Her Chosen Mate

Part 46

(POV - Aria)

As soon as the words left her mouth, Aria could see the flash of hurt in his eyes. His eyes shuttered again and he began closing himself off. She suppressed a smile, reaching up to thread her fingers through the hair that curled at the base of his neck.

"Hey," she soothed, bringing his forehead to hers and closing her eyes. Her wolf quietened when his skin finally pressed to hers. "Don't shut off so quickly. Hear me out first?"

She heard him swallow and his lips parted, his breath warm on her face. "Okay."

She pulled away but left her fingers tangled in his hair, looking deep into his storm grey eyes when she spoke.

"I'm not going back with you," she said, her gaze dropped to the dip of his throat. "Not yet."

His eyes lit up and he looked at her with hope sparkling in the depths of his beautiful eyes. And it made her heart so warm, so happy that he seemed as though he really did want her to come back with him.

"I think we should spend some time alone to sort through our own demons," she clarified. "We both have a lot going on behind the scenes, and I think we should figure out if we have feelings beyond sexual attraction. I think we owe ourselves that, don't you? I want us to have a real chance if we want an actual relationship."

He took a deep breath, one that made his chest expand until it brushed hers. He looked away and breathed out, his thoughts playing out across his face.

"I know you're right but," he paused, looking back at Aria. His eyes softened when he looked at her and it was something that softened her in here? We could work things out in, I don't know, separate rooms."

She giggled and even heard Jaden snort from his spot in the car. "Marc," she chuckled, her fingers combing through his hair gently. "You're a big Alpha, surely you can deal with me being gone for a little while?"

He snarled unhappily but it wasn't vicious, nor was it meant to scare her. He was just being petulant, and it was so cute that Aria couldn't bring herself to reprimand him for snarling at her.

"I don't like the idea of you going back to him," he said, his voice low with hatred. "I don't want his filthy hands within ten miles of you."

"That's a little impossible," she sighed, eyes searching his to find the answer that would keep both of them happy until they'd made a decision about their relationship. "I'd have to go back either way. And he would probably come looking for me if I didn't. I'm surprised he still hasn't broken every treaty his father negotiated yet."

"Oh, he's tried," Marcus commented dryly. "But he's still a pup who hasn't had to face another Alpha in battle before."

"What do you mean?" Aria asked cautiously. "What has he done?"

Marcus scoffed and his lip curled in dark amusement, revealing one of his pointed canines. "He's had groups of sentries running along my borders all week, changing them every four hours because he thinks I won't catch their scent, or his in theirs. But I've been an Alpha for far too long. And he's never faced someone like me."

Without even needing to look over her shoulder, she knew that Jaden was grinning maliciously.

"He hasn't ordered them into your territory yet?" she asked curiously. She was surprised that he'd relented enough, although that was probably because Aiden knew what kind of Alpha Marcus really was, and was trying not to be naive in underestimating him.

"No, I think he understands that I'd send his hounds back to him in pieces," Marcus said, baring his teeth. "Mutts who aren't careful get their ears clipped for not listening to their master."