Page 66 of Alpha Marked

She scoffed. "Because you bought everything."

He smiled. "If I hadn't, someone else would have."

She regarded him for a long minute. "Why did you buy all my pieces? To impress me?"

He swirled his wine again, watching it. "Not impress per se. More to get your attention."

"And did you think I'd want all my pieces going to one place, or did you think it would have made me happier knowing they stood all over the place so more people might enjoy them?"

He lifted his gaze. "Do you want me to give them back to the gallery?"

Her gut clenched. Did she?

"Did you even like any of them?"

His gaze intensified. "I loved all of them."

"What do you like about them?" she tested.

He didn't answer immediately, and she feared he was lying to her.

"I loved the flow of them. The gentleness yet strength. They are like you. Beautiful and delicate but rigid as steel."

River's throat dried, and she lifted her wine and gulped. No one had ever said anything like that about her work before. Even the people at the exhibit said they were amazing. Beautiful. Expertly crafted. But none had seen them as representations of herself.

She smiled, glad he'd bought them all.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked.

Her cheeks heated. "I… I'm glad you bought my sculptures."

He lifted an eyebrow. "You are?"

She nodded.

"Is it because as soon as we are mated, what is mine is yours, so you'll have them back?" He grinned.

"What? No. I didn't realize that."

His smile broadened. She liked how his smile lit up his dark eyes and mellowed them.

He set down his glass of wine and checked at his watch. "We only have about another hour."

She nodded and finished her wine before standing.

Ares rushed around the table and pulled her chair out for her.

She turned to face him. "You don't have to do that."

His eyes grew serious. "When you enter the room, everyone will stand. When you exit, they will stand. No one will eat until you've taken a bite. No one will sit before you have been seated. And I will always, always pull out your chair for you and push it in for you. You are my Omega. You will only ever be treated with the utmost respect. If you aren't, the punishments will be dire. Even to myself."

River opened her mouth, but once again, he'd left her speechless. So, instead, she approached him, reached up on her toes, and kissed his cheek.

Ares pushed her chair into the table and offered her his arm. When she linked it with his, he winced. The memory of the odor of blood when he'd picked her up bubbled to the surface, and she pulled to a halt.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Were you hurt today?"

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