Chapter 27

ALPHA MARCELLUS STORM

After a long day at work, he slipped into his room with the intention of heading straight to sleep but was quick to halt in his steps as he stared at the stranger in his room. Except, she wasn’t a stranger.

“What are you doing here?” He asked with wide eyes, not trusting himself to move away from the door which he currently had his back pressed up against.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” She murmured quietly, cocking her head to the side to study him better.

Sat on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed and her arms braced behind her, sat his mate, Anastasia, with her ruby red lips curled up into a teasing smile and her hair thrown over her shoulder.

“Who let you in here?” Marcellus frowned deeply as he tilted his head down and buried his nose into the neck of his shirt, attempting to escape her honeysuckle scent which tantalised him; teased him. Tested him.

As they were in such close proximity, he could almost taste her on the tip of his tongue which was a dangerous thought to have, especially when she was sat close to him and leaned back, almost as if inviting him to come a little closer.

If he wasn’t a masochist, Marcellus would have turned around, opened the door and left, escaping the little spitfire that appeared hell-bent of pushing him to the very edge of his limits.

“You’re not happy to see me?” Anastasia murmured quietly as she leaned a little further, the bottom of her shirt riding up to reveal the smooth tan slither of her stomach.

Instead of rejoicing in the extra skin that was now revealed to him, his lips turned down into a frown as he took a step closer, his eyes zeroed in on her seemingly flat stomach; free from any sort of bump whatsoever.

“What happened to you?” He asked in concern as he reached the edge of her bed and dropped himself to the ground by her feet, his eyebrows knitting together in a mix of concern and grave worry.

“What do you mean?”

“Your stomach…” he whispered quietly as he finally tore his eyes away from her midsection to glance up and hold her gaze, his eyes swimming with emotion “It’s flat.”

“I wouldn’t say my stomach is completely flat since I suck at going to the gym but either way, that’s a weird compliment to pay someone.” She laughed softly and dropped her arms so she was now laid flat on the back, her hands pressed against her stomach.

“I wasn’t paying you a compliment.” He denied, unable to tear his eyes away from her face.

Her lips parted and her eyebrows furrowed together slightly as she turned her head to the side to stare up at him, the curiosity clear on her face.

“Then why did you say that?”

Marcellus shook his head as he rose to his feet and took a seat on the edge of the bed, making sure to keep some space between them as he didn’t trust himself around her. Almost struggling to control himself with her in such close proximity to him. Her scent rolled off her in waves and absolutely consumed him, wrapping around him in his own personal blanket; one which he never wanted to escape.

Unfortunately, not everything was that easy.

“Did you have the baby already?” Marcellus bowed his head and braced his elbows on his knees to bury his face in his hands, struggling to cap a lid on his emotions.

A part of him was glad that she was no longer pregnant but another part of him, the bigger part of him, was afraid that something had happened. He didn’t dare to voice aloud the horrific thought, struggling to swallow it.

“What baby?” Her lips pulled down into a small frown as she tilted her head to the side to study him better but from her angle, the best view she had was of his back. “What are you talking about, Marcellus?”

A light groan passed his lips but when he refused to answer her. He was too embarrassed to admit that her saying his name caused his heart to beat dangerously erratically. Especially since he was still internally battling his wolf whether he was going to accept or reject her as his mate.

“It’s a bit too late for that now.” Anastasia whispered into his ear, propped up on her knees behind him as she brought her arms over his shoulder to press against the hardened muscles of his mid-section, teasingly pressing her lips just under his ear.

Marcellus didn’t have time to ask how she had heard him when he hadn’t uttered his thoughts aloud as she pressed her chest to his back, giggling softly as his body tensed under his touch.

“You seem nervous.” She murmured quietly as her mouth inched up to scrape her teeth against the lobe of his ear, sucking gently.

“You seem to have that effect on me.” Marcellus gulped as his back stiffened, not daring to move as her hands travelled up over his abs and pecs, before circling around his shoulders and pulling him back against her, nuzzling her face into the side of his neck. “You make me nervous.”

“Little ole me?” Anastasia chuckled quietly “Why would I make you nervous?”

“You just do.” He was barely able to force the words out of his mouth.

With her hands all over his body, her chest pressed into his back and her mouth doing as she wished, Marcellus could do nothing but sit still, in fear that if he so much as moved a finger then he would ruin a moment and she would leave him.

She chuckled quietly, pressing her lips to the smooth skin of his neck, her tongue flitting out to leave a wet trail as she travelled up; sucking gently as she went.

“You smell so good.” She all but moaned into his ear. “So musky and woodsy. Masculine.”