Chapter Ten:

                “You’re going to have a busy day.” Those words Marcus had spoken so matter-of-fact kept replaying themselves in Abbey’s mind as she walked stiff legged toward his waiting truck. She had left Tanner and Audrey in Julian’s care and knew they’d be taken care of but she wasn’t quite so sure about herself.

                The way she felt around Marcus scared her. He made her seem to lose control of all good sense and all she could think about was how badly her body craved him …. It was almost as if she became some sort of animal around him.

                And now they were going to be in his truck, together, all the way to town and probably back if her truck wasn’t fixed by now. Why was he so eager to be alone with her? She would have thought that after what had happened the night before he wouldn’t want to be around her any longer but it seemed the opposite was true.

                Marcus was already sitting in the truck, his big frame taking up much of the interior of the cab. The passenger door squeaked as he leaned across the seat and pushed it open.  Mumbling a quiet ‘thank you’, Abbey slid inside and closed the door quickly.

                “Seatbelt,” Marcus’s deep voice seemed to radiate inside the warm cab as did his masculinity, his heat.

                Abbey swallowed hard and clicked on her seatbelt.  Without a word, Marcus put the truck in gear and they started down the snow covered road, the chains on the large tires rattling and crunching with every turn of the wheels.

                Abbey grew more comfortable the further they drove. Marcus wasn’t speaking to her, wasn’t crowding her and wasn’t overwhelming her with how much he claimed to desire her.  If today continued along this same path then she just might survive.

                The scenery around them was breathtakingly white and pure. The fresh snow was still untouched by animals or men. It was pristine and unpolluted.

                Abbey wondered if she would be that way had she never met Joseph…. But thinking like that was pointless and besides, if not for her husband she would not have Audrey and Tanner. They were a gift worth any price she had to pay to get them.

                “Abbey, we need to talk.”

                Abbey nearly jumped when Marcus broke the silence. “Talk?” she whispered.

                “Yes, talk.” Marcus replied his hands tensing on the wheel as his blue eyes focused on the road.

                Abbey was very cautious in her own response, “About what?”  

                “Joseph, or whoever the bastard is that put the tracker on your truck.”

                Abbey felt that familiar fear flare to life in her heart. It clawed at her insides and caused her brain to lose all focus as she imagined the rage that would be directed at her when she was found……

                Suddenly a hand was resting over hers. A rough, calloused hand that squeezed just a bit too tightly even as the thumb stroked her wrist comfortingly, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Abbey, not anymore. You are ours now and we protect what is ours.”

                Abbey was going to argue that she wasn’t theirs, she truly was, but the sensations that were coursing through her body as Marcus’s calloused thumb continued to stroke her wrist rendered her entirely speechless.

                She met his eyes and saw the hunger burning there, the passion. “What do you want to know about him?”

                Some of that hunger was replaced with anger as Marcus released his hold on her hand and gripped the wheel tightly. His white knuckles popped and a growl reverberated in his chest. “I need to know what he looks like, who he might bring with him and what I need to look out for.” A grin split Marcus’s face and Abbey was taken aback by the sheer sexiness of the sight. “I need to know if he’s any real threat to me.”

                Abbey nearly laughed out loud. The thought of anyone or anything being a threat to this giant of a man was laughable, “It isn’t you he’s coming for,” she reminded Marcus.

                “He’s coming wherever his little tracker leads him,” Marcus countered as he patted his denim encased thigh. “And that’ll be straight to me.”

                “To you?” Abbey’s eyes widened. “You have that tracker with you right now?”

                “Yep.’

                “But he’ll find me too!”

                “And I told you that he’s nothing for you to worry about so calm the hell down,” Marcus warned with annoyance. “But I would like to know what the bastard looks like so I know who I’m looking for.”

                Abbey stared at the man with surprise. He was that determined to protect her? Why?  He didn’t even know her, “You really are my mate aren’t you?”

                Marcus frowned over at her before turning his attention back to the road, “Did you think I was lying?”

                “I… I don’t’ know what to think.” Was the only honestly reply Abbey could come up with.

                “Well I’m not a fuckin’ liar. I’m a lot of things but I’ll always tell you the truth even if it’s harsh. I am your mate and so is Julian. We will do anything and everything to keep you and your children safe and cared for.” His eyes narrowed as he glanced her way, “And I want to fuck you so bad I’m having trouble keeping my hands on this goddamn steering wheel. All these hands want to do is learn every single inch of your sexy little body and have you whimpering and…….”

                Marcus stopped suddenly and Abbey fought the urge to fan herself. Lord have mercy this man set her body on fire. Her thighs were quivering and her clit pulsing between her legs from the images he had stirred in her mind. Abbey’s panties grew damp and she heard Marcus growl as his nostrils flared…. Could he smell her? For some reason that only made her grow wetter.

                “Sorry… I shouldn’t have said all of that,” Marcus ground out between tight jaws. His bearded cheeks were practically vibrating with the restraint he was using.

                Abbey moved closer to the passenger door, not because she was afraid of him or didn’t want him, but because she wanted him too much.

                “So what does he look like?” Marcus’s voice was much calmer after several moments of awkward silence.

                Abbey took a deep breath as she pictured her husband, the man her nightmares consisted of, inside her head. “He’s around Julian’s height and has blue eyes but they stay blood shot because he’s always drunk or hung over. He has blond hair but it’s thinning quite a bit and he keeps a baseball cap over it most of the time. He always has scruff on his face but it’s patchy and he’s thin but strong from working construction for so long….”

                “So a wiry drunkard with a bald spot, blood shot eyes and peach fuzz?”

                Abbey laughed lightly and was so shocked by the sound that she covered her mouth with her hand and stared at Marcus with shock. It had been so long since she had truly laughed that Abbey had forgotten that she knew how.

                Marcus’s ice blue eyes which had only ever looked at her with annoyance or hunger, now gazed at her with a tenderness that had her heart thumping against her ribs, “He did a number on you didn’t he?” he questioned gently.

                Abbey didn’t know what to say. She glanced out the windshield and screamed when she saw the plow truck heading their way. Marcus growled as his gaze turned forward as well and he jerked the wheel, swerving out of the trucks way and nearly plowing into a five foot snow bank before managing to right the wheels and set them back to traveling down the road.

                The plow trucks angry horn faded into the distance as both Marcus and Abbey panted and stared straight ahead.

                “I think maybe you should just drive,” Abbey gasped between breaths.

                Marcus’s knuckles tightened on the wheel and he nodded slightly, “Yep.”

***

                “What do you mean it’s not ready yet?” Marcus demanded.

                Ernest wiped his greasy hands on an already filthy rag and shrugged, “I’m sorry, Marcus. We had to order a new bumper and even expedited shipping won’t have it here until tomorrow morning. I’ll have it ready by tomorrow afternoon and that’s a promise.”

                Marcus growled, fully prepared to give Ernest a peace of his mind. When Marcus paid extra money for a job to be done quickly, he expected it done. He kept his word and demanded that others do the same. He knew for a fact that that bumper would have been here by early this morning if Ernest had ordered it when Marcus had told him to.

                A hand on his arm had his anger disappearing instantly and a confusing mixture of shock, hunger and tenderness to fill him when he glanced down and saw that Abbey was attempting to comfort him and soothe his temper.

                “It’ll be just fine, Ernest. I’m sure Marcus won’t mind driving me around until you have it finished.”

                Mind? Hell no Marcus didn’t mind. Of course Marcus was going to self-combust if he didn’t find out what that little minx tasted like real soon.

                “I’m sure he won’t,” Ernest replied with a twinkle in his blue eyes that mad Marcus suspect he’d order the bumper late on purpose.

                “It better be ready tomorrow evening,” Marcus warned, though it was without his normal bluster because all he could focus on was how good Abbey’s hand felt against his forearm. It didn’t matter that he was wearing a flannel shirt and a coat, he could still feel the gentle touch and it soothed something inside of him that had never before felt such peace.

                “It will be, son, you have my word on that.”

                Marcus grumbled and then strode from the garage with Abbey nearly jogging to keep up. It was then that Marcus realized she hadn’t released his arm. Instead she had looped hers through the crook of his. He slowed down considerably and stared down at her with wonder.

                She blushed furiously under his awestruck gaze and shrugged, “It’s slippery and I don’t want to fall.”

                “Okay,” Marcus replied simply, not wanting to give her a reason to let go.

                “Why do you do that?” Abbey asked softly as they walked down the street toward the hotel.

                “Do what?”

                “What you did in there with Ernest and what you’ve done with me several times. You act so mean and angry….” She bit her lip and glanced at him with fearful eyes, “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that…”

                Marcus sighed, “I’m not the skinny bald guy so you don’t have to be afraid of me, Abbey. You can say whatever you want to me and ask me anything.”

                “Okay then, answer me.”

                Marcus let out his breath through his nose and thought of a response. She was acting different today than she had before. Much more relaxed than he had ever seen her and open to conversation. Julian was better at conversation than he was but Marcus figured he’d give it a try.

                “I would have been Beta of our pack had our alpha not been overthrown and the new alpha tossed Julian and I out. My wolf is very powerful, very dominant and expects to be obeyed by everyone except the alpha. And honestly no one has ever had the nerve to stand up to me or yell until you yelled at me outside the clinic that day…. I didn’t handle it well.”

                “What about Julian? He doesn’t act like you….” Marcus raised his brow and she was quick to continue, “He seems much calmer and mild mannered.”

                “So he’s not a high-strung asshole?”

                “I never called you an asshole.”

                “But I was one and I’m sorry.”

                It was hard to say who was more surprised by Marcus’s spontaneous apology. Apologizing wasn’t something he made a habit of doing .

                They kept up easy conversation as they walked arm in arm but Abbey unhooked her arm from his as they approached the hotel and Marcus felt suddenly cold and missed that peaceful feeling her touch had given him. She found her key as they entered and went to the room she had used her first night in town.

                “Get your stuff, I’ll wait outside,” Marcus growled when a scent that wasn’t familiar reached his nose. Abbey gave him an odd look but then nodded and went about emptying drawers.

                Marcus walked back down the hall and through the lobby. He pushed open the door and saw the SUV that passed by just as he stepped out into the cold. It was a newer model and according to the sticker on the windshield it was a rental. Marcus growled when he got a good look at the man in the passenger seat with his window down and the scent came to him again.

                He smelled a bit like Tanner and Audrey. Their eyes met for just a moment and Marcus could see the arrogance and the evil in the other man’s blue eyes just before the man adjusted the baseball cap on his head and rubbed at his stubble covered chin.

                Marcus knew it was Joseph. The other man turned to the man driving, his brother by the smell of him, and shook his head before the two of them drove further down the road.

                Marcus stayed where he was, keeping guard over Abbey, until she came back out the door with two heavy suitcases, “Foolish woman, you should have just come and asked for help,” Marcus grumbled as he took them from her.

                “I’m not used to having help,” she replied defensively.

                Marcus stooped down and let his breath wash over her neck and ear, “Well you have it now.” he stood straight. “Now let’s get you back home and out of the cold.”

                “I thought we were going shopping… there are a few things I needed,” Abbey reminded him.

                Marcus shook his head, “Julian will bring you back out. I have a couple of things I need to take care of.”

A/N: Sorry there was such a long wait between chapters (5 days is really long for me) I'll try my best not to make you wait so long for the next one.