“Threatened? I don’t even understand what that means.”
“You knew she wouldn’t get attached to you, wouldn’t demand anything from you that you couldn’t give, and wouldn’t push herself on you or make you feel pressured. It left you in control of where this is going and allowed you to move at a pace you felt comfortable with. And look what you did with that power—you subconsciously laid the foundation for something more.”
Was Trick right? Was that what he’d done? Sure, Marcus had circled her and searched for weaknesses in her shields in an effort to seduce her mentally. But that was only so that he might have a shot at seducing her sexually. Wasn’t it? And, yes, he had felt comfortable pursuing Roni. The more he’d pursued her, the more he’d come to like her and the more possessive he’d become.
“I know you’re scared of finding the mate the Seer told you about; you don’t want history to repeat itself, and no one who knows about your upbringing could blame you for that. But considering you don’t want that female, is there really any harm in seeing where this could go with Roni, of being open to imprinting? For the record, I honestly believe she could be your true mate.”
“The Seer’s visions are usually accurate.”
“Yeah, usually,” scoffed Trick. “Not always. Think about that before you walk away from something that could be really yours to keep.”
Then he strolled off, leaving Marcus alone with his thoughts. Although many of the things his friend had said made sense, Marcus wasn’t sure about the theory that Roni was his mate—not given how specific the Seer’s vision had been. But he knew that he wanted a place in Roni’s life; he wanted to see where this thing between them could go.
It probably made him a cruel bastard to even consider it. Sure, lots of shifters got into deep relationships with people who weren’t their true mates, since they were fully aware that there was a possibility they would never find them anyway. Gabe and Hope were an example of that. But Marcus knew from the Seer that he would in fact find his mate, and that made this situation very different.
If he were honest, though, he didn’t believe he could make his mate happy. He wouldn’t have children with her, because he refused to let them see the same things he had, day after day, growing up. Considering how miserable they were bound to make each other, he doubted the mating bond would ever fully click into place. That would have eaten at what they’d had and caused resentment to build. No, neither one of them could truly make the other happy.
Roni, on the other hand . . . she made him happy—quirks, lollipops, and all. Everything in him, everything he was, told him not to walk away from her; that if he did, it would be a mistake he would forever regret. His wolf didn’t object to Marcus’s decision, which was pretty shocking, given that this would take him closer to Roni and further away from his true mate. His wolf, with his elemental nature, wouldn’t have Marcus’s human concerns about the mate the Seer had described. Yet, he had his wolf’s support to remain with Roni, because she made his wolf happy too.
Returning his gaze to Roni, he saw that Grace’s relation was still chatting away to her. He couldn’t help but smile—his pretty little wolf had the look of a trapped wild animal and appeared to be grinding her teeth around her lollipop. Apparently she’d had enough. He knew what she’d do, knew it was coming any minute now . . .
Finally, she removed the lollipop from her mouth and cocked her head. “Did you know that if your stomach doesn’t produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks, it’ll digest itself?”
And there it was.
Taken aback, the female opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. “Um . . . no, I didn’t know that. How . . . interesting.”
“I know, right?”
“I, um, I should probably go and check on my mate.”
When she was alone once again, Roni’s body seemed to sag with relief. Marcus quietly sidled up to her. “Now that wasn’t very nice.”
Twisting to face him, Roni blinked innocently. “What? What did I say?” Of course she’d sensed Marcus there, watching her. She always sensed when his gaze was on her, and it always made her body feel restless.
He pulled Roni flush against him and pressed a somewhat possessive kiss to her throat, taking a moment to swim in her scent. “You made her feel uncomfortable so that she’d walk away.” He snatched her lollipop and tossed it into the trash can, earning himself a huff.
Roni wasn’t surprised that he’d guessed her game; he was too observant. “She was talking about fashion, Marcus. Fashion.” Roni gestured to her own outfit: combat pants, Converse trainers, and a T-shirt that read, “I’m not a people person—you’ve been warned.” “Do I look like someone who reads Vogue?” She could take down an Alpha, whether in human or wolf form, whether they were male or female. But have a conversation about stilettos? That was out of her comfort zone.
He raked his gaze over every edible inch of her. “I like your look. It works for you.”
That slow, languid smile worked for her. And when that sensual mouth came down on hers, delivered the most devastating kiss, and then followed it up with a bite to her bottom lip—oh, yeah, that worked for her too.
Roni cleared her throat as she snapped out of her daze and took a moment to examine him. There were faint impressions of bruises and scratches here and there, but they were fading fast. Still, neither she nor her wolf liked seeing him hurt. If he hadn’t been on his way to being fully healed, she would have clawed her brothers. “It’s good to know you’re alive. And that you have all your teeth. Any broken bones?”
“Depends whose bones you’re referring to.”
She opened her mouth to ask, but then shook her head. “You know what, I don’t want to know.”