The Change (Fated Series: book1)

Attraction.

One word to sum up the way he felt about the beautiful brunette. Nessa was his oasis in the midst of revenge. Ever since he met her, she had been a constant source of bubbling energy in his otherwise dull existence. She brought laughter and chaos in his life, and Marcus liked it. It wasn’t just the battle of wits and the fun rebuttals she came up with. Her warm brown eyes appreciated him as a man, who was worthy. There was no pressure, no social awkwardness, no unnecessary pity or compassion as she never saw him as Blackwoods’ Alpha, secluded widower with a grudge against the system and Blue Moon pack.

No. The way her eyes lingered over his body showed she appreciated him in ways he hadn’t allowed himself to feel in such a long, lonely while.

A singular goal of revenge kept him alive, but it also consumed him, leaving him a shell of a man. When you knew the insanity is inevitable, you developed a new keen appreciation of time. The only thing he could control was how he spent his days, which made him impatient and brash to those who wasted his time.

He had a mission to complete and was racing against the clock. Those responsible for the death of his mate and unborn pup were still taking their breath. Marcus vowed he would not give into the darkness until he was the last person they saw on this Earth.His life belonged to the cause, it served a purpose. He could count on his hands the people who still haven’t given up on him.

His volatile temper turned ugly. Although Cameron’s stunts kept him under the radar of Pack Law, there were rumors among rogues of the blood thirty animal he had become. They were true, of course, but without evidence Pack Law could only sniff the borders of his territories. When more and more packs signed treaties in favor of support to Blackwood in a possible conflict, Pack Law finally recognized trouble. It was the calm before the storm and they were anxiously preparing for the conflict. It wasn’t a matter of when the Blue Moon Alpha would pass, it was of when.

And that was how it was supposed to be, until Nessa brought back the laughter and joy of just living.

Attraction.

Simple yet strong. So strong that Marcus found himself lurking around her apartment complex in the hopes of seeing her again. He told himself he was not obsessed with her. He just needed to see she was all right. Nothing else. Nessa kept him grounded, and a harbor was all he needed in the face of the coming storm. Or so he tried to convince himself.

But the moment he saw her parking and heading to the apartment building, he knew it was not enough. He stepped out of the shadows and headed her way.

Nessa turned around quickly at the sound of his approaching footsteps, dropping her keys in fright.

“Damn, Green eyes, we should stop meeting like this,” Nessa reprimanded him for scaring her. Marcus picked up her keys for her. It was the least he could do, seeing how startled she was. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“Good. Next time pay more attention to your surroundings,” his voice thundered a little more harshly than he intended. His message was clear. She should not have been this distracted not to hear his approaching steps until he was at arm’s reach.

“Or maybe next time you should just man up and ask me out?” Nessa snapped with a slight irritation.

‘Talk about comebacks’, Marcus thought. She had nailed the issue right on its head. Marcus really wanted to take her out sometime, but what good would that do when Marcus knew he would lose her the moment her Fated entered her life. Marcus knew how special the bond was, and would not stand in its way. So why was he getting attached to her, when he knew such relationship was doomed from the start?

She waited for his answer and when he didn’t respond, she sighed and opened the door, telling him over her shoulder, “This stalking thing you’re doing is beginning to creep me out.”

His laughter boomed through the quiet night.

“You’re surely something.”

She had no idea how right she was. Marcus had initially gone for a walk, then picked up her sent and tracked it to her home, analyzing his behavior towards her. There was this attraction to her mind and her body, but there was also guilt. Marcus felt like he was betraying the memory of his mate by choosing a relationship no matter how doomed. He had sex since his haunted existence as a mate and a man begun. But a relationship was a new concept in his mind. And that was what he wanted with Nessa.

It was refreshing to meet someone young and unburden by the mistakes Marcus’ had made. It made him want to be with her just on the account of enjoying simple happiness.

He smiled at the confusion in her eyes. She had courage that easily put many seasoned Enforcers to shame. Although she was anxious to see him, she downplayed his presence with a joke. A joke they both knew was her attempt to flirt with him.

She held the door open when he didn’t follow her.

“Was she really inviting a stranger in her apartment?” Marcus wondered of her decision to invite him.

As if she had heard him, she quickly explained, “I am exhausted. I’ve been on my feet all day. Why don’t you come in?”

When she put it like that, why really not? Marcus nodded and silently followed her.

“What if I am a serial killer?” Marcus couldn’t help himself but asked her.

“I’m too tired to care,” Nessa confessed. “Though I have to warn you Cameron will be up your ass if you are. He hates doing paperwork with admirable passion. Unfortunately for any killers sent my way, solving a murder would requires all sorts of fancy new forms he’d just love to fill out, read and file away,” Nessa’s sarcasm was priceless accurately picking up on his Beta’s hated for paperwork. Despite the truth in her words, Marcus knew she was anxiously trying to fill the silence with conversation while trying to calm her thundering heart. He smiled, she liked him enough to get nervous around him. “Cam will be killing wolves on the spot. Less paperwork that way. Not to mention the Alpha is badass, too. So there you have it, it will be rather inconvenient for you, if you do decide to murder me.”

He thought of all the bodies he left in his recent spree and smiled at her innocence. Alphas were killing machines compared to serial killers known to mankind.

The word ’badass’ brought a smile to his face. Now that was the reputation he was used to.

Marcus’ attention focused on her bottom as she led the way to her apartment, climbing up the stairs in front of him. His hands were clammy, itching to place them over her well toned behind. Before his mind made him do things he would regret, he shifted his attention down her legs to her shoes. She only stepped on her toes, hinting of the discomfort she experienced. He decided to offer her to carry her tiny frame, but it was too late as she stopped at apartment 305, fumbling with her keys once again before finally unlocking the door.

Marcus sighed. He had missed an opportunity to help her, but also to get his hands on her. He promised himself he’d take the next chance.

She reached out wrapping her hand around his biceps, halting him as he moved inside. He grinned like the fool he was.

“No shoes.”

Her announcement left him stunned at the door. He followed her with his eyes, noticing her discarded shoes. A pink set of smiley socks winked back at him. Her priorities needed a serious reconsideration if she was worried about shoes, while she so easily trusted him to let him in her home. He particularly didn’t want to point it out, but as her Alpha felt the need to caution her. It was becoming impossibly hard to decide who he wanted to be to her. So he did as he was told – closed the door behind him then took off his shoes.

His eyes immediately searched for her, only to discover she had already left her purse on the small sofa, and turned the lights on in the kitchen, taking her jacket off. The dinner uniform accentuated her curves in all the right places. He didn’t want to be caught ogling her chest, so he focused on his surroundings. A quick glance confirmed what he already expected. She was living alone in an apartment which appeared miniature to him, but seemed quite adequate for her needs. A door to his left lead to what appeared to be a small bathroom. He could see her bed through the semi-open door on the far side of the living room. He went towards the fireplace and looked at the framed pictures displayed on the mantel.

“You hungry,” Nessa asked from within the kitchen which was opened towards the living space.

“You cooking,” Marcus found himself asking in the same fashion. Now that she had mentioned it, he could eat. Not that he had planned to have dinner with her.

Nessa shook her head at his question.

“I was thinking of ordering in as I’m too tired to cook. That is if you don’t want to earn your keep and cook for us?” Nessa offered.

“Earn my keep?” Marcus repeated as he was not sure if he heard her right.

“Don’t you need a place to crash?” Nessa asked him.

“I… I thought I would just see how you are doing, and be on my way… I didn’t plan to stay for dinner, much less for the night,” Marcus answered honestly. She shrugged her shoulders.

“Well, since you don’t want to cook for me, I am ordering in. I’m so hungry,” Nessa summarized. Her cheeks tinted red as she saw the small smile on his lips. She always found a very provocative way to express herself.

“Oh, look at that. Nessa has a dirty mind,” Marcus took the opportunity to tease her further. She laughed, swatting him with a towel. “Oh, and aggressive, too. Must be my lucky day.”

Nessa shook her head at him then dialed a pizza place, chuckling to herself from time to time. Marcus smiled watching her like the creep she accused him of being. Just before she hung up, his eyes moved to the framed photos scattered all across her little apartment. There were pictures of Nessa with friends or family, he couldn’t discern between the two. What caught his attention was little Vanessa in a pink tutu. He reached to take the picture, only for her voice to sound closer than he expected.

“You can laugh,” Nessa told him.

“I wasn’t aware, I needed permission,” Marcus quickly responded.

Alphas never asked for permission nor apologized for that matter. They took and did what they thought was best for the pack. He usually never asked; he laid down the law and expected everyone to follow. Something was telling him that would not be the case with Nessa, and he was excited at the prospective.

“I promise you won’t suffer any repercussions, if you do decide to laugh,” Nessa assured him, then handed him a cold glass of lemonade.

She quickly then made a beeline to the couch. He kept his eyes on her as she sat down on it, taking a deep breath and mixing the lemonade and ice cubes with her straw as she propped her feet against the small glass coffee table, wiggling her toes.

“So what brings you to my neck of the woods?” Nessa finally asked him turning her head to look at his tall stature.

“Your neck of the woods,” Marcus couldn’t help but question. His wolf was pacing, which Marcus took as irritation at the lack of recognition of his authority on his territory. On the other hand, Marcus found her assumption his personal interest in her wasn’t the reason for this meeting amusing.

“I live so far out, I can easily trespass into Rover Grove’s turf if I stick my head out of the window,” Nessa explained, eyeing him cautiously. “Are you here on official business or is it personal?”

The little minx was smart. She had trapped him to either disclose an official reason for his presence, or to admit he liked her. His wolf did not like to be cornered. Especially not right after her insinuation her isolation in the outskirts of Blackwood somehow made it her territory.

On the other hand, the human in Marcus wanted to laugh at her witty confession of breaking protocols and trespassing into Rover Grove territory. He could bet Brandon was little more than infuriated with her at this point. Marcus found her creative way to exact her revenge on Brandon for kicking her out of the pack amusing.

Brandon would never bring her unsanctioned trips to Alpha Ned’s attention. Firstly because peacefully resolving a conflict with the help of another Alpha signified allegiance, and therefore bonded the packs. Secondly, Marcus doubted Brandon would even dare waste Marcus’ time with a female. It reflected badly on Brandon if he couldn’t handle a she-wolf by himself. At the same time, if Brandon took matters in his own hands and threaten her, she could always bring it up to her Alpha Ned, thus subjecting Brandon to his anger. It was an experience the pup was smart enough to avoid.

Marcus had to admit her strategy was flawless. Marcus wondered if it was just a coincidence or if she did account for the consequences of her actions. Her uncoerced confession meant she either didn’t care about the consequences, or was fully aware of them, but chose to ignore them.

“I am sure it happens accidentally because you are not familiar with the territory,” Marcus continued in a strict tone.

She smiled at him and replied devilishly, “Always.”

Marcus shook his head and then decided he could go along with the excuse she was giving him. She had willingly provided him with a believable reason to be there, and he could take an advantage. It sounded saner than admitting the truth he had no clue what brought him in front of her door. Sure, he went for a walk to clear his head from all the crap Rylee put in his allegiance contract.

Alpha Rylee ‘Lee’ from Moonlight was a neighbour and dear friend to Marcus. One of the few who would follow him without a written coalition. Yet, Lee goofed and sent his representative with the conditions of his allegiance. A black-tie event in his honor. Marcus didn’t find anything suspicious about it until all the demands started pertaining to the music, menu, guests and refreshments. Lee always had a flare for the dramatic. Marcus’ head soon began to spin and left Cameron in charge of the planning.

Marcus focused on the only she-wolf who mattered and whose home he was invading. She kept on knowingly looking at him having caught him spacing out in the midst of their conversation.

“So I am not in trouble,” Nessa concluded as he sat on the recliner across from her.

“Did your mother never tell you that you should never trespass or venture into the unclaimed territories?” Marcus started and by her bored face he knew she had heard the lecture maybe even more often than a regular pup. He could picture her as a stubborn and rebellious pup. He continued, “At least keep it between us and Rover Grove as they know your scent. I assume you are visiting your family there?” Nessa huffed. “No matter how mundane it sounds, be careful.”

“Aye, aye,” Nessa agreed, massaging her temples.

Marcus noticed the gesture and wondered where she ordered from. Her headache was going to go away as soon as she ate something. The smell of BBQ chicken and greasy cheese sailed across the room just as she placed her glass on the coffee table.

“I was beginning to worry that they got lost,” she replied walking towards the door as someone knocked.

“27.78” the pizza delivery guy said to which she handled him a twenties and a ten, and smiled at him.

“Keep the change.”

“Gorgeous, are you sure you don’t need help with those boxes? I get off at 7.”

The pizza delivery guy pressed. Before she could reply, Marcus casually walked over to the door, taking the large boxes from her, with one hand and keeping his other hand around her waist. He sized up the pizza delivery guy with his most intimidating glare that made grown wolves scatter.

Chubby, slightly older guy with greasy hair and freckles on his nose.

“What more would a hottie like Nessa want in a man?” Sarcasm was the first thought floating through Marcus’ mind.

“She has all the help she needs,” Marcus said in a low threatening voice which made the pizza delivery guy scramble off the landing as quickly as his overweight body allowed. Marcus kept on staring at the space the guy occupied until Nessa shut the door, laughing. Carefree, bubbly laughter filled the room and Marcus immediately relaxed and smiled at her.

“Thank you,” Nessa told him.

“Grease ball won’t bother you again.”

“He’s never been this bold before. I guess he’d avoid my orders from now on or spit in them. You looked quite intimidating,” Nessa confessed between giggles and patted him on his arm. Marcus liked that she initiated contact.

“I believe I just earned my keep,” Marcus replied following her to the kitchen.

“The deal was for you to cook for me,” Nessa tz-ed at him.

“That could be arranged,” Marcus hinted he wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of spending more time with her, even if it was just to cook for her.

She nodded, then set two plates for them, stockpiling slices of pizza, while she instructed him over her shoulder, “There’s beer in the fridge. Could you get the beer mugs on the left top shelf?”

Marcus followed her outstretched arm, and lowered two beer mugs from the top shelf, then took the beer out of the fridge. She brought the plates to the living room before him, flopping down on the couch in an unlady-like way. She took the remote to turn on the TV.

“I love watching TV while I eat,” Nessa explained quickly and patted the seat next to her.

Before he knew it they were watching TV in a comfortable silence. She was right, eating pizza and watching an action movie was actually quite relaxing. He was going to tell her just that, but stopped himself as he noticed she had left her plate aside and fallen asleep on his shoulder.