,” she moaned in protest of his words.

“Yes, Love?” He said between kisses brushing her hair behind her shoulder and scanning her skin, still wondering if he wanted the bite to be visible to others or a secret love bite for only him to know it was there. As the silence lingered, he snapped his attention to her face. Marcus knew she was just as fed up with the romance part of their evening as he was. Their mutual attraction was the force which bonded them. This was what they were good at. This was the foundation of their relationship. There was no Fate. It was love.

Marcus felt accepted, fully appreciated without any reservation for the very first time.

“Marcus, focus,” Nessa started.

“I am focused,” Marcus confirmed, as his hands slipped under her shirt and unhooked her bra. She wouldn’t need it. Marcus could not help but thank the Goddess for his luck. “I’m yours…. And you’re mine.”

Nessa relaxed in his arms and didn’t even flinch when he shifted his hand and ripped her shirt off. Fast, messy, clumsy as if he was a pup unwrapping a present! The dreaded cloth was discarded and he returned his attention to the Goddess sitting on his lap, smiling at his obvious devotion to her body.

His eyes trailed down her neck to her chest and his hands found themselves gently kneading the round globes that were practically standing right in his face. He would never get tired of investigating her body and committing to memory every single mole and all those perfect imperfections of her skin. Her breasts were lighter than her overall skin color which told a story of its own. She didn’t sunbathe in the nude. He felt proud at his little discovery. She was saving this view for him and only HIM.

The perky pink ends of her breasts were begging him to take them into his mouth and he gladly obliged earning a moan from her. There was something mesmerizing about the sounds she made. The more she squirmed, the more he wanted to make her scream his name, and he did. His tongue lapped over her nipple then rolled around it, before he sucked on it. Whoever invented “female breasts” was a genius. Their shape, structure and firmness was enticing. He could spend days investigating them. He was almost envious of their future pups who would be able to do so undisturbed for months at a time. His teeth scrapped over her soft smooth skin and he let go of her nipple before he laced his excitement for her body with pain. His self-control was slipping and he knew better than to tease himself.

In a quick motion, he wrapped his hands around her waist and laid her down on the bench, kissing the top of her head in a chaste way. Her nails dug into his shoulder before slipping below his arm to aim at his buckle. He looked down at her eyes and saw the smile on her lips. Leaning against the bench he lifted himself up off her body to allow her a better access. Her attention shifted to his bulging muscles caging her.

Oh, how much he loved seeing her admiration for him and the lack of fear in her eyes. She teasingly hooked her finger into his belt loop, pulled him closer to her and then slowly unbuckled his belt all the while maintaining eye contact with him, allowing him to look at those chocolate brown eyes full of devotion for him. He was ready to burst. And it wouldn’t matter how long he had actually spent perfecting his control, he was ready to finish before he had even started. She was his undoing!

When she bit her lip, he lost it and bent down hungrily capturing her lips with his, pressing his body flush against her body, trapping her under his weight. She giggled against his lips but returned his kiss with equal gusto.

“I’ll buy you new ones,” he informed her before his freed hands shifted into claws and sliced though her jeans’ sides. She chuckled at him and shook her head, mocking his enthusiasm. Marcus couldn’t care about clothing. He pulled the shredded clothes away from her.

“And here I thought you’d say that you love me.”

“I LOVE you,” Marcus told her with all the conviction he could muster. She was his LIFE. She had to know that, didn’t she?

“Oh, shut up,” Nessa laughed at his frustration and helped him undress.

When he finally slid in, all his frustration drained. He felt empowered as he started the enticing rhythm their bodies enjoyed. As he slowly rocked his hips against her, he felt her tighten and grip him with every thrust he was making.

“Don’t hold back.”

It was the last thing he heard her say before he buried himself into her sweet embrace searching for a release. She met him half way, equally happy to share the passion he burned with that could only rival her longing for him.

Marcus could feel her body twitching, wringing him tighter. He felt the pressure building inside him, his thrusts becoming searching. He swiftly lifted one of her legs over his arm and supported it with the cuff of his arm giving him a better access to her silky wetness. He could feel the end of her tunnel, intensifying her impending orgasm. He kept on looking at her as she shuddered, his mind link to her glowing in array of happiness and satisfaction that threaten to finish him off. He pushed and pressed harder and faster, prolonging her pleasure until the pressure inside him exploded with his own climax.

Breathing heavily, he collapsed against her small figure, snuggling closer to her. Pulling away was never an option. She was his magnet and he was desperate to be in her pull. As she absentmindedly traced figures onto his back, he leaned into her if that was even possible. As his heart beat normalized and his mind returned to its normal state, Marcus gave his mark one final peck.

“Mind-blowing,” she mumbled to him.

“Best you ever had?” Marcus inquired using her own words, making her laugh and mumble something about Alphas and Egos. After a couple of minutes of comfortable silence, her fingertips traced the scars on his back and she asked the question that he dreaded hearing.

“How did you get these?”

“It’s a long story,” Marcus vaguely replied, hoping she would give up. He didn’t want to have to see her disappointment or the fear in her eyes if she was to know his story. After all, it had been the story that had solidified his reputation as a ruthless savage.

“Fine, revert back to being mysterious, Green eyes!” Nessa retorted with disappointment.

Marcus lifted his chest as he supported his upper body weight against his elbow and cautiously looked at her. Postponing telling her this story would only make her more curious and suspicious. Both his Beta and Travis were already too loyal to her and would eventually tell her even if it wasn’t their place to do so. He sighed. Either way, she was bound to find out.

“I have always been impatient. Waiting things out never seemed like a good strategy to me. If I want something, I make sure I get it,” Marcus started surprising her of his words and earning mumbling about Alpha’s entitlement. “No, seriously. Why wait for life to slip away. If you want something you should go for it.”

“Hmm,” she agreed letting him trace patterns over her skin.

“I charged at a Rogue settling nearby and demanded their dispersion before I rightfully did it myself. There might have been a challenge. I don’t exactly recall. I came to when Cameron was pulling me out of the burning lodge cabin. They were ready to sacrifice their own who hoped to hold me back with the alpha challenge long enough for the building to come down. We were supposed to be nicely crisped and seasoned by the time anyone discovered us. It was arson and I was the reason why they were so willing to sacrifice their fighters. Word got out. Only the gossip will tell you that I lit the place up,” Marcus finished only for Nessa to cringe. He should have never told her.

“The blackout… do you think it will happen to Jon?” Nessa asked only for Marcus to snarl at her. She had not just inquired about another male so short after they had mated! He pushed his hips into her, making her gasp with a mix of pleasure and surprise, reminding her of their position. His growl slowly died down. Her soft fingertips reach out and touch his cheeks, relaxing the grinding muscles.

“Don’t scowl now. I am yours.”

“Yes, you are,” he confirmed brushing his knuckles over her claim. He then slowly continued his story as if he wasn’t interrupted. “I might have gone berserk and it was hard putting the pieces back together. Please don’t talk about another male, even if it is your cousin, while we are in bed.”

“Oh, please. You know you belong with me just as I know you are mine. But if you have doubts, by all means ravish me,” Nessa challenged and pecked his lips.

“If you continue to challenge me, I would do just so. And I won’t hold back,” Marcus promised her.

“I never wanted you to hold back,” Nessa huffed back.

“What if I am too rough with you?”

“Then it helps that I can speak and tell you that,” Nessa answered.

“You would do that?” Marcus asked.

“How else would you know?” Nessa laughed at his question and then noticing his serious mood she softly asked. “I thought you already know that I am too outspoken for my own good. If I am mad at you, believe me I will let you know.”

“You better. I’m often insensitive,” Marcus warned her before teasing kissing her lips.

Shr relaxed in his arms, allowing him to do anything he wanted. He started by lazily kissing her, savoring every taste of her delicious lips then snuggling into her body.

Her breathing slowly evening out as she fell asleep in his arms. That was when Marcus remembered the little box he had left on the ground for her. Her ultimate surprise and romance for the evening. He smiled. Even if she was about to pass out of exhaustion, he was going to give it all to her.

He reached out and blindly searched for the little box knocking it over before his fingers finally ceased it. He covered her shoulder with peck kisses as he pried open the lid. He didn’t waste time and firmly took her left hand and pushed the ring onto her ring finger.

“What’s are you doing?” Nessa mumbled in her sleep and pulled her hand from his palm to her body.

“Nothing. Go back to sleep,” Marcus replied, lacing his words with a tad bit of an Alpha voice. He only hoped that the diamonds did not cut her skin as she all but snuggled her hand under her chin, letting her eyes relax back to sleep.

He was home free.

“It’s a ring,”’ Nessa gasped and pulled her hand for a closer inspection, right in front of her eyes. “Oh, no!”

A man could only hope his fiancé would not make a big deal out of her ring…

“You can change the setting later on,” Marcus pointed out.

“Marcus, no…” Nessa replied still looking at the ring on her finger that was reflecting the sparse candlelight onto her face. Damn candles, weren’t they supposed to be out by now? If it was dark she would have not noticed it!

“You’re mine in every which way so you better not take it off!” Marcus instructed her, only for Nessa to turn to face him. Damn it, she was supposed to be too dazzled by his romantic side and probably tired from their activities to fight this.

“You can’t just put it on my finger and warn me not to take it off,” Nessa explained to him, only to provoke a growl from him. Before he had the chance to counter her that he just did that, she pushed her index finger onto his lips and shushed him. “What example will our story for your proposal set, if you all but growl and bully your way to the altar?”

“Who cares? You’re mine!” Marcus growled at her. “You will wear my claim any way possible.”

“I will” Nessa agreed and his growling died down. Nessa laughed in his arms and tried once again.

“It’s not like we can say, we mated and you put a ring on my finger.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Marcus!”

“Fine, we made love under the stars. Several times,” Marcus winked at her.

“The candles were a really nice touch...” Nessa agreed.

“Those fucking bastards should have been off by now,” Marcus grunted.

“You didn’t want me to see this?” Nessa rotated her hand and the reflected light shined between them.

“Preferably not,” Marcus honestly replied.

“Why?” She cautiously asked him.

“Because you’re going to overanalyze things as you do with everything,” Marcus told her and as she continued to stare at him. “What’s done is done. We’re engaged. Now, relax!”

“What will I do with you?” Nessa shook her head and grinned at him. “You better not tell our pups about how easily I let you go off the hook whenever we argue!”

“Pups?”

“Yeah, we don’t want them bulling their mates or poor old me following their pa’s example!” Nessa replied.

“You’re pregnant?” Marcus asked excitedly.

“I might be… You conveniently forgot to use protection, Headstrong Alpha,” Nessa explained, only for Marcus to chuckle at her and to pull her closer to his side.

“Busted,” it was all that he cared to admit then softly continued whispering, “If I had known, you’d accept pups possibility with only a mere engagement; I would have gladly bullied you into marrying me sooner!”

Marcus smiled and kissed the top of her forehead again.

“Very smooth, Mr. Charming!” Nessa scolded him playfully to which Marcus only chuckled. “Marcus, is this HER ring?”

Marcus stiffened. How had he not seen this coming? His mind quickly raced through the possible scenarios. Will Nessa want a new ring or would she want the family ring Emma had worn? Shit! How did he not think about this before he rashly proposed?!

(I thought to end this chapter here, but then again I love you all too much to do such an awful thing and leave you hangin’ on a damn cliff-hanger!)

Nessa

Nessa mentally scolded herself for asking. Did it really matter if he bought her a new ring or that he had given Emma’s ring to her? A part of her was telling her yes. It did matter and it did make a difference. She had to know for the sake of her own sanity.

Was she walking with a dead she-wolf engagement ring? Was this the Edwards Family Heirloom or had he given her a new one? Not that she was particularly adamant she wore Emma’s ring. The thought made her cringe. It would be more than disturbing to know the ring once belonged to his other mate… But if he had gone through the trouble of finding a new ring for her, does that mean he didn’t want to give her the family heirloom or he was still not over Emma? Both possible outcomes were equally disturbing.

“What would you rather have?” Marcus answered with a question.

“Is this hers?” Nessa pressed. Once the cat was out of the bag, she might as well brave through the excruciating silence and know now than later. She didn’t want to walk around with the damn thing on her finger not knowing. Travis would eventually cough up the truth, but she wanted to hear it from her mate.

Marcus kept on looking at her and then as Nessa didn’t back down, he started with a leveled voice.

“No. It’s yours.”

“So it’s new?” Nessa wanted to confirm once again.

“Yes.”

“Why?” She again asked against her better judgment. Now that she relaxed she was at least not wearing someone else’s ring, she decided it was time to further press and discover his motivation. Was he still in love with his True Mate?

“What why?”

“Why did you buy me a new ring?” Nessa repeated, effectively stopping his attempt to stall.

Nessa had never seen him so tense and she knew she was the reason for it. He was trying to read her and guess her reaction before he proceed to telling her anything. That both spoke volumes of how much he did care for her, but also slightly irked her. She asked him a direct question, and she expected him to answer honestly, even if she ultimately regretted her curiosity.

“Because…” Marcus started and then took a deep breath. That was it. The moment of truth. He was not over Emma. He prolonged the silence by taking a loose hair strand out of her face and neatly trailing his fingers lacing them with her hairs. That had always relaxed her but in this moment she felt like she was about to burst. When he finally spoke, she had to all but try to relax as the loud beating of her heart silenced all the words that he was saying. “Fact is that I wasn’t thinking about the ramifications of buying you a new ring or giving you the family ring. I saw this one and it reminded me of you, so I bought it for you. No hidden agendas. It seemed fitting for you, so I bought it. The Family Ring that my mom and Emma wore belongs to you now, too. It’s in the study’s safe. I really don’t care which one you wear as long as you wear one.”

Nessa stayed silent for a moment savoring the notion he was completely ready to commit to her, to move on from his True Mate, just as she had done with hers.

“How much was it?” Nessa asked. If they were honest with each other, she had to get to the bottom of things before she could relax and enjoy it.

“What?” Marcus asked confused.

“How expensive is it?”

“Why would you ever ask me that?” Marcus asked in defense.

“It’s beautiful and thoughtful, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable dangling a very expensive ring on my finger. I don’t want to lose something too expensive or mugged because of it,” Nessa replied at him. Sometimes he was the most clueless person in the world. Goddess only knew how he had managed to earn his vicious and dangerous reputation. It had to be a mistake as the giant beside her had no practical idea how the world really worked and how much money motivated people’s decisions.

Her fingers moved on their own accord, making the crystals in the ring catch the dying light of the candlelight, reflecting it over his sculptured chest. She was abruptly taken aback from her thoughts when Marcus blooming laughter cut through the silent night. She only rolled her eyes at him and waited for his laughter to die down. One thing she had learned was Marcus seldom laughed, but when he did, it was usually because of her and it took him a couple of minutes to compose himself. Yet another characteristic she had grown to love.

“You won’t get mugged,” he replied with finality.

“Yeah, right, because walking with a couple of thousand dollars on your finger is not just screaming – bloody rob me!” Nessa replied, making Marcus laugh loudly again. As he didn’t reply, she offered. “It’s worth more than my car, right?”

“You have guards to handle robbers before they get close enough to snatch your ring. Moreover, all your car is worth is for scrap metal,” Marcus told her honesty.

“I could get a couple thousand dollars off it if I trade it in,” Nessa defended her car.

“Sure, five years ago!” Marcus retorted back with a heavy sigh.

“MARCUS! Don’t make fun of my car!” Nessa snapped at him, trying to kick him in the shin. Marcus quickly restrained her legs and held her.

“Fine, your car is a Veteran and I shall respect it!” Marcus mocked her, then kissed the top of her nose. As she tried to struggle against him he quickly asked, “Didn’t I tire you enough?”

He pulled her closer to him, then rolled his body on top of hers, pressing himself against her.

“Maybe you need a repeat.”

“Marcus, don’t change the topic!” Nessa huffed in protest at him, only for him to press against her entrance. “Marcus, I am serious!”

“A good mate would award her fiancé with some mind-blowing activities,” Marcus winked at her and pulled her thigh up and rested her foot against his lower back, before he slipped in.

“Marcus…”

“Yes, love…”

“I’m mad at you for spending so much money on me.”

“Dutifully noted,” Marcus agreed and gladly continued persuading her.

Nessa

Morning after

Nessa crunched her nose and snuggled into Marcus’ warm embrace. It felt good being with him.

Safe. Secure.

She rubbed her nose into his shoulder blade and then pecked his throat. His hand trailed from her flank to cup her rear and pull her closer to his body, letting her feel his morning hard on. Damn, wasn’t he exhausted after last night? She didn’t need to open her eyes to feel the smug grin forming on his lips as his hand softly pulled her leg over his hip, pressing against her center.

“MARCUS!” a feminine voice cringed.

Before Nessa could register the voice, Marcus all but pressed her flush against his body, rolling her on her back. Surprisingly, in the process of fully covering her body with his in a protective stand, he did manage to slip into a much more embarrassing position. Nessa bit down her lip in order not to moan as she could feel every rough edge of his physique.

Apparently Marcus knew the intruder, as he relaxed against Nessa’s body, but continued to growl lowly. From her current position, Nessa was unable to glance at she-wolf that had managed to get to the gazebo unstopped. She obviously was one of his ex… who else would barge in the Alpha’s lair, may it be an outdoor one?

Shit.

If that she-wolf had seen them, chances were that many other pack members had seen them from afar but had had the brains not to disturb their slumber. Something was telling Nessa the she-wolf had made her presence known for Nessa’s benefit - to embarrass her. And her Macho of a mate had played right into the plan.

What scared Ness wasn’t Marcus’ reaction to swiftly cover her with his body. That she had expected. What irked her was that the she-wolf had managed to get to them unstopped. Didn’t he have patrols? He obviously had called them off because of their rendezvous but still.

"GET OUT,” his roaring voice shook down the whole gazebo and Nessa felt the anger seeping into the Pack Link. The Alpha was pissed and he was warning others about the intruder. Nessa couldn’t really decipher the whole transmission as he had purposefully blocked her out of it, but she understood his protective stand. Marcus was raging and the she-wolf’s life hung in the balance.

“NOW.”

“I am going. This would have been easier if you had told me personally that you have taken a choice mate!” The she-wolf’s annoyance was clear.

“LEAVE,” Marcus roared and the woman huffed back at him, taking the path leading away from the gazebo, but not before she told Marcus over her shoulder.

“I’ll wait for you in your office!”

Nessa’s eyes trailed up at the muscular wall in front of her, savoring all the edges of the chest plates of her Alpha mate, who had taken in consideration to lift off some of his weight off her. Not that she minded feeling his weight on top of her. She rubbed her hands at his sides and held him down in a comfortable hug. As the snarls died down, he finally pecked the top of her head and then his mark on her, before she could catch a glance at his green eyes. He gently eased his body off her. He trailed his finger over her lower lip, making her release it from the grip of her teeth. He only waited, till her lips were parted and then softly pecked her lips, licking off the blood from the crack her incisors made.

“Who was that?” Nessa asked. She didn’t need for him to tell her that the interruption was a trouble-some even for him. His morning hard on had quickly diminished.

“My mother,” he confessed and buried his face into her shoulder.

“Shit!” Nessa swore, making sense of the significance of what just happened. Marcus chuckled at her reaction and pecked her neck again. “You’re joking right?”

Regretfully, he shook his head no.

“I can’t believe that I am saying it, but I rather she was one of your ex-es,” Nessa sighed and in turn, covered her face into his chest.

“Because a catfight early in the morning would be so much better?!” Marcus laced his reply with a healthy dose of irony.

“A cat fight? Oh, please, it’s too early for that…” Nessa replied and then shifted her body underneath him to properly emphasize the point she was going to make, then whispered in his ear, “I would have simply slipped you in.”

“You would?” Marcus asked intrigued, raising his eye brow at her.

“What a bigger insult to an ex than seeing you with someone else?” Nessa giggled.

“What happened to my mate that didn’t want to mate with me because we were expected to do so?”

“We both know that that was because of Alex.”

“How could I forget,” Marcus retorted. “Why do I get a feeling that you have already thought about meeting an ex in details?

“Of course. A gal’ has to have a plan in place… just in case,” Nessa winked at him and pecked him as he was still stunned at his discovery. “Oh, come on. We both know she’d attack me and you’ll permanently dispose of her. Then, game over, bitch,” Nessa laughed at his surprise face and quickly pulled the blanket as she moved away from his reach. “Do you still think you can handle me now, Alpha?”

Before he could reply, Nessa snatched his shirt, dropping the blanket and letting him watch as she teasingly buttoned up his shirt and started searching for her shoes. The moment she found them she was engulfed by his scent as he tenderly wrapped her legs with the blanket before he swiftly lifted her up in his arms, carrying her home.

“You put some pants on, right?” Nessa asked, making him chuckle.

“Yes, I am decent,” he replied and snuggled her closer to his body as he carried her back to their room.

Nessa

Vanessa almost walked the other way, but Marcus’ hands quickly caught her waist and nudged her to enter his office. Being dragged to the Alpha’s office reminded her how Pack Law managed to haul her there not so many nights ago. Only this time, it was her mate doing all the nudging and his mother that waited in his office. Though some things remained the same – the rush of the adrenaline pumping through her veins was enough to speed her heartbeat which everyone could hear. She also appeared breathless, which she still couldn’t judge if it was a good or a bad thing.

Nessa almost fainted when she saw her own mother there, casually drinking tea with Marcus’ mother. That couldn’t be good. Didn’t they just took less than ten minutes to get presentable for this meeting? How on earth was her mother informed so quickly of the arrival of the in-laws? As soon as Nessa entered, his mother glared at her head to toe and then finally smiled, when she noticed Marcus had caught her stare.

“Mother,” Marcus leaned over and greeted his mother with a hug and a kiss on her cheek.

“Son,” she casually replied and gave him an additional squeeze before her fingers tugged onto his shirt. At first Nessa thought it was just an affectionate hug. After all she never rose from her seat and Marcus had to bend down to greet her. It certainly didn’t help that he was towering over almost everyone else. Alphas definitely were exposed to increased doses of some radiation or something in their genes to insure their power and strength which usually brought in height as well.

A couple of seconds later, Nessa noticed how his mother stared at her own claim on Marcus’ neck, which was partially covered with his black T-shirt. Then she finally spoke.

“You need to shave!”

“Mother,” he warned her about criticizing him, but it didn’t seem to work with his mother.

“And a haircut,” his mother laced her fingers through his hair. Marcus growled at her and moved out of her reach. Nessa had to admit that since he has managed to bully his way into her life, his hair has grown and was sporting a five o’clock shadow more often than not.

“I see you met Teresa,” Marcus ignored his mother’s statement and nodded at Teresa who winked reassuringly at Nessa over the rim of her mug and nodded back at Marcus.

“Oh, we go way back with the Heinsfelds,” Marcus’ mother replied and Nessa narrowed her eyes at her own mother. How did they even know the legendary Logan Edwards, Alpha of the Blackwood Pack who had been a war hero and Marcus’ father? Marcus seemed oblivious of the discovery that Nessa just made and moved to her side, officially introducing them.

“Nes, I’d like you to properly meet my mother, Claire Edwards, honorable Luna of the Blackwood Pack. Mom, this is Nessa!”

“Yes, properly,” Claire smiled at them mumbling to herself.

“Properly?” Teresa inquired.

“I might have caught them in a rather compromising position. Pups these days don’t even consider keeping their business indoors!” Claire replied with clear disappointment while Teresa’s eyes shined brightly and scanned her daughter’s body, her eyes zeroing in at the ring Nessa was trying to hide in Marcus’ large palm.

“You would think that common sense will prevent you from interrupting a newly mated couple’s rendezvous!” Marcus grunted. “I am sure you were told to wait.”

“As if that would have stopped me to check personally if the story for your little mate was true,” Claire replied, only for Nessa to flush crimson. “It wasn’t like my only son had cared to inform me he had marked someone! I had to hear it from someone else!”

“I couldn’t help myself, I had to ravish her,” Marcus cheekily replied.

“You seem to forget manners, pup,” his mom reprimanded him coldly and Nes pressed her lips together. It was official – Claire Edwards hated her.

“Nes, let’s go to have breakfast while my dear mother takes a minute to remember who she is talking to!” Marcus ushered Nessa out of the door, before he would do something he would regret later. Nessa wordlessly followed him to the kitchen.

“Better?” Nessa finally asked as they were half-way into preparing their breakfast. Marcus only kissed the top of her head and nodded. Nessa could still feel the frustration through the mating bond and knew that Marcus was angrier than he was letting her see. The way his eyes were shifting and glazing over for a second or two at a time only meant that he was linking with someone. She finally gave him a mug of coffee and shooed him to sit at the kitchen island before he managed to burn the breakfast.

Serving him a plate, she placed it right in front of him. He reached out and held her hand in his for a second, before someone cleared their throat.

“Alpha,” Travis respectfully nodded to Marcus and then handed Nessa a paper cup with a Starbuck logo.

“You’re a life-saver,” Nessa said off handedly and quickly took a sip of hot goodness with caramel. Closing her eyes, she savored its taste, letting a sigh escape her lips. Feeling his eyes on her, Nessa snapped hers open to be met with the molted green ones of her mate, who was watching her with predatory precision. “What?”

Marcus shook his head in disbelief and continued eating his breakfast, while she placed the second plate in front of Travis, who quickly snatched her left hand in his. Travis’ eyes shifted from Nessa to Marcus, before he grinned foolishly.

“No more excuses for those damn pups now,” Travis teased her instead of congratulating her.

“I know right? Cam will be ecstatic,” Nessa giggled.

“Teresa, too,” Travis commented only for Nessa to groan at him. “What did you do?”

“I met Claire and she doesn’t like me,” Nessa caught Travis up, before Marcus had the chance to growl at her statement. Travis quickly shifted his attention to his Alpha, who explained.

“She feels threatened by you as she was never consulted. She dislikes changes, but she’ll come around,” Marcus reassuringly told Nessa, only to have her blush at the memory of how exactly she had discovered them. “She has not seen me with anyone since Emma, and has her own ideas of how things have to go down, often forgetting that I am the Alpha here.”

“Speaking about that, did you suspend all the patrols around the gazebo for me?” Nessa finally asked the question that was running in her head for the better part of the morning.

“They we’re on outside perimeter, nobody at the vicinity,” Marcus answered then gave Travis a cold glare. “You should have linked me before you ran off to Starbucks.”

“The perimeter is secure and everyone knew to stay clear of the gazebo or face the Alpha’s wrath. The new coffee hasn’t arrived yet, so I figured I can do a run,”Travis replied only to make Nessa roll her eyes at Marcus.

“I appreciate this caramel goodness. He’s just grumpy he didn’t get some,” Nessa replied.

“I can put his order on the list for future references,” Travis offered.

“He’s good,” Nessa dismissed his offer with a grin while Marcus shook his head at her warning her to behave. “So your mom definitely does not approve of us sleeping together. Would your father crucify us, too?”Nessa asked Marcus who rolled his eyes at her.

“It depends if your dad is around,” Marcus shot back only to get an apple thrown at his face. Travis chuckled at the exchange, which earned him a growl from his Alpha. “Come here and stop fretting,” Marcus instructed her and as soon as she was near him, he pulled her to sit down on his lap and reached to take a sip of her drink. Nessa used the time to steal a mouthful of his plate.

“So how come I hear for the first time that Edwards go way back with Heinsfelds?” Nessa asked as she made herself comfortable onto his lap, making his chest rumble.

“How much do you know about Frank’s job?” Marcus asked her.

Marcus

“He interrogates for Pack Law,” Nessa shrugged.

That had to be the understatement of the year. Marcus shook his head in disbelief. How she had remained clueless of the importance of the Heinsfeld family, he had no idea. After all, Frank Heinsfeld was the Lead Interrogator of Pack Law, which meant he ran the whole Intelligence Unit and was included in all High rank meetings. Information was the sharpest weapon one could utilize when making strategic moves and Pack Law was known to be the nest of political back stabbings.

He smiled tenderly at her and grinned at her still messy bun she had unsuccessfully tried to tame before he dragged her to his office. She looked thoroughly loved and sated and he could not stop the smile forming on his lips.

“He runs Interrogation in Pack Law,” Marcus explained to her. “They didn’t need you working yourself into an early grave or fretting about your book. I bet they were thinking that they are helping you get over that dumbass pup by letting you work your frustration. Nobody would have dared accused you of treason, much less touched you and risked angering Frank.”

“How do you know all this?” Nessa asked and Marcus took a deep breath. “He has been trying to retire for years.”

“And for years, I’ve been rejecting his offer,” Marcus told her and let the information sink in her head.

“No wonder why he was all smug about our mating. I caught you while he couldn’t,” Nessa laughed, making Marcus chuckle. He still could remember the glimmer of excitement he had seen in Frank’s eyes the moment he learned Nessa had marked him, too. “So are you going to accept it?”

“No,” Marcus told her honestly.

“Why?”

“Because making pups is so much fun,” Marcus replied to her only to have Travis chuckle at his honesty and Nessa to swat the back of his neck for his shamelessness.

“That’s not a way to be talking to your mate,” Nessa scolding him.

“Then telling her I want to rip her clothes and have her on the dinner table wouldn’t be acceptable, too?” Marcus used the mind link with her, only to make her gasp at his suggestion.

“Speechless, I know,” Marcus winked at her and quickly restrained her so that she would not retaliate by smacking his neck again.

“Oh, just wait for tonight, potty mouth!” Nessa threatened and Marcus winked at her.

“Can’t wait for you to rough me up, Love,” Marcus prompted only to make Nessa gasp and reach to slap him. He quickly captured her hands in his.

“Marcus, you, pompous Alpha, you will pay for this,” Nessa continued with her insults when it was clear she could not even move a muscle without his say so.

“This would be a first,” a low baritone said from hall and Nessa raised her eyes to glaze at an older man, who walked side by side with her father.

“Nah, I’ll re-educate him later,” Nessa looked at him, noticing the similarities to Marcus. He must be the famous Alpha Logan Edwards. “You’ll be spanked.”

“Filter your thoughts, honey,” Claire told her, while Logan busted out laughing.

“Vanessa, Ned is still your Alpha,” Frank cautioned her.

“Oh, the nickname got me in trouble too. Just ask her how she threatened me with her badass Alpha Ned!” Marcus prompted only to earn an elbow in his flank. He quickly shifted her in his arms, restraining any further movements.

“How was I supposed to know your name calling is downright unique in its absurdness! Who in their right mind would omit that their All Mighty Alpha Ned is actually named Marcus? I blame Cameron for that mishap,” Nessa shot back at Marcus vividly.

“Good luck with her, son!”

“I know, right?” Marcus grinned at his father just before Cameron’s message carried through the link:

“Marcus, we have a problem. Rogues.”