Her Chosen Mate

Part 33

(POV - Marcus)

Marcus huffed in frustration.

He couldn't locate Aria, no matter how hard he tried. He felt himself draw close before she slipped away again, and it was maddening.

All he could smell were these thick-headed Alphas who milled around, trying to seem like the most important wolf in the room. It made him feel ill, and he would have left if it hadn't been for Aria's trailing scent.

He continued his search, trying not to outright shove other wolves out of the way, until someone announced the new Alpha's arrival.

With a disapproving growl, Marcus stopped his search, though only out of an old respect that his mother had taught him when he was still a pup.

The new Alpha, introduced as Aiden, stood at the top of the staircase, a newly marked mate on his arm. She was not wearing the customary purple of a true mate. He frowned, a part of him wondering where this Alpha's true mate could be, when his eyes fell on the Alpha himself, and he scoffed.

Jaden and Ryder slid into place beside him, both of them looking at the top of the stairs, where Aiden waved at the guests as if they were his subjects.

"He's still a pup," Jaden grumbled, sneering at the clean, scarless skin of Aiden's hands. Ryder only nodded his head, not offering any commentary because he was barely twenty himself. Even so, Marchs would hazard a guess and say that Aiden was probably closer to his own age. Yet, in comparison, Ryder had very likely seen more than Aiden would for a very long time.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?" Marcus murmured, folded his arms across his chest. His shirt was a little tight, and he felt it pull at the seams, but he ignored it. "This whole banquet."

"It's just a way for him to make us think he's a modern Alpha, someone we should take seriously. But he's put all these Alphas in here. He's naïve, carelessly so."

Marcus hummed his agreement.

When he'd first taken the title of Alpha, he'd brought home several scars to prove his worth to his new pack. And the second time, when he'd freed his pack from the rule of that crazed Alpha, he'd practically bathed in his opponent's blood to prove he wasn't weak. He hadn't thrown parties the way parents would, in an effort to try and help their pups make new friends.

It was all so childish that Marcus could barely restrain his laughter.

Aiden was still a pup, a weakling trying to convince his fellow Alphas that he wasn't someone to be messed with. But that had only proved how inexperienced Aiden was. Marcus was convinced that the previous father had been Aiden's father. There was something in the way Aiden carried himself, entitled, that put the thought in Marcus' head.

His wolf growled and huffed suddenly, pulling Marcus' attention away as Aiden and his mate reached the foot of the stairs. His eyes landed on Aria, standing close to the staircase and staring wide-eyed at Aiden, looking sick and on the verge of passing out.

Without another thought, he shoved through the crowd that separated him from Aria, not caring as wolves stumbled out of his way. Each of turned to snarl but whimpered when they saw who they'd been about to snarl at.

He only knew he had to get to Aria. He saw her best friend reach her first. April?' he thinks, the same one from the club. She struggled to pull Aria up, trying to support her so that she wouldn't collapse to the floor. Sensing her despair, he moved quicker, cutting through the group of Alphas clamoring to meet Aiden and earning Aiden's ire in return. He didn't care, he only wanted to reach Aria, his mind quickly putting the pieces together.

Aria had mentioned that her love life was a mess, and it was evident. Aiden must be her true mate, but he'd chosen another. And the pain it had caused Aria was severe enough that it knocked her off her feet.

Marcus' blood boiled, and he swore he'd take care of Aiden after he made sure Aria was alright. He finally reached her, catching up in time to have her take a step back into him. She spun around, her beautiful face wet with tears, her makeup running, and yet she was still the most stunning wolf Marcus had ever seen.

"Aria," he murmured, not sure what he wanted to say to her. He knew he couldn't just sweep her up into his arms and whisk her away. But the desperation and hurt on her face made it so difficult to make sane, rational decisions. His wolf surprised him yet again by going entirely compliant, calm where he'd been clawing to get out.

She reached out, tears clinging to her lashes like diamonds, and pinched the soft material of his shirt. The purple dress looked so perfect on her, and he hated himself for wishing she'd worn the color for him. His wolf didn't disagree with the thought the way Marcus had expected him to. He would usually growl at the disrespect Marcus showed his dead mate, but this time he quietly yearned for the same thing Marcus wanted.

"Please," she whispered, her red lips quivering. "Please get me out, Alpha."

That same sense of possessiveness surged inside him, his wolf growing viciously protective of the woman in front of him.

"It's okay," he said soothingly, watching the coil of her shoulders loosen at the sound of his voice. "I'm going to get you out. But I need you to breathe for me." He tried to keep his hands to himself, knowing how his touch would be perceived by the Alphas around them. It was getting more and more difficult to give a fuck the longer Aria struggled to calm down.

"Here," he said, holding his hand out and carefully taking hers. She made him and his wolf growl in satisfaction. "Breathe with me, okay?"

She nodded; her hand lay flat over his heart where he carefully held her. He breathed in deep, letting her feel the way his chest expanded and then slowly blew that breath out, watching her imitate him.

Her panicked breathing gradually evened out until she was able to stand without April holding onto her. "There you go," Marcus said softly, losing himself in Aria's forest green eyes. "Keep doing it just like that. I'm going to get you out."

He reached his free hand up to brush the disheveled hair away from her face when a deep territorial growl echoed from behind him.