Leila POV“You clean up mighty fine, Marcus Lennox,” I comment as I drink in his tall, broad form and how well he fits out a pair of dress pants. The black trousers are showing off his firm ass to perfection and if we weren’t already late, I’d be stripping them straight back off him. With my teeth.I ease in closer and slide my palms up his warm chest, feeling his heart beat thumping through the thin material. I let a finger dip in and brush against his skin where the buttons are still open at his neck and relish in the sparks it sets dancing up my arm and across his skin.He looks tasty enough to eat and I can’t help leaning my head in close to his neck and playfully nipping at his mating mark, eliciting a full body shudder from Marcus as his grip tightens on my arms. I love seeing it there on his body every day, proof that this hunk of a man is all mine. Before Marcus, I couldn’t imagine being so possessive over a man. Why mates got so growls about anyone touching their partners.
Leila POVAfter repeated demands and much cajoling, I finally manage to get Hayley’s friends and her mother Michelle to head downstairs to take their seats for the ceremony.Hayley sits down at her dressing table, pulling out a small white gift bag from underneath and opening it carefully. She pulls out the folded note which has Hayley Jones written on it in Cooper’s neat scrawl and opens it up. Her eyes glisten as she reads what it says, before puffing out a breath through pursed lips.“That man won’t be happy until my make up is ruined, I’m going to be a puddle by the end of this day,” she laughs shakily and reaches inside, taking out the rectangular box and opening it slowly. Inside is a delicate gold chain with fresh water pearls strung around it’s length.Her face lights up like it’s the first present she has ever been given and runs her finger reverently over the bracelet. She fastens it onto her wrist immediately, admiring it for a few seconds before turning to me and her siste
Marcus POV The party lasts long into the night, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down when Leila and I make our excuses and slip out in the early hours of the morning. The marquee is still packed with guests. Humans are being spun around the dance floor by a pack of wolves and they're having the time of their lives. If only they knew. Most of them would probably go running for the hills. Nathan is giving it socks on the dancefloor. A cute little red-head she-wolf that I don't recognise is happily rubbing herself all over him in a not too subtle attempt to mark her territory. I don't know where he finds these women, but he's clearly enjoying the attention. Where is the challenge? Where is the chase? I don't see the appeal in a girl who is clearly just interested in snaring the Alpha's brother, and the trappings they clearly think come with the title. From seeing how Jonathan ran his pack, and Cooper continues in the same vein, I know firsthand the lack of privilege he exte
Leila POV Brushing the crumbs off the red and yellow check picnic blanket spread out on the grass with one hand, I lift the other to shield my eyes from the sun. The rumble of a diesel engine coming up the long, winding driveway reaches my ears long before I see who's approaching, but I instinctively know who it is. I can feel it. His joy at returning home to us warms my heart every time. "Daddy! Daddy!" Annabelle leaps to her feet and dashes barefoot through the grass, running to meet Marcus as he pulls to a stop on the gravel. She jumps up and down with excitement as he tries to get the driver's door open, her long black curls bouncing up and down. He beams as he scoops her up into his arms and blows raspberries on her tummy, her chubby little legs kicking in delight as she wriggles in his grasp. He sets her down gently and watches as she races back over to me. "Daddy's home!" "Yes, he is," I agree, watching my husband eat up the distance between us with long, sure strides. Ev
Leila POVI'm going to die a virgin. It's official. I have obviously done something to anger the fates. My mate, the sexiest man I have ever seen, and the one I was just about to suggest do unspeakable things to me, is currently doing some serious back-pedaling despite the scorching heat between us. And I know exactly why."Leila Jones, as in Alpha Jonathan Jones's daughter?" He asks again, his deep masculine voice laced with concern. It’s as if he is hoping the answer will have miraculously changed from the first time that he asked me.His deliciously chocolatey brown eyes are shaded by his thick black brows, drawn down heavily under the weight of his frown. I wish I could rewind to thirty seconds ago. Before he knew who I was. Before he decided I wasn't worth the hassle. Before he realized that he was better off making his excuses and calling a halt to the evening.Another person who is all too quick to write me off as just the pack princess. I should have refused to give him my name
Marcus POV Taaffe’s Bar is hopping. Before I even open the door, the sounds of old school 80’s rock music and laughter spill out onto the street. When I step inside, the atmosphere is buzzing with the uplifting energy of shifters and humans all having a good time. The décor is rustic, wood and some exposed brick, nothing fancy, nothing that can’t be replaced or wiped down. The smell of hops and deep-fried bar food fills my nostrils as I survey the full booths and tables, and the small groups gathered around the high tables dotted around the place. I edge my way past the Saturday evening crowd and head straight for the bar, sliding onto an empty stool in the corner and turning to observe the patrons. This place seems to attract a nice crowd. When I enquired at the local diner where would be the best place to go for a drink, I was told that this was really the only place, so that decided it. I’m relieved that it’s not a complete dive. I don’t doubt that there’s the odd
Leila POV “Kim?” I sniff into the phone as I try to drag myself up off the ground and brush the dirt from the knees of my jeans. “Can you come and pick me up at Taaffe’s?” I try to keep my voice steady, but it cracks, and there is no way that she can miss that I’ve been crying. “Oh honey, you already heard. I was just about to call you. I’m leaving the house now,” she says sympathetically, and I can hear her jingling keys in her hand as she walks through the unusually quiet packhouse. “Poor Rex, it’s just so awful,” she sighs sadly down the line, and I freeze at her words. “Rex? Is he ok?” I ask, fear gripping me. My own worries are now forgotten as I try to work out what could have happened to Rex without somebody mind-linking me. “I mean, he’s as ok as anyone who gets rejected by their mate could be. He’s gone for a run with Cooper and Nathan, and everyone has cleared out of the packhouse to give them some space,” Kim continues as I g
Marcus POV I should be relieved that my first day on the job involves a call out, something to distract me from the callosal cock up I made the other night. I still can't decide whether my mistake was almost bedding the Alpha's daughter in the territory where my new job is, or not bringing her home with me as I had planned from the very first second that I saw her. She captivated me like no woman ever has. Leila is different. Hot, yes, but funny too. Sassy, with a wicked smile, and a playful personality. When I took her out for that slow dance and she wrapped her slender arms around me, resting her head against my chest, I felt protectiveness rush through me. My bear was demanding we go home and make her ours right then, and maybe I should have listened to him because everything went to shit after that. Damn it, why am I even torturing myself by thinking about her again. But I can’t stop. She’s all I can think about. Her dad being Alpha Jones shouldn't matter