“He was the first person who was nice to me.”
Marshall winced. “I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be.” They walked toward the track. It was cold, freezing actually. She hated running at the best of times, but now she started running even before she got to the track. Running beside Marshall, she couldn’t help but take sneak peeks at him. He was a handsome guy and would be an even more handsome man when he got older.
“What are your plans for after school?” Marshall asked.
“I don’t know. Go away to college. I’ve sent out my applications. I should be hearing back soon. My parents are both doctors, but I don’t know if I want to be a doctor.” The idea of spending all day at work bothered her. She knew her parents loved their job, but there were times they hated it as well. They didn’t have any time to do anything else.
“I want to know where you sent your applications out. I’ll go away with you to college.”
“Erm, I don’t know if that’s even possible. I mean, to get to some really great places you need to apply in advance. It’s really competitive.”
He stroked her neck. “I’ll do what I can to be with you.”
Biting her lip, Scarlett smiled.
Marshall leaned closer, and everything else faded away. The only people in the world were her and him. Closing her eyes, she responded to his kiss, melting against him. Fisting her hand in his shirt, she groaned as he slid his tongue over her lips. She opened up to his invasion.
Her body warmed at his exploration. She didn’t want it to end.
“Get a room,” Jack said.
Her life had changed, and it was all because of the guy who had bullied her. Pulling away, she stared into his eyes, knowing she’d gladly lose herself in their depths.
“You’re totally beautiful.” He stroked her cheek, smiling.
Heat filled her cheeks at his endearment. She really didn’t want this life to end.
Chapter Eleven
Christmas passed without much commotion. Marshall found it incredibly hard to stay away from her for the entire day. He spent as much time with her as possible, but there was no way for him to invade her family on the big day. His own pack had a special gathering, taking a run before all of them sat down to a large meal that they shared within the street. The only people who lived on the street near the forest were pack. No one stopped by to talk to any of them.
When night fell he spent the night in her bed. Since Scarlett had fallen ill, he’d not slept in his own bed. The only bed he wanted to be inside was Scarlett’s. His wolf couldn’t handle not having her in his arms. His parents had to guard him when he did turn as his wolf wanted to go hunting. He wanted to claim Scarlett. That need to have, to possess was only getting stronger as the time passed. They spent New Year at his folks’ home as hers were working. He didn’t mind them working. Marshall got to spend a lot more time with her.
The best moments of his life were listening to her laugh, when she snuggled up against him, and waking up beside her. She was amazing.
His father wanted to talk to her parents about their kind. It would only be a matter of time before Scarlett was exposed to his wolf. So far Marshall had shown great restraint. He wasn’t under any illusion that it was down to his own power. Whenever his wolf was close to the surface, threatening to spill out, he either stopped kissing her or Jack intervened. Scarlett only allowed some heavy petting, so he’d not crossed any line that would threaten his wolf into the claiming.
Wolves were primal beings. They demanded touch, taste, love, lust, and Marshall knew his time was running out. Scarlett had already turned eighteen, but she still wasn’t ready to take him or his wolf as her mate.
He’d spoken to his father about applying for colleges but they’d both agreed that his going to college right now was not good. There was no way he’d be able to control his wolf living close to the city without any way to vent out his needs.
“You’re quiet,” Scarlett said.
They were down by the river. It was late May, and it was particularly warm for the time of year. His own body was itching, and his wolf was begging to get out. In three days it was going to be the full moon, and it didn’t help in trying to control his wolf. It also didn’t help that Scarlett’s wolf dreams were getting more and more frequent. Even when she drifted off for a few moments, she’d have them. Their bodies were demanding that they tell each other the truth.
“Just thinking.”
“What about?” she asked.
“I’m just thinking about the future.” He took hold of her hands, locking their fingers together. If he couldn’t handle a night without her how the hell was he going to handle weeks or months? He couldn’t ask her not to go to college, but it was hard.
“How are your college applications going?” she asked.
“They’re not.” Reaching out, he spun her to face him, holding her hands as she walked back. She laughed, looking up into his eyes.
“You’re not going away to college.” She trusted him as he walked her back, pressing her against the nearest tree. Pressing his nose against her neck, Marshall inhaled her sweet, innocent scent. Scarlett was driving him crazy. He was totally in love with her. She moaned as he licked over her pulse.
“I’m not going away to college.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and he claimed her lips, sliding his tongue in deep into her mouth. She moaned. The salty scent of her tears undid him. Gripping her hands, he pressed them above her head. “You don’t need to cry for me.” They’d been doing this a lot more often. Scarlett allowed him to touch her, explore her beautiful body.
“You’re not going away to college.”
He shook his head. “I can’t go away to college.”
“Why?”
Squeezing her hands, Marshall closed his eyes as he tried to force his wolf down. He couldn’t let him out otherwise he’d have exposed his secret to Scarlett.
She needs to find out the truth.
“I just can’t. It’s too dangerous for my kind.”
“Your kind? I don’t know what this is supposed to mean.” Her tears were falling thick and fast. “You’ve made me care about you and now you’re telling me you’re not even going to try to be with me.”
He hated doing this to her. If his wolf wasn’t so close he would have given in to the need to cry, but he couldn’t do it. There was no way for him to go away with her, and he couldn’t ask her to stay with him. Why not? You love her. You’ll give her a much better life than any other male out there.
Trey had moved onto different friends and rarely spent any time with Scarlett anymore. Marshall didn’t mind the loss of his friendship. He’d done what he set out to do and that was get the bastard away from his girl.
“This isn’t what has happened, Scarlett. There are things about me you don’t know.”
“You asked me to trust you about the fact this wasn’t a joke. I’ve done that, and now you’re not even going to try to go to college? I’m confused, Marshall. Do you even care about me?”
She was getting upset, and he truly didn’t know what to do. His wolf was pacing, ready to claim her, to bite her, and make her belong to him.
“I care about you, Scarlett. Fuck, I’m in love with you, but there is shit you don’t know. Shit I’ve not told you about, and I can’t.”
Letting her go, Marshall ran fingers through his hair, trying to bring some control to his chaotic world. His wolf demanded release, and Marshall was so desperate to claim her that he couldn’t keep control of himself. He didn’t know what to do, and so he panicked.
“Run,” he said, yelling the word so that she’d be afraid enough to run.
“No. I’m not running away from you.”
“Damn, Scarlett, I’m dangerous. Run!”
He bent over as his wolf pounced at him. The thin thread of control he held snapped. When he looked back at Scarlett, his eyes were different. He was starting to change, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t stop it.
“Marshall? What’s going on? What’s happening?” She wasn’t running away, but he scented her fear. All of his senses were on the alert, and he could smell her. He wanted to bask in her scent, drown in everything that was his mate. The need to fuck, bite, and claim her was strong.
“Get away,” he said, growling each word out.
“You’re scaring me.”
Bending down, he collapsed onto the floor as his bones started to break, snap, demand the change. His wolf was on a mission and that to take what was theirs.
“Marshall?”
If she didn’t run soon, he was going to do something he would regret. He loved her, and he hoped to whoever was looking down on him that they got her out of here.
Marshall was turning to a wolf before her very eyes. She couldn’t believe this was happening. It shouldn’t be happening, but his eyes were the exact amber that she’d been dreaming about. She couldn’t walk away from him as his bones started to break apart. What she witnessed terrified her, and yet she wasn’t afraid of what he was turning into. This was what she’d been seeing all of these months. Marshall was a wolf, and she wasn’t afraid. His skin split to be replaced by fur. Scarlett winced with each crack and snap, wishing with all of her heart that she could take this unbearable pain away. She could do neither to help him.