Marcus

Chapter Two

The cold is making me shiver, and I am already nervous. I needed to see Leon and Marcus had a death grip on my hand as he leads me through the forest. I notice how easily he navigates through the trails and come to the conclusion that he's been here before. He's familiar with this vast area.

I decide to break the tension with a question thats been plaguing my mind since I first saw him.

"How old are you?"

His answer is brisk. "Twenty- Three."

And there it. I knew he was young, but this only makes my curiosity grow. Twenty-Three and an alpha? How did he acquire so much power so young?

He leads me to a less dense part of the forest, and I pick up the others' scent. I instantly recognize Leon's and I am relieved, but also pissed. How could he have thought splitting up was a good decision? It was two against one for both of us, and this could have had a completely different out come. Either of us could've gotten hurt, but that's just Leon. He doesn't think about the big picture.

For a twenty-one year old, he is awfully immature and never thinks about the consequences. But I admit, every since we were faced with hell and ran off, he has grown up quite a bit. There's still a trace of old Leo in there some where.

I speak up again, "And the rest of your pack?"

Before he gets a chance to answer, commotion sounds up ahead of us.

My senses sharpen, and soon I hear yelling. One of the enraged voices belongs to my brother, and I rush towards the sounds. We are nearing the clearing we had trespassed on.

But I am suddenly yanked back and I slam into Marcus' rock hard chest. I gasp as he grabs my shoulders and spins me around to face him.

"Never run away from me," He says harshly, his face is so close to mine I can see the gold flecks in his eyes.

I snarl and rip my arm away from him.

"Never tell me what to do."

As soon as I am free from his grasp, I take off running, feeling a sense of urgency and the need to protect my brother. Marcus is on my heels. We enter the clearing, leaving the line of trees behind to find my brother restrained by one boy and being slapped by another one.

My heart sinks and in a split second decision, I push past Marcus and sprint towards him. I hear my mates growls behind me but I ignore them, desperate to harm anyone who is harming my brother.

When I reach the group, I notice the two other boys are in their wolf form, tongues lolling out as if they were laughing at my brothers expense. My wolf pushes a growl through my lips and they back down.

I turn towards Leon who spits out blood. He is glaring at his attacker, and I join him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I shove the boy and recognize him from earlier. He had called me 'Luna'.

Another boy, no, a man, steps in front of Kol and growls.

I step back in fear, this man with hair so blonde it looks white, has a presence about him that could never be touched. One boy mutters under his breath, "Aspen, remember who she is."

Aspen tenses, then relaxes.

He still glares but says nothing, he even backs off. Just like the others.

I turn towards Jerak, who is not as lenient as his fellow pack mates. He keeps his grip on my brother and watches Marcus who is watching me. I turn to him in exasperation.

"Did you tell them to do this?"

He doesn't answer immediately and Leon fills the silence. "Evaline, do you know who he is?"

I look at him, tensing. "He's my mate and their alpha."

Leon's jaw drops and he struggles against Jerak, but it's no use. Leon was strong, but rogues were stronger.

"This killer is your mate?!"

My breath comes to a halt and I feel my eyes go wide.

Killer?

"Listen, little one," Marcus places a hand on my shoulder and I flinch away.

"We shouldn't discuss this here."

"What is he talking about?" I demand, then turn back to my brother. "Leo, what are you talking about?"

His jaw clenches and his eyes burn with hatred. "Think, Evaline. Marcus. Marcus Rohan. Alpha of the murderers."

Jerak twists Leon's hands and I hear a gut wrenching c***k. My brother cries out and I start for Jerak, seeing red, but Marcus is suddenly holding me and keeping me from ripping his beta's head off.

"Mate, don't blow this out of proportion."

I remember the rumors and the stories of the alpha and his killings. He is so brutal, so bloody and it's all without remorse. He has never cared, from what I've heard.

A dark thought crosses over me. He's like dad.

He's just like dad.

That's when I begin to scream.

That's when I begin to thrash around and tell Marcus to let go of me. I tell him he's a f*****g murderer and he has to let go.

That's when Marcus tightens his hold on my and whispers soothingly in my ear, but I hear nothing from him.

All I see is Leon struggling against Jerak and saying, "Get off my sister. Get the f**k off her!"

I was dragged back to their house. Dragged isn't a good word for it, actually. Marcus had picked me up and held me so tight I couldn't breathe or move. I just screamed until my voice cracked and my tears dried.

And house wasn't a very good choice of word either.

They resided in a mansion that looked like it jumped out of a gothic novel. Two stories with a creaky iron gate surrounding the property. It's in the middle of the woods, where no one would find them.

Where no one would find me.

I begin to thrash and fight and resist again.

This is just as bad as running from my father for two years, if not worse. I didn't want to die. I had spent two years running from death, and only to meet again. But from someone else. Someone I hadn't expected to meet.

My mate.

Marcus sighs and opens the arching double doors, leading us into a grand foyer. I haven't seen Leon for twenty minutes. They dragged us away from each other, Jerak, Kol and the other wolves took my brother somewhere deep in the woods. Aspen decided to come with us. Even in my shocked state, I was curious as to who he was to Marcus. Another beta?

No, he wasn't a beta. He was too fierce to be a beta.

"Calm down, Evaline."

I am too scared to speak, so bite my tongue as we walk into the great entryway. I had to admit, it was breathtaking.

Deep and shining oak formed floors and walls. Paintings were lined in rows down the halls and even further. The entry way broke up into two sections, right and left. We skip the choice and make it to the stairs, and that's when I start freaking out.

I struggle again, fear spiking through me and my breath comes out shakily. Marcus growls and I don't see Aspen anymore. I don't know if I should be thankful for his absence.

"Let go of me. Where's my brother?" My feet hit the floor and he is struggling to hold onto my arms and upper body. I push against him and away from him. He doesn't even budge.

"Keep rubbing against me and you'll get more than you were expecting tonight," he smirks.

I'm horrified. I'm collapsing to the floor.

His smile drops and he kneels down next to me, swallowing awkwardly.

"How can you say that?" I seethe and try to crawl away, but he's there again. At this point, I am pushed up against the stair case railing and he is in front of me.

"Evaline, I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it?" I demand boldly. "You're going to kill me! Aren't you? You're going to kill me just like you killed those families and innocent people!"

He glares.

"Those people weren't innocent."

"Then why did you do it?"

He is so silent for so long, I almost repeat the question. He's staring at me but it seems he doesn't notice me. It's like I'm not in front of him.

"You don't know anything." He finally says in a slow and menacing tone.

"And as for those families you mentioned, I never touched them. I don't kill families."

"I've heard you tear them apart," I counter and he runs a hand down his face.

He must know the stories about him. He must know packs have doubled up on security in fear of his ambush. He had killed so many all over the country. He always leaves his mess, never cleaning it up. He isn't even honorable in that sense.

We tend to move around a lot.

I realize what he means now. Oh, God. Why can't we go back to an hour ago when I never knew he existed. Why hadn't we been more careful when scenting the mountain? We would have avoided a world of pain.

And now it seems as if it's back to bite us in the ass.