Alpha Bully (13 page)

Jack was waiting for them.

“You’re looking a lot better,” Jack said.

“Thank you, I think.” She climbed into the back of the
car as Marshall sat beside his friend.

“We heading back home?” Jack asked, talking to
Marshall

“Yeah.”

Jack turned the car around heading toward Marshall’s
home.

“How was school?” Scarlett asked.

“Boring as shit.
This one here kept staring at the clock. I’m sure it dragged by just
because you weren’t there. Fucking annoyed me.”

Marshall reached behind him, taking her hand. He
squeezed her hand, locking their fingers together. “I missed my girl.”

“Your girl?”

“Yes, we’re exclusive now,” Marshall said.

“Score.
You’re Marshall’s girl now.” Jack looked back at her in the rearview
window. She didn’t know what to make of Jack’s words. Was this a joke? Was
Marshall jerking her chain?

Scarlett rubbed her temple as doubt washed over her.

Marshall squeezed her hand, and she watched him shoot
a glare at Jack. Something happened between them, and Jack bowed his head.

She tried to pull her hand out of Marshall’s grip, but
he wouldn’t let her.

“What’s going on?” Scarlett asked.

“Nothing.
You’ve got to realize we’re not joking around. This isn’t some prank
for me. This is real.”

“Okay.” What else could she say?

Marshall cursed but still wouldn’t let go of her hand.
She didn’t bother to fight him. The rest of the journey went by silently as
they made their way toward Marshall’s house.

Climbing out of the car, he finally released her hand,
and she was happy to be able to focus on something else beside the doubts that
assailed her.

“See you soon,” Marshall said, slamming the door
closed. Jack drove away, and Scarlett rubbed her hands together to try to warm
herself up.

He closed the distance between them, taking her into
his arms, and holding her close. “You don’t believe me.”

“I don’t know what to believe.” She was honest in her
response.

He cupped her cheeks, pressing a kiss to her lips.
“I’m going to prove to you that we’re meant for each other.” He rubbed her
arms, kissing her again. “Come on, let’s get you warmed up.

Marshall took her into his home. His parents were not
there, and he led her all the way up to his room. She didn’t know what to make
of the change inside him. Scarlett wanted to believe him more than anything, but
the past with him made her doubt his sincerity.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“I want to take you for a walk into the forest, but
I’m so not doing that while you’re dressed like you are.”

He entered his wardrobe and grabbed out a jumper along
with a pair of sweat pants. “I want you to put these on top of your clothes. I
don’t want you to be cold at all.”

“I can’t wear your clothes.” She looked down at the
large garments wondering if they would even fit her much larger frame.

“This is about fun. I swear this is nothing but
honesty.”

Nodding, she reached out to grab the sweats. She was
going to trust him.

Mate.

The word was getting harder to ignore, and she didn’t
have the first clue why.

Chapter Nine

Marshall wished he’d not bullied her. He was so angry
with himself for everything he’d done to her. She didn’t do anything to him,
yet he’d tormented her, hurt her. His wolf was angry at their treatment toward
her. There was nothing he could do about the past, but he would make sure he
didn’t hurt her again. She was going to be treasured, loved, and adored. His
parents already adored her and approved of her as a mate.

The need to take care of her was a compulsion within
him. When he left her house on that first night, he’d been overcome by pain. He
couldn’t leave his mate while she’d been hurting. By the time he got home, he’d
already known he was going back to spend the night with her. It wasn’t even the
need to mate. It was something more primal. She was going to be his mate and
one day
carry
his young. He couldn’t allow her to be
hurt.

He gave her some much needed privacy as he headed
downstairs to pack them a couple of flasks of hot chocolate. He saw his mother
had also left a large chocolate cake on the counter. Marshall packed a couple
of slices, and by the time he finished, Scarlett was waiting for him.

She looked so adorable bundled up in his clothing.

“What?” she asked. “Do I look bad?”

“No, far from
it.
You look so adorable.”

Scarlett smiled, tucking some of her hair behind her
ear. While she’d been ill her hair had lost that glossy sheen to it that he
loved. The glossy sheen was back, and her scent was back to normal. He loved
sniffing her, but she’d also started to notice that he did sniff her a lot.

“Come on.” He helped her into a jacket before putting
his own on.

Taking hold of her arm, they headed out of his home.
He put the bag on his shoulder. Walking down the street, several of the pack
chose that moment to come outside to check out his mate. He didn’t mind.
Everyone knew he’d found his mate. They were all curious to see her.

He nodded to each person, introducing Scarlett to
others along the way, explaining who they were. Not once did he mention the
pack.

“Your street is very close.”

“Yeah.
We’ve all come together to take care of each other.”

Marshall took her hand as they walked into the forest.
What little sunlight there was
disappeared.
He held
her hand tightly as they started into the forest.

Slowing down his movements so she wouldn’t trip, his
wolf started to pace at the forefront of his mind.

Stand down. She doesn’t know about us.

Mate. She’s ours to claim.

Marshall paused, gripping a tree as his wolf pounced
against the wall of his mind, demanding to be released.

Scarlett touched his shoulder. “Marshall, are you
okay?”

Her voice, her touch, did what he could not. She
pushed his wolf down, happy to have her touch on him.

“Yes. Sorry. I’m fine.”

“Are you coming down poorly?” She reached up to put
her hand on his forehead. “You’re warm, but you’re always warm.”

“I’m not sick.” He took her hand, placing a kiss to
her knuckles. “Come on. I’m ready to move on.” He locked their fingers together
walking toward the stream.

Neither of them spoke, and he used the opportunity to
sniff the air. There were a couple of wolves in the forest and they knew he was
there.

He couldn’t hear them, but he smelled them. They were
close but had seen him with his mate. They were keeping a distance so they were
not exposed. There would come a time when he didn’t have a choice and he’d have
to show her his true side. It wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Marshall wanted her trust along with her love before
he opened himself up that far.

“This is really beautiful,” she said. “Do you walk
here often?”

“Yes. I love coming here.”

They exited the forest as the river came into view.

“Oh, wow,” Scarlett said. “You can see this from your
window.”

“I know. You wanted to see it, and I wanted to be the
first one to bring you here.” He headed up toward the large boulder. Many days
and nights he’d spent sitting on that boulder thinking about his future. He was
an alpha, and when his father stepped down, Marshall would be expected to take
his place to rule the pack. His father knew what it was like to be a leader
whereas Marshall didn’t know if he could be responsible for so many people.
Since Scarlett came into his life, he did think he could handle whatever the
pack threw his way.

Releasing his sack and her hand, he pulled out a
blanket, placing it over the cold stone. With his mate being human he had to
remember she would feel all of the cold stone.

Patting the blanket he encouraged her to sit down.

She took a seat, looking up at him. He took a seat
beside her, pulling out the flask of hot chocolate.

“Do you watch the water rushing on by?”

“I do. I can sit here for hours looking at the water.
It soothes me.”
You soothe me more.

“I can see why. I know
it’s
cold, but it’s beautiful. It won’t be long until it’s frozen over and solid.”
She tucked some hair behind her ear.

“I’m glad I brought you here.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to share a part of myself with you. I’ve
never brought anyone here. Even Jack doesn’t come here. He knows about it, but
he also knows not to interrupt me when I come here.”

“Why were you so angry with him in the car?” she
asked, turning those intense brown eyes onto him.

“He upset you.”

“How can you even know that? You seem to know so much,
and I don’t even talk all the time.”

“No, you don’t.” Unlike the girls he’d been with, Scarlett
was not easily talkative. He didn’t know if he liked her silences. There was no
way for him to know what she was thinking or what about. If it wasn’t for the
different smells that came from her, he wouldn’t have an insight. In the car,
he’d glared at Jack and his friend knew he had overstepped the line with his
comments. “I don’t like how you doubt me. I know I’ve not given you any reason
to believe me when I tell you that this is not a joke. I know I’ve got to prove
to you that I’m with you with this, all the way.” He passed her a flask of hot
chocolate. “Don’t worry. I can wait for you to trust me.”

“Thank you.”

He watched her sip at her drink. She really was the
most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Marshall leaned back on his hands staring
up at the clear blue sky. It was cold, and it would be colder still.

“This is nice.” She leaned her head against him, and
joy suffused him. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her close.

Pressing his nose against her hair, he inhaled her
scent, moaning. He was falling in love with his mate. This wasn’t just about
the chemical need of his wolf. Marshall liked Scarlett. She was beautiful
inside and out. He’d been too much of an asshole to see what was right in front
of him.

“You know I’ve dreamed about this place, and you,” she
said, surprising him.

“Have you been here before?”

“No. Strange but my dreams are about this forest and
you, and please don’t look at me strangely, wolves, real live wolves.”

He turned to look at her.

“What?” she asked.

“You dream about me and wolves?”

She nodded, humming. “Yeah, everything has been a
little strange of late.”

Marshall held her close even as his heart pounded. She
was his mate and having dreams about him and the pack. It was meant to be. He
was more convinced now than ever before. “Do wolves scare you?”

“No, not in this
dream.
It’s weird, but when I see the wolf in my dream, I
see your eyes and I just know everything is going to be all right.” She
shrugged. “It’s just a dream, a recurring one, but a dream all the same.”

He didn’t say anything as she snuggled up against him.

“I love it here, and I know I could stay here
forever.”

“I’ll gladly stay here with you.”

****

This was his world, and Scarlett liked being part of
it. His warmth seeped through the clothes she wore, warming her up. She
couldn’t believe that she had just admitted the truth about the wolf dreams.
Pushing her doubts aside, she enjoyed the warmth of his body against hers.

“I like you, Marshall. I like this guy you’re being. I
don’t want to doubt you again.”

He locked their hands together and brought their hands
up for her to see. “This is us, baby. I’m not going to back down or give up.
You’re mine.”

She stared up into his eyes. “I’ve never had a
boyfriend.”

“Well I’m looking forward to being many of your
firsts.”

Her heart raced as she remembered the feel of his lips
on hers. He’d been her first kiss as well.

“You’re remembering my lips on yours, aren’t you?”

Scarlett nodded.

His free hand stroked over her cheek. The tips of his
fingers slid over her lips.

“I loved kissing you as well.”

He started to move closer to her. His breath fanned
her face, and Scarlett closed her eyes. She couldn’t hear anything other than
the pounding of the blood around her body. Nothing made any sense, and when his
lips touched hers, an explosion of pleasure filled every part of her body.
Reaching out, she gripped his jacket, holding onto him as he deepened the kiss.
He was the one who held all the control, not her.