Page 37 of Alpha Marked

Zeke laid his hand on Ares' shoulder. "Here me out. We stay for a week. Let her come to terms with the idea of leaving. Give her time to gather her things and say her goodbyes. The business you have with the packs here is important. And we need their support. Knowing you've taken one of their own as your mate will go a long way with them. But them knowing you are being gentle and considerate of her feelings will go a lot further. They need to see you are who you are projecting to be. You are willing to compromise. Word will spread to them if you do this for her."

Ares sucked in a harsh breath and looked to where River and Bianca spoke to a remaining guest.

"Fine. But she stays with me. And she has two guards at all times."

Zeke nodded. "Of course."

The door to the gallery flew open, and a tall woman with wild dark hair burst into the area and scanned it.

"Oh shit," said Zeke.

Zeke ran to the woman. "Cherry-"

"Is that him?" She stormed toward Ares, and Zeke put up his hands to block her. "Are you him? Are you the son of a bitch monster who thinks he can take whatever he wants?"

"Cherry, stop. Please." Zeke tried to gain control of the woman, but her strength and skill surprised Ares.

She shimmied from Zeke's hold and flipped open a butterfly knife from her back pocket.

"I'm gonna carve you up and serve you to my Alpha for dinner, asshole."

She lunged at Ares, but he stepped out of the way. He clutched her by her throat and lifted her off the ground, pinning her to the wall. She swung at him with the knife, and he swatted it out of her hand.

"You dare to try and attack me?"

A soft hand yanked on his arm. His wolf howled, making him pause.

"Stop!" River cried. "Stop. Don't hurt her."

Ares growled at Cherry, but her eyes remained defiant.

"Please," River begged. "Ares, please. I'll go with you. I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt her."

The terror in her eyes and pleading in her voice made the anger drain out of Ares as if someone had pulled the plug on the bathtub of his soul.

"Highness, please, put her down," Zeke asked.

Ares dropped the woman to her feet, and Cherry enveloped River in her arms. Tears dripped from River's eyes, and pain shot through Ares.

"You can't have her," Cherry said. "You don't deserve her. She's too special for an animal like you."

"Mom." River dried her tears. "It's okay."

Mom? The wildcat woman was River's mother?

"It's not okay," said Cherry. "Strider told me what'd happened, but we have a plan, baby girl. I'm getting you out of here and far away from him."

River hugged her mom a moment more, backed out of her grip, and locked eyes with Ares. "I… I can't."

She dropped her gaze to the floor, and Ares gently entwined his fingers with hers. The caress of her small hands in his made his heartbeat quicken.

"He hasn't marked you yet. You can still go, River. It's like the last one. You rejected him, and we tossed him out. He hasn't been back. You'll see, with distance and time-"

River shook her head. His wolf howled in happiness.

"It's too late," she confessed. "He may not have marked me, but my wolf has made it clear." She shook her head. "There's no running now."

A soft purr emanated from Ares that he'd never made before meeting River. Somehow, it did something to her. A look of utter bliss had crossed her face the first time he'd done it. And now, as he did it again, she gazed up at him, her eyes soft and inviting.

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