Chapter Eleven
Christmas passed without much commotion. Marshall found it incredibly hard to stay away from her for the entire day. He spent as much time with her as possible, but there was no way for him to invade her family on the big day. His own pack had a special gathering, taking a run before all of them sat down to a large meal that they shared within the street. The only people who lived on the street near the forest were pack. No one stopped by to talk to any of them.
When night fell he spent the night in her bed. Since Scarlett had fallen ill, he’d not slept in his own bed. The only bed he wanted to be inside was Scarlett’s. His wolf couldn’t handle not having her in his arms. His parents had to guard him when he did turn as his wolf wanted to go hunting. He wanted to claim Scarlett. That need to have, to possess was only getting stronger as the time passed. They spent New Year at his folks’ home as hers were working. He didn’t mind them working. Marshall got to spend a lot more time with her.
The best moments of his life were listening to her laugh, when she snuggled up against him, and waking up beside her. She was amazing.
His father wanted to talk to her parents about their kind. It would only be a matter of time before Scarlett was exposed to his wolf. So far Marshall had shown great restraint. He wasn’t under any illusion that it was down to his own power. Whenever his wolf was close to the surface, threatening to spill out, he either stopped kissing her or Jack intervened. Scarlett only allowed some heavy petting, so he’d not crossed any line that would threaten his wolf into the claiming.
Wolves were primal beings. They demanded touch, taste, love, lust, and Marshall knew his time was running out. Scarlett had already turned eighteen, but she still wasn’t ready to take him or his wolf as her mate.
He’d spoken to his father about applying for colleges but they’d both agreed that his going to college right now was not good. There was no way he’d be able to control his wolf living close to the city without any way to vent out his needs.
“You’re quiet,” Scarlett said.
They were down by the river. It was late May, and it was particularly warm for the time of year. His own body was itching, and his wolf was begging to get out. In three days it was going to be the full moon, and it didn’t help in trying to control his wolf. It also didn’t help that Scarlett’s wolf dreams were getting more and more frequent. Even when she drifted off for a few moments, she’d have them. Their bodies were demanding that they tell each other the truth.
“Just thinking.”
“What about?” she asked.
“I’m just thinking about the future.” He took hold of her hands, locking their fingers together. If he couldn’t handle a night without her how the hell was he going to handle weeks or months? He couldn’t ask her not to go to college, but it was hard.
“How are your college applications going?” she asked.
“They’re not.” Reaching out, he spun her to face him, holding her hands as she walked back. She laughed, looking up into his eyes.
“You’re not going away to college.” She trusted him as he walked her back, pressing her against the nearest tree. Pressing his nose against her neck, Marshall inhaled her sweet, innocent scent. Scarlett was driving him crazy. He was totally in love with her. She moaned as he licked over her pulse.
“I’m not going away to college.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and he claimed her lips, sliding his tongue in deep into her mouth. She moaned. The salty scent of her tears undid him. Gripping her hands, he pressed them above her head. “You don’t need to cry for me.” They’d been doing this a lot more often. Scarlett allowed him to touch her, explore her beautiful body.
“You’re not going away to college.”
He shook his head. “I can’t go away to college.”
“Why?”
Squeezing her hands, Marshall closed his eyes as he tried to force his wolf down. He couldn’t let him out otherwise he’d have exposed his secret to Scarlett.
She needs to find out the truth.
“I just can’t. It’s too dangerous for my kind.”
“Your kind? I don’t know what this is supposed to mean.” Her tears were falling thick and fast. “You’ve made me care about you and now you’re telling me you’re not even going to try to be with me.”
He hated doing this to her. If his wolf wasn’t so close he would have given in to the need to cry, but he couldn’t do it. There was no way for him to go away with her, and he couldn’t ask her to stay with him. Why not? You love her. You’ll give her a much better life than any other male out there.
Trey had moved onto different friends and rarely spent any time with Scarlett anymore. Marshall didn’t mind the loss of his friendship. He’d done what he set out to do and that was get the bastard away from his girl.
“This isn’t what has happened, Scarlett. There are things about me you don’t know.”
“You asked me to trust you about the fact this wasn’t a joke. I’ve done that, and now you’re not even going to try to go to college? I’m confused, Marshall. Do you even care about me?”
She was getting upset, and he truly didn’t know what to do. His wolf was pacing, ready to claim her, to bite her, and make her belong to him.
“I care about you, Scarlett. Fuck, I’m in love with you, but there is shit you don’t know. Shit I’ve not told you about, and I can’t.”
Letting her go, Marshall ran fingers through his hair, trying to bring some control to his chaotic world. His wolf demanded release, and Marshall was so desperate to claim her that he couldn’t keep control of himself. He didn’t know what to do, and so he panicked.
“Run,” he said, yelling the word so that she’d be afraid enough to run.
“No. I’m not running away from you.”
“Damn, Scarlett, I’m dangerous. Run!”
He bent over as his wolf pounced at him. The thin thread of control he held snapped. When he looked back at Scarlett, his eyes were different. He was starting to change, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t stop it.
“Marshall? What’s going on? What’s happening?” She wasn’t running away, but he scented her fear. All of his senses were on the alert, and he could smell her. He wanted to bask in her scent, drown in everything that was his mate. The need to fuck, bite, and claim her was strong.
“Get away,” he said, growling each word out.
“You’re scaring me.”
Bending down, he collapsed onto the floor as his bones started to break, snap, demand the change. His wolf was on a mission and that to take what was theirs.
“Marshall?”
If she didn’t run soon, he was going to do something he would regret. He loved her, and he hoped to whoever was looking down on him that they got her out of here.
****
Marshall was turning to a wolf before her very eyes. She couldn’t believe this was happening. It shouldn’t be happening, but his eyes were the exact amber that she’d been dreaming about. She couldn’t walk away from him as his bones started to break apart. What she witnessed terrified her, and yet she wasn’t afraid of what he was turning into. This was what she’d been seeing all of these months. Marshall was a wolf, and she wasn’t afraid. His skin split to be replaced by fur. Scarlett winced with each crack and snap, wishing with all of her heart that she could take this unbearable pain away. She could do neither to help him.
Screaming his name once again, she waited for him to respond.
“Scarlett, you must step behind me.”
Glancing back she saw Luke, Marshall’s father was there.
“What’s going on? What’s happening?” she asked, tears fell from her eyes. Marshall was in pain, and she couldn’t bear to see him in pain. For some strange reason, seeing Marshall turn into a wolf didn’t terrify her. It did exactly the opposite. She felt at peace. This was what was supposed to happen all along.
Mate.
“I need you to step behind me.”
“I’m not leaving him. Do you hear me?”
“My son is very new to this, and you are his destined mate. When his wolf takes over and he’s fully changed, there is no guarantee that he’ll be stable enough not to hurt you. I need you to come behind me. When Marshall changes to discover he hurt you, it will destroy him.”
“Mate? He’s a wolf?” she asked.
“Yes. We’re all wolves, and you’re Marshall’s mate. The one the fates gifted him with.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she took several steps toward Luke. Marshall howled, the sound so full of pain and yearning that she stopped. When she glanced behind her, she saw the transition to wolf was almost complete. Staring into Marshall’s eyes that were so much like his own yet tinted amber made her pause. He wouldn’t hurt her. He’d made her a promise to never hurt her again.
She couldn’t walk away from him. The need to comfort him was strong. Scarlett ignored Luke and stepped closer to Marshall.
“Scarlett, stop.”
Ignoring him, she closed the distance between her and Marshall. The wolf stared up at her, waiting patiently.
“Hey,” she said. Her hands shook as she reached out. Pressing her open palm to his nuzzle, she felt him inhale her skin. She remembered all of the other times during class, long walks, sitting in the lunchroom, Marshall would always sniff her. “You were sniffing me, you little liar.” She couldn’t help but chuckle. This was right, perfect, and her dreams made more sense than ever before.
“Scarlett?” Luke asked.
“I dreamed about him.” She was amazed at the beauty of the wolf before her. The dreams she’d had were telling her about him, preparing her. This wasn’t a shock to her, and at least he was no longer in any pain.
“What do you mean?”
Marshall sniffed her wrist moving up until she didn’t have a choice but to pet him. Chuckling, she bent down and started to stroke his long fur.
“I’ve been having dreams about a wolf exactly like this. I didn’t know he was real. Part of me wished he was real, even though I thought wolves didn’t really exist, but you do.” She pressed her face against his fur, inhaling his musky, woodsy scent. Scarlett felt at peace; she felt at home. “Is that normal?”
Luke sat a few feet away from them, clearly staying in case his son decided to attack. “The other packs that I’ve spoken to who have mated with humans, they’ve mentioned the humans felt attuned to the wolf.” Luke ran a hand down his face. “When they saw their mate change into a wolf, it helped them to not run away. If you ran, Scarlett, he’d have chased you.”
“He’s not going to hurt me.” She continued to stroke Marshall’s back, feeling him hum. “I also heard the word ‘mate’. It was like an echo wherever I went.”
Scarlett stared back at Luke to find him smiling. “I didn’t believe the women when they told me about that. I figured it was wishful thinking.”
“I should be scared right now, but I’m not. He’s not going to hurt me. I know Marshall. He’d never hurt me.” They were past the bullying. She loved him, and then it struck her. Moments before he changed, he’d told her that he loved her. “I love you, too.” She pressed a kiss to the back of his neck, smiling as he snuggled in deeper against him. This was perfect, and for the first time in a long time, Scarlett was happy, contented.
“You can’t tell anyone. Our secret must remain,” Luke said.
“I wouldn’t tell anyone, Mr. Briggs.” She looked up at the other man. “Who would even want to believe me? Everyone would think I was crazy.” Glancing at Marshall, she smiled. “This is why you can’t go to college, right?”
“He can hear you.”
She smiled. “That’s okay. There are perfectly good colleges online. I can stick around if you’d like.” His paw landed on her lap. It was like having a giant dog in her company. Laughing, she snuggled up against him, loving this new side to him, relishing the opportunities it brought them. Wolves existed, and Marshall, her man, was a wolf.
The time passed. She didn’t know how much, nor did she care.
Luke stayed with them, watching. By the time night had fallen, Marshall slowly changed back. Scarlett was stroking fur and then in the next instant, his hair.
Looking down, she smiled as Marshall was smiling back at her.
“You’ve got to be the strangest girl I’ve ever known,” he said.
“Coming from the guy who was furry a moment ago.”
“I’m going to leave you two alone. Actually, do you want to come to the house?” Luke asked.
Scarlett saw Marshall was completely naked, but then she’d already seen his clothing torn to shreds during his change. Everything had happened so fast she’d not given much thought about his naked state.
“Yes.”
“Marshall, go on ahead. I’ll follow in a second with Scarlett.”
She watched Marshall’s pale ass disappear. This had been a really weird day.
“He loves you,” Luke said.
Scarlett smiled. “I love him, too. I’ve never felt anything like this before. Your secret is safe with me.”
Luke took her hand leading her back to the house. Carla was waiting for her and pulled her into a hug before she could protest. “I’m so proud of you.”
Smiling, she hugged Carla back.
Seconds later Marshall came back downstairs. “I think Scarlett and I need to talk.”
He reached out to take her hand, and she placed hers within his, accepting him instantly. They walked up toward his bedroom, and he closed the door behind him.
“So, you’re a wolf.” She kept her hands together in front of her. “I, erm—”
“You dreamt about me?”
“You heard that?”
“I heard everything you said. It’s not hard. You told me you dreamt about wolves but not what kind of wolf.”
“Well, I didn’t really know you were a wolf. It’s okay. I won’t tell anyone.” Scarlett stopped as Marshall went down on one knee before her.
“Scarlett Fields, you amaze me. You’re wonderful, adorable, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
She froze.
What the hell was she supposed to do?
He took hold of her hands and slid a ring on her finger.
“I will love you for the rest of my life. I will follow you to the ends of the earth, and I will go wherever you go.”
“But college? Exposure?”
“I don’t care. I want you. I love you.”
“I’ve just seen you turn into a wolf.”
“And you didn’t care. We’re meant for each other, Scarlett. When I’m around you I know I belong. Don’t you feel that, too?”
Tears filled her eyes once again as she stared into his eyes. She nodded.
“You’re proposing?”
“Yes. I love you. I was once your bully, but I swear to you, baby, I’ll be the man who’d gladly die for you.”
“I don’t need you to die for me.”
He pressed her hand to his heart. “Do you feel that? That’s how you make me feel. I love you. I don’t ever want to let you go.”
“We’ve not even had sex yet.”
“So, you’ll be my virgin bride.” He smiled. “I will give you everything your heart desires.”
“I only desire you.” She’d been wanting to go further when they’d been making out. Scarlett had turned eighteen over three months ago and didn’t want to remain a virgin forever. He’d held back, refusing to go any further than light touching.
She craved his touch as if it was a drug and she an addict.
“Say you’ll marry me. Marry me, Scarlett, and I promise you, you’ll want for nothing.”
“Yes, Marshall, I’ll marry you, but you’ve got to tell my parents. Not about you being a wolf. You’ve got to tell them we’re getting married,” she said. There was no way she’d ever be able to tell her parents that she was getting married. The very thought filled her with dread. “I’m not going to tell them you’re a wolf. They don’t need to know.”
“That’s fine.” Marshall cupped her cheek. “We’re getting married, and I’ll tell whoever you need me to tell.”
Before she could say anything more his lips were on hers and all thought left her mind. She gave herself up to the pleasure of his mouth.
“I love you, baby.”
She smiled. Who wouldn’t like to be told they were loved?