Alpha's love
The attack

This chapter is a combination of Marcus and Aria's perspectives. Enjoy:)

Marcus could feel his mate's worry and it made him worried in turn. He hated that she was in discomfort, and he also worried that she would be injured if they had to fight. I wish she could just come stay with me at home, where she was safe, he growled to his wolf as he sprinted beside her, his wolf snorting in agreement. Back in the mansion he had thought things were going quite well, especially when she let him hug her, sending sparks all over him. Until she pulled away snarling at him and tried to run away, that had hurt him. No woman had ever done that to him before, and his wolf had howled at the sudden loss of her warmth against his stomach. Then she had yelled that her pack was being attacked by his former beta and he wished he could rip his beta's throat out. If it weren't for him, our mate would still be with us right now back at home, his wolf agreed. Marcus smirked, and we could probably be mating right about now. His wolf howled at the thought, putting on a burst of speed to catch up with his mate. She looks hot, all determined and no bullshit-mode, he thought to himself as he watched the large black wolf dodge a tree, sending a yip at his way. His wolf yipped back in reply and a warmth spread through Marcus, her wolf wanted them.

The warmth was cut short as they arrived at the edge of her property to see two of her sentries lying on the ground, one of them dead, the other bleeding out. Aria let out a howl of despair when she saw them, both of them were females that Aria had been fairly close to. She had even went on journeys to help them try to replace their mates, now they would never get the chance. Her wolf could feel her sorrow and let out a small whimper, trying to comfort Aria. Her wolf padded up to them and sat for a moment, letting out another howl with her nose pointed to the sky, eyes closed. In an instant her mate was at her side, leaning against her trying to comfort her. He let out a howl along with her, and Milean unconsciously leaned into his embrace. Aria allowed herself another moment before more howls pierced the air. Milean jerked up and howled again, in answer before she took off running again. She could hear her mates paws running after her, along with others from her mates pack, and when another howl pierced the air she sprinted faster desperate to reach her pack. She followed the howls through the woods, reaching the edge of one of their clearings closer to the edge of her territory. Several small skinny wolves were fighting amidst her pack, lead by a familiar wolf that Milean growled, the beta that killed Ellia. Without waiting to see if her mate and his recruits were following her, she dove into the midst. Sprinting towards Eve, who was being attacked by two wolves at once, she launched herself at them. Her mate was right by her side as she tore and fought with the two wolves, ripping them off Eve who growled at her gratefully before turning and diving at another rogue, ripping his throat out with a single bite. Aria and Milean fought together next to their mate, fighting their way towards the beta who stood amongst the mist, his wolf smirking at the disarray before him. Anger surged through Aria as she looked at his face, his smirk growing wider as one of the rogues nearby him pinned one of Aria's female warriors to the ground. Aria dove at the wolf, bowling him off her warrior snapping at his neck as he squirmed underneath her. His paws pummeled her stomach, his claws scratching at her stomach. Aria howled in anger and leaned forward, swiping her paw across his neck. Her claws cut right through his neck, spilling his red blood out onto the green grass, snaking through the grass like a snake. She turned to see her mate attacking his ex-beta, his jaws snapping at his belly as his black claws gleamed, raising to strike the exposed throat of his beta. Then, just as suddenly his beta twisted underneath him throwing Marcus off him in a quick sudden move. He went to run but Aria dove at him, knocking him off his feet, as they rolled across the grass jaws snapping and claws flashing. She snarled as his jaws nipped her ear, a line of blood streaming down her eye, momentarily blinding her sight. Using her sudden blindness to his advantage, the beta rolled on top of her, claws coming at her throat. Aria could only hold off his onslaught of claws by snapping her jaws blindly, landing lucky bites on his claws. At the next swipe of his paws she was ready, and clamped onto his paw at hard as she could causing the beta to yelp. Blindly pummeling him with her paws, pushing him off her. He took off running towards the woods and Aria went to run after him but stopped as a howl ripped through the air. She turned to see one of her members lying on the ground, an older male stooped over her body. Growling, she looked towards the woods at the retreating smell of the beta. Eve, send warriors after the beta, kill him or bring him back alive either way bring him back if you can. With that, Aria shifted back into human form, running towards the collapsed figure, a thread of pain pulling at her chest for the couple whom she knew were mated. A growl ripped through the clearing that caused Aria to nearly pause and then she was jerked off her feet, as a large wolf pulled her to the ground. He crouched low over her, his yellow eyes boring into hers as he tried to cover her body with hers. Aria laughed out loud as she realized what he was trying to do, cover her nakedness from the rest of her pack and the three male warriors her mate had brought. Eve bring me some clothes, as quickly as possible. My mate is....bothered.

"Marcus, my pack as seen me naked dozens of times before, and their male mates are not interested in looking out of decency and respect. I have no unmated males, and your warriors are not stupid enough to look at me, now MOVE so I can go to my dead pack member and help her mate." Her mate growled again before shifting back to human form, his body collapsing on top of hers. Aria hesitated momentarily, before pushing him off her, sensing the eyes of her pack on her. Eve appeared at her side instantly, a long white t-shirt in her hands. Aria immediately pulled the shirt over her head, blushing a little as she remembered his body against hers. Another low growl rumbled from behind her, before she felt his hand on her waist, pulling her so that she collided with his chest. Eve bit her lip to hide her smirk, before Aria growled at her mate pushing herself out of his arms, throwing a blanket that Eve handed her at Marcus. A growl erupted from her throat as Eve eyes flashed towards Marcus, and before she knew it she was on top of Eve pressing her teeth against her throat.

Eve whimpered in submission and Aria immediately pulled back climbing off her and helping her up, "I'm so sorry Eve..it must be the mate bond." She turned to see Marcus smirking at her, the blanket wrapped around his waist. Aria flashed him an annoyed glare before turning and hurrying over to her pack members body, pushing her way through her members gathered group. "Move out of the way, give the poor man some space," she murmured to the wolves as they parted. She crouched over her pack member, seeing that it was Elsa, one of her more distant pack members. After she had found her mate with the help of Ellia, she had moved out of pack house to a smaller cottage a little ways away from the pack house. After that, their mind link had slowly dissipated until it was a small thread nearly invisible, now that she was dead, Aria could feel the thread slowly slipping away until it was nearly nothing. Aria crouched over Elsa her hand resting on her fur, "Elsa I bid you rest peacefully in the meadows of the warriors. You were a beloved pack member, mate, and warrior. May you rest." Elsa's mate let out a cry, tears streaming down his face as Aria put a hand on her shoulder, her heart tugging for the man. A hand on her shoulder shoulder pulled her back from the man. She didn't have to look behind her to know that it was Marcus, especially when he snarled at the man. Aria turned and smacked him on the arm, hard. "Enough! This man is in pain and he just lost his damn mate do you really think that he would be interested in me?! Put your stupid feelings aside and get some control over yourself," Aria hissed pushing Marcus further away from the circle. He glared at her but remained silent taking a few steps away from her, turning away, he disappeared among her pack members and she turned back to the man. Gesturing at two of her male pack members who were mated she nodded her head toward the pack house. They immediately went to the male and hooked their hands under his armpits, dragging him towards the pack house as his cries echoed through the air. Aria's heart clenched at his pain, sorrow for him filling her bones. Please let that never be us, she whispered to Milean who yipped quietly back to her. Eve approached her side leaning into her slightly whispering,

"Alpha, your mate hasn't been able to take his eyes off you," she snickered and Aria elbowed her in the side. Turning to her pack Aria said,

"If any of you are injured go see the pack doctor, and please give the male some space he just lost his mate. We will have a ceremony tomorrow night honoring her." With that Aria turned to her mate beckoning him towards her with one hand before turning to Eve, "Eve, please take Elsa to the morgue." Eve nodded briskly before hurrying off as Marcus approached Aria,

"Are you hurt," he asked his eyes scanning over her body. Aria's hand went to her ear but was relieved when the cut had healed already,

"No, are you?" He smiled before shaking his head,

"So why did you beckon me over here?" Aria frowned a little before responding,

"I wanted to thank you for coming to help me, I will be sure to take that into consideration when we meet tomorrow to discuss a treaty, but for now I wanted to tell you to go home, my warriors need to rest and so do I." Aria ended briskly, before extending her hand towards Marcus to shake his hand, feeling the eyes of her dispersing pack on her. Marcus smirked before taking her hand softly, leaning towards her,

"Your my mate Aria, we're destined to be, you can't fight it forever." He whispered before turning on his heel dropping the blanket before shifting into his wolf and disappearing into the woods.