The Change (Fated Series: book1)

Nessa

“Marcus, what do you think you’re doing?” Nessa asked her Neanderthal of a mate.

“Shower time,” he replied, as if it was the most self-explanatory answer. He snaked his hand around her slippers and skillfully removed them, throwing them over to the side.

“You do realize I am not a bag of potatoes, right?” Nessa asked.

Immediately, her upside down view of the world and of his absolutely delicious backside was righted. He slowly slid her down his torso, allowing her to feel every dip and rise of his well defined muscles. She rolled her eyes at his attempt to seduce her and regretfully admitted it was working like a charm. By the smirk forming in the corner of his lips, he had noticed her reaction. He bent and kissed her forehead while still embracing her with his right hand. As he was kissing her, he started the shower and adjusted the water temperature. Nessa had to give it to him; the man could multitask and manipulate you into following his command. His Alpha side, no doubt. But she was not going to dwell on it, especially when she enjoyed the direction he was taking. Darn it, if she was perfectly honest, she got kicks out of how possessive, confident and bossy he was. It made her feel secure around him. It made her feel treasured. She had always thought of herself as an independent woman and knowing there was this guy, her guy, willing to take this profound care of her, tugged a heart strings. The kind of string that makes you weak in your knees and tells you everything is going to be alright. However, if she let him have his small victory, what would that say about her? She was a mush in his very capable hands. For once, she didn’t feel the need to keep up with her self-imposed bravado. She was a superwoman, who was about to get spoilt by all that Marcus was. Before she had time to react, he kissed her cheek and told her.

“Don’t over think.”

“I am not,” Nessa quickly argued back.

“Good,” Marcus agreed more for her benefit but clearly didn’t believe her. “FYI, I shower naked. How naughty is that?” Marcus winked at her as he stripped down to his boxers. Nessa’s eyes immediately followed the sudden movement and stared at his blatant excitement. Her cheeks flushed the moment she noticed he was clearly aware of her rapt attention. She couldn’t take her eyes off that particularly noticeable part of his anatomy. Marcus whispered, “I love you, sweetcheeks.”

Nessa snapped her eyes to his face. He kept a small smile on his face and carefully observed her, as if she were on the verge of bolting out of the bathroom at any moment. She had to admit – he was spot-on anticipating her initial response – avoidance. She returned his smile with a smirk.

“Oh, Alpha Neddie loves me! Yay, yay!” Nessa did her happy dance while his laughter accompanied her sing-song voice, echoing through the bathroom. She moved closer to him, letting her lips almost brush against his and replied, “I think I love you back.”

“You think?” Marcus arched an eyebrow at her.

“I have to make you sweat a bit, don’t I?” Nessa cheekily replied trying to sidestep out of his reach. His arms caught her, far too easily in her opinion, and pressed her into his body. Marcus effortlessly picked her up and moved her into the shower with him. She squeaked as soon as the water hit her skin.

Damn, that was hot!

“Are you trying to boil my skin off?” Nessa accused him and he grinned at her, reaching for her now wet shirt.

“That’s for calling me Neddie,” Marcus said and then proceeded in undressing her. Nessa quickly swatted his hands away, which only made him growl at her.

“Excuse you. What if I don’t want to take a shower?”

“You can soak in your clothes, but you’re missing out,” Marcus announced then turned around and started showering. His cold shoulder routine would have worked had he not constantly shot backward glances at her. Nessa grinned. So much for being strict with her. Marcus chuckled. “You realize that your stand off is irrational. You’re covered in dried blood and I’ve already seen everything, so there is no need to be shy. It’s just a shower with me.”

“Is that what we are doing?” Nessa teasingly replied, pushing him under the shower head. She couldn’t just stand there and watch as each and every single drop of water made its way down his defined pecs to the valley of his navel. Damn, his body was sizzling hot! The running water was enhancing and accentuating the raw energy and masculinity in his stance. This caused all kinds of wonderful feelings to start churning inside of her.

“Well, now that you mention it – hell no!” Marcus replied, reaching for her with predatory hunger. Nessa giggled at his determination as he started taking her clothes off. Randomly throwing them out of the way.

“You’re soaking the whole bathroom!” Nessa chuckled as Marcus threw her shirt over the shower curtain, hearing it land on the tiles with a loud splat. Marcus grinned at her as his hands lovingly cupped her breasts.

“Bathrooms are supposed to be wet!” Marcus announced and slid his hands onto her sides, hooking his index fingers into her pjs.

“Are they now?” Nessa questioned. He chuckled then shook his head. He simultaneously knelt in front of her, while pulling her pants and thong downward. He grinned as his lips were at her navel then immediately launched to kiss and tease her, making his way down from her navel to her groin. The stubble that was forming on his face brushed her delicate skin. Nessa immediately tried to retreat. He looked up at her. His eyes were glazed with lust and his breath hot on her skin. His lips were slightly parted and mere millimeters away from her core.

“Your stubble… It scratches…” Nessa explained at his confusion. She moved her hand over his cheek then buried her fingers into his hair. He chuckled while lifting her leg over his shoulder. Nessa gasped at the sudden movement.

She moaned loudly as his lips covered her core. The things he could do with just his tongue! He lapped over her pearl, twitching and flipping it. Nessa’s body was mimicking and undulating to the rhythm he set. For once, Nessa did not care about anything but the present. Right then and there was all that mattered.

He was her world.

Her second chance.

Her life.

His calloused fingertips pressed against her lower back, moving her closer to him. Darn it! His dedication and profound focus on her was electrifying. Her thighs twitched to each and every flick of his naughty tongue. She rose higher and higher as he built his speed up to a frenzy, causing her to finally crest at that rapturous peak that only he could bring her to. Marcus continued the magic he was creating for her, supporting her body all the way through until the spasms of her body ceased.

He finished with a moist, open-mouthed peck. Marcus slowly trailed kisses up her navel to her breasts, and then took her lips in a dominating kiss. She smiled against his lips trying to take the lead on it, only to hear a feral growl coming from his chest which made her chuckle. The growl slowly died down as the intensity of the kiss increased. It wasn’t a gentle lover’s kiss. It was rough. It was passionate. Dominance and possession clearly laced throughout it. It was a kiss confirming and sealing their fates together. He bit down into her lower lip, while his right hand looped around her left knee and brought it over to his waist.

Damn, he was tall! Nessa tip-toed to keep balance, which made him smile against her lips. She felt him press against her and slowly make his way into her. He was such a tease.

“I want you,” Nessa whispered against his lips, only to gasp as he buried himself fully into her. Her hands immediately clasped around his neck, bringing them closer as he placed more open mouthed pecks on her lips. His tongue thrust in her mouth as his member gently made its way into her. “Harder!”

Marcus didn’t acknowledge her command. Instead, he pulled her closer to his body then quickly trapped her between him and the wall. He pressed his body into hers, stopping her from going anywhere...not that Nessa had any other plans! His arms quickly snaked around her waist; his hands cupping and caressing her behind and then lifting her up. Her legs immediately parted to encircle his waist. He grinned into her neck, whispering, “Careful what you wish for!”

Marcus effortlessly started bouncing her up and down on him in a slow, steady rhythm. Every time their skin touched, she felt tingles exploding within her body. As his speed increased, so did the pleasure. It intensified to the point of no return. Nessa moaned his name as the pleasure consumed her. The raw power of his thrusts carried them both to a blissful peak. The simultaneous release of wet heat, a commingling of liquid love, signified their climax. He stayed buried inside her for several long minutes, while she felt her body spasm around him. Afterwards, he finally lowered her, gently sliding her against his body until her toes reached the tile. She snuggled her face into the crook of his shoulder. Nessa could bet that her dazzled eyes were going to say it all. She was happy and she felt so damn good with him.

“Mind-blowing,” Marcus told her.

“Mind-blowing,” Nessa whispered back in agreement.

Never had she imagined that showering could be so literally steamy hot.

Nessa

Nessa stretched keeping her eyes closed. She had again forgotten to pull the blinds in her room and the morning rays of light were dancing on her face as she turned towards the window. She immediately turned the opposite way, avoiding those annoyingly bright rays of sunshine. The moment she did, she felt the warmth of a body next to her and her eyes snapped open.

Marcus was peacefully lying next to her, one hand splayed over her waist. His face was relaxed. It surprised her to see how calm he looked. His brow was relaxed. The stress was clearly absent from the corners of his eyes and the usual smirk he sported was replaced by a light smile which hinted a promise of dimples in his cheeks. Her eyes drifted to his bare shoulders. The well-toned, sculpted muscles only served to prove a point - he was mouthwatering; simply a gorgeous male specimen. She recalled their shower and grinned. She had no recollection of how she ended up in bed and immediately lifted the blankets to see she was naked between the sheets.

So was he.

Now that was an interesting view! She stole a few glances at his torso and quickly pushed the blankets down. It would bolster his Ego way too much if he suddenly woke up to find her gawking at his deliciously naked form.

Slowly untangling herself from him, she gathered her clothes and dressed before going into the bathroom. As predicted, her little bathroom was still damp from their adventure. She quickly grabbed their still wet clothes and put them in the basket. That reminded her, she had to ask where the washing machines were, probably in the basement. Adding that to her mental checklist, she started brushing her teeth and doing her morning routine.

As she emerged from the bathroom, she half-hoped, half-expected to see that Marcus had awakened, but the huge bear was still comfortably sleeping. The only difference was now he was stretched over the entire bed, his head buried in her pillow. Although she wanted to wake him up, she knew that last night must have taken a great toll on him. Not only did they go to bed late last night, or rather early morning to be more exact, but he had beaten up Brandon for her. Her smile widened. Her Alpha Bear was so caring. She was about to jump onto the bed with him and kiss him senseless, but she stopped herself. They had restrained him with Silver. Regeneration took a toll on the whole body. Sleep and hunger were the major side-effects. She smiled as a new plan formed in her head.

She’d wake him up with breakfast in bed. The possibilities!

She rushed downstairs to the kitchen and froze at the door. There was a wide variety of apples in different baskets all over the kitchen. That only meant her little slip from the other day did not go unnoticed. That didn’t surprise her. What she didn’t expect was for him to go out of his way to pick every single variety of apples available just to prove his point. Talk about being meticulous! On second thought, she didn’t really mind being the focus of his attention. She smiled envisioning the mischief dancing in his eyes when she confronted him about all of this.

“Thinking about the apple you ache for?”

His warm breath fanned across the back of her neck. He managed to sneak up behind her due to the delightful apple distraction. Not that she minded. Knowing he was fully aware of the implied meaning behind the apples only served to make her continue on with his banter.

“True, I really enjoy a particularly well grown one,” Nessa replied calmly as if referring to the mere fruit.

“And which one would that be?”

“The boldly sour one,” Nessa answered and moved to the side to pick a bright, green Granny Smith apple. In doing so, her body collided into his chest. “Though...you don’t really strike me as an apple type person, or are you?”

“No. I’d say I am more of a banana person,” Marcus replied. She knew he immediately regretted his honesty when he grimaced as her grin widened further.

“You don’t say,” she gleefully teased him. “So how do YOU take your bananas?”

Her implication was clear and didn’t go unnoticed. He growled at her which made her smirk. So much for the cool-headed Alpha in charge of their friendly banter! She loved teasing him. She had managed to stop his apple inquiries and effectively questioned his sexuality. Nessa had wit on her side, but definitely no sense of self-preservation. She should know when to stop and to not push his wolf into retaliating.

“As I recall, you were not complaining last night. Quite the contrary,” Marcus recovered nicely. She smiled like a fool, her cheeks warming up at the memory. His smile widened, his eyes shone with satisfaction at her flaming red face. Hot damn, he was that good and no doubt was giving himself a mental high five.

“Bananas ripen quickly, spoiling and perishing easily. Apples are sturdier and stay fresh much longer,” Nessa found herself announcing. She had to take him off his high horse, before his Ego got the better of him. She quickly regretted her statement as she saw how his eyes darkened with lust. He quickly caged her in his arms, trapping her between his torso and the kitchen island; a move that was quickly becoming his favorite. Nessa held his gaze, issuing a challenge at him and proudly stating she would not be intimidated by him. After all, they were mates, right? If he was going to kill her, he would have done so weeks ago before their bond got any stronger.

“There is a way, you can easily confirm whether or not they are indeed sturdier than originally thought,” he challenged.

“Is that an invitation,” Nessa leaned into him, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“Take it as a dare,” Marcus offered. Before he could continue their repartee, his eyes glazed over. He was speaking with someone via the mind link. After a short while, Marcus’ eyes snapped at her.

“Saved by the bell,” Nessa offered reading the stress in the corners of his eyes. His expression became even more strained as he fought his wolf for control.

“I’m going to kill him!”

“Who? What? Why?” Nessa didn’t quite follow.

“I … am … going… to … rip… his head off!” His body shook violently in anger and Nessa immediately put her hands on his shoulders. Touch was the most effective way to calm a wolf down. He continued to shake in her hands. The last thing she wanted was to have him shift to his oversized Alpha wolf. Marcus, she could manage, but his wolf was a whole new uncharted territory. She had seen glimpses of his wolf in Marcus’ eyes, but never had she been in his presence. Would the beast in him accept her or would he be still stuck on the death of his mate? She didn’t want to find out.

Instead, Nessa quickly clasped her hands around his neck and pulled his head down. Eye contact was offensive to Alpha’s, but between mates, it was calming. The human side in him would respond. What she saw in his gorgeous green eyes scared her. They were furious, narrowing on her and flickering to black. She snatched his arms from around the table and placed them on her waist. She surely hoped that feeling her skin would stop him from shifting his claws. His eyes widened as his fingers touched her bare skin. Gently and cautiously she started, “Marcus…”

She didn’t have time to respond. Instead, he pulled her harshly against his torso. Getting whiplash at the sudden movement was the least of her problems. His breathing was labored and his canines were extending. Damn, he was shifting!

“See, I told you bananas perish quickly,” Nessa tried to prevent his shift with humor. If he was not going to respond to her, she was going to talk and he would have to listen. Making him laugh was the easiest way to prevent him from doing something stupid. He quickly lifted her up on the island, standing between her legs. He pressed himself to her core, showing her that bananas were quite resilient and sturdy indeed. She scolded herself, “Nessa, focus!”

Nessa gulped as his hand brushed from her waist, gliding past her breast and landing on her neck. He rubbed his thumb over her jaw and stroked her ear, before he snarled and launched onto her.

She heard someone scream from a distance, “The Alpha is killing Nessa!”

Nessa could vaguely register the scream as her whole body shook in fear.

Invigorating….BURNING… SIZZLING…

HELL!

Her eyes got teary as soon as the pain shot through her. She whimpered under the pressure of his teeth. She tried to push him away from her, to stop the pain, but her pitiful attempts proved pointless. She could feel her blood flowing down the side of her neck, drenching her blouse. She would never be able to wear it again! The warm, red liquid was pooling and soaking into the light brown cloth, staining it irreversibly! If she died of blood loss, she knew she would haunt him forever to make him suffer for ruining her clothes. Damn, she wouldn’t even have a proper burial. Would someone change her clothes before she felt the last embrace?

She expected to black out from the blood loss. What she did not expect was her shallow breathing. Her perception sharpened. Her nails partially shifted into claws. She felt her canines extending and piercing her lips. Now she was shifting??? As if she could take on an Alpha! Stupid, stupid wolf!

“Mine,” the thought echoed in her mind.

“Yeah, mine,” Nessa agreed mentally and then it all became obvious.

He was marking her with her permission, and her wolf was preparing to return the favor. His lips hungrily crushed where her shoulder met her neck. Lustful, ravishing, dominating. If he could bite her and put her through all the pain of breaking the last remnants of her Fate bond, without so much as giving her a heads up, and not to mention ruining her blouse and AGAIN, not asking for permission, she would do the same with him.

See how he likes the pain!