Chapter 3
1672 Words
Marielle’s POV
Three years ago, Ryder Wolfe was exiled for a crime no one knows about. He is the eldest and illegitimate son of Alpha Magnus. The bastard prince. The black sheep of the Royal family. No one likes him. Not the elders. Not the pack members. Not even his own Father. He had always been trouble.. and so I shouldn’t be surprised that he is become the Rogue biker Alpha. And yeah… of all the kingdoms in the world, I managed to end up in his own territory.
“Ry…der?!” My lips trembled as I called him. “You’re the biker Alpha?” But at that moment, my fear melted away…. even though I knew how dangerous he was.
The corner of his lips lifted as he dragged the cigar again. “Of course… who else would it be, pumpkin?” he sneered, his voice still dripping with its usual mockery.
I hissed in irritation. When I was younger, I was plump and so.. he never stopped calling me pumpkin just to get on my nerves. Because of him, everyone else started calling me pumpkin, making me feel in-secured about my weight and I hated him for it. I had to cut down on my food and junks intake because of the trauma and I eventually lost my weight.
“Pumpkin?” I repeated the words that made my stomach churned with disgust. It seemed like he had an eye defect, so I spread my hands apart, just so he could take a good look at me. “Pumpkin? Where? As you can see… I’m no longer fat.”
Then his gray eyes raked me over like he was a predator. And I was his prey…. a f*****g prey that he has come to hunt down.
Oh.. f**k, I felt so exposed. The jeans and crop top I had on felt like it had been removed from my body the moment I walked in. The hair in my body rose with invincible goosebumps popping out in my arms.
His face twisted into the most mocking but infuriatingly beautiful expression I have ever seen. “Once a pumpkin… always a pumpkin. It doesn’t matter if you’ve lost the weight.”
I clenched my fists tightly as cold, barely restrained fury coursed through my veins. I parted to argue but then it was useless. Did I ever tell you that he always have a clap back for everyone including his own father? Yeah, that was how annoying he was.
I pressed a hand to my throbbing forehead. Just the few minutes that I had spent with him and he had managed to give me headache. “Why did you call me here?”
He raised his glass… “Happy birthday, pumpkin and I can see you’ve got your wolf.”
My brows lifted. “How did you know it’s my birthday?!” I can’t almost believe my ears. We weren’t close enough for him to know.
“I know a lot of things…. Marielle Winston.”
Marielle…. the way he said my name reverberated through my being. it was the second time tonight in all the years I had known him that he’d call me by my name… and I swear no one said it better other him.
He continued. “I also… know that your freaking ass has being rejected by my brother because he is f*****g your sister.”
He was miles away from the BlueMoon pack but he knows everything happening there. Interesting, isn’t it?
“He didn’t reject me…!” I snapped, taking a step closer. “I left…”
Ryder let out a humorless laugh. “ But he would have rejected your ass even though you stayed, huh?”
I gritted my teeth, my chest heaved as the memories hit me like a sledgehammer. Bastard.. he is right. Jaxon would have rejected me or even gotten rid of me.
I threw my head away, my eyes watered. “I know… you don’t have to mock me. It’s always been like that. No one wants me. Not my family. Not my mate.” I was trying so hard to hold back my tears.
Ryder rose and walked towards me in slow steps, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
My legs were weak but I took a step back. Not because I was afraid. But because, I hated the way the way my cunt throbbed as he drew nearer and the way my n*****s were now pressing hard against the thin fabric of the cotton top. And the way his eyes seemed fixated on me like I was the only thing he could see in the room.
My back and palms were pressing hard against the cold wall. He stood in front of me, his hand pressing hard on either side of me, trapping me in.
Ryder’s hands reached out and he brushed a strand of hair away from my face.
Fuck… those arms. That strong tattooed arms… I wished it was doing more—like pressing against the nearest surface and slamming into me… Oh.. i had thought I was going to be claimed by my mate tonight.
“Have you cried since that bastard rejected you?” His deep voice drew me out of my darkest fantasies.
My brows knitted in confusion. Sure.. I had cried but then.. not to my satisfaction—I had been trying to stay strong. “Just a little,” I muttered. “Why are you asking?”
“Then you can cry as much as you want now… “He raised his hands in surrender. “I swear… I won’t taunt you with it later on.”
Through my blurry eyes, I glanced at him for a beat longer; I believed him.
And that was it.
The dam broke.
Streams of tears ran down my cheeks and my cries echoed off the walls—broken and unrestrained. “Those… assholes! They were even planning on getting rid of me!”
Ryder pulled me into his chest. But he didn’t say anything. He just let me cry away, while patting my back softly.
His arm slid around my waist, pulling me closer. The scent hit me first — oil, leather, and smoke — raw and masculine, so thick it clung to my skin. It was the smell of the road, of freedom, of danger… and it made my knees weak. Nothing about him was clean or proper like Jaxon — Ryder smelled like sin dressed in motor oil.
I didn’t know for how long we remained there, clenching his leather sleeves tightly like a lifeline but in his arms, I felt saved, secured… and maybe felt seen and heard for the very first time in my entire life. My cry died down, but I was still sniffing. “It’s painful that no one wants me, Ryder..”
“Stop saying that…” He finally spoke. “I want YOU!” It was loud, clear, possessive —almost a growl. “I have always do.”
I raised my head, wiped off my tears so as to see him. “Always?”
Ryder threw his head to the side, his jaw clenched. “Marry me, Marielle.”
I blinked severally to be sure I heard him right. “What?!”
“Marry me…” he repeated as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “Let’s show them what it feels like for two broken, unwanted souls to become a force and burn the world together .”
At first, it seemed like everything held it breath. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. I just stared at him—waiting for him to say he was kidding or maybe his expression would give something away, but he didn’t; he was damn serious. “Marry you?”
“Yes, pumpkin,” he affirmed.
“Why should I?” I asked, not bothering to hide the disbelief in my voice.
“Because I will protect you from them.,” he said smoothly. “I will also help you get back to those who hurt you… my brother may not want you but did you know how he would feel if he sees us together?” He smirked devilishly as if he was reveling in the moment where Jaxon would see me with the man he had hated his whole life. He walked back towards the couch and relaxed on it, his legs spread on the table. “There is no perfect revenge other than that, pumpkin.”
I swallowed past the bile in my throat. He was right.. and thinking about it, I have nothing to lose exactly. No one wanted me anyways… and I swear, I think this is not only a revenge against Jaxon; it’s a rebel against the entire Pack that had abandoned and neglected me. A wife to the bastard prince would surely blow up the entire kingdom and beyond.
I stepped closer to him. “Sure.. let’s get married.” I agreed even though I knew I should stay away from him; he was danger. Even though I should hate him, there was just something about him—something I couldn’t place my hands on yet.
He lifted his brows and smiled in satisfaction. “Smart choice, Marielle.”
“But I have two conditions.”
“Speak away.. pumpkin.”
“First, you stop calling me pumpkin.”
He frowned. “Stop calling you pumpkin?” he repeated as if it was a death sentence. “But I love calling you that.”
“But I don’t like it,” I snapped. “Why would you be calling your wife pumpkin? Or did you think still think, I’m a child, and unattractive ?”
He rolled his eyes. and agreed reluctantly. “Fine!”
“Second….” I hesitated. I wanted to fulfill that one wish I had always wanted the day i got my wolf… “I want you to claim me. Tonight.”
- Writer
