Chapter Seven
“What are you going to do?” Jack asked. It was after school, and Marshall leaned up against his car waiting for Scarlett to come out of school. He was so pissed off at what Cheryl had done. There was no way he could hurt her, not in the way he wanted to. She’d made his mate cry. When he saw Scarlett sat on the bleachers, he’d been relieved, but then he saw she was crying and he’d almost lost it. He’d been hunting for his mate because Trey couldn’t give a shit, only to find she’d been hurt by that slut, Cheryl.
“I don’t know.” He wanted to hurt Cheryl, humiliate her, make life so fucking hard for her that she knew what it was like to be in Scarlett’s shoes.
He’d prove her wrong when it came to Scarlett. The best way to get back at Cheryl was by showing her to be a liar.
“What did Trey say when I left?” Marshall asked.
“Nothing. I don’t even know why you were worried about him being a problem with Scarlett. He didn’t give a shit about her when you were gone. I’m starting to think he was just using Scarlett until he knew where he stood.” Jack flicked his keys backwards and forwards in his hand.
“He can still be a problem. Scarlett’s not comfortable around me.”
“Are you taking her home?”
“Yeah, I was going to.” Marshall was going to introduce her to his parents.
“Cool. Let me know how that goes.”
Scarlett appeared out of the doors with Trey by her side. Marshall really didn’t like this guy. The moment he was out of the picture, the better he’d feel.
“See? He’s a problem.”
“Only now. I can tell you he wasn’t interested in her at lunchtime.” Scarlett looked up, and Marshall held his hand up in a wave. “You’ve really turned into a lovesick sucker.”
“Shut up. Wait until you find your mate. You’ll be changing your tune very soon.”
“I’m destined to be alone.”
Scarlett stopped in front of him. “Hey,” she said.
“You weren’t expecting me to be waiting?” He knew she hadn’t.
Her cheeks went a lovely shade of red. Marshall reached out and touched one cheek. The warmth coming from her made him chuckle.
“Hey, Marshall,” Trey said.
“Do you want a ride off Jack?” Marshall asked.
“Hey, I’m right here. I’ve not offered to take anyone home in my car. It’s my love machine.”
Marshall chuckled, especially when he saw Scarlett was smiling as well.
“I’ve got my own ride,” Trey said. “Do you want me to drive you home?”
“I’ve got Scarlett covered.” Marshall stepped closer, grabbing her arm and pulling her beside him. He didn’t want her going with Trey.
“If you want to get home I don’t mind going with Trey.”
“I want to give you a ride. I promised you, and it’s up to me to prove to you that I’ll keep my word when it comes to you.” He led her to his car, opening up the door. Marshall wondered if he was ever going to have a time with her when he didn’t lead her from one place to another.
He closed the door giving Jack a pointed look. “I’ve got to head out. See you losers tomorrow.”
Trey walked away after giving Scarlett a final wave. It took all of Marshall’s control not to pounce on the bastard. Trey didn’t care about Scarlett, not really.
Climbing behind the wheel, he started up his car. Several of their peers were looking into his car, and he wanted to grab Scarlett and kiss her so everyone saw who she belonged to. He doubted she would like that kind of attention. There would be a time when he would prove to all of these assholes that she was his.
Driving out of the parking lot, he headed in the opposite direction of her home.
“Erm, Marshall, you’re going the wrong way.” She glanced behind her as he drove.
“I’m not. There’s something I wanted to show you.” He reached over, grabbing her hand to lock their fingers together. His wolf calmed. The possessive need rushing through him, dimmed with her touch. So long as he was close to her, he didn’t need to worry about his wolf wanting to make a claim.
“What?”
“I’m taking you back to my place. Well, my parents’ place, but I live there.” He gave her a wink to which she laughed.
“You’re completely crazy, you know that right?”
“Yep.”
I made her laugh.
The small victories meant so much to him. She settled back still holding his hand as he drove toward his house.
“You live near the forest?”
“Yes.”
“You know I was sure I could hear wolves there this summer,” she said, surprising him.
“Real wolves?”
“I don’t know. A lot of strange stuff keeps happening lately.”
She hummed something. He wished he knew what she was thinking. She wasn’t giving off any fear. What was she thinking about wolves? Did she believe in them? Crap, he didn’t know what to say. He’d grown up to know that he had to keep his ancestry a secret.
Pulling into the driveway, he parked the car.
“Is someone here?”
“My parents.”
He inwardly groaned as he heard the sexual moans coming from his home. His hearing had gotten better since his turning.
“Come on.” The moment they heard Scarlett, they’d stop. He slammed his door closed, rounding the car, and grabbing her hand once again.
“Your home looks beautiful,” she said.
“You’ve not even got inside yet.”
She chuckled. Scarlett hiked her back up onto her shoulder as they made their way inside his home. Something crashed in his father’s office, followed by smashing.
Shaking his head, Marshall waited for the door to open. His mother appeared first looking ruffled. He was a wolf, and they were used to their sexuality being on display.
“Marshall, I didn’t realize that was the time,” his mother said.
“Mom, I’d like you to meet Scarlett. Scarlett, this is my mother, Carla.”
“Hey,” Scarlett said.
“Oh, you brought a girl home. Luke, he brought a girl home.” She shouted toward his father as she moved forward, cupping Scarlett’s cheeks. “You’re so beautiful.”
“Mom, please,” Marshall said.
“What?”
He made sure he was a step back from Scarlett so she wouldn’t see. “Fear.” He mouthed the words so his mother would understand.
Carla instantly dropped her hands away from Scarlett’s face.
“Hello,” Scarlett said.
His father came out of the office, completely dressed. He stepped behind Carla, gripping her shoulder. “Hello, Scarlett,” his father said. “Marshall has told us a lot about you. He didn’t mention you were stopping by.”
“Yeah, I didn’t know I was coming here either until I was in the car,” Scarlett said, glancing back at him.
“What happened to your face?”
Scarlett touched the bruise. “My face was introduced to a dodgeball.”
“It looks painful.”
“It was. Not so much now.”
“I’m going to show Scarlett around.”
“Okay, stay clear of the forest, you never know what you’re going to find,” Luke said, warning him. Wolves were out running in the forest, and he didn’t want Scarlett finding out about their kind until after Marshall made his intentions known.
“Will do.” He took Scarlett’s hand and made his way toward his bedroom.
Should you go to the bedroom?
He started to doubt the direction he was going when Scarlett started talking. “Your parents are nice,” she said.
“Yeah, they’re amazing.” He didn’t know what else to say.
Taking the lead, he took her down the hallway to his bedroom. In the distance he heard his parents talking. His mother was squealing about how adorable Scarlett was. She was a nice girl. The innocence she possessed came off her in waves. No one had touched her. Marshall wasn’t a virgin. He’d been having sex for a couple of years. It was probably something he shouldn’t have been doing, but he’d always been highly sexed. There was no way he was going to be having sex anytime soon with Scarlet. He’d be happy to wait. She wasn’t even eighteen yet.
It would be a long few months.
Opening his bedroom door, he walked into his room, quickly stashing the books with her pictures in it into the nearest empty drawer. When he turned around, he found her still waiting on the threshold of his bedroom.
“You’re not a vampire, are you? You can come in?” He winced at his own words.
“Erm, I’ve never been in a boy’s room before. I don’t, I’m not, I’m, erm, I’m not comfortable right now.”
Feeling like the worst kind of idiot that ever lived, he went to her. “Nothing is going to happen, Scarlett. Seriously, I just didn’t want to be alone. I knew my parents would be home, and that’s why I invited you here.” He took her hand, leading her into the bedroom. “This is why I brought you here. I knew you wouldn’t want to be here without an adult present.” He slowly pulled her into his bedroom. She didn’t need to know that his parents being home wouldn’t stop him touching her if she let him.
Marshall curbed those needs instantly. She wasn’t here to help him with his dick.
“See, nothing else is going to happen.”
She chuckled as he eased her inside, going back to close the door. When he saw her eyes widen, he quickly opened the door back up.
“I won’t try anything I promise.” Going back to her, he took her bag, placing it on the floor.
“Why did you bring me here?” she asked.
“I wanted to share something with you.”
“Why?”
Taking her hand, he led her to his bedroom window. His room overlooked over the forest and lake. Around Christmas when it was covered in snow, it always looked totally beautiful. He would spend hours looking out of the window.
His mother was in the kitchen, buzzing around to make a meal.
“I’m proving to you that I’m not here to hurt you. This is part of that promise. I’m sharing with you part of me.”
“You’ve never brought a girl here?”
“No.” He stepped behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. She wore a denim jacket, and he slowly removed it. “It’s too hot for you to be still in that jacket.”
She glanced over her shoulder, smiling at him. “Thank you.”
Throwing the jacket onto the bed, he placed his hands back on her shoulders. She didn’t flinch away from him as he touched her. He tried to work out the kinks that were in her shoulders. Slowly, she started to relax. He was starting to realize when it came to Scarlett, he had to give her time to feel comfortable.
“You’ve got a beautiful view.”
“Thank you.”
“The lake, do you go there often?”
“Yes.” He leaned in close, breathing in her floral scent.
Don’t scare her away.
He tightened his grip on her shoulders in an effort to stop himself from scaring her.
“This is beautiful.”
Sliding his hands down from her shoulders, he rested his hands on her waist.
No, you’re beautiful, and I’m a fucking prick for not seeing it before.
“Cheryl was wrong,” he said.
She made to turn around, but he held her tightly.
“I know you don’t believe me, but what she said is all lies. You’re beautiful, Scarlett, and I’d be happy to call you my girl.”
“Stop,” she said.
Pressing his hand on her stomach, he rested his chin on her shoulder. It was as close as he could get without scaring her. The urge to press his face against her neck was strong, but he held it back. He kept control over his wolf. It wouldn’t do him any good to lose control.
“I’ll stop for now, Scarlett, but I’m not going to hide what I want.”
She pulled out of his arms to turn to look into his eyes. “Please, stop.”
He cupped her cheek, stroking over the dark bruise. “I fucked up. I was an asshole to you, and nothing I say is going to change what I said and did to you.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “But I’m going to prove to you I’m a changed person, Scarlett. I’m going to prove to you that when you’re in pain, hurt, crying, you’re going to come to me. I’ll take care of you. I’ll be the one you depend on.”
Someone knocked on the door, interrupting the moment. Letting out a sigh, he glanced over to see his father on the threshold.
“Carla wants to know if you’d like to call your parents. She’s happy for you to invite them to dinner or at least to let them know you’re here,” Luke said.
“Yes.”
She stepped away from him. His wolf pounced inside his head, wanting to follow her. The moment she was gone, his father stepped into the room.
“Enough!”
That one word silenced the wolf inside him. His wolf grew silent until Marshall was able to take breaths without fear.
“Thank you.”
“You’ve got to take your time. Don’t rush.”
“I’ve got a lot to make up for.”
Luke sat beside him. “You’re not going to hurt her with this other boy?”
“No. Trey will fuck up on his own. I’m not going to get involved. I’m going to show her she can depend on me instead.”
“I’m pleased you’ve finally decided to take that stand and not another one.”
Marshall wanted Trey out of the picture. “Is it possible for her to be my mate?”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s human.”
“Son, it has been years since a human mated with one of us in this pack, but it’s not unheard of.” Luke stood. “She’s coming back up. Your mate is designed to suit you, to complete you. Your wolf will know what to do when the time is right.”
Nodding, Marshall stayed sat as Scarlett appeared in the doorway.
“My parents couldn’t make dinner, but they’d like to extend the invitation to you this weekend.”
“I’d love to.” His father left them alone. Marshall smiled at her. He’d do whatever it took to keep Scarlett in his life.
****
The weekend came around too soon for Scarlett’s liking. Her mother had dragged her out to the shops in order to prepare for dinner.
“What do they like?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know them.” They were walking up and down the aisles looking at everything they could.
“Meat, men love meat.”
“It’s not just Marshall and his dad.”
“This is so hard.”
Scarlett stopped when she saw Jack was in the store. He was pushing a trolley while holding a list. The moment he saw her, he waved.
“Marshall know you’re here?” he asked, when they passed.
“Erm, I doubt it.” Her mother walked off toward the butchery. “He’s coming for dinner, but we don’t have a clue what to do for him. My mom, she’s not exactly the best person to plan a dinner.” Her cheeks were heating.
If someone was to tell her months ago that she’d be in the supermarket talking to Jack while also helping to plan a dinner, she’d have laughed at the absurdity of it.
“You don’t have Marshall’s cell number?”
She shook her head.
He pulled his cell phone out, pressing the device to his ear.
“Hey, I got your girl in front of me. She’s wondering what to cook.” Jack stopped, and she heard Marshall talking. “Here you go. He wants to talk to you.”
Taking the phone from Jack, she pressed it to her ear. “Hello.”
“Hey, baby. I’ll make sure you have my cell number when I see you.”
“It’s okay. You really don’t need to do that.”
“I’ll make sure you’ve got it. What do you need to know?”
Heat bloomed inside her. Glancing up at Jack she saw he raised a brow at her.
“My mom, she’s struggling about what to make you for dinner. Do you have any suggestions?” she asked.
“Yeah, steak. Anything with beef and potatoes and we’re all set.”
“What about your mom?”
“She’s the same. We’re pretty normal, Scarlett. Oh, we love chocolate.”
“Okay. Meat and chocolate, got it.”
“Scarlett,” he said.
“Yeah.”
“I can’t wait to see you.”
Her cheeks were on fire. “Bye.” She passed Jack the cell phone, wishing she could leave but knowing it was rude.
“Yep, she is. Yep … yep … bye.” Jack put his cell away.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. You need any help call me. In fact.” Jack pulled out a pen that he’d placed behind his ear. She watched him scrawl on the paper in front of him, tearing it off. “Here, call me whenever you need me and can’t get in touch with Marshall.”
She took the number from him. “Erm, thanks.”
“See you around, Scarlett.”
Pocketing his number, she didn’t know if she should throw it in the trash. She still didn’t trust either guy. Grabbing the trolley, she made her way toward the butchery department to find her mother still looking at the array of meats.
“Beef,” Scarlett said.
“What, honey?”
“I found one of Marshall’s friends. I called him. They like beef and potatoes as a family. They’re also chocolate fiends.”
“Oh, honey, you know you’ve got to bake them your chocolate cake.”
“I don’t think—”
“We’ve got more than enough time for you to do it. Come on, they’ll love it.”
She stood beside her mother as she ordered one of the largest pieces of beef she’d ever seen. They were filling the trolley with all the goodies that would last them a couple of weeks. Her mother begged her around the supermarket until Scarlett caved, grabbing the ingredients to make the cake.
When they got home, her mother started working on the beef while Scarlett set to work on the cake. Her father was preparing the table and watching football. Every now and then Scarlett would stop as she couldn’t believe she was making a cake for Marshall and his family.
“So, honey, you’ve not mentioned this Marshall much. Is he nice?”
“Erm, yeah.” It wasn’t a complete lie. He was being nice so far. She didn’t know why, but she wasn’t going to worry her mother.
She avoided any more questions as she got busy cleaning up the mess while the cake was finishing in the oven. When it was out, she used the time to go to her room where she sat on the edge of her bed. Pulling out Jack’s cell phone number, she stared at the digits scrawled in a line. Fisting the piece of paper, she threw it into the trash. Standing up, she stared into the mirror as the doorbell rang.
Scarlett saw they were still early for dinner.
Her mother shouted her that the door was for her.
Heading downstairs, she found Trey at the bottom of the staircase waiting for her.
“Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to head out. Maybe go watch a movie?”
She stared at her friend and offered him a smile.
“I, erm, I can’t.” She made her way down the last couple of steps until she stood in front of him. “My mom invited Marshall and his family around. I can’t go out.”
There was no joy or thrill coming from Trey’s presence. When she first met him, she’d been charmed by his attention. He didn’t look that impressed with her answer.
He didn’t come to find me during lunch break.
The last couple of days it had been Marshall who found her, Marshall who comforted her. They were working together on the comparison of two very different poems. She’d been allowed to sit back for gym because of her bruised eye. Marshall always took the time to come over and see her. Trey started to treat her as a passing thought, not that she minded. She did however notice that Cheryl was paying a lot of attention to Trey just lately.
“Okay, maybe another time.”
“Yeah, I’d like that.” She didn’t make any arrangements, and neither did he.
“I’ll leave you to it.”
She didn’t say anything as he disappeared out of the door. Closing the door, she watched him walk toward his home. He held a cell phone to his ear, and she wondered for a split second who he was calling.
Heading back into the kitchen, she finished off the chocolate cake, leaving it to stand in pride of place on the kitchen counter. Her mother begged for her help, and she took over in the kitchen.
Her mother was an excellent doctor but not a great cook.
Scarlett was putting the finishing touches to the dinner when the doorbell rang once again. This was it.
Blowing out a breath, Scarlett waited for her mother to walk in.
“They’re here.”
“Everything is ready.”
“I hope we’re not coming across as rushed. Your father showed them to the table already.”
“I’m sure it’s fine.” She picked up the tray with the meat and walked into the room. Scarlett was wearing a pair of jeans with a red shirt. The clothes fit perfectly and covered all of her rounded bumps and lumps. At least she hoped they did. The only seat available was across from Marshall. Her father sat on one end while his dad did the other. Her mother sat beside her, and it was the same for his mother.
“This looks divine, honey,” her father said.
“I wish I could take all the credit. Scarlett did most of it.”
Her cheeks heated as everyone turned to look at her. She scooped some mashed potatoes onto her plate. The conversation started up around her.
“Do you like to cook?” Marshall asked.
“Yes.” She nodded her head.
“It tastes delicious.”
Focusing on her own plate, she tried to ignore the joy building inside her. Their parents were oblivious to them as everyone talked, eating their dinner. When it was over, her mother couldn’t keep her mouth shut and let them all know that Scarlett had made a special chocolate cake for them all.
Marshall surprised her by helping clean the table.
“You really don’t need to do that.”
“I want to. I like helping.”
When the dishes were cleared, she carried the cake through to the table.
The moans that came from their mouths as they ate it should be sinful. Scarlett declined cake. She was trying another diet and had even cut down her portion of dinner.
“You didn’t eat a lot,” Marshall said.
“I ate enough.”
“Why don’t you two kids go out into the garden?” her mother said. “We’ll take care of the dishes.”
Nodding, Scarlett led the way into the back garden.
“I didn’t know you could cook,” Marshall said. It was still light out, and the last of the summer’s warmth surrounded them. She’d noticed whenever he touched her that he was always a little hotter than she was.
“I’ve always been able to cook. My parents are always so busy that it makes sense for me to cook for myself.” She tucked some hair behind her ear.
“Thank you for the cake. It was delicious.”
She took a seat on the lounge chair overlooking the swimming pool. Scarlett didn’t know what to say to him.
“Jack told me he gave you his cell phone number.”
Heat filled her cheeks.
“What?” he asked, taking a seat opposite her. He always seemed to know her innermost thoughts.
“Nothing.”
“Your cheeks are red. Why are you embarrassed?”
“I threw his number in the trash. I’m never going to need it.” She tucked some hair behind her each. He reached out, taking her hand.
“You’re going to learn to trust us. Hand me your cell and I’ll put mine and Jack’s numbers into your phone.”
She pulled her cell from her pocket, handing it to him.
“There you go.”
Why didn’t she want to upset him? She didn’t owe Marshall anything, and yet, something was different in her thoughts about him.