Claiming The Alpha's Heart

Marcus's POV

"You feel you could just walk away?" As Clara hurried out of the secret place, my sharp and vicious remarks permeated the cool night air. She hardly turned around at all. She wanted nothing to do with me, and her auburn hair whipped behind her made it very evident. Her shoulders had a hard set. But this was not over. Not for very long.

Big steps bridged the distance between us, seizing her arm just as she approached the edge of the woodland track. Eyes flashing bright as emerald fire, she turned on me. "Let go. Go.

"Not until you hear me out," I said, my hand tightening—not enough to harm. She looked at me, and for a minute I worried she might hit me. Part of me practically wanted her to. I had earned it.

You have two minutes. She spat and pulled her arm free. "Make it count."

I inhaled to find myself steadied. This was more difficult than any conflict or opponent I had participated in or encountered. "I was at a loss, Clara. You must realize—"

"Understand??" She laughed—a sound as hollow as it was unpleasant. No. You have choices. As always. Simply put, you never chose me.

Her remarks seemed to be a hit to the belly. I tried to hide the memories—every regret, every choice I made to guard us, to shield her. I couldn't, though. "You believe I desired this?" I pushed my voice back down, trying to keep control. It had lifted. "You think it was simple to see you leave, knowing I was the reason?"

Protective, Clara wrapped her arms around her chest and turned away. "You let me go." You confirmed this.

I drew nearer, looking at her face for any crack in her armor, any trace of the lady I had known. I had to keep you under protection.

From what? Her eyes closed, and for a moment I looked past the wrath to the suffering under. Tell me, Marcus, here. What was so dangerous you had to demolish to guard me?

"Selena." The name landed thick and unyielding like a stone between us. "She made threats to murder you, Clara. She understood what you meant to me. She played on that against me.

Her facial expression stayed the same. If anything, it made things tougher. And you believed separating me would rescue me? Does breaking me keep me safe?

"You have no idea what I was up against." I moved nearer, my voice low, begging. She would have wiped you out.

Clara's jaw clenched, and unshed tears she refused to let fall swirl around her eyes. "Marcus, you are not now allowed to play the hero. You decided upon it. I created mine as well.

Only the far-off rustling of leaves disturbed the eerie silence between us. She was moving away once more, and the thought was terrible. "Please," I said, the word a ragged whisper. "Don't go away." Not again.

She stopped just for a moment. She then started to move her heel backwards. I'm done serving as your pawn.

"Clara," Desperate pangs tore at my chest. I moved behind her, but an unplanned motion from the shadows stopped me short. A low, predatory scream tore over the space.

Frozen, Clara's gaze flew to the voice's source. My heart pounded. We were hunted.

I threw myself between her and the monster, moving automatically. "Stay behind me.

Not this again. She pulled out a little knife, the moonlight glinting at its edge. "I can take care of myself."

"Damn it, Clara, only this once—"

She shouted, "Don't tell me what to do," then moved to my side. Though it was little compared to the danger closing in front of us, the conflict between us flared hotter than the threat in the shadows.

A figure materialized with a terrible yellow flash. One of Selena's assassins—vicious, merciless, and committed just to her. His lip withdrew, showing sharp fangs. "You have made it simple for me," he hissed. "Two birds with one stone.".

Clara changed her position, every inch the warrior I used to know. She said, "He's mine."

"No." I matched her degree of intensity. We terminate this jointly.

The killer staggered. We moved as one, every attack well timed. Every step. Metal clashed, sparks ablaze. Clara's sword missed its mark but sliced across the air. I shot forward, delivering a terrible hit that drove our assailant flying, but he recovered quite quickly.

"Watch out!" Clara shouted and threw me aside as the assassin's claws tore where I had just stood minutes before. She whirled, her movements a lethal dance, each strike honoring her ability—and her anger.

Hissed the killer, lunging once again. I grabbed his arm, twisted till bone broke. Clara struck her sword precisely on aim. Blood splattered, and for a minute of breathlessness everything stopped.

The killer slumped silently at our feet. My chest heaved, adrenaline flooding me. Clara blanked her face as she wiped the blood from her blade.

" Why now?" She asked, her voice cutting the silence. " Why come for me now?"

I took a hard gulp. "Selena still believes you to be a threat. to whatever she is building. And as... I could not avoid it any more.

She shook her head, incredulity battling with something I could not quite understand. "This makes no difference."

"It modulates everything." Approaching her to let her see the truth in my eyes, I drew in. "Me is putting you at risk. I have to keep you safe.

"I have no need of your protection." She turned aside, yet her shoulders slanted. Everything—our background, the risk—was weighing her down.

Another noise arrived before I could respond: a chorus of distant screams becoming louder. More than were arriving. Selena neglected it.

I said, with a desire to intensify my voice, "Come with me." "There is a safe house not far away."

She stopped, straddling survival against pride. She followed me then, nodding reluctantly.

The safe house was little, nothing more than a shack deep in the forest. As we arrived, the weight of unspoken words appeared to be dragging us down. It seemed suffocatingly near. Lighting a lamp, I cast a faint glow across the space.

Clara crossed arms and stood at the door. "What now?,"

We plan, I said, but my voice lacked conviction. All I could think about was how close she was, how every breath I took smelled of her, and how five years of distance had done nothing to quell my need for her.

Plan, she said, her voice softening. "That's exactly what you usually do, isn't it? Arrangement. Plan deliberately. Give all else up to win.

That's not fair, I said softly. You are aware it is not.

"Do I?" She came nearer, her eyes penetrating my own. Because all I see is the same man who broke me.

Clara—'s Her name suggested a plea, a demand. I approached the distance between us, the air charged with conflict. "I never stopped—'s

" Don't." She raised her hand, but it shook. Say nothing.

But I was unable to stop. "I never stopped loving you."

Her breath choked. I momentarily worried she might go away once more. Her lips then locked with mine, firm and unyielding. The kiss was fire and wrath, a collision of need and resentment. My hands knotted in her hair, and I pushed her closer. She kissed me back with savagery, every touch a war, every breath seized.

She turned aside, tears coloring her cheeks, almost as abruptly as it started. "This does nothing to fix anything."

I said, "I know." My heart was bleeding once more. But it's only the beginning.

The delicate moment was disturbed by a harsh smash—a window shattering, shadows shifting. We whirled, weapons drawn. Here the enemy was waiting.

"Stay close," I said, my voice chilly, firm.

Clara nodded with a hard gaze. "We're ending this. Together.

The door opened, and anarchy followed.