Chapter 32 Marcus
MARCUS
Marcus bit back his grin, listening as Odin, the second-most dominant alpha in the pack and his most competent district alpha, rambled on about all the reasons that Anastacia was a woman worth courting.
He sounded like an eager schoolboy.
“Of course, though her specialty is contract law, she has a lot of experience in litigation, and she’s actually argued a case before the Supreme Court. I think that it’s especially impressive since-”
“Odin, I get it,” Marcus interrupted. Odin closed his mouth and turned red.
He ducked his head, a smile hiding behind his busy beard.
Marcus reached over and grasped his shoulder.
“I know Anastacia. I agree that she’s a fantastic woman, lawyer, and werewolf.
I’m thrilled that the two of you have found each other. I wish you both every happiness.”
“I appreciate it,” Odin said, exhaling with a blinding grin. “She’s just so great, you know?”
Marcus nodded. “I do.”
He’d already talked to Anastacia, who was just as adorably smitten as Odin.
“And congratulations to you, too,” Odin said, nodding at the claiming bites on Marcus’s neck. “Are you going to announce it to the pack soon?”
Marcus sighed and ran his hand through his hair. As the second-highest ranking member of the pack, Odin had been briefed on the development in Marcus’s love life. He’d been suitably skeptical of Harland, but there was no denying that the claiming bite on Marcus’s throat was real and valid.
“During the full moon, probably. Hopefully, we’ll have figured out all the practical arrangements by then.”
Scratching his beard, Odin let out a chuckle. “I’ve had a few panicked calls from members of the alpha council. They’re convinced that you’re scheming to claim Spellerview and expand the pack east.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That if you wanted to expand the pack east, you’d just do it.” Odin smirked. “I asked them when we’ve ever schemed when we could just take.”
“I bet that shut them up,” Marcus said, proud of the strength and might of his pack.
“I think it cut through the panic,” Odin said. “They don’t like us, but they know that we’re consistent. Besides, we haven’t claimed new territory in decades.”
Marcus lifted his brow.
“Fort Plainslac doesn’t count – it’s tiny.”
“I don’t think that’s how the council sees it.”
“Whatever. Should I go back with more?” Odin refilled his coffee and took a sip. “If you’re serious about this being an alliance and not a prelude to taking over Spellerview, I could reassure them.”
“Do it.” Marcus wasn’t going to claim Harland’s territory. He couldn’t. Besides, having a place where he could be with his mates and not be the man in charge was…
It was awful.
Marcus could try to convince himself that it was nice – that having a place where he could unburden himself from the shackles of leadership was a good thing – but the truth was that he liked being in charge.
He never needed a break.
On the other hand, having someone who could rein him in if he got carried away again with Warren wouldn’t be terrible. Marcus hadn’t gotten through a single sexual encounter with their adorable human without losing control of himself, which was a damning indictment of his self-control.
The fact that Harland wasn’t subordinate to him, while deeply annoying, was probably for the best.
A few hours later, Marcus was working out in the compound gym when the door burst open and Steve barged into the room.
“You got mated!” Steve exclaimed, tackling Marcus where he was doing weighted pull-ups and wrapping him in a hug. He lifted him away from the pull-up bar and squeezed him. “Congratulations!”
Marcus grinned, hugging Steve back as he was set back down on the floor. He unclipped the weighted belt from around his waist and pulled Steve into a surprise headlock.
"Couldn't let you have all the fun, now, could I?" Marcus gave Steve a noogie, making him cry out and struggle to get free. Marcus released him, walking over to the stack of towels to wipe down his sweaty face and chest.
“Ew,” Steve said, grabbing a towel of his own and dabbing Marcus’s sweat off the back of his neck. “That is so nasty.”
Marcus was always happy to see his little brother – after two weeks of enduring William’s brand of snark, Steve’s more measured personality would be a nice change. "How long are you staying?"
While Marcus understood why Steve wanted to live in Fort Plainslac with his mates, he missed him something terrible.
“Until after the full moon,” Steve said. “Dylan flew up with me, and Ryker and August are coming next week.”
Marcus punched Steve in the arm. “So, you have him all to yourself for a week? Nice.”
Steve shook his head with a sad little pout. “Not really. He only came with me so that he could work on his dissertation without Ryker and August distracting him. I have strict instructions to hang out with my friends and let him work in peace.”
“Not even a little fun?” Marcus asked.
“One hour after dinner,” Steve said. “And only if I dress up in my old patrol uniform and knee-high boots.”
“Way too much information,” Marcus said, pushing Steve away.
“You asked!” Steve said, laughing. “But who cares about me? What about you? Tell me about your mates. When do I meet them?”
Marcus sat down on the incline bench, grabbed the weights he’d set down on the floor, and did a series of reps while he told Steve all about how he’d met Harland, Max, and Warren.
“No, no,” Steve said, sitting with his back to the support column in the middle of the room and watching Marcus work out. “You fought him to a draw?”
Marcus had tried to gloss over that, mentioning it quickly and moving on to the part where he and Harland claimed each other, but Steve wasn’t letting him speed past it.
“Yes,” Marcus admitted. “Harland was the alpha of our pack. He’s a powerful vampire and his alpha form is undiminished. I’m not embarrassed.”
“You totally are!” Steve said, his laughter making Marcus scowl. “I wish I could have seen your face.”
Marcus dropped his weights with a clang and launched himself at Steve’s laughing form, taking him down and putting him in a chokehold.
“You wish you could have seen what?” he growled.
Steve just kept laughing, the sound cutting off when Marcus choked him.
“Keep laughing, I dare you.”
Marcus relaxed his arm over Steve’s throat, letting him breathe again. Steve took a deep breath and coughed, his grin wide.
Sighing, Marcus dropped him and rose back to his feet.
“It’s not that funny,” he grumbled.
“It’s so funny,” Steve said. “It’s like the werewolf gods took one look at you and said, ‘Yeah, that guy needs to be knocked down a peg. What an asshole.’”
Marcus reconsidered his happiness at seeing Steve. They’d been apart for so long that he’d forgotten that he was just as bad as William.
“Your shoulders are looking small,” Marcus said, changing the subject. “Go get changed and join me in my workout. You can give me advice on how to make a human mate happy and I can show you how to gain some muscle.”
“My shoulders do not look small,” Steve protested, jumping to his feet. He glanced down at his shoulders, examining them with a worried frown. “They’re just as wide as yours.”
They were objectively not, which Marcus indicated by raising his brow. Marcus was both taller and wider than Steve, and he always had been.
“Okay, maybe not as wide as yours, but they’re not smaller than they used to be.”
Marcus put his fingers close together and held them up. “Teeny, tiny shoulders.”
Steve growled and tackled him.