by Alisa Woods
It was one of the things he loved about her.
“Thank you,” Marco said. “For everything. Including not scratching my face off for, you know…” He tilted his head toward the door, where he’d been lustfully pawing at her body.
She smiled a little, but it was more sad than flirtatious. Which speared another dagger of guilt through him. She really was an amazing person. He should get over whatever his infatuation with Julia was about and claim Isabel for his mate. If only Isabel drove him wild the way Julia did… “Listen, I just need a little more time to sort out this mating thing—”
He was cut off by the door swinging open again. It was Stefan. Marco needed to have a serious talk with the two of them about busting into his room.
“What the hell, Stefan?” Marco snarled. “Does a closed door mean nothing to you?”
Stefan had a clutch of papers in his hand, but he reeled back, darting looks between him and Isabel. “Oh! Sorry.” His face darkened, and he scowled at the ground. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I can come back.”
Great, now he was yelling at Stefan. But before Marco could backtrack, Isabel stepped up to Stefan and put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not interrupting,” she said softly.
Stefan looked at her, then glanced at Marco.
“I was just leaving,” Isabel said, her expression cool all of a sudden.
And then she was gone.
Fuck. He’d completely blown the moment with her. Not to mention his chance to talk to her about mating. Or not mating. What a mess.
Stefan frowned and watched her go, then turned back to Marco. “Something wrong?” His voice was tentative, was like he didn’t want to know.
Marco shook his head. “Other than being my usual idiot self? No.” He lifted his chin toward the papers in Stefan’s hand. “What do you have for me?”
“Schedules,” he said, still frowning. “But we can cover them later.”
“No. I want this rolling as soon as possible.”
For a while, Marco tried to immerse himself in pack business and forget about the two women who were riling him up. But his thoughts kept drifting… and landing on the image of a girl with honey-brown hair.
“Come on, you can do it.” Marco was taunting her from the safety of his couch.
They were in the middle of a dusty, abandoned furniture store. Her wolf’s enhanced senses detected lots of leftover stinky-kid smell, aged wood furniture polish, and a cottony scent, like bedding. The cavernous showroom floor was mostly empty of the furniture it used to house—there was a basketball hoop at the far end, a couple of couches arranged in odd spots, and a row of mattresses lining one wall. Marco told her the kids in his pack used it as an indoor gym during the wintertime. He had brought her here to practice—to help her learn how to control her wolf—but she could’ve told him it was useless.
“It’s not like I’m not trying.” Julia parked her hands on her hips, feet planted wide, and glared at Marco. His large, muscular form was lounging on the couch, all supine and sexy as he relaxed. And that cocky half grin didn’t help the heat rising in her face.
“Try again.” Marco eased up to sitting and laced his hands in front, giving her a more earnest look. “Close your eyes and focus on summoning your wolf.”
She dropped her hands from her hips, flexed them, and tried again, just to humor him. She closed her eyes and tried to picture her wolf, but all she got were red hot flashes of anger, more red in the form of blood, and an image that made her physically flinch.
She popped open her eyes. “It’s not working,” she ground out. “Besides, it’s not like it’s something I enjoy doing.”
Marco frowned and rose to his feet, taking a step closer. “Why not?”
Julia looked away from those intense blue eyes. It wasn’t like she could tell him the truth. “Look, this really isn’t a good idea. My wolf isn’t something you want to see. How about if we just let it go?”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Marco took a step closer and put a hand on her shoulder.
His touch was heating her up, from her cheeks to her lady parts—it was such a sudden rush, that she reflexively leaned into it. When she realized what she was doing, she pulled away—but that was such a jerky motion, it looked awkward. “Sorry.” Not that she minded him touching her, not really, which was surprising in itself. Everything about this boy—man; he was definitely one hundred percent masculine male—hyped her up.
Marco’s frown grew deeper. “Your wolf is you. And she’s beautiful and kickass. Believe me, I’ve seen her in action, twice now.”
Julia just shook her head. Her wolf had seriously messed up her life—a life that she had been finally pulling out of the ashes. She had been working on her technology degree—sure, it was only at the community college because that was all she could afford, but she was studying extra hard and getting everything she could out of every last dollar of tuition money.
And then her wolf had destroyed everything.
Marco’s expression softened. “You don’t know much about wolves, do you, kickass girl? Where did you come from? What landed you here in my territory?”
She sucked air between her teeth—if he knew the truth, he’d probably kick her out. And she really could use a place to stay, at least for a little while. “Let’s just say I had a rough childhood. My father was a shifter, my mother was a human, but my father didn’t stick around. I had a lot of stepfathers growing up, which is just as nasty as you can probably imagine.”
Julia glanced around the abandoned store—Marco seemed to take care of the kids here. He was apparently alpha of the pack, which she guessed made him like a surrogate dad. From what little she’d seen, he was already a better dad than any of the ones she’d ever had.
Marco was back to frowning, but he hadn’t backed off. If anything, he’d taken a step closer, but he wasn’t touching her. “We get a lot of that here. My background is a bit complicated, too. I didn’t grow up around here.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Secret runaway from Bellevue Heights?”
Marco snorted a laugh and grinned wickedly at her. Good God, that smile… she couldn’t look away, and it was heating her up again, like he was a damn furnace that sparked wildfires inside her body whenever he was close.
“That’s not very far from the truth, actually,” he said with a smirk. “Daddy was famous for his inventions and a dot-com millionaire before he turned thirty… which only made him a complete asshole.”
She frowned, and her surge of concern for him caught her off guard. Had Marco been abused as a kid? Because that shit made her want to unleash her wolf on whoever was responsible for it. “Believe me, I understand about how things aren’t always as good as they appear on the outside.”
She heard something like a small rumble come from inside his chest. “I don’t know what happened to you, with the stepfathers or whatever landed you here, but I want you to know this—nothing’s going to hurt you ever again, not so long as I have anything to do with it.”
Julia’s lips parted, just from the shock of that overwhelming protectiveness that rolled off him like a heat wave. The thing was, it wasn’t bullshit. She could tell. He meant every word.
“You don’t have to tell me what happened to you,” Marco said, softly. “But I want to tell you my dark family secret. Just so you know, I mean what I say.” He swallowed and then went on. “My father was rich and handsome and a fucking alpha wolf with all the pheromones and attitude that go along with that. He could’ve had his pick of women—human or wolf—but he didn’t want the ones who were clamoring for his money. Or even the decent ones who for some reason couldn’t see he was a complete asshole. No, there was one female wolf that he set his sights on, and if there’s anything my father gets, it’s anything he wants. So he bought her.”
Julia had been listening with her mouth slightly agape, but then she nearly choked on her reflexive reaction to that word. “Bought her? How does that even work?”
Marco sn
arled. “Just like it sounds, and twice as ugly. My mother was young, still pledged to her father’s pack. My father made a substantial donation to her father’s bank account. Her father arranged for her to be alone with him. That’s all it took for a forced mating.”
Julia leaned back, her disgust reaching her face. “Forced?”
Marco shook his head and gritted his teeth. “Mating is a magical bond between the female wolf and the male wolf,” he explained. “It’s supposed to be magic that binds the two together for life, enhancing the magic within each of them, and building upon a solid foundation of love. For true mates, it’s the best thing they will ever experience. But if you’re not a true mate, and especially if you’re forced into the situation, it’s much more like a prison. A magical prison. That lasts for life and that you can never break free of until death breaks the bond.”
Julia’s face was stuck in a mask of horror. “Charming.”
“It’s magic. It’s how it works. But it can be really fucked up. That’s why Stefan and I got rid of the prior alpha here in my territory. I fought and killed that bastard to make that happen. And to free his people, especially the women—the many women—he was mated to. He was a fucking asshole who collected female trophies.”
“Um,” Julia said, still reeling. “If that’s what being a wolf is, I’m thinking I want nothing to do with it.” She took a step back.
Marco reached out a hand. It landed on her arm, just a light touch that kept her from going too far. “It’s not supposed to be like that. When you find your true mate, the mating bond is the best thing that will ever happen to you. You deserve that, Julia—it’s your birthright as a wolf. And I’m going to make sure that no matter what else happens, you aren’t forced into mating with someone you don’t love. I’m telling you this just so that you understand how strongly I feel about it. And how my word isn’t just a promise—it’s something I’ve backed up with blood in the past.”
Her eyes went a little wide, but again she had that feeling—Marco had a passion that radiated from him when he was talking about things he believed in. And, apparently, one of those things was protecting her. Which wound her up tight and deliciously deep inside. Maybe that was why she was so crazy in lust whenever he was within ten feet. Maybe somehow she sensed that deep well of righteousness—of goodness—inside him. Given that all the other men in her life were assholes, Julia felt drawn to this inner light of Marco’s like a moth to a lamp.
She just hoped it wouldn’t burn her.
“I really appreciate that you’ve…” She wasn’t quite sure how to say it. “That you’re looking out for me. Especially right now. I’m kind of in a tight spot.”
“It’s my pleasure.” She had a feeling he meant that, too. Maybe in more ways than one. Which made her squirm again.
“So how about you?” she asked. “Do you have a mate?”
His eyes blazed, but his face was deadly serious. “That’s sort of the Question of the Moment.” At her quizzical look, he added, “The magic of the mating bond enhances the magical powers of both mates. Taking a mate literally strengthens the alpha of a pack, makes him more able to command and lead, as well as making him physically stronger. There has been some unspoken pressure for me to take a mate for a while now.”
She frowned. “So why don’t you? Obviously, you would never force someone. Have you just not found someone who wants to be your mate?” She couldn’t really imagine that being true—Marco was sexy as hell, powerful and confident, and clearly in charge. There had to be women falling all over him.
He gave a small, rueful laugh. “No, I kind of have the opposite problem. Which makes me sound like an asshole.” His smile faded. “There are lots of women who want to mate with me. Full-blooded wolves, very nice ladies, nothing wrong with them. But no one I’ve wanted to bind to me, forever, irretrievably. That’s…” He was searching her eyes for something, some kind of reaction. “There’s a saying that when you find your fated mate, the one you’ve waited for… you’ll know.”
She guessed that was kind of romantic. Also kind of backward and strange. “I’m not sure I believe in fate.”
His stare was unwavering. “I think I’m starting to.” He held her gaze for a fraction of a moment longer and then dropped it and cleared his throat. “But come on, now, we’re supposed to be bringing out your wolf.” He looked up at her again. “And you can do this. Whatever’s holding you back, whatever you’re afraid of, don’t worry.” He spread his arms wide and gestured to the vast, empty room around them. “There’s nothing here for you to damage, and you’re not going to hurt me. It’s the perfect place to let out whatever it is you’re afraid of. So humor me and try.”
She supposed he was right. If nothing else, he asked for it.
She stepped back and closed her eyes, searching again for her wolf. Only this time, she pictured the wolf that came out when she was trying to rescue the kid, Ethan. The one that had a surge of protective feeling associated with it, not just the raw panic that was normally part of her wolf unleashing itself from her subconscious and forcing itself out into the world. She felt the change, like a wind sweeping through her and reaching into every cell of her body. When she blinked her eyes open, she had shifted. She glanced down at her brown paws, and then up at Marco, who was grinning at her.
“Well, then,” he said with an approving nod. “Now shift back to human.”
That was easy, mostly because she wasn’t in a state of panic. If anything, she had never felt more comfortable in her wolf form. In a blink, she was standing before him. Only when his eyes dilated, and he quickly turned his head, did she remember that shifting left her completely naked. Her clothes were in a pile on the floor.
“Again,” he commanded, not looking at her. “Shift back to wolf, then human, then wolf again. I want you to feel the fluidity of it. I promise I won’t look.”
She could tell he was holding back a smile, which only made her want to chuckle. But then she focused on doing what he said, shifting to wolf and back to human again, then back to wolf. After several more times, she could see what he meant about the fluid feeling of it. Almost like changing her state of mind, not just her body. And there was a coming home kind of feeling like she was integrating the two parts of her being into one. The whole was stronger now that the parts weren’t being denied, kept separate. She felt in control of herself in a way that she hadn’t… in forever. Certainly since she discovered she was a wolf, but even before that.
It was amazing.
She shifted to wolf again and then yipped a happy bark at him. Marco look to her with a grin on his face. “So, maybe, your wolf wasn’t so bad after all?” The joy on his face resonated with something deep inside her.
She leaned over to scoop up her clothes between her teeth, then shifted again, holding the clothes in front of her naked, human form. With her clothes as a shield, she took two quick steps forward to reach him and dropped a fast kiss on his cheek, then stepped back.
“Thank you,” she said shyly, having a hard time looking him in the eyes while clutching her clothes to her naked body.
His eyes blazed at her, and he took a step forward, closing the gap between them again. “My pleasure,” he breathed. There were all kinds of unmistakable innuendo in those two words.
But he wasn’t ogling her or even trying to sneak a peek at her body. Then again, he had already seen her naked. Multiple times.
“I knew you could do it.” He eased even closer to her.
Julia wasn’t sure if he was coming in for a kiss or what. She was even less sure if she would try to stop him. Before she could figure out either one, the door to the furniture store at the far end dinged. The small bell attached to it chattered again as it was flung open.
Julia and Marco both turned to look—it was a girl, a woman really. She was beautiful, with long blonde hair, and a tall, shapely figure. She was frozen at the door, one hand on it, staring at them with her mouth wide open.
Marco jerked back from
Julia—which was all the indication she needed that something wasn’t right about her standing there, naked next to him, even with her clothes clutched to her chest.
Shit. She couldn’t even get dressed without exposing herself and probably making things worse.
“Isabel,” Marco said hoarsely.
“It’s okay. I’ll talk to you later.” The girl beat a hasty retreat.
Oh man. Julia had just fucked up something major for him. She could tell by the pained wince on his face.
“Is that your girlfriend?” Now that the girl was gone, she hastily pulled on her clothes.
“No.” It was as much a bark as a word.
“She’s one of the ones who wants to mate with you, though,” she guessed. A heat of embarrassment filled her face—her mother had been accused of cheating so many times, Julia long ago lost count. But it was never true. And she hated the idea of being that “other woman”—especially when she wasn’t. What they were doing was innocent. Or at least, nothing had actually happened, even if her body responded to Marco’s like no other man she’d ever met.
Marco didn’t shoot down her guess, so she assumed it was dead on.
“I’m so sorry,” she mumbled, pulling on the last of her clothes—her t-shirt. “I don’t want to make trouble for you.”
“It’s not your fault,” he said, but it was still a growl. “And it’s trouble I’m making for myself.”
But she could tell their practice was done for the day, probably forever. Which suited her just as well. Marco stirred up way too much in her, and she wasn’t going to repay the favor of him helping with her wolf by making trouble for him within his own pack.
Most of all, she didn’t want anyone to think she was that kind of girl... the one who came in and slept with their favored son, breaking up things and hurting people.
She knew all too well how badly that could turn out.
If Marco thought he was conflicted before, about Isabel and Julia, now he didn’t know what he thought.