The rejected bond of Alpha Marcus

Marcus POV “Off with his head!” His voice bellowed across the courtyard, as hundreds of pack members gathered in front of the makeshift stage. Marcus glared at the crowd as two members of the royal guard hauled him to the chopping block. He could see the hesitation in their eyes as they handed him over to the executioner. “This is the punishment for plotting against the Kingdom!” As his face was forced onto the wooden surface, Marcus could see the look of shock on the faces of the people who had come to watch the spectacle. He could hear murmurs in the crowd, as confusion laced the air. They didn’t know what was happening. One moment, he was the people’s favorite candidate in the Alpha trials; the next, he was being named as a traitor to the Kingdom. “What happened?” “Is Alpha Marcus really a traitor?" He heard them whispering amongst themselves, some shocked, some angry. “We are live at this horrendous event as we witness the execution of Alpha Marcus, once the Kingdom’s favorite contestant, now a traitor?” One news anchor spoke, with her back to the stage. Would this be his end? Is this the way he would die? Marcus fumbled with the ropes that were binding his hands together, cutting into his skin. His face was being pressed into the wooden tree stump, the splinters digging into his cheek. “Any last words, traitor?” The man asked, kicking him in the back. Marcus flinched at the force but held his tongue. His last thoughts were of his family. His two sisters, their children, his mother…and of course…of her. At least he had been able to love her, even if it had only been for a short time. He would forever remember her face, her smile, the way she tasted… Marcus closed his eyes as the executioner lifted the axe high in the air. This was it. In a few moments, he would be reunited with his father in the realm of the Moon Goddess. Though the man had a lot of explaining to do after all of the shocking revelations Marcus had uncovered over the last few weeks. Marcus waited for what felt like hours for the axe to slice through his neck, but that moment never came. Instead, he heard gasps in the crowd and the trickles of a warm liquid falling on his skin. “Stop! Unhand him!” Marcus’ eyes snapped open at the sound of her beautiful voice. She came. His mate. He looked up to see an arrow impaling the throat of the executioner. Looking over at his mate, he saw her sitting on top of a horse, her bow and arrow at the ready with a group of warriors behind her, taking on the same fighting stance as her. “Stop her!” The man who had set this whole thing into motion shouted at the King’s guard, pointing his finger at Marcus’ mate, while the executioner fell backward, his axe following. Marcus used the moment of distraction to crawl toward the executioner’s axe, rubbing his tied hands against it. Come on! He inwardly pleaded, as the guards jumped off of the stage, approaching his mate and the men helping her. “You are mine!” The man shouted, “lock her away until all of this is over!” “Actually, she belongs to me!” Marcus swiftly interjected, hopping off of the stage, making his way over to her with a sly grin as if they weren’t in the middle of a battle. A snarl erupted from behind him, before he heard a shout, “Watch out!” Marcus turned around to see the man had shifted into his wolf and was running straight at them. Marcus quickly shifted into his own beast, meeting his enemy head on. Three months earlier “So, do you think she’s an ugly hag that can’t find her own husband?” Alexander, Marcus’ beta, asked while popping a grape into his mouth as they sat in the back of the car that had come to pick them up. They were informed by the chauffeur that they would be brought to the docks where they would be taking a boat to the exact location. Alexander didn’t wait for a reply as he continued his private musings…loudly. “She probably is. I mean, a girl who can’t find her own husband. Her mate probably rejected her because of her hideousness. Or maybe she’s really fat!” He gasped, while continuing his munching. “No, wait, that can’t be it. I’ve never seen a fat werewolf….I mean, chubby, sure, but chubby in a good way,” he said, chuckling to himself. Marcus quietly stared out of the window, feeling slightly anxious about the trials. What kind of tests would they have to pass? He had a deal to at least make it to the semifinals…If they thought he was losing on purpose, he would lose his pack. That was the deal he made to save his sister’s life. “Or… she could just be a poor young woman being forced to marry someone she doesn’t know by her controlling father,” Benjamin interjected. Or course he would say something in her defense seeing as this Sarah could possibly be his future Luna. “Why are you eating grapes? Who the hell brings grapes on a trip anyway?” Noah asked, rolling his eyes. “You’re just jealous you didn’t think of any snacks to bring,” Alexander mumbled, popping another grape in his mouth. Right at that moment, the car drove into a pothole, causing the grape to shoot into Alexander’s windpipe. He hysterically started flapping his arms around, trying to alert the others of his predicament. When no one responded, Alexander put his hands around his throat, frantically pointing and wrapping his hands around it, in an attempt to get their attention to the fact that he couldn’t breathe. “Are you going to or…” Benjamin asked, looking at Marcus. Finally, with an eye-roll, Marcus punched Alexander in the stomach, causing the grape to be ejected from his windpipe, hitting Noah in the face. “Gross, dude!” Noah complained, rubbing his shirt over the spot the grape had hit him. “You were all just going to let me choke?” Alexander gasped and coughed, trying to catch his breath. “Well, it did shut you up for a while,” Marcus shrugged, resuming his voidless staring out of the window. After that, Alexander’s appetite for grapes miraculously disappeared and the man finally shut up, leaving Marcus to his own thoughts. “Alpha, we’re here.” The chauffeur announced. Marcus and his unit exited the vehicle, took their bags out of the trunks and stepped onto the boat. “Well, well, if it isn’t Marcus Harper,” Marcus heard a voice behind him, as he stood on the deck of the ship, looking out over the water. “Elijah Pierce,” Marcus smiled, shaking the man’s outstretched hand, “it’s been a while,” he nodded at his old friend. “Hmm,” Elijah hummed, “Alpha College,” Elijah and Marcus had been at Alpha College together but had lost touch afterward, mostly due to Marcus having to deal with the loss of his father and the likes of Samuel, his mother's new mate. “On your way to the trials as well?” Elijah asked. Elijah was the Alpha of the Night Walker pack, which was situated in Montana. “Yes, I got an invitation,” he nodded. Elijah quickly introduced him to his unit, and Marcus did the same. The men all fell into comfortable conversation, while the ship slowly took off, sailing toward Scotland. “So, do you think she’s an old hag?” He asked with a chuckle. Marcus chuckled along. Why was everyone so worried about her looks? He wasn’t, but that could be because he wasn’t planning on winning. The last thing on his mind was to become the King of all werewolves. The last thing he wanted was a mate. “Maybe,”