The Change (Fated Series: book1)
Chapter 13 - Behind closed gates

Nessa

(Blackwood’s pack house)

Nessa didn’t even think to unpack. She waited thirty minutes, enough time to investigate her room from corner to corner, before her curiosity got the better of her. She was invited to stay over, therefore was no prisoner. The mansion was as grand as a castle, and it was calling her name, begging her to explore it. The posh fairytale landscape was too much of a temptation, and she could not resist it. Her imagination ran wild with the excitement of hidden doors and passages, secluded gardens and romantic ponds. Everything was inspiring her creative side with promises of forbidden details and stories of the inhabitants. Oh, if only the walls could talk.

She hoped Marcus would make a surprise appearance, snatch her in a dark corner and kiss her senseless. But life was not what dreams wanted it to be. Either way, this was an adventure, a fresh start and she was eager to make the best of it. Walking out of her room had never felt as liberating and exciting as right now.

How did he call her?

Spitfire.

And it was exactly how she felt - bold but surprisingly at peace in the pack house. It was not only because of what Alpha Ned stood for. It was because of Marcus, who she felt close to. She reminded herself she shouldn’t be feeling this way. They were a one-night-stand for all she knew. But it didn’t seem fair, no true. Was she reading too much into his behaviour?

Nessa laughed at how immature her reasoning became. “It has to be this place,” she thought. Pack houses stood for unity and family. They gave this sense of companionship and belonging. Goddess only knew how much Nessa missed her family.

Nessa ran her fingers over the furniture as she made her way down the hallway. She wondered how even the smallest detail of this place appealed to her. She decided it had to be Marcus’ earthy scent which made the grandiose place feel more homey that it should have.

“A One-night stand,” she reminded herself.

That was all it was. Wolves magically did not fall in love with anyone but their fated. Just because sex was amazing, she was not going to be the exception to the rule. She had to remember that, and not get her hopes up for anything else. Sex did not equl a relationship.

But how could she deny herself the thoughts of him, while everything in this goddamn place carried his scent. She desperately needed fresh air and the wind caressing her face. Mayhap then she would stop imagining his talented fingers exploring her flesh.

An exit could not come soon enough.

Nessa tried to focus on the swing she had seen through the window of her room. If only her sense of direction was any better she would already be there. It was situations like this that made her want to claw Brandon’s eyes out not because of his cheating ways, but on behalf of her wolf.

Oh, how she missed shifting.

Her skin still ran hot but no matter how much she tried, the shift would not come. A mirror caught her eye, and her reflection reminded her she looked just as out of place as she felt. From her clothing to the messy bun and tired eyes, she did not belong there.

Nessa rounded up a corner, face planting in a bare chest, strong arms circling her frame.

“I’m sorry,” Nessa apologized, quickly stepping away from the embrace.

The shifter’s eyes moved over her frame before he spoke.

“You can run into me anytime. Who did you say you belong to?”

Surely, he did not imply what her brain processed. The one thing she hated with a passion, which rivaled Cameron’s hatred for paperwork, was the implication she-wolves were their mate’s possession. It was sexist, derogatory and plain old insulting.

“I didn’t,” Nessa hissed back.

She narrowed her eyes at the man before her, willing him to correct himself before she unleashed hell on him. His expression remained calm, unapologetic. The even rise and fall of his chest showed he did not even have an inclination of what dog shit had spurted out of his mouth. Males like him were what was wrong with were-society. Had he kept silent, she would have called him attractive. His light brown hair and sky blue eyes were spectacular. His limited mind made her pity his Fated.

“I belong to myself,” Nessa proudly responded. “I suggest you do some sensitivity training before you further embarrass yourself.”

Nessa tried to pass him by when she felt his hand on her wrist.

“Look, there is no point in being rude. If you like it rough, you only have to say…”

Nessa struggled against his hold, freeing a hand and moving it back to slap him. He effortlessly restrained her with his big paws, then leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“Feisty. I like that.”

Why did males assume every unmated she-wolf desired their attention? Maybe she would have been less abrasive had certain green eyes not been on her mind.

“Let me go or you’ll regret it,” Nessa promised him as he was going to plant a kiss on her lips.

“He was warned,” Nessa thought just before her knee connected with his groin. She had to thank her dad later for self-defense classes. The stranger lost his hold on her. Nessa didn’t waste much time, and headed for the stairs accompanied by her attacker’s profanities which only served to make her take the steps two at a time. Her mind raced as she tried to remember if she had climbed up stairs upon her arrival. That information could potentially help her navigate this luxurious prison.

Nessa sighed with relief as soon as her eyes landed on the Blackwood’s intimidating third in command. Gamma Vince was a welcomed sight for her sore eyes. Nessa almost threw herself straight into his arms the moment she saw him. He would help her.

She was done being a guest, and was ready to read Marcus in what exactly had been going on in his house.

Safe in his Pack House?

What was he thinking?

While she could bet she looked frazzled, the Gamma was as calm and collected as still water.

“I’m so glad to see you. I got lost,” Nessa quickly decided berating the Alpha was not going to earn her any favors with Gamma Vincent. It was enough Cameron knew the exact nature of her relationship with Marcus, she did not need to advertise it to the world.

“One night stand is all,” Nessa thought as the Gamma waited for her to continue talking. The silence was supposed to make her spill out her secrets. Nessa took time to observe him, deciding he didn’t seem like he believed her, but he didn’t care to rebut her. Nessa took it as a good sign.

“I need to speak with Cam or the Alpha,” she told him.

“They are busy right now. May I help you with something?” Vince asked, keeping his face neutral.

“Could you point me to the nearest exit? I need some fresh air and it might be a while till I can see one of them, right?” Nessa inquired, making him agree with her last statement.

“All the way down the corridor, then take a left and you’ll see the patio doors,” Vince reached out and pointed down the hall then cautiously added, “Is there something else?”

“No, that would be all. Thank you,” Nessa replied, heading in the direction.

Finally, some peace and quiet.

Marcus

Marcus was almost out of the door when the landline rang. He took a deep breath, closed the door and walked back to his desk. The Alpha duties weighed heavy on his shoulders. At times like this, only the thought of revenge motivated him to go through the motions of governing his lands. Marcus found it less and less appealing as the months rolled by. Thankfully, Cameron had taken over most mundane tasks, and now Marcus only served as Alpha on paper, appearing in public to flip the haters the bird.

His fingers halted over the phone, wondering whether to answer it or screen the call first. A part of him recognized the importance of a call placed to the Alpha’s landline. It was his responsibility and duty to answer it, to protect and nurture his pack. At the same time, Cameron had been filling in his shoes and Marcus knew the younger wolf was prepared to handle whatever problem arose.

Marcus wanted some peace and quiet. His mind wandered to Nessa. As ticked off as she might have been the other day over his rank, today she was reasonable. He only wished he was there to ease the stress away from her shoulders. He grinned as he remembered the way her body responded to his presence, nevermind his voice or touch. His wolf had chosen her. His sole presence and proximity would only intensify the devotion and budding love between them because of the establishing mating bond. His little Nessa might have stood a chance against his Alpha charm, but not against the mating pull. She would succumb to him just as he was a goner for her. He tried to imagine her afternoon, wishing he was there to give her a proper welcome.But alas he was stuck strategizing and helping Cam with the paperwork. Never before had the take down of his enemy felt like a chore.

Until now, that was.

Absentmindedly, he picked up the phone.

“Yes?”

“Alpha Ned, this is Alpha Brandon,” Brandon’s voice carried over the line.

Marcus rolled his eyes. What did the little prick want? Would he have the guts to declare his allegiance? Or did he get a wind of Pack Law’s visit? As the silence settled in, Marcus took a deep breath. They weren’t getting any younger, and Marcus had better plans than waiting for the younger wolf to speak his mind.

“Hello, Alpha Brandon. How are you doing?” Marcus started with the usual pleasantries.

Brandon better had something important to say, Marcus thought.

Even Marcus’ stomach protested against the wasted time. His decision to skip lunch in order to expedite things had not been his best option. But how can you say no to the urge to cram work in order to have more time with your Chosen? Marcus wanted to spend time with Nessa, take her out to lunch or treat her to a home cooked meal. But that plan went down the drain as soon as more reports and paperwork piled on his desk. It was Cameron’s doing. His Beta was more than capable of dealing with this paperwork, yet his notorious hatred for it made Marcus feel the need to help out with the document reviews. It wouldn’t have mattered on any other day. Marcus felt satisfaction in knowing all the little details that would eventually bring Alpha Aaron Stevens down for good. But not today. Today was different. Nessa was there.

Marcus had missed lunch with Nessa, but he promised himself that would not be the case for dinner. He would take her out on a picnic, so he would have her all to himself. That thought brought a smile to his face.

Marcus’ mind finally registered that while he was thinking about Nessa, Brandon had kept on talking.

“So for those reasons, I would like to ask for an audience with you.”

Marcus was angry at himself for not paying attention to the conversation. He needed to get his Nessa-dose before he attended any meetings with Pack Law. He couldn’t space out when they were there sniffing his lands.

“When would you like to meet?”

“I can come over this weekend. Juliet keeps on nagging me to ensure Nessa is well settled there now that she would be switching allegiance. You see, they are close friends,” Brandon explained.

Marcus almost laughed at Brandon’s attempt to bullshit him. If they were such best friends, wouldn’t this call have taken place when she first arrived on his lands? Or was Brandon testing the tension from the BBQ meeting? Marcus quickly compiled a list of the possible scenarios.

His mind went back to the implication Juliet Gray was Nessa’s friend. Weren’t her friends arriving? Alpha Juliet Gray would have called personally if she was part of the said group instead of leaving it to Nessa to discuss with Cam.

“You are certainly welcomed,” Marcus agreed but then quickly added, “but I have a prior arrangement with Moonlight for this weekend. I do not know how many wolves Alpha Lee would bring, but I would imagine there would not be much space left to accommodate you. Let me know if you would like to reschedule.” Marcus explained, secretly hoping his womanizing friend would change Alpha Brandon’s plans.

“All is good. As I said, Juliet wanted to see her friend. You can expect us by the of the business week, Ned.” Brandon recapped.

Marcus was about to point out he was Alpha Ned to him, but decided to let it slide. Arguing with him would only postpone his overdue reunion with Nessa.

“See you then,” Marcus shortly replied then hung up the phone before Brandon could respond.

Now it was time to see Nessa.