The Change (Fated Series: book1) -
Chapter 12 - Pack Business
It was the silence which made her classify the trip to the pack house as the most intense car ride in the history of car rides. It wasn’t that she felt uncomfortable with Marcus. Quite the opposite. His presence put her at ease. She would have fallen asleep had it not been for her overactive mind, which wanted to steal glances at his profile every so often, hoping he would stop looking so worried. Alpha Ned was a fierce leader and while Marcus was a goofball, the lack of smile on his lips made her even more sensitive to the change in his presence. The green eyes were narrowed, determination etched on his face. Gone was the easy-going, flirtatious Alpha. His place was taken by the precise and meticulous Alpha everyone other than Nessa knew. He looked different yet the same. She wondered how she did not associate his stature with a ranking. She internally sighed, knowing the answer. She was too busy feeling special in his company to properly think about social hierarchy.
He looked concerned. There was something more than a casual passing of rogues that worried him. Although he chose not to share it, she knew it was there. Regardless of whether it was the safety of his pack or something to do with her in particular, he was nervous. That by itself sent cold chills down her spine.
She only hoped her needy wolf did not read too much into their one night stand. She wished she was confident enough to dare say she was more than a one night stand to him. But in reality she wasn’t. They had undeniable chemistry, but that did not equal a relationship.
He was frustrating. How half of the time she was infuriated with him, while the other half was filled with lustful thoughts.
She had no illusions of what he wanted. Their night together was amazing, and she was sure he wouldn’t mind another go at it. But could she venture into an affair, however brief it might be. She could easily see herself falling in love with him. Very fast and very deep... Then the affair would end and she’d be again be alone and bitter. Could she be with him and still keep her heart? That was the question that was truly bothering Nessa. Since the answer kept evading her, she decided to play it by ear and see what the big bad Alpha would do next. It was easier that way than questioning her every emotion. Maybe all of this worry was unnecessary. In the end, he might not even see her as anything else than another notch in his belt.
Experience. That was what they called it. She knew she had none what-so-ever when it came down to real relationships. It was one of the reasons why she preferred an escape in her stories. She could keep the environment under control and process the feelings her characters felt in a more analytical way. Whoever said love was blind definitely knew what they were talking about. Only through distance, could she clearly reflect on her emotions. But how much distance would she get in a pack house?
His pack house.
Her eyes darted back to him. He was dangerous for all the wrong reasons.
The pack house emerged from behind the trees and her eyes focused on the massive building. It seemed fitting. A powerful Alpha could not just live in a two bedroom apartment. He needed a pack house, which projected respect. His pack house was grandiose compared to the one in Rover Groove. The bay windows, the landscape, the unusual and yet modern architecture – everything was stunning. Nessa hoped her face wasn’t showing her awe, as it would do nothing but overinflate his Ego. She knew Marcus was well off financially from his previous remarks. His pack was one of the strongest and most influential, but she never imagined he would call something like this ‘home’. This was monstrous!
As the car came to a halt, his green eyes focused her, a dazzling smile playing across his lips. She immediately blushed as he caught her staring.
“You approve,” Marcus concluded as it was no question. She looked at him then back to the pack house. Nessa didn’t trust her voice, so she just nodded. “I’ll give you a tour later. Come.”
He quickly jumped off the car, and Nessa followed suit. She closed the front passenger’s door and went to open the back to retrieve her bag. She felt his left hand loop around her waist gently guiding her away from the car. He bent down, reaching for her bag and moving his arms in just the fashion to allow contact between the outer side of her breast with his arm.
“I wouldn’t be a good host if I make you haul everything,” Marcus casually explained to her. There wasn’t anything casual or innocent about the way his eyes burned into hers, or the sensual way his fingers massaged her waist as he slowly ushered her towards the steps.
As they made their way up the stairs to the main door, she noticed Marcus surveying the area, as if he was expecting rogues this far into his land. One thing was certain, he was much more aware of the surroundings than she ever was. She decided she needed to summon whatever shifter senses she had left in the interest of navigating the pack house.
The moment they reached the landing, the massive doors opened. Nessa suspiciously eyed the guard by the door. He had eyes only for Marcus. Nessa was glad about that. She could never withstand the intense gaze with which he captured Marcus attention, while giving him a short nod. Marcus puffed his chest, obviously unhappy with the way the guard initiated eye contact with him. It was something that few Alphas permitted. It was perceived as a challenge. And seeing that the guard kept his head, she determined it was indeed something urgent.
Nessa took the time they mind linked to look around the foyer. It was neatly arranged, decorated and styled. It looked as if it came out of one of the glamour home-design magazines she sometimes used as inspiration when describing elaborate scenes from her books. Everything was precise, exclusive and expensive. It felt more like a show house than an actual place to live in.
“Eamon will show you to your room,” Marcus’ voice brought her focus back to the guard. Of course, the Alpha was too busy to keep her company. Nessa just nodded at him, trying to mask her disappointment. What did she expect? That he’d be acting like a love-struck puppy and follow her around?
“Grow up, Nessa,” Nessa mentally scolded herself.
She needed to separate her books from her life. She followed the sturdy guy in front of her, but kept an eye on the direction Marcus was headed, then heard a door close not very far away from the entrance. As his familiar scent became harder to pick up, she realized she was all alone in his pack house.
Eamon did not waste time and walked fast towards his destination. Nessa summoned every bit of her wolf scenes to make sense of the elaborate labyrinth of halls and corridors they passed until they reached what seemed to be their destination. Eamon opened the door in front of her and made a beeline for the bed, where he left her bag. He turned around and gave her once over before excusing himself. It was obvious he thought escorting her to her room was beneath him and he was not looking to make any new friends.
“Thank you,” Nessa decided to kill him with kindness. He simply nodded then exited the room. She nervously waited for a key to turn, but it never happened. She released the breath she was holding. What did she get herself into?
Marcus
(His office)
It just had to be today. It had to be the day he made progress with Nessa. Marcus was convinced, the Fates hated him.
His heart felt uneasy watching Nessa follow Eamon. Disappointment washed over him. He was picturing this moment far differently. He wanted to walk her to her room, show her his pack house and maybe keep her some company, flirting shamelessly with her. Marcus enjoyed teasing her, pushing her out of her comfort zone and listening to her clever comebacks at his own jests. His wolf needed physical contact and would settle for nudges, hits or just about any touch from her. He was a proud addict. He had found his Chosen mate.
He was happy the trackers were back and was looking forward to resolving the rogue situation. The faster it was put to rest, the quicker he’d get back to spend time with Nessa. Of course, he wouldn’t tell her right away that the rogues are taken care off. He could be coy and let her live with him for a little longer. After all, if he had his way, she would never leave his pack house.
He opened his study only to find second and third in command waiting for him as per Eamon’s mindlink. They were supposed to discuss a memo from Pack Law. Marcus wondered what the supernatural police unit uncovered and wondered if there was a leak in his organization. His pack activities as suspicious as they were at times, were carefully executed to lease minimal footprint, one that it could not be traced back to Marcus.
No other than Joel Rifkin himself was coming to pay Blackwood a visit. Of course, the true nature of the visit was covered up under “Inspection of the Pack House’s emergency and safety protocols”. Marcus had to admit, the young Battalion Commander was street smart and thrived where others had failed. The Seventh Battalion was transformed into a well oiled machine since he had taken over. It was as big of a compliment anyone could get from Alpha Ned.
Pack Law’s visit ironically just happened to be the same weekend as the black-tie party planned in Lee’s honor. Coincidence? No! Marcus long ago stopped believing in things as simple as coincidence. It was the same dreadful day that Emma died that cured Marcus of his naivete. Marcus was conveniently invited by Alpha Steven of Blue Moon to meet in person on a business matter. Nothing out of the ordinary. Not until he had arrived home and found her.
It was Vince who broke the silence, “Alpha, I am happy to report all preparations for the party are done. Alpha Lee’s latest requests were accommodated. Everything is going according to plan for the take down. The only variable is Pack Law, of course. Their visit feels like is an inspection of our Intelligence activities.”
“Someone must have informed them,” Cameron spoke what was on their minds.
“Do we have a mole or is it a leak from elsewhere?” Marcus wasn’t bothered by the fact Pack Law knew. It was only a matter of time before they started to suspect his intentions. Marcus had long ago accepted that once Alpha Steven took his last breath, so would he. Nessa changed that in the short amount of time he had known her. Now he had to shield her from the fallout. It was ironic, he had brought her in the Pack House to keep her safe, only to question if she would e better protected on the fridge of his territory. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her under his roof. His attraction to Nessa was only going to put her in the crossfire. But he couldn’t bring himself to do the honorable thing and distance himself from her. His wolf would never allow him to redirect his attention elsewhere for the sake of her security. NOt that Marcus wanted to. Nessa was hurt by her rejection and he would never forgive himself.
“We are still looking into Pack Law’s timing. It might still be coincidence. Everybody knows you grew up with Alpha Lee. You are expected to have a closer relationship with him. Nothing alarming about a little house party,” Vince continued.
“They will look under a microscope to find something wrong,” Marcus could already imagine the Pack Law officials walking around as if they owned the place. “I want everyone to be on their best behavior. Senior Warriors need to keep an eye on things and make this visit go without so much as a hiccup. We don’t want trouble with Pack Law. Not yet.”
Vincent nodded and left the office. Marcus focused his attention on Cameron.
“Vanessa is going to stay with us until everything blows over,” Marcus informed him. Cameron smiled at the news. “I would hate it if something bad happens to her after I convinced her the pack house is the safest place for her for now.”
“Of course,” Cameron grinned.
Marcus wished he could share the excitement of his Beta at the news. Where Cameron saw hope, Marcus worried about Nessa’s safety. She didn’t have her wolf and although Marcus knew time would help her heal, he wasn’t sure whether his decision to bring her in his pack house was selfish or nobble. He told himself, she was here for her protection, but by the looks of things her apartment was more secure than his pack house. A growl started from deep within his chest. Keeping loved ones safe shouldn’t be this complicated. Marcus worried about history repeating itself.
“I’ll watch over her,” Cameron volunteered.
His reassurance was touching and Marcus had no doubt his Beta would rather die than to risk becoming an Alpha when there was a paperwork-free option.
Marcus had a reason to live now, which meant his work just got a hundred times more complicated. Marcus had never made his private life public. He wondered how much of her playfulness would show when they were not alone. That would potentially lead to significant ramifications. He didn’t want to be the reason why she got hurt.
His wolf wanted to break out, to follow her scent upstairs and to mark her on the spot. At least that way, she would be protected in his own Pack House. No matter what, Marcus promised himself nothing would befall Nessa under his roof.
He was the Alpha after all.
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