The Change (Fated Series: book1)

Cameron

(in the Alpha’s office doing paperwork!)

“The Alpha is killing Nessa!” Gregory rushed into the Alpha’s office screaming, eyes wide in fear, skidding to a halt in front of Cameron. Cameron looked at the little boy and shook his head. Marcus would never hurt Nessa. The pup must have seen them bickering and thought Marcus would lash out at Nessa for shamelessly talking back as she was prone to do. Alphas frowned and punished insubordination. Their word was the law in the pack. You followed it or you died. The only exception were mates but Cam was pretty sure Gregory wouldn’t understand it. Not now anyways.

He shook his head, but nevertheless stood up, following Gregory to the kitchen. It’s not like it wasn’t obvious something was going on between Marcus and Nessa. Even without witnessing her physically assaulting Marcus’ ear in Cam’s defense, Cameron knew she was more than just a fling to his Alpha. That singular action was bold and suicidal. It cemented Cam’s resolution in that belief... she might be the one for Marcus. Cam couldn’t recall Marcus having one night stands. If he did, he wasn’t aware of it. Actually, he couldn’t think of a single she-wolf who had captured Marcus’ attention after Emma. Sure, Marcus was social and was often frequently found in the company of gorgeous she-wolves. He was known for his exceptional protectiveness over the fair sex. The bitter Alpha would snap at anyone in his command, but it was more of a bark than bite when it came to women. She-wolves would often seek him out as the ultimate resource and protection. Even rogue she-wolves did this as they were never killed on sight. Their stories were heard, judged and some even got accepted into the pack...unlike their male counterparts who had to show submission or else were fair game.

Marcus and Nessa couldn’t hide the sparks flying between them. It was in the way Marcus never let her leave his sight, the half-smile on his face whenever she was around, or the way his whole demeanor mellowed out with her by his side. He was playful, teasing and possessive. Every time the two were in the same room together, the air charged with raw, sexual energy, which was difficult to ignore. Cameron shook his head. True, they were constantly trying to one-up each other, but it was merely a duel of wits - nothing malicious about it, another form of the mating dance. Foreplay!

Cameron smiled while his mind wandered off to where his own mate was hiding. He wanted his person to share his life with. Someone to protect and treasure! Cam was also anxious; praying to the Goddess she appeared sooner rather than later. Cameron couldn’t hold in his need and longing for his unknown mate for much longer. Unmated wolves suffered from the longing for their mates, and the longer they stayed apart it was easier for them to spiral out of control and give themselves to the darkness. The same darkness that was responsible for the short temper, aggression and bitter moods that took over the once joyful Alpha he knew. It was then that even Cam would not dare to approach him.

Yes, he was happy and thankful to Nessa for taking Alpha off of his back. The incessant nagging to take over the pack was gone. He shivered. It had been a close one, too close for his own taste. He nervously sighed in relief. Even the mere thought of having to deal with the endless piles of reports Ned handled on a daily basis, had him woefully cringing in horror. Nah, being an Alpha was never his calling. He should probably take Nessa out and buy her a round of drinks for saving him from the horrendous mountains of paperwork that came with the title.

On second thought, that might not be the brightest idea; at least until the Alpha pair settled down. Gone were the sour moods, though Marcus’ rage and aggression would trigger on the drop of a hat. It exploded like Mt.Vesuvius whenever someone threatened Nessa. Grinning, he remembered last night – the Alpha’s handiwork was, as always, precise, meticulous and devastating. Brandon deserved the beatdown he got for spreading those rumors. Cameron couldn’t believe his ears. Brandon was blinded by jealousy not to see the sparks flying between Nessa and Ned. Putting Cameron in the mix, was laughable; mentioning it in front of the Alpha - ridiculous.

In Cameron’s eyes, Brandon lost all rights to carry any title. Perhaps the Fates had destined him to be with Nessa, to ensure his self-preservation as Brandon clearly had none. To deny his own mate and for whom, Juliet Gray, was the epitome of stupidity. Luckily, Nessa and Ned were going to rectify that injustice.

As he made his way to the kitchen, Cameron detected the unmistakable metallic scent of fresh blood wafting in the air, bringing him on high alert. Were they attacked? He rushed into the kitchen, only to freeze dead in his tracks as the scene in front of him unfolded.

Marcus towered over Nessa, pressed against her body as she was sitting on the kitchen counter top. He had his jaws clamped tightly on the juncture of her neck, his entire stance domineering, aggressive against any interruption. His bite was definitely neither gentle, nor protective!

Blood was trailing down her neck in rivulets; tears spilling down her cheeks, leaving traces of her runny makeup. Her face paled. It was obvious she wanted to push him away; make him stop.

Not good.

Gregory pointed at them then moved to cross the threshold. Cameron reacted quickly. On instinct, he snatched the child’s arm, pulling him behind his own back. No matter what was going on, despite not knowing for sure what was happening, this was not the place for a child to interfere. Damn, Cameron had serious doubts of his chances at survival against his Alpha if he attempted to interrupt them right now. Brandon’s face flashed into his mind. Before and after images kept changing in front of his eyes. He only hoped that Nessa could stop Marcus should Cameron attempt to separate them!

“Go back!” Cameron told Gregory, making him move out of the kitchen.

As the pup left, Cameron gulped and took a step towards the couple. Should he point out the most obvious fact that she was bleeding and crying, or should he just ask Marcus to release her? Either way, Cameron began mentally preparing himself for the inevitable beating which was sure to follow. And the day was going so well!

Suddenly, something snapped! His eyes shot at Nessa, half expecting to see a broken neck, but instead he saw the change in her. Her nails shifted and clawed at the Alpha’s hands and torso which were keeping her in place. Marcus didn’t even seem to acknowledge it. Cam watched her canines elongate as she roughly bit down at the juncture of his Alpha’s shoulder and neck. Were they caught up in the moment of bickering rage or were they simply trying to murder each other? The feral growl erupting from Marcus’ chest shook the entire house. Cameron’s eyes widened as he realized that despite the obvious pain she was inflicting on him, it seemed like Marcus actually welcomed it. He never attempted to shake her off or prevent it. Marcus gladly exposed his neck for her. That changed things! They weren’t trying to kill each other! Which only left one option: they were actually marking one another. But why was she crying? And why was Marcus not releasing her from his tight grip?

Then suddenly, it hit him.

While the marking was pleasurable between mates, for choice mates it was different. Not only was it hard to eradicate the previous marking, it was also extremely painful to sever the emotional ties to their individual Fate Mates. Choice Mates had to overcome all previous allegiances in order to bond a mate of their own choosing. If it was that painful for Nessa, who was marked merely a day, Cameron chose not to dwell on the level of pain coursing through Marcus at this moment. The feral growl made sense. His Alpha was severing the final thread to his long lost mate and forcing a new bond to take its place.

He averted his eyes and then quickly turned his back at his Alpha couple, blocking the view and the entrance to the kitchen for the onlookers. Marking was intimate. While Marcus probably didn’t give a damn if they had witnesses, Cameron knew Nessa would want her privacy.

Cam grinned.

Never did he envision his favorite author being a werewolf, much less his Luna!

Marcus

Pulling back, he noticed her smudged make-up, trailing down the sides of her cheeks. Damn, he wished he had stopped himself from fully latching onto her like the predator he knew he was. His possessiveness had gotten the best of him and his wolf jumped at the opportunity to take over and mark her. He remembered how she had stiffened in his arms. He wanted to release her, to kiss the pain away, to stop the bleeding his own canines inflicted, but his wolf refused to back down. His wolf wanted her - to mark her as his, for their souls to combine...to possess her completely! It didn’t matter that the human side of him was constantly shouting she was not ready! Hell, she had even told him she wanted romance before any marking happened. Regretfully, Marcus could not stop. He could not prevent his rabid wolf from marking her. Going against instinct was hard at best. Going against instinct when his mate was in danger proved to be impossible.

Before he could do anything, a tornado of confusion, surprise and hurt swiftly rushed through his body. He already knew those emotions belonged to Nessa, transferred to him from her sweet blood which was filling his mouth. He couldn’t stop. He swallowed the thick liquid which bound her to him. This is what his wolf wanted. But why was the bastard not letting him take over and release his grip on her?

Then he felt her teeth sink into him.

PAIN.

His mouth never loosened. His jaws continued to grip tightly while he sucked and consumed her life essence; each drop exploding on his tongue, binding them together. During his own marking, the full force of the separation with his previous mate began in a flurry of pain. It hit him hard. If he thought it was bad when Emma died, it was ten times worse having to relive it again. Before the bond began to disintegrate, all the old rage and bitterness invaded him instantly, fully; then it shattered. He was still responsible for her death, but the guilt was diminishing. There was hope; a light at the end of the tunnel. This was his chance to share a life with someone; a promise of happiness. He had Vanessa and now she had him. He was completely and irrevocably hers. He would bear her mark with pride.

Damn it, this was hot. She was hot. And this was even before her HEAT. He promised himself to watch out for her even if that meant keeping her at his side the entire time. Not that he would complain! He planned on making damn sure she loved every single second of it.

The bond was strengthening and he comfortably felt her in the back of his head. Brushing his lips against her mark seemed to soothe her delicate skin. He tenderly placed kisses around the swollen area; lavishing the mark with his tongue. He then slowly made his way towards her ear. His eyes were immediately drawn to the mark, his stamp of possession. Was it wrong that he felt satisfied and proud she was now fully his? Well...almost. He quickly hid the smile that tickled his lips. It wasn’t the time to boast. She was hurt and he did this to her.

“Nes, I’m sorry…” Marcus started, moving her chin up so he could gauge her expression, her current state of mind. Her runny mascara made him want to kick himself. He should have warned her about the pain. In all honesty, he hadn’t expected his wolf to take control and mark her. Marcus himself was caught off guard, unprepared, by his own wolf. Talk about betrayal!

But in contrast to her smudged mascara, her eyes were sparkling. Vivid. Was she happy or was she on the verge of scolding him? He could never clearly determine when mischief turned to anger with her.

“You should be,” Nessa huffed, the blood on her lips giving her a very sensual look. His hand quickly jerked to the back of his neck and scratched. How do you explain to the love of your life that eventhough you screwed up, you were happy that it happened? Shit could hit the fan, all hell could break loose, but it didn’t matter. She belonged to you! That was all that mattered in this moment…and now the whole freaking world would know she was yours! The stickiness coating his fingers caught his attention. He glanced down at his hand to see them covered in the thick, dark substance.

Blood on her lips.

Blood on his fingers.

Blood on his neck!

His own damn blood!

She had marked him as well. He looked at his fingers in astonishment. While it was customary for a male to mark his mate right away, normally the she-wolf would not mark until they consummated the mating. He smirked. His temperamental mate simply couldn’t wait.

“I should have told you it was going to hurt. My wolf took over,” Marcus explained briefly. He carefully watched for her next reaction. Would she bolt on him, would she be angry that he, technically, did not ask her for permission? Nor her Guardian’s! It was an old tradition and sign of respect to her family to do so. Keeping in mind Rifkin was her Custodian at the moment, this could become very volatile and escalate quickly, depending on said reaction!

“Proud of yourself?”

“If I said very, would it piss you off,” Marcus asked in a somewhat sheepish manner, mind-linking with her. She froze as the thought entered her mind, her eyes widening in surprise. She grinned and laughed, shaking her head.

“It only took a bite to shock my lazy wolf back to life?” Nessa asked out loud in disbelief.

“Some would argue it was actually my persistent love and devotion which performed the mouth to mouth resuscitation,” Marcus replied, somewhat tongue in cheek. She shook her head and mumbled something about Alphas and Egos. Marcus took a deep breath. At least she wasn’t overly mad at him. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop when she realized he actually marked her. What he didn’t expect was the fits of laughter bubbling out of her.

“You look like something slaughtered you!”

“That butcher was you! Proud of yourself?” Marcus shot back before he could stop himself. Although her laughter was music to his ears, his wolf didn’t appreciate being laughed at. Throwing her own words back at her to provoke a reaction to the marking was outright bold, bordering on stupidity.

“What convinced you it was a good idea to maul me and ruin my new clothes?! All this blood is not going to come out! Ever!” Nessa replied and swatted his chest with her hand. All Marcus heard was, “You can maul me only when I am dressed in old clothes.”

Seriously?

“Let me get this straight - of all the things you could possibly be angry about, you’re upset over the stains on your clothes?” Marcus asked, shooting a prayer to the Moon Goddess. “Please say yes!”

“Before you say it’s stupid, let me remind you, you’re now stuck with me for ETERNITY so don’t get cute and insult my clothes,” Nessa warned him in a teasing voice. Marcus tried to suppress a grin. It was too early to celebrate.

But who cared? She was mad at him for her clothes. His eyes shot to the blouse she was wearing, now soaked in blood. He would easily make it up to her. It’s not like he couldn’t replace it for her.

He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead as a tiny smile began tugging at her lips.

“What will I do with you?” Marcus mumbled against her skin.

“Easy, take me upstairs and have your way with me,” Nessa whispered back in his ear. Now that! He didn’t see coming. Was he shocked? Not really. Would he complain? NEVER.

“Yes, Ma’am!” Marcus said in utter respect, which earned him girlish giggles from his Love. He carried out her suggestion as an order which he willingly and very capably proceeded to follow. He quickly scooped her off the counter, her legs immediately wrapping around his waist on their own accord.

“Show off!” Nessa huffed under her breath. Marcus chuckled and smacked her bottom.

“I heard that!”

“I compliment your strength and you beat me? What did I do to deserve such an abusive mate?” Nessa theatrically exclaimed, shaking her head.

“Cry baby,” Marcus playfully scolded her, calling her out on her childish behavior. In response, she stuck her tongue out at him, playfully expressing the so-called childish behavior. That did not seem child-like to him at all. His remark backfired at him. She was sensual, teasing and making him think of that tongue on certain parts of his anatomy. He growled. So much for winning this argument.

“Grumpy banana pants,” Nessa continued as she noticed his discomfort.

“You’ve noticed,” Marcus teased her, as he gently pressed her closer to his hard on. Of course she noticed his excitement; it brushed against her with every step he took.

“Bitten, spanked, insulted, and now poked at?” She started listing off his offenses, counting them on her fingers. “Should I rat you out to Joel?”

He couldn’t stop the growl emerging from his chest. She was speaking of another male and his wolf did not like it one bit! He knew she was teasing him, but could not stop his wolf’s anger at the name of another so soon after their marking.

“I’m your Alpha!” He managed to say through his growl.

“No, you’re not,” Nessa replied calmly to him, playfully tapping his nose with her index finger.

“Well, my mark on you says otherwise,” Marcus shot back at her in a possessive and harsh voice. She didn’t even flinch. Her arousal heightened from his show of dominance. All this was just to provoke his possessiveness? Then it registered in his mind, her once rejected wolf craved the attention. His possessiveness would be the only way for her wolf to build up confidence in the “big bad Alpha”, as Nessa endearingly called him, indeed wanted her. Oh, he would give her wolf that and much more. He was left to wonder how much possessiveness Nessa would accept before she called him out on it. There was only one way to find out.

“Well, in such case then I’m YOUR Alpha! My mark says so,” Her comeback was priceless. She was his Alpha? That was amusing even to his wolf, who only drooled in admiration at the courage his little mate displayed while cuddling into his body.

“It doesn’t work that way,” Marcus chuckled, crossing the kitchen.

“Says who? Some wise-ass Alpha who lived decades ago? You know they don’t update those Pack Laws often enough. Also, I would strongly suggest you choose your next words very carefully…”

“Or what? You’ll spank me?” He teasingly interrupted.

He laughed when he noticed the smirk on her lips. She was actually considering it. His little minx was going to be the death of him! Marcus was going to smack her bottom again but froze as he stepped over the threshold and into the hallway.

Shit!