The Axelridge Series Book 3 Marc's Stolen Heart
Chapter 21

(Chapter song ‘blood//water' by grandson, ‘You've Created A Monster' by Bohnes)

MARCUS

“YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!”

I fight my way into my fathers office as his goons try to hold me back.

“Get off me!” I growl and slug one right in my jaw. Another swings and clocks me in the cheek. The grab my arms and hold me as my father calmly stands and does up his suit jacket.

“Marcus. Calm down.” He says darkly.

“NO! FUCK YOU, ASSHOLE!” I yell as I try to break free.

I get an elbow to the back of the neck and hit the floor. My head rings and my spine is on fire. I'm seething breaths as I hold my head.

After the ringing in my ears fades, I hear footsteps and raise my eyes to my fathers dress shoes.

I sit up and slowly stand. “You…fucking dick…” I snarl as I get my head straight. “What the fuck was that, huh?” I point to the room.

He clasps his hands in front of his thighs. “An exchange. As you were told.”

“PEOPLE WERE KILLED! BY MY FUCKING HAND!!” I slam my finger into my chest as I lean to him and yell.

“Yes, as intended. You did good.” He turns and walks back behind his desk and sits.

I wipe the blood off my lip and approach the other side in front of him. “I ALMOST DIED! CLAUDIA ALMOST DIED!”

He tilts his head. “Calm the fuck down or I'll finish what the explosion didn’t.” He stares daggers into my eyes.

Stevie runs in and grabs my shoulder. “Marc…Marc…Just listen…Don’t be stupid.”

“Oh, we're way past that.” I grit my teeth and glare at my father.

“You were an unfortunate casualty, but it was needed. The lycans are aware of it.” He raises his chin and stuffs his hands in his pockets.

I narrow my eyes and look at him like I didn’t hear what he said. “The lycans…knew?”

He nods then walks to his chair. “Yes. It was Dahlias idea. She told me Cecil was conspiring against us and we had to act. I’m sure he knows now that we are willing to protect this truce at all costs.”

I eye him suspiciously. “Naw. You’d never just help the Vinellis like that without something in it for ya.”

“There is something in it for me. This truce, even though I hold the upper hand in a war, is still beneficial to all of us.” He leans back in his chair.

I lean my hands on his desk. “So, why almost kill me or Dia or both of us? We are the fucking truce.”

“As unfortunate as that is, I had no way of knowing you’d be in the way. I’m sorry, Marcus.” He smirks.

I lean closer to him. “You know when one of your goons goes for a piss in the middle of the night. Don’t give me this shit that you didn’t know we'd be one floor below the fucking bomb.”

He sits forward. “It was an accident, Marcus. You lived so, no harm, no foul.”

My brows cinch together as I stare into his evil face. “You did know. You just didn’t give a fuck.” I say low.

The corner of his mouth ticks up and he ticks his head like I just hit the bulls eye. “I think you get the picture, son. Yes, this truce is important, but if something should happen before you can defile my name, well…”

“You cruel son of bitch.” I sneer.

“Marc. Go home before you say something you’ll regret.” Stevie whispers at my shoulder.

My father eyes me. “Don’t worry, Stevie. I’m sure Marcus understands just how valuable he is to me. Now, he may not be so combative in the future. Right?” He raises a brow as he laces his fingers on his chest.

I stare him down and he’s like a wall. As I said, he couldn’t give two shits about me or Claudia. If something should happen to us before the moon, the truce will still be enforced. He was trying to kill two birds with one bomb.

I nod in understanding.

“Good. Get out of my sight.” He growls and turns to his computer.

I suck in a breath and turn to the door. I joined my father to stop the hits, but it looks like that won’t be happening when he’s still giving the orders. This has me questioning the hit at the stadium.

I wipe my lip again as I give him a final look. I’m going to have to be on my toes from now on.

I need to get out of this.

I walked out of my family home a basic shell of myself. I feel like a tool. Just something for them to use to get what they want. Stevie didn’t even stick up for me. He knows my father wants to kill me and he didn’t said shit about it.

I now realize, I have no more family. Not that I had them to begin with, but when they want you dead, it’s pretty sure there can be no reconciliation.

Jax was right. They’re no good for me and coming to them was a huge mistake.

I walk to the car and get in.

Stevie is standing at the door with two guys. I shake my head and look away. I can’t believe I looked after him when he got shot.

Well, now that all the cards are on the table, that won’t be happening again. They want to play this game, I won’t go down easy.

I reach into my pocket and pull out the titanium baseball I keep for protection. I hold it in my hand and roll it in my fingers as the driver pulls away.

My father wants a boom, if he pushes me hard enough, he’ll get one hell of a bang, I think as I toss the ball, catch it and stuff it back in my pocket.

I text Dia and tell her I’m on my way home and she sends me a text back saying Sophia had just left.

I asked her what happened and she didn’t answer. I asked again and she told me I’m going to need a contractor.

I read the message three times. I asked her what that meant and she told me to come see for myself.

Six hours later, I’m standing in front of my pack house that has a gaping hole where my common room window should be.

“What?” I try to ask as calmly as I can. I wrap an arm around myself and rub my lip with my other hand. “Sophie did this?”

Claudia shakes her head. “I don’t know what you see in her. She’s crazy!”

“What did you do?” I glare at her.

“Nothing! One second she’s all nice and caring and the next she’s smashing the house!” Claudia motions to the hole.

I step up to her. “Why did she do that, Claudia?”

I can see if her face this wasn’t an impromptu thing. Claudia’s eyes filled with guilt.

“What did you say to her?” I grind.

She shies away and shrugs. “I may have let it slip that we slept together.”

My eyes widen. “You what?”

“I’m sorry! It just came out when we were talking!” She whines. “I didn’t mean to. I certainly didn’t think she’d wolf out on me! Seriously, what the hell, Marc?!” She gives me a really confused and questioning look. “She wanted to kill me. I thought you ended things with her.”

I rub my forehead and sigh. “Fuck.” I flop my hand to my side. “Ok. I need to replace Sophie. I’ll drop you off at my penthouse in the city and we can stay there until the house is fixed.” I point to her face. “You need to stay away from Sophie.”

“No arguments here, slugger. I think you need to stay away from her too.” She crosses her arms and looks me over.

“Staying away got my pack house smashed up. I think, right now, that’s the last thing I need to do.” I look over the broken wall and wood breaks off and falls. She did a number on it and it’s all my fault.

“Marc. She's messed up. The last thing she needs is…” Claudia looks up at me as I interrupt her.

I lean to her. “She needs someone to understand her.” I look her dead in the eye. “This isn’t Sophia. This is her trying to deal with being hurt.”

“And you being around her is only rubbing salt in the wound.” Claudia says quietly.

I shake my head. “No. I need to deal with this. I need to tell her the truth.”

She looks away and lowers her head.

I lift her chin. “Pack your bags.”

Her eyes meet mine and she turns on her toes. She walks into the house and I’m left staring at the mess.

I pull out my phone and dial. Holding it to my ear, I think about how the fuck I’m going to fix all this.

“Jax? Where’s Soph?...OK…When she gets in, tell her to stay there. I’m coming over….No. I just need to have a talk with her…It's ok. Nothing to worry about.”

I hang up and wonder just how this conversation could possibly go. I know I should run for the hills. Who needs this kind of shit, but I caused it. I should have dealt with her first before my father. I wanted her to hear it from me. Now, I need to repair this.

Somehow.

****

SOPHIE

I may have avoided drowning my pain booze, but hitting inanimate objects isn’t helping either.

I spent the night, running around the city, looking for trouble and I found it.

A few guys were harassing some girls and I when full White Mace on their asses.

The girls got away and I left three bleeding men on the sidewalk with a warning that if they did it again, I’d be back.

It felt good to get it out. It felt like old times, but as I drove out of the city with my mace on my back, all I could think about was Marcus.

I need to talk to him. I need to see him.

I need him.

The next day, I found myself at his pack house. I sat outside, trying to replace the words to say to him. When we left each other, I couldn't care less about what I was doing to him, now that his life was threatened, I can’t just walk away.

I was about to push off my bike and walk to the door, but it opened and I lift my head.

Claudia stood in the doorway, stood with attitude and gave me a once over.

“Can I help ya, princess?” She has a snarky tone as she steps out onto the porch.

I stand and shove my hands in the pockets of my jacket. “Where’s Marcus?”

“Not here.” She eyes me.

“Ok. Where is he?” I ask again as I walk a few steps to the house.

“New York. He said he had to speak to his dad.” She folds her arms and kick out a leg. The breeze blows her short, black flowered skirt and tosses her brown hair as her brown eyes have a look of hatred in them.

I step closer. “About the explosion?”

She nods and steps into the sun. My heart does a little jump as the sun hits her skin and hair. She really is beautiful. It’s no wonder Marcus likes her. She probably doesn’t give him any where near the grief I do.

“Is it true?” I squint in the sun as I fold my arms.

“Is what true?” She sighs.

“What I saw on the news. Did you really save Marcus or was that just some show for cameras?” I say snidely. I don’t believe she saved Marcus out of the goodness of her heart.

“What does that mean?” Her brow furrows and I step closer.

“Don’t tell me that did that because you cared about him. You did it for fame. Admit it.” I

She narrows her eyes. “You don’t know me well enough to say something like that to me.”

“I don’t need to. I know your type. Spoiled, self centered. You’re only in this to get what you want. You don’t care what this is doing to Marcus and I. So I don’t believe you saved Marcus to be heroic.” I sneer at her.

“Believe what you want, princess. I know how I feel and I know how Marcus feels.” The look she was giving me had me wish I had my mace in my hand right now.

“Why? Because you kissed?” I snarl.

Her lips fall and she stares blankly at me.

“Yeah. I know. I also know that just because he kissed you doesn’t mean you know how he feels. You live in this fantasy that you can get him and I’m telling you right now. There’s no way you will.” I chew the inside of my cheek and stare at her.

She stares right back and smirks. “Well then, I guess, dreams really do come true.”

Confusion fills me. “What?”

She steps into my space. “I don’t think you know our ball player as well as you think, Sophie. I know Marcus outside…and in.” She smiles, bounces her brow and stands with a snarky attitude.

My brain connects the dots and my eyes widen.

She leans to me. “Oh yeah. Vegas was a lot of fun. If it wasn’t for the bomb, we’d probably still be there while you cried on your pretty bed.”

Our eyes meet and my mouth goes small. “You’re lying.” I whisper.

“Maybe or maybe I’m telling the truth and you can’t accept that you lost him…to me.” She challenges me as my wolf spins circles in her cage.

I lock my gaze with hers. “You slept with Marc?”

“Yep.” She replies popping the ‘p'.

My wolf snarls her lips and growls. “Marcus touched you.”

I feel my face heat and my chest start to fume.

My wolf starts to claw and rip at my chest as my breathing starts to heave.

I lower my head, close my eyes and process what I just heard. Images of them laying in bed fill my brain as I raise my eyes to her slowly.

They glow blue and my canines are out. “You let him touch you!” I growl loud.

I throw my claws out and I call the wind.

She yelps spins around and runs into the house.

I let out a loud growl, shred my clothes and shift in the air as my wolf jumps for the front window. She takes it out and half the wall as I land in the common room.

Claudia screams and shields herself from the flying glass.

She leaps over a couch and my wolf lands on it. She so angry, she sinks her jaws into the fabric and shakes it like a ragdoll.

“WHOA! WHAT THE FUCK?!” Aster runs in.

My wolf raises her head and jumps over the back of it.

Claudia hides behind him. “She’s crazy! Do something!”

“Me? She’s a fucking Alpha! I can’t do shit!” Aster says as they back up.

My wolf stalks them like a deer for dinner. She licks her snarling lips as she growls. They back into the hall with my wolf only a few feet off them.

“Ok. Sophie. Just calm down. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m sure we can work this out.” Aster holds his hand up as he tries to reason with her.

I’m crying in my head as my wolf defends my broken heart. I’m not listening and she’s not threatened by a Gamma.

“Soph. Marcus wouldn’t like this. Think about it. You think this would make him happy?” Aster says as they get closer to the back door.

“Don’t you pack heat or something?” Claudia pushes on his back.

“Shut up!” He grits.

My she wolf barks and snaps at his hand as her fur stands on end and her ears flatten to her head. Her lips lift more bearing all her drooling teeth as her growls rumble the floor.

“Shit.” He looks behind him. “Um…RUN!”

They bolt out the back door and slam it behind them.

My wolf smashes through it and sees them shift. They run into the trees and I target Claudia’s Lycan.

With a growling bark, she takes off after her.

I don’t know how long I chased her through the trees, but she leapt into them and I lost her.

My wolf howls and runs back to the pack house. I run around the house, shift and jump on my bike.

Tears run down my cheeks as I speed home. My mind races with thoughts of Marcus sleeping with Claudia. It only means it’s truly over for us and I can’t take it.

The pain in my chest hurts so much, I almost crash my bike again. I cry out into the wind and it does nothing to ease the heart break.

I took the stairs when I got home and ran all the way to the top. My legs were on fire by the time I hit the penthouse. I stumble through the door and land on my knees just inside as I cry.

“Sophie?” Jax rushes to me. “Sophie.”

“IT'S NOT TRUE!!” I wail and hug my brother tight. “It can’t…please…it can’t be true…” I can barely talk as my breath stutters.

“What? Soph…what happened?” He grabs my cheeks and raises my head.

I slowly shake my head in his hands as my tear filled eyes meet his. “Marcus slept with Claudia.” I hitch and drop my head into my hands and cry harder.