Page 85 of Alpha Marked

A flutter of nervousness chilled her as he turned them over and revealed two steel wolf's head cufflinks.

He stared at them without speaking.

"You don't have to wear them," she said. "It's fine if you don't like them or don't have a shirt to wear them with or-"

Ares rose and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her to him. He cradled her head against his chest and breathed in her hair.

"I love you, River."

She blinked several times, then wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him.

"So, you like them?"

He inhaled her hair and crushed her tighter against him. "I love them too."

* * *

A present.River had made him a present. Nothing she could've done or said would ever mean as much in that moment as the knowledge that she'd thought of him throughout the day and had made something for him. He'd never be able to give her anything that would compare to what he felt for her and the tiny pieces of metal he clutched.

He couldn't believe he'd told her he loved her but the words had tumbled from his mouth without a thought. Everything between them happened so fast that part of him couldn't believe it was real. But he'd spent his life hearing about the connection between a Lycan and his mate from his parents. Even with them, the connection had paled against his feelings for River, his Omega.

River's breath came out as a hitched sigh, and she kissed him hard. His wolf howled pure and tender, calling to River's wolf. A sound that reverberated through him and echoed inside him.

River pulled away, and her eyebrows crushed together.

"What's wrong?"

"I… I… Did your wolf howl?"

Ares blinked several times. His wolf howled again.

River cocked her head to the side. "He did it again."

Ares's brain fought to understand. "You… you heard him?"

They stared at each other for a long minute.

"Can you hear my wolf?" she asked.

Ares shook his head. "What is she doing?"

River's cheeks flushed. "Uh, well, right now, she is on her back being a little tramp, so I guess it might be difficult."

Ares chuckled and sniffed River's throat. "I may not be able to hear her, but I can sure smell her." And damn if he didn't want to bury his face in River and taste every last centimeter of her.

He had no clue what was going on, but River was his mate, and as soon as this damned meeting was over, he would take her home, and he would never, could never, let her go.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

Ares had never wanted to run from anything in his life. But walking toward the ballroom full of Alphas, Betas, and more made him want to grab River, go straight to the airport, jump on his jet, and whisk her to the safety of his estate. But that wasn't an option. Not if he wanted to avoid making more enemies.

He took several breaths as he approached the ballroom. Two of his men who had flown in from his estate bowed to him and then grabbed the handles to the ballroom.

River was safe. She was upstairs. Up twenty floors. In his private suite. The floor wasn't accessible by anyone except him and his people. He had to focus. He needed to make this work with the shifters because if Titan had his eye set on the throne… the bloodshed would be overflowing. Ares needed everyone on his side.

Theo and Santiago flanked Ares, and the door to the ballroom opened. The scents of the different wolves struck Ares. Each wolf had their own unique aroma, tainted with adrenaline and their wolf's natural aggression. That's what happened when you had dozens of pack Alphas in the same room. Even so, his aura and command would make them kneel in his presence if he wanted. And he sure as hell did. He wanted nothing more than to command them into submission. But doing that wouldn't help the relationships between him and the packs.

All talking stopped as every head in the room swiveled toward him. He stood for a moment, allowing them to stare. He scanned the room and spotted Alphas he'd met before from different packs talking and drinking in groups. He made a mental note of who stood with whom, interested in which alliances had already been formed. He assumed most had been made through marriages and family bloodlines. A sizeable group of Betas from different packs stood on the other side of the room near the buffet table. An air of tension filled the space.

---