Her Chosen Mate

Part 31

Marcus' wolf stirred in disgust and made itself known. He felt his eyes shift to the glowing silver that had often stared back at him in the mirror and held the disrespectful Alpha's gaze. Marcus had always hated being stared at, particularly after his mate had died and he'd gone on a rampage. An incident that had basically ousted him from the wolf community. And he wouldn't back down just because some Alpha punk thought he could intimidate Marcus after all the shit he'd faced in his life.

They locked eyes for a long, tense moment before the other Alpha looked away. Marcus' wolf snarled in satisfaction and curled up once more, dozing off. His wolf had always found gatherings like these boring, and only really showed any interest when he sensed Marcus being challenged in any way.

Marcus preferred it that way. His wolf was notoriously difficult to control in certain types of situations. So having him virtually clock out when there were at least two dozen Alphas around made Marcus' life much easier.

As if he'd heard Marcus' thoughts, Jaden clicked his tongue and murmured unhappily, "Whoever this new Alpha is, he's an idiot for putting so many puffed up Alphas in one room. I feel sorry for the females. I'm a male and I can barely stomach the smell of ego and dominance."

Ryder nodded his agreement. The only sign of tension on him was the way his fingers flexed in his pockets. Marcus chortled quietly, wholly in agreement with his wolves.

"While we're here," he murmured, eyes roving the sea of wolves carefully. "We may as well gather as much intel as possible. First and foremost, there's an Alpha with white hair who-"

He froze, nostrils flaring as a familiar scent drifted towards him.

His wolf once again raised its head, slumber forgotten.

It was Aria.

Aria was there in the crowd somewhere, her scent exactly as he remembered it. The only difference was the tinge of despair that turned it slightly sour.

"She's here," he said, stepping away from the wall to survey the crowd. She wasn't tiny, but she was small enough that she'd be invisible behind the towering Alphas.

"Aria?" Jaden asked, stepping in next to Marcus protectively. Marcus nodded and turned back to his two sentry wolves.

"I'm going to find her," he announced, his wolf fighting to just go already because she was there somewhere and he had to find her. "I need you two to keep a lookout and gather some intel on the Alphas here."

"Yes, Alpha," they said in unison, each of them disappearing into the crowd like a pair of wraiths.

Marcus turned his attention back to the sea of pompous Alphas and their packs, holding onto Aria's scent and letting it guide him towards her. His wolf paced in agitation, itching to be set free because his nose was keener than Marcus' and they'd find her in a heartbeat. But Marcus refused, knowing what would happen if he shifted in a room packed with Alphas who were already on edge.

They'd devolve into a thrashing mess of snapping jaws and knife-sharp claws, and the people who would end up worse off were the pack members.

And Aria was there. He couldn't risk doing anything that would end up harming her.

So he tempered his wolf as best as he could and slipped into the crowd, keeping his eyes and nose peeled for any sign of her.

He wondered which pack she belonged to and berated himself for not even asking that of her when they'd been holed up in his room for three days. Granted, they hadn't shared a lot of information, mostly because they'd needed to protect their packs and the pack secrets. It had been possible that Aria was a spy who'd seduced Marcus at his weakest moment just to gain access to his pack lands.

Even though she'd proven him wrong by staying with him until his rut had ended, neither of them had offered much in the way of personal information.

He recalled the stories she'd told him, tales from the countless books she'd read, and the memory helped ease his wolf's frustration. He'd been wrapped up in her arms when she'd told him her stories. An action that allowed himself a brief, selfish moment of vulnerability by seeking comfort from her rather than giving it.

He'd slipped in and out of consciousness as her fingers gently scratched through his matted curls, damp with sweat, and giggled through her little tales. He remembered each one vividly. From the human who'd fallen in love with a High Fae and became her mate, to the strange stories of dragons and elves who fought men, including these strange halfling creatures.

He'd known she told him the stories to help get his mind off of the intense pain his rut caused him. He'd thanked her by gently pulling her into his lap, her naked body flush against his, and feeding her first before he even looked at his own food.

When it happened, he'd scolded himself for allowing things to become so intimate, but his wolf was happy. And had told him that it was right. That he needed to protect Aria and take care of her no matter what.

Maybe that was why it had been so difficult in the weeks since she left. To stay focused on anything for longer than a breath.