Marcella’s POV“We have to go,” I say throwing a dress over me. As soon as we get outside, I’m letting Fran out. So, this dress is going to rip to shreds.I follow Evander down the stairs. We are followed by Beta Daniel, Abby, and Mark. Bridget follows but at a safe distance.Me- Ready girl?Fran- You know I am.As soon as we hit the air, Fran busts forward. She keeps pace with Evander and as we get closer, I scent some of the warriors. I know these people. I know all of them. I see him standing in front, unshifted. Atlas.“Come, come, Marcella shift back, your face is what I came to see,” Atlas calls as we approach.Dexter growls and stands in front of me.I see Wesley holding a shirt next to me. He had run here unshifted.Fran gives me control and I shift back.“What do you want Atlas?” I ask, stepping from behind Dexter. Wesley is beside me.“I want my mate,” Atlas smirks.“Marrianna is your mate,” I tell him.“My wolf and I agree we want you,” He answers.“If Tom agrees, shift,” I
Evander’s POV“Evander!” Bridget screams, but I don’t care.“You will not touch her,” I say and throw Lucy’s hand away.“Evander,” Marcella touches my arm calming me instantly.I take a deep breath and look at Marcella. She rubs my arm, and I can’t help it. I know I smell like Bridget, and I can’t stand it anymore.Dexter- Finally his brain is on my side!Me- ShutDexter- Up, I know, I know.I pull Marcella into a hug and hold her.“Are you okay?” Marcella asks.“No one should hurt you. You didn’t do anything,” I say.“She refused to accept your rejection. Had she done that,” Lucy starts, but I cut her off.“Had she done that, I would have lost my wolf. Then I couldn’t have been Alpha anyway. There is only one way Dexter was ever going to accept Bridget as our mate and that was if our mate didn’t show up before the ceremony. She cut it close, but here she is,” I say. “The judgement Bridget showed in calling Westmoreland shows she is no Luna. Her desire to not runaway because she would
Marcella’s POVEvander and I get into training clothes. He apparently trains in only basketball shorts. Yeah, his bare chest won’t be at all distracting. And we just had sex, so his package is well, even a human can tell we just had sex.“Ready?” he asks, reaching for my hand.We make our way to the clearing Wesley and I found yesterday.“Hey,” Wesley calls. “Gross guys, really?”Evander does a quick sniff, “Yeah, how was Becca?”Wesley’s eyes get big. “You can smell her?”Evander laughs. He has a great laugh. “Yeah, did you shower?”“No, I thought my sweat would cover it up,” Wesley tells him.“It didn’t,” Evander laughs again. “But let's work up a better sweat and see if both of us can get the she-wolf smell off of us.”“Okay, I’ll coach from over here,” I tell them.I’ve never had a chance to see Evander work out.Evander’s reach is something Wesley has to overcome. After a little coaching, Wesley figured it out.“Wesley, you have a gap in your block. I’m going to exploit it if you
Marcella’s POVThe alarm goes off at 4am and we are rested. Thankfully.“Baby, stay right here another five minutes,” Evander says sleepily.“Don’t call me baby, please,” I say, snuggling into him.“Why?” He asks, kissing my head.“I heard you call Bridget baby. Atlas used to call anyone he was having sex with baby. I don’t like it,” I tell him.“Darling?” He asks.“What can I call you?” I ask, laying on his chest.“Whatever you want.”“Dear?”“That works.”“Honey?”“That works too.”I think about a name that would be just over the top too much, just to see his reaction.“Snookums?” I ask, not looking at him.He laughs. “Fine.”I lean up and look at him. “So, Snookums it is.”Evander laughs like I’ve never heard him laugh. And then he rolls over so I’m on my back and he is on his side, leaning over me.“You can call me Snookums, you can call me anything, just make sure you call for me,” Evander smiles at me.“Cheesy!” I laugh in his face.“Oh, I’m going to be cheesy if you are calling
Evander’s POVWe have been mated 72 hours. She has defended herself against my ex, my ex’s mother, me, her former Alpha and his army, and now three she-wolves who think they are somehow entitled to me.“This is why you don’t choose a mate!” My mother yells at me. “Thank the goddess, Marcella is strong enough to defend herself. Tiff, Allie and Erica are in the hospital. And I blame you and your stupid ideas. You had these girls believing it was actually possible to get with you.”“Mom, I get it, I want to check on Marcella,” I try to leave Dad’s office, but both of my parents give me the ‘move and you are dead’ look.“Son, we are talking to you, because this is going to keep happening. Marcella is going to have to fight every single day to keep you. And it is your fault."“I get it, I suck,” I say. “May I please go to my mate?”Mom and Dad look at each other.“Marcella decided the girls have been punished for their actions and she feels this will deter any
Evander’s POV“Evander, don’t growl at my mother,” Bridget scolds me like she used to.“I’ll growl at anyone who speaks to my mate that way,” I respond.Everyone looks shocked, even Marcella.“Snookums,” Marcella rubs my arms.“What was that?” Mark laughs.“Oh, please say that again,” Wesley begs.“Did she call him, 'Snookums'?” Victor asks, laughing.“Hey, he calmed the hell down,” Mark adds. But the three of them are laughing at me.“Jokes on you, I like it,” I say, kissing Marcella deeply in front of everyone.“Hey, if his mate calms him down with a stupid name, I’ll take it,” Victor jokes.“Sorry,” Marcella whispers to me as we pull apart.“Don’t be,” I whisper back, kissing below her ear.We smile at each other as we look into each other’s eyes.“Can we get back to the serious matter of Marcella’s punishment?” Lucy asks.“May I speak?” Martin asks.“You are Gamma, so yes,” Dad reminds him.“Marcella, you could
Marcella’s POVMark and I are standing next to Evander as he processes that Mr. Drake will be second Beta.“This was a lot of information. Mark fill Marcella in on your mother and Bridget’s plans,” Evander tells him. Mark explains about the new plan now that Evander has offered to go rogue.“Is your family connected to witches at all?” I ask.“Darlin let's not go there right now,” Evander tells me. “They are attempting to overthrow my father’s line.”“No, I get that, but if they have witches on their side, we need to be prepared,” she tells me.“To the best of my knowledge we don’t have any witch blood, but mom has friends in low places,” Mark tells us. “I want you to know, because I don’t want to be Alpha. I’ve told them that several times. Bridget is up in your room right now planting evidence of you cheating and covering it up with scent spray and sleeping pills.”“What?” I ask, confused again.“Bridget is planting sleeping pills, the knockout stuf
Marcella’s POV“Caught you?” Bridget asks.“Yeah, you caught me making love to my mate. You caught me enjoying her. You caught me proving to you and everyone that it’s Evander and Marcella for life,” Evander slips on shorts. “I was playing you all day. I was gathering evidence to use against you.”“Evidence of what?” Bridget asks.“Of you plotting against us. Marcella is innocent and I won’t let you hurt her,” Evander takes the pink liquid and smashes it.“She is stealing my mate,” Bridget screams.“No, she is refusing to reject her mate, which is not a crime,” Evander tells her.“You know what else is not a crime?” Bridget asks him. “Something that once it’s started, nothing can stop it.”Evander looks scared. “I don’t want you to die. Bridget, I’ve known you all our lives. I may not like you at the moment, but I don’t want you dead. Don’t start something you can’t win.”“I, Bridget Luske, Beta of the Bazin Pack challenge you, Marcella Nighti