Part 45

(POV-Marcus)

Holding her face in his hands had his wolf crooning in happiness.

He settled so willingly, so easily, that Marcus didn't even have to think about pushing him back. Marcus leaned in close, his gaze fixed on her lips, the same lips that had serenaded his wolf.

He kissed her deeply, pouring every bit of emotion in his soul into her mouth, praying his legs wouldn't give out from the sheer relief of having her in his arms again. He hadn't exactly prepared a speech on his way over, his brain too focused on covering as much ground as quickly as possible, so when she'd asked him if he forgot something, he'd leaped at the opportunity to kiss her again. It was all he'd been craving, even when she'd gotten too close to his house, he'd wanted nothing more than to sink into her kisses and let their bodies say what they wouldn't.

He was so glad she hadn't fought him or told him to leave. He wasn't sure if he would have been able to leave, not without his own wolf having something to say about it.

So he let himself float away on the sensation of her lips pressed to his, moving and melding perfectly. God, he could sacrifice all the food and water in the world if it meant he got to live off the sweetness of her tongue.

He wondered if she knew how much power she held over him, how easily she could break him apart in her small hands. It was shockingly exhilarating, putting his life in her care. And she didn't even know it yet.

Too soon, she pulled away, hesitation and fatigue heavy in her beautiful eyes.

"We can't," she said, licking at the swell of her lips. "Marcus, we can't keep doing this. It's not going to work."

Marcus stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue. He'd learned enough about her in their time together to know that, even though she could spin tales like a poet, she often struggled to find the words she needed to voice her own emotions. So he waited, and let her sort through the sea of letters inside her.

"We started off wrong," she mumbled, but it didn't sound like the words she had been looking for. She sounded unsure, even though what she said was the truth. He could tell by the way her eyes shone, new tears gathered at the corners while she struggled internally. "You made it very clear that we were strictly no strings attached, that we couldn't let emotions or feelings develop and get in the way. But I..."

She cut herself off, almost as if she was too scared to continue. She blew out a breath and glanced down in frustration like she might find the right thing to say just laying on the ground at her feet.

Marcus stayed quiet, swallowing the urgent need to pull her close again. He knew he needed to give her space, to give her time because whatever she was worried about would affect any plans they might have for the future. That is, if she wanted a future with him.

"I don't think we should let anything develop between us," she said. "It'll only get in the way of the agreement."

The words she'd chosen cut like a knife, but he steeled himself and waited to see if she'd continue before he spoke. He felt his wolf recede completely, going almost dormant while he mulled over what she'd just said.

"I disagree," he said, unable to stop himself from reaching out. His hands rested on her shoulders, his fingers tingling already. "And I think it's time we throw the agreement out on its ass, don't you think?"

She stared up at him, wide-eyed and looking a little disbelieving.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, wary. "The agreement was your idea."

He nodded, running his palms down her arms and taking her hands in his.

"It was," he agreed easily. "And at the time, it was what I thought needed to happen to make sure neither of us got hurt. But now, I'm not interested in a no strings attached arrangement."

She slipped her hands into his, their fingers twining. She opened her mouth only to shut it, emotion catching in her throat, but she fought through it. She cleared her throat and looked down at the ground.

"I won't be able to stop myself from falling for you, Marcus," she said, her shoulders sagging under the weight of her confession.

And it was the way her body tensed, bracing for what she thought would be yet another rejection, that broke his heart.

"Can I hold you, Aria?" Marcus asked softly, stunning Aria enough that she flinched. He tried not to wince, hating that she was so ready to accept rejection. "Please?"

She nodded her head jerkily, allowing him to pull her into the warmth of his arms. He sighed the second her cheek squished against his chest, right over his steadily beating heart, and his arms flexed around her.

"I don't want to fuck around with some stupid no strings attached rule," he said, his words rumbling in his chest. "I'm not interested in fighting whatever it is that's growing between us. I want to work on it, if you do. I want a serious relationship. With you, little one."

"Are you sure?" she asked, as if she wasn't the only wolf who could drag him out of his own abyss, when he'd willingly flung himself into its depths.

"If you are," he said. He wanted her to understand that he wanted her, truly, and that if she was willing, he was too. "If you can forgive me for losing my head earlier. And if you'll come back to my pack with me. Please."

Aria hesitated, stiffening in his arms and visibly holding back something she was dying to say. He held back a sigh of his own, and reluctantly pulled away. Pinching her chin gently between his thumb and forefinger, knowing they would likely get caught soon just standing around in the open. Especially because he was still naked. He tilted her face up and pecked her lips once, just a quick, sweet kiss to get her attention.

"Talk to me, please," he urged softly. "Tell me what's on your mind. We can't move forward if you stay quiet."

She took a long, shaky breath and her gaze dropped to his throat before set in determination.

"I want you to tell me," she said. "About your mate."

His entire body went still, his hands falling away from her and hanging loosely at his sides. His mind filled with an awful silence, images of Helena's body laying cold and covered in blood flashing before his eyes unbidden. And suddenly, he could smell her blood again, mixed with the scent of their stillborn son, and his chest tightened, wringing his lungs clean of any oxygen.

She took a step back, blinking confusedly up at him, having sensed his sudden shift in demeanor.

He couldn't talk about it. He couldn't bring himself to say the words and he felt his eyes shutter, closing off instinctively to avoid pain.

"It's too soon to tell you about that," he said in a cold monotone. "That's not something I want to talk about. It can wait."

Aria's eyes narrowed and a flame sparked behind them. "How is that fair?" she demanded. "You want me to come back with you, but you won't even tell me about your mate? I have a right to know, Marcus. I refuse to be anyone's second choice."

Marcus' eyes flashed and he felt the growl shredding his vocal chords as he snapped: "She's dead. What else is there to tell?"

Aria flinched, her eyes going wide and her lips parting in shock.. Marcus couldn't take the words back, he had to watch as she slowly digested them, probably taking away his one last chance at any kind of happiness for good.

The silence between them stretched on and on, and Marcus was convinced that she was done talking to him, and that her silence was his cue to leave for good. He fought against his very nature to keep his hands at his side, his heart beating hard. He wanted to reach out to her. to apologize for lashing out again, but he didn't know how because she wasn't talking. He couldn't tell if she was angry or hurt, and he didn't know how to fix it if he didn't know how she felt.

Worse was the awareness that he was still naked, and while it had never bothered him before, he became keenly aware of it as it mixed with the unwanted emotional vulnerability. He felt barer now than ever, standing in front of her with the truth lying between them on the ground.

Say something, he wanted to beg her. tell me I'm awful and you can't stand the sight of me.

But she didn't speak. The silence was too much and Marcus thought he might honestly lose his mind if she didn't shatter it soon. His wolf sensed her shock, and the fear that tinged her scent, and pawed at his confines. Marcus wanted to shift just to avoid the horror settling in the pit of his soul.

She was going to leave. She would go back to that Alpha pup, he could sense it. Jaden had white knuckled the steering wheel hard enough that Marcus was surprised it hadn't snapped. But it meant that Jaden could sense it too.

She took a deep breath, her her shoulders squared, and looked at him with regret swimming in her eyes.

"I'm not going back with you tonight, Marcus."