Marco's POV
All I wanted was to take Lara away from everyone and hide her somewhere deep in the mountains, where no one could reach us. I wanted to taste her again, to claim her completely, to feel her warmth against my skin without restraint. Since the day I marked her, the craving had become unbearable. The need to kiss her, to touch her, to hear her whisper my name, it consumed me. But I was stronger than most men, and I fought that hunger with every ounce of will I had left.
The blood moon only made it worse. My instincts screamed for her. Every look, every scent, every slight brush of her fingers tested the limits of my control. Holding her hand as we greeted the guests nearly drove me to madness. I wanted to pull her away from the crowd, to take her where no one could see us, but I had to resist. One wrong move could destroy everything I had built, and the consequences would follow me forever.
I made a vow to Serene once, and I intended to fulfill it, no matter how much it tore me apart. I told myself it was the mark that bound me to Lara, that it was not love, only instinct. Yet deep inside, I already knew the truth, I wanted her more than I wanted peace. Still, I had decided this marriage would end soon. Once she bore my heir, I would release her from this life and free myself from the torment of wanting someone I should not want.
Serene and Corbin did not appear at the ceremony, nor did they show up at the reception. Every werewolf in attendance carried the same expression of relief. Relief that I had finally given in to the council's demand and married the woman chosen by fate. I smiled for my pack, I raised my glass, and I pretended to be happy. It was easier than I expected because whenever I held Lara's hand, something inside me calmed. Her presence silenced the noise in my head, even for a moment.
When we finally left my parents' mansion, I felt a strange sense of relief. Tonight was supposed to be ours. Our wedding night. I wanted to make her mine in every sense, to see her tremble under my touch, to feel her heart race against mine. The thought of it was enough to make me drive beyond the speed limit, my pulse racing faster than the engine. The hunger in me was too much to bear. I almost stopped the car to take her right there, but I forced myself to keep driving. She deserved better. Even if this marriage was arranged, I did not want to take away her dream of a beautiful wedding night.
But when we reached the house, that dream shattered.
Serene was waiting at the door.
I froze. I should have been happy to see her, but all I felt was dread. Lara deserved at least one night of peace, and Serene's presence destroyed that possibility. I could not show my concern for Lara, not in front of Serene. I had promised her that she was the most important person in my life, my one true love, but somehow, those words no longer felt true.
Lara's heart broke that night, and I saw it in her eyes. I made her melt under my kisses earlier, only to crush her again the moment we entered the house. She said nothing, not a single word of complaint, when I told her which room she would sleep in. She only walked away quietly, and that silence cut deeper than any blade.
Serene kissed me, loud enough for Lara to hear. It was deliberate. I could hear her soft, taunting moans, and I hated myself for letting it happen.
"What are you doing here, Serene?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay calm, though I was burning with anger.
She gave a bitter laugh. "Do not ask me what is obvious, Marco."
"It is my wedding night. You should not be here," I said sharply.
"I only came to remind that woman of her place," she snapped.
"She is my wife now, and I will not let you speak of her like that," I warned, and her eyes widened.
"Oh, really? She is your wife? Tell me, Marco, are you still pretending, or are you starting to fall for her?" Her tone was filled with venom, but beneath it, I could sense her fear.
"Serene, I told you before. This marriage means nothing to me. It is only a contract, nothing more. But you cannot keep coming here whenever you wish. This will be the last time you appear uninvited," I said firmly.
Her face hardened. "You think you can dictate me? You belong to me. Do you know how much pain I feel watching you with her?"
I exhaled heavily. "I know, Serene. But I had no choice. She signed the contract. It is done. You do not need to worry about Lara. She is only a leverage, a means to an end."
That made her smirk with satisfaction. "Then give me your car key. I need to clear my head before I lose control. The thought of you touching her tonight makes me want to strangle her myself."
I clenched my jaw, swallowing the anger rising in my throat. "Be careful with your words, Serene. You seem to forget I am now bound to her by the mark. Watch what you say, or I might end this between us sooner than you think. I am trying to stay loyal to you, but this bond is strong. Stronger than either of us imagined."
I handed her the key and continued, "This will be the last time, Serene. Lara signed the agreement, yes, but we do not need to humiliate her. She never wanted this marriage either. Do not make it harder for her than it already is."
Her expression softened for a brief second. "I am sorry, Marco. I just love you too much. It hurts seeing you with her."
I nodded silently. "Then you understand why you have to go."
She reached up to kiss me once more. I let her, out of habit, out of guilt. Then I watched her leave, driving away into the night. The moment she was gone, the weight of my choices crashed down on me.
Lara was upstairs, alone, probably crying in silence. I had hurt her again when all I wanted was to protect her. But I could not let the night end like this. I needed to see her, to be with her, to hold her, even if I did not deserve it.
Tonight, I would go to her room and make her mine, not out of obligation, but because I could no longer fight the pull that had already claimed my soul.
I shifted into my wolf form, thinking it would be safer this way. I wanted to see her without revealing too much, to calm the storm raging inside me. But what I did not expect was to find her standing there after her encounter with Serene, fresh from the shower, the steam still clinging to her skin like a veil.
The sight of her made me freeze. She stood in front of the mirror with nothing but a bath towel wrapped around her, her hair damp, her cheeks flushed from the heat of the water. She looked so pure, so untouched, so human, and yet something about her ignited every primal instinct inside me. My pulse quickened, my body stiffened, and I felt an unbearable heat rise through my veins. It took everything in me not to shift back into my human form right then and there.
I forced myself to stay still, breathing slowly, letting my claws dig into the wooden floor. I had to remind myself that she saw me as just a wolf, a harmless creature that wandered into her room. She liked me this way. She would talk to me softly, share her thoughts, tell me her worries as if I were her silent guardian. And I wanted that. I wanted to listen. I wanted to stay near her without the weight of guilt that came every time she looked at me as a man.
But then, without warning, she let the towel slip from her hands. It fell soundlessly to the floor, and for a brief, dangerous moment, time stopped. My body tensed. I quickly turned away, struggling against the animal instinct that screamed for me to look. My mind roared in protest. I wanted to claim her, to take her in my arms, to show her that she belonged to me, but not yet. Not like this. I wanted to earn the moment she would look at me and see both man and beast, and still choose me.
When she patted the bed gently and invited me to lie beside her, I almost broke the invisible barrier that kept me silent. I wanted to speak through the bond, to tell her it was me, to whisper her name through her thoughts and feel her respond to it. The urge was so strong that it made my body tremble.
I climbed onto the bed carefully, afraid to startle her. The mattress dipped beneath my weight, and she smiled softly, reaching out to touch my fur. The warmth of her hand seared through me. Every nerve in my body reacted to that single touch. My heart raced, my breathing grew unsteady, and I could hear her heartbeat matching mine, steady but unaware of the storm she was awakening inside me.
When she wrapped her arms around my wolf form, I could no longer think clearly. Her embrace made me forget everything. My vow to Serene, my pride, my restraint. All I could feel was her heartbeat, her warmth, her scent filling the air. I wanted to stay like that forever, to be the creature she trusted, the one she held without fear.
I nuzzled her neck, breathing in the sweetness of her skin. I licked her cheek gently, and she laughed, that soft melodic sound that sent shivers down my spine. I moved closer, brushing my muzzle against her lips, and before I could stop myself, I kissed her.
She froze beneath me, her breath caught between surprise and confusion. The red glow of the blood moon filtered through the window, bathing her in a soft crimson light. Her gaze locked on mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw recognition.
"Oh no," she whispered, barely able to speak. "What is happening to me? You are a wolf, but when you kissed me, it felt like... like you are him."
Her words pierced through me. My heart stopped, and everything inside me shattered. She knew. Somehow, she felt me, the man beneath the fur, the soul that had been calling to hers since the moment I marked her. The bond was too strong to hide now.
I stayed still for a moment, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I struggled with the decision I could no longer avoid. Then, without breaking her gaze, I let go. I let the shift take over.
The air around us shimmered as my body began to change. My fur retreated, my bones reshaped, and the room filled with a low hum of energy. She gasped softly but did not move away. I could see her eyes widen as she realized what was happening. My form changed slowly, painfully, until the wolf beside her was gone, and the man she had been calling for lay there in his place.
Her breath trembled as her eyes met mine. The blood moon illuminated her face, her lips parted in disbelief, her heartbeat loud in the silence.
"Yes," I whispered, my voice low and raw. "You are right, Lara. It is me."
I reached for her hand gently, afraid she might pull away, but she did not. Her fingers trembled as they brushed my skin, tracing the lines of my face as if she was making sure I was real.
She stared at me for a long moment, her voice breaking as she finally spoke. "Marco... how is this possible?"
I swallowed hard, my throat dry. "I guess you believe me now that I am a werewolf, Lara."
I could still feel the pull of the bond, stronger now, undeniable. She was the woman fated for me, the one I had tried to resist. And under the glow of the blood moon, with her heart beating so close to mine, I knew I could not pretend any longer.
For the first time since I marked her, I stopped fighting. I was no longer hiding behind my pride or the curse of the bond. I was not a beast pretending to protect her or a man bound by duty.
I was Marco, the man bound to her by both vow and soul, her husband and her fated mate.