Part 38

(POV - Aria)

A week later, Aria woke up in Marcus' bed alone.

She looked around, wondering where he could possibly have disappeared to, but found no trace of him. He must have left hours ago, when Aria had been fast asleep. She didn't mind, she only missed the warmth she'd grown accustomed to waking up beside.

She lay in bed for a little while longer, soaking in the soreness of her thighs and her lower abdomen, recalling the way Marcus had hauled her on top of him and watched her ride him until she shuddered through her own release.

The memory of his moans had warmth curling in her tummy again, and she figured it would be a good idea for her to get into the shower. Her stomach had already begun protesting and demanding food, and after their long night together, she knew she'd need to eat soon.

In the bathroom, she waited for the water to heat up, admiring the circle of bruises around her throat and dipping down between the valley of her breasts in the mirror above the basin. The only patch of skin Marcus had been careful to avoid was the area just beneath her scent gland, where wolves would mark their mates. It still sent a twinge of sadness through her, but she'd enjoyed spending all her time in Marcus' sheets.

She stepped into the shower and slid the door closed behind her, standing beneath the spray of the water for a moment while she collected her thoughts. She tried to work through the inner conflict she felt over her growing feelings for Marcus. The last few days had shown her so much, and even though she knew that, on some level, it was unfair to compare Marcus to Aiden, she couldn't help it.

Her first time with Aiden had been rushed and rough, almost detached with how quickly Aiden had cast her aside once he'd 'scratched his itch'.

But Marcus was completely different.

He'd been so gentle and caring with her, always checking in with her to make sure she was okay. He'd been loving in so many ways, showing her new pleasures she never knew existed. It had been overwhelming at first, and Aria was worried she was quickly becoming addicted to the way he worshipped her body in bed,

And it wasn't even reserved for the bed.

She'd expected him to treat her indifferently around the members of his pack, but he'd introduced her to every wolf they came across. His pack had welcomed her readily as well, nothing like the way her pack had often treated new wolves who had been looking for refuge.

It had been so surprising to her that he'd even allowed her to roam around his lands if she wanted, not restricting any part of the compound.

She had been ready to agree to his rules and found that he had none.

Even his pack members had treated him so warmly, wolves young and old, who offered nothing but sincere smiles when they greeted him.

And he had greeted them back warmly, although it might still appear cold and distant to anyone who couldn't tell the difference.

He was still the most different around her. When it was just the two of them, their legs tangled in the sheets, sweat sticking to their skin and sleepy, dopey smiles on their faces, he'd opened up to her.

Slowly but surely, Marcus had opened up about things that bugged him or stressed him out, things Jaden had said to him that day that had gotten under his skin, or even how much he despised certain foods.

She worried that her growing feelings would become a serious problem soon.

Aria was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of Marcus' voice just outside the door. It sounded as though he was talking to someone else, but Aria couldn't recognize the owner of the second voice. She didn't pay it any attention, shampooing her hair lazily and rinsing the bubbles out.

The door clicked open and she smelled Marcus' scent fill the steamed up bathroom.

"Want some company in there?" he asked, a smirk evident in his voice.

Her stomach fluttered in excitement and she slid the door open.

"I could use a hand with my hair," she said suggestively, stepping closer to the spray of the water to make room for his hulking form. He tugged his clothes off as quickly as he could, clumsy with excitement, almost tripping over the waistband of his jeans when it caught around his ankle. He kicked them off with a chuckle and got in, humming at the heat on his skin. He was large enough that there wasn't much room left to move around comfortably, but Aria didn't care. She turned to face him, her wet hands on his warm chest.

"Good morning," she said, eyes half closed to avoid the water. He smirked down at her, his hands sliding down over her slippery body and cupping her ass.

"It definitely is now," he commented, ducking his head and nipping at her ear lobe. "How did you sleep?"

She shivered, feeling the way his cock slipped up between her thighs.

"Amazing," she breathed, dropping kisses on his chest. "I don't think I've slept that well in weeks."

Marcus chuckled and tipped her head back, sucking on the tender spot behind her ear.

"If all it takes is a few orgasms, I'll give them to you every night," he promised, the butterflies in Aria's stomach thrashing wildly.

"What about right now?" she asked, batting her lashes up at him coyly. He pressed his forehead to hers.

"Something tells me you want me to take you up against the glass door."

"I wouldn't be opposed to that."

Before she knew what was happening, he'd spun her around and pressed her body to the cool glass.

"What if I took you like this," he whispered in her ear, the hiss of the shower almost blocking his voice. He had one hand flat in the middle of her back, keeping her breasts squished against the glass wall. "Against a window, for everyone to see?"

She was embarrassed that she'd already imagined it. The idea of people seeing Marcus fuck her, watching him worship her the way she'd always dreamed, to prove that she was worthy of it, had her knees weak already.

"Oh?" he mused, his free hand rubbing carelessly over her dripping core. "I think you want to show off, make all those males mad with jealousy because I'm the one who has you."

She moaned, pushing back into his hand, aching for more friction but he pulled away, lightly tapping her pussy and making her jump in surprise.

"I'm far too possessive to let anyone see the way you fall apart," he growled, guiding the head of his cock to her soaked entrance, pushing in slowly. "But I can't deny and say it wouldn't thrill me to have you scream for me, milk me dry while your pack mates watched."

He punctuated the last word with a harsh thrust, immediately hitting that one spot inside her that had her falling to pieces. She rested her forehead on the glass, her hands braced on either side of her shoulders.

"That good, baby?" he teased, covering her hands with his.

'Good' wasn't a good enough word for how it felt.

Every thrust dragged the head of his cock over her g spot, her stomach tightening and her legs shaking violently. The spray of the water scalded her back but it was nothing, nothing, compared to the heat burning between her thighs. She couldn't understand how she was still so sensitive, feeling every ridge along his shaft stretching her out until her ears rang with pleasure.

The crescendo was maddening, climbing and climbing and climbing, his hips snapping against the round flesh of her ass, the wet slaps echoing off the damp tiles of the bathroom. It was all so lewd, his hands slippery atop hers, pinning her in place. He paused for a moment, using a foot to spread hers further apart, until she was bent almost parallel to the floor, her feet on either side of Marcus'

The new angle had his length reaching even deeper, that delicious burn building again, quicker than before. One of his hands dropped to her chest, his fingers squeezing her breast and rolling her pebbled nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He groaned, his cock twitching inside her and she knew he was close, so much closer than he should have been.

But she felt her own orgasm approaching fast, and she needed just a little more, just a little more-

"Oh!" she squealed, her thighs almost snapping shut if it hadn't been for Marcus holding them apart. His fingers had left her abused nipple and traveled further down until they dipped between her folds and circled her clit. "Oh, fuck, Marc! Just like that!"

She didn't need to tell him - he'd learned countless ways to push her over the edge again and again, but she knew that he loved hearing her tell him how good it felt.

She didn't get the chance to say much else before her orgasm crashed into her, her body bowing under the pleasure, pussy clenching tight around his pulsing cock until he spilled into her, muffling his moans by biting into her shoulder.

It had taken a while for them to come down, and she'd whined when he slipped out, hating how empty she felt without him buried inside her.

He'd soothed her by helping her wash up, gently cleaning her body and helping her out of the shower. He'd dried her and dressed her, a small smile on his face the entire time. His eyes flickered between the dark grey that she knew belonged to him, and the silver she'd identified as his wolf.

"I've never seen you shift," she murmured, entranced by the light that caught in the silver of his irises. "Your wolf has the prettiest eyes."

She caught the color flooding his cheeks and giggled when he tried to hide it from her.

"Don't get shy on me now, Alpha," she coaxed, placing both of her hands on his face and turning him back. "We should go for a run together. Would you like that?"

He smiled, eyes fixed on her lips and she expected him to kiss her, but he didn't. "I'd love to," he said. "I'll meet you outside?"

She nodded and took the towel from him. "Oh, I just need to call my parents," she said. "And April. They might be worried"

"Take your time," he said, leaving after throwing on a pair of loose basketball shorts and absolutely nothing else.

She rummaged around her things and found her phone, dialing her parents first. They'd been worried but relieved to hear she was okay. Her father hadn't been happy about her running off without letting them know where she had gone off to, but he grumpily told her he loved her before she hung up.

She called April next, surprised by how tense her best friend sounded.

"Is everything okay, April?"

"Aiden has people watching me to see when you'd make contact, but I swear I won't tell them a damn thing," she explained, her voice hushed and strained. "He went berserk after that Alpha took you away, Aria. He even kicked Meredith out of their room.”

Aria balked, completely speechless. She couldn't understand any of Aiden's actions.

"Where is he now?" Aria asked, fearful that Aiden might try to track her scent all the way to Marcus' territory.

"He's been holed up in his office, he refuses to see anyone."

"I don't get it," Aria groaned. "What does he actually want? He wanted Meredith, and he has her. But now he's kicked her out?"

"I don't get it either, but his wolf is obviously fighting really hard against his choice."

"But he shouldn't put so many innocent lives at risk for it," Aria argued.

"Just be careful, okay?" April said. "And let me know when you-"

"April? Hello, April?" Aria grumbled at the silence on the other end. April had abruptly ended the call, and it scared the hell out of Aria, who had no idea just how bad things had gotten back home.

She tried to call back but she couldn't get through, the line staying dead. She fretted, only to receive a text from April a few minutes later.

Call me again soon, I need to hear all about your steamy runaway! xoxo A

Aria sighed in relief, reading and rereading April's text until she had it memorized. She blew out another shaky breath and locked her phone, setting it down on Marcus' desk. She wondered what exactly had happened back home since the night Marcus had taken her away.

She left the bedroom, wandering around until she reached the staircase, her mind reeling. The possibilities weighed heavily all the way down the stairs and out into the cool forest air, broken only by Marcus' deep voice.

"Are you ready?" She smiled at Marcus and nodded.

A run turned out to be exactly what she needed.