Part 61

(POV - Marcus)

Aiden had been about to speak when that overwhelming scent grew stronger, and he swallowed a whine.

Aria.

Aria was there, her hand pressed possessively to Marcus' side, not begging for Aiden's life to be spared.

No.

She was talking to Marcus. He'd ignored the screech of the other one, the other female that Aiden had mated in place of Aria. Every nerve in his body stilled and zeroed in on the small patch of skin that Aria touched, the rest of the world falling away.

"Marc," she said, her voice gentle, her wolf trying to soothe his. "Marc, look at me, please."

Her fingers flexed in the muscle of his side, her warmth pressing through his skin and sinking into his bones. Without any coherent thought, his wolf released, and his hand went limp. Aiden crashed to the floor, the other female hurrying over to him, but Marcus didn't care.

Marcus only cared about the small wolf behind him, who almost cowered when he turned to face her.

He only cared about that wound in her neck, the skin around it almost black from bruising, a mark placed there by force. He knew she could see it, the pain swirling in his eyes. But he could do very little to mask it just then.

He could smell it. He could smell the filthy claim put there by Aiden, his scent fresh on Aria's skin like they'd been together just moments before Marcus had arrived.

Had he made a mistake?

Had he run all that way, his blood boiling with the urge to kill, only for Aria to have chosen Aiden anyway?

He took a step forward, watching as tears gathered in her wide, honest eyes. She stumbled back, her eyes fixed on his until her back hit a wall and she had nowhere else to go. He felt his lip curl in disgust, his nostrils flared, hating the way Aiden's scent had poisoned hers. She looked so small, nothing like the wolf who had fought with him and demanded she be given the time she needed to think things through.

He could sense the guilt rolling off of her in waves as she looked up at him pleadingly. And that was fear shining bright in her eyes, but all his worries melted away when he saw her wolf reaching out for him, begging him to stay. To listen.

Her bottom lip trembled as she opened her mouth, the skin bitten raw with what Marcus could only guess was anxiety.

"Marc," she mumbled wetly, tears filling her eyes until they spilled over and stained her cheeks. It hurt. It hurt so much, knowing that she'd likely been claimed while Marcus had been back in his own territory, fretting over her safety.

He should have called sooner. He should have come here to see for himself if she had chosen Aiden instead.

He couldn't help the jealousy curdling in his chest, the way it snuffed out any tiny bit of hope he may have had on his way over.

And he had to know.

"Little one," he mouthed, the nickname catching in his throat. "Is this... is this your final decision?"

He would let her go, if it made her happy. As much as it would tear him apart, Marcus would respect her decision if it meant she finally got the happiness she deserved.

She hiccoughed, pressing her lips together, and she blinked up at him, eyes wide.

Slowly, as if she was afraid she might scare him off, she reached for his face, and he hated the way he flinched in response. But every nerve in his body was taut, expecting the absolute worst. She surprised him and pulled his forehead to hers. His eyes slipped shut, but not before he caught a glimpse of her wolf reaching out. Her eyes flitted from human to wolf, flashing amber as she looked up at him.

"Marc," she whispered, her breath ghosting over his lips. Her fingers fisted in the hair at the base of his neck and he fought the growling he felt rumbling in his chest. "I would never leave you. You've been more of a mate to me than he ever could."

His eyes opened then, his wolf itching to break free, and he knew she'd locked eyes with his wolf for a brief second before he gathered her small frame up in his arms and crushed her to his chest. He buried his face in her neck, swallowing open-mouthed gulps of her scent and wanting to claim her to rid her of Aiden's foul scent. He sighed silently when she went soft in his arms, her body melting into his easily, quickly.

"And no mark could ever change that," she whispered, lips pressing into his skin.

"Really?" he breathed, wanting her to be sure of her choice.

"I told you that I'd come back to you," Aria said, with a grin, her eyes still shifting from blue-green to amber. "I just didn't expect you to create such a scene when you came to get me."

He growled petulantly, wishing she wouldn't torment him while they were surrounded by angry wolves.

"What happened?" he demanded, though his voice stayed as soft as it had been. He just needed to know how she had ended up marked but still wanted to leave with the wolf who hadn't given her that mark.

She took a deep, steadying breath and pulled away. Reluctantly, he let her go, but kept his hands securely on her shoulders, afraid Aiden would tear her away from him again.

"When I came back," she said softly, unable to look him in the eye. "I was going to tell Aiden I was leaving, that I wanted to sever the bond by any means necessary. But Aiden went into rut and he, uhm, f-forced me into his bed. And he m-marked me. I didn't want it, I swear, but I couldn't do anything to stop him."

Aria looked as though she half expected Marcus to throw her aside, like she somehow was no longer good enough to come back with him. It hurt him deeply, and he wanted to pull her back into the circle of his arms and tell her that he would help her fix all of it, that she would always have a home with him.

But the rage that bubbled at Aiden, who had forced Aria into something she hadn't wanted, stayed his hand.

As an Alpha, Marcus knew how unpredictable ruts could be. He'd spent five years without his true mate, refusing to take another to his bed just to satisfy his primal needs, and yet he had never forced himself on another.

He rounded on Aiden, who had slowly gotten to his feet, the female wolf beside him helping him up. He curled a hand around Aria's forearm, placing his body between her and Aiden instinctively.

He was going to kill Aiden for it.

He would kill Aiden and disperse the pack, and not a single fucking wolf would remember his name or the things he did.

"Marc, that hurts," Aria complained, hissing in pain. He blinked, realizing too late that he's squeezed her arm too hard in his fit of rage.

"Sorry, love," he murmured, his thumb smoothing over the tender skin. His eyes remained foxed on Aiden, who glanced between the two of them apprehensively. He could feel Jaden and Mercucio's rage grow behind them; Jaden's anger fiery and Mercucio's an icy fury that even Marcus steered clear of. He didn't have to look back to know that each of them stood on either side of Aria, protectively, ready and willing to die for the wolf they acknowledged as their Luna.

It made Marcus' chest swell with so much emotion, but there were far more pressing matters at hand.

He glared at Aiden, whose throat had turned an ugly red from Marcus' vice grip. He had to figure out how to get Aria out without inciting a war that would cost both sides countless innocent lives. He hated to admit it, but now that Aria was safe at his side again, his wolf had calmed and settled enough to let him see sense.

He was still going to kill Aiden, but Aria was his priority, as were the two wolves standing behind her.

"You," he spat at Aiden, who ignored the touch of his chosen mate beside him. "You are going to let Aria go, and let us leave, or you will die."

Jaden snarled behind them, as if proving his Alpha's point. Marcus already knew what kind of hell Jaden was itching to unleash on the wolves in this pack who had allowed something so terrible to happen to one of their own.

And Mercucio would be all too happy to bury the bodies that Jaden left behind.

Marcus waited for Aiden to answer, his skin burning with the incessant need to break his teeth. But Aiden said nothing, his eyes on Aria, who had slipped her fingers into Marcus' hand as though she was trying to hold him back.

Marcus appreciated the anchor; it reminded him why he was there and kept him grounded. It also helped him keep his rage in check when Aiden disregarded him entirely and spoke to Aria.

"I don't want to cause more of a scene than we already have," he said evenly, his eyes growing dark when he looked at her. "Please can I have a word with you in my office before you leave?"

"Okay," Aria agreed. Marcus growled his disapproval and she quieted him by pulling him down for a quick, chaste kiss.

"I don't like it," he said, already knowing what she would say.

"I know," she said with a soft smile. She brushed the pad of her thumb across his cheekbone, her eyes following the movement for a moment. "But I'll be right back. I promise."

***

It's my birthday today. Wow I can't believe I'm already 18!!

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