Chapter three

Danielle's POV

" Welcome to my home, that is now yours as well," Marcus announced with not-so-well-hidden irony, right after the taxi driver helped me transfer him back to his wheelchair. 

" It is beautiful," I replied politely. This house was far from beautiful, but I did not want to hurt his feelings. It was an old cottage house that needed some serious repairs. The paint was peeling off the walls, and the back and front yards looked more like a jungle, from what I have noticed. 

" Lying is not your strongest skill, is it?" Marcus glanced at me with a smirk. I just shrugged my arms; he got me there. 

" My family was very generous, as you can see," he added indifferently. 

" They gave you this?" I looked at him, furrowing my brows. How could someone think it was an appropriate place to live for someone in Marcus's condition? 

" When you lose your legs, you lose your privileges." 

" You have legs," I replied absent-mindedly, scanning the surroundings. There were no other houses in the neighbourhood. If something had happened, Marcus could only count on himself. Barbaric! 

"Not as good as before," my husband replied, catching me off guard.

" What?" My mind was already in helping mode. I was thinking about everything that had to be done to make this place home. It did not matter what would happen to us; I could not let Marcus live like that. 

" Nothing. Let's go inside. I do not want you to catch a cold, not on our wedding night." 

' Wedding night,' those words hit me hard. Yesterday, I was imagining this night completely differently. After the reception, Stephen and I were supposed to go on our honeymoon. One month-long cruise, through the most beautiful places the world could offer. 

' Now, he will enjoy it with Sophie,' I almost laughed to myself, following Marcus. 

" How do you get inside?" I asked, staring at the old stars leading to the house. They looked risky even for someone in good health. My to-do list just got longer. 

"My friend built me a ramp," Marcus replied, motioning to a bunch of planks held together by an enormous number of nails. "Unfortunately, I still need help to use it," he added with a sad smile. 

i stared at him for a moment before my brain processed his words. Then I grabbed the monstrous ramp and pulled it until it covered the stairs. 

" Shit!" The curse escaped my lips when something sharp got under my skin. 

" Are you okay?" Marcus asked, his voice filled with sincere concern. 

" Yeah, it is just a splinter, no biggie."

" Let me see it." 

" Why? I will take care of it inside," I replied, shaking my hand. 

" Let me see it," Marcus repeated. This time, his voice was demanding. I pulled my hand out, rolling my eyes at the same time. " See? No deadly wound here." 

Marcus took my hand and scrutinised it. " We will have to disinfect it now." He sounded like someone who won't take no for an answer. I tried to imagine him before the accident. Everything inside him screamed respect! 

" One second," I raised my hand, ripped off a piece of fabric and wrapped it around my hand. 

" You destroyed your wedding dress," my husband stated the obvious. 

" Yeah, but I will save myself from potential gangrene," I winked at the end, unsure if he would catch a joke. 

Marcus's face hardened. " That is not funny," he mumbled, and I felt a pinch of guilt, but quickly masked it with another eye-roll. 

" In the past, no one would dare to do what you just did," he said, and I believed him. Marcus looked like someone who owned the place, wherever he showed up. 

" Looks like I am immune to your alpha aura," I stuck my tongue out, and moved behind his back to push him up the ramp. 

Marcus pulled out a simple key and unlocked the door. Luckily, the inside house looked a little better than the outside. It looked like my husband made it as cosy as possible in those circumstances.  There were two comfy sofas, a TV on the wall, and a real fireplace —not one of those fake craps people had in cities. One of the walls had shelves, covered with books. 

" You like reading?" I asked, coming closer to check titles. Shakespeare, Brontë, King, Tolkien - Marcus liked various types of literature. 

" When you spend most of the time alone, you have a lot of time to read. Too much TV would turn my brain into mush. I do not need another part of my body broken." 

I turned around to look at him. I could not help but feel sorry for him. He had his whole life ahead of him. 

"Don't do it," Marcus said quietly. 

" Do what?"

" You feel pity for me. I do not need that." His voice was harder, colder now. " Let me show you the rest of the house." 

I followed him without a word. 

The kitchen was made of wood with a big stove and many cupboards. 

"This is really nice," I said, honestly this time. 

" I helped some people in their time of need, and they repay me in my time of need." 

I nodded and kept looking around. There was a bedroom with a bathroom downstairs, this time fully accessible for someone in a wheelchair. 

" That is where I sleep," Marcus said, and I closed the door immediately. I value my privacy and did not want to invade his. 

" I am sorry, I should not have looked here."

Marcus giggled. " I do not keep bodies in a closet. There are two bedrooms upstairs. Choose the one you like the most. There should also be some clothes there. Nothing fancy, but enough until you get your stuff here."

I could only nod. That was not how I imagined being married. But I also did not imagine being married to someone other than Stephen. Life has a wicked sense of humour. 

" I will go and take a shower now. Then I will cook something for us." 

Before I could leave, Marcus grabbed my hand. " Your wound first." He left me for a moment and returned with a small first aid kit. 

" Are you sure you know what you are doing?" I joked when he pulled tweezers. His closeness made me feel uneasy for some reason. Feeling his skin on mine did not help either. 

" I am not a spoiled, useless brat anymore, " Marcus replied, gently removing the splinter. He sprayed the skin with antiseptic. 

" Were you one?" I asked when he packed the kit back. 

Marcus looked at me with a mischievous smile. " I was the worst one." Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. 

My lips parted, and I could not find anything smart to say. 

"I will take a shower now," I said, and bolted upstairs. I found a bedroom, ran inside, and pressed my back against the door. My heart was racing. 

The room was nice and spacious, but I barely noticed that. I dragged myself to the bathroom and stripped off the dress. I looked at it for the last time- a reminder of the humiliation I went through today- and tossed it into a far corner. I will burn it tomorrow. 

A hot shower helped me calm my nerves. Stress from this morning washed off with water and tears I refused to show in the church. 

When I felt clean, I wrapped myself in the towel. Marcus mentioned clothes, so I started searching. I found a sweatpants and a hoodie in the closet, and even a brand new boxers, still unpacked. That solved my biggest problem. I was not expecting Marcus to keep spare women's underwear here. 

I dried my hair with a towel, took a deep breath, and went downstairs. 

Marcus was in the kitchen. He grinned as he saw me. His domineering aura was gone. 

" I made boiled eggs," he announced proudly.