Run! The Lost Princess of the Black Wolves

Chapter 14 - Rock, Paper, Scissors

”Chloe!”

With a loud crash, Marcus forced open Chloe's door and rushed into her room. Instantly, he ran over to her bed and scooped her up in his arms as she continued to scream in terror.

"Chloe, wake up!" he pleaded, shaking her gently but urgently. "Please, Chloe, you have to wake up!"

With a gasp, she opened her eyes, her gaze darting frantically around the room as she struggled to process her surroundings. Was this real? Or was it another nightmare?

Slowly realizing she was back in her room at Emerald Lake pack, her heart rate began to calm. However, something was off. Marcus was there - and he shouldn't be. Right? Why would he be in her bed? It had to be another dream.

Completely overwhelmed with emotion, she shook her head and pounded her fists against her forehead. "I can't take this anymore!" she cried out. "I just want to wake up!"

“Chloe, you’re awake,” Marcus gently grabbed her fists, holding them steady. “Chloe, look at me,” he urged, searching her gaze. “This is real. I'm here with you, and I won't let anything happen to you.”

Hesitantly, she glanced at him. It did feel real. Like, really real.

“It is real,” her wolf confirmed. “You’re awake.”

Tears of relief welled up in her eyes as she clung onto Marcus, her nails digging into the flesh of his biceps. "Marcus, is it really you?" She couldn't help but to let out a little whimper, her voice shaking with emotion. "You were dead. Marcus! I saw you die."

Not until drips of blood were trickling down his arms did she realize she had her claws extended, and she retracted them quickly in embarrassment... Not that Marcus seemed to mind. He cupped her face in his hands, gazing into her eyes with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. "I'm here, Chloe, well and alive," he said firmly, his voice filled with conviction. "And I'm not going anywhere.”

"I’m sorry," she grimaced as she gently wiped away the bruises on his arms with her hands. Though the wounds were already beginning to heal, she felt guilty for causing him harm.

“No worries,” his lips curled into a smile. "I'm just relieved to see you awake and not screaming your lungs out anymore."

“What are you doing in my room?” she lowered her gaze, suddenly realizing she was only wearing a singlet and the teeny tiniest pair of black lace panties. Quickly, she hugged the duvet closer to her body, trying to cover herself up.

"I heard you screaming," he took a gentle hold of her chin and lifted her face to meet his gaze. "It sounded awful. I thought someone was attacking you or something! I had to come check on you."

Chloe was acutely aware of Marcus's proximity and the intensity of his gaze.

"I'm... I’m so sorry," she stammered, feeling embarrassed. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"Don't apologize," he chuckled as he drew her closer to him. "You didn't wake me, I was still awake. I hadn't even gone into bed in the first place."

“Oh…” Chloe bit her lip, wishing it had been early morning instead of the middle of the night.

Damn it! How would she be able to go back to sleep after this? These nightmares had been so vivid and terrifying, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were waiting to pounce on her at any given moment.

"So... What happened?" Marcus gently caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"I saw that woman again," she confessed, her gaze fixed on her hands. "I don't understand what she wants."

"What does she look like?" he furrowed his brows.

"It's hard to describe," she mused. How come it was so hard to describe a person’s features? She would recognize that woman’s face anywhere, yet it was so difficult to describe her looks. "She's been cloaked, but she has a sharp nose, full lips, and piercing eyes," she continued, giving it a try.

"That doesn't ring a bell to me," he shrugged. "Maybe it's just someone you met somewhere, and now your mind is playing tricks on you."

Chloe shrugged in agreement, but she wasn't convinced. It didn't feel like just a coincidence that she kept dreaming about this woman? But she couldn't keep insisting that they had a ghost in their house when clearly no one else believed it was possible.

“When I came in here,” Marcus asked her gently, his blue eyes full of concern as he stroked her arm. “You mentioned dreaming about me... Want to tell me what happened?”

Chloe hesitated, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. The dream had been too horrific to recount, especially to the person she had dreamed about! She couldn't tell him that she had seen him completely naked, with his throat cut open.

“It was a nightmare, Marcus,” she finally managed to say. “I don't want to talk about it.”

“It's okay,” he lowered his voice, pulling her into a tight embrace. “You don't have to say anything. I'm here for you. You're not alone.”

His soothing scent, masculine and comforting, enveloped her as she relaxed into his embrace, and she breathed in his gentle notes of wild bergamot that she had come to associate with safety and calm. He was dressed in a pair of joggers and a tight-fitted t-shirt that accentuated the muscles on his strong arms, and she leaned into him, taking comfort in his well-built frame.

After a while, she slowly began to drift off to sleep, but the thought of going back to her dreams made her quickly open her eyes.

“I shouldn’t keep you awake,” a chill traveled down her spine at the thought of being by herself again, but she couldn’t keep Marcus up all night. “You should go to sleep.” She tried to sound nonchalant, but her voice trembled, giving her away.

“I’m fine,” he murmured into her hair, holding on to her as if he never would let her go. “I’m not leaving you alone.”

“I’m okay,” she lied as she distanced herself from him, feeling embarrassed about how needy she felt. “You can go! I’ll probably stay awake the rest of the night, I’m not tired anyway.” She swallowed, realizing how terrible of a liar she was. The truth was, she didn't want him to leave. Not one bit.

Marcus looked at her skeptically. "I'm not leaving you like this," he said firmly, pulling her close again.

But she couldn't allow him to stay. What would his girlfriend say if she found out he spent the whole night with her? If Chloe had been Juliette, she had been devastated to find out that her boyfriend spent the night in another woman's bed. No matter how much he promised that nothing happened between them, she would never forgive him.

"I'm fine, really," she insisted, trying to pull off a smile. "You can go back to your room. I'll be okay."

Marcus shook his head. "I'm not leaving you alone," he replied softly.

A warm feeling spread through her chest. Despite her protests, she was relieved that he wasn't going anywhere.

"I'll stay here with you," he continued, his smile turning into a playful grin as he settled down on her bed. He propped himself up with one elbow, gazing at her with twinkling eyes.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice tinged with hesitation as she tried to ignore the flutter in her chest at the sight of him lying on her bed.

"Positive," he replied, his gaze unwavering. "We can play a game, like 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' or something." He wiggled his brows and and she felt her cheeks flush with color.

"Umm... Marcus, you can't stay in my bed," she said, arching a brow pointedly. "It's not appropriate, and besides, I'm only in my underwear." She immediately regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth, seeing Marcus's eyes flashing with a sudden desire. However, he quickly was able to mask it with a laugh.

"Oh, Chloe," he chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "As if I haven't seen you in your birthday suit long enough today," he added with a wink. "Don't worry, I'll get you something to wear. Where do you keep your pajamas?"

"I... I don't have any," she admitted, a mixture of a snort and a giggle escaping her lips. "But I have some runner's pants over there." She pointed to a chest of drawers across the room.

Without hesitation, Marcus leaped out of bed and strode over to the drawers. With a swift motion, he pulled open the top one, when suddenly his eyes widened with surprise. Oh no! Chloe's cheeks flushed as she realized that he was staring at her lingerie collection.

"No, not that one!" she squeaked, feeling her face heat up with embarrassment. "The second one."

He quickly shut the top drawer, looking slightly smug. "Not that one, huh?" he teased, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Let's try the other one, then." He pulled out a pair of black joggers and handed them to Chloe with a wry smile on his lips. "Here you go," he said. "Make yourself decent, girl."

She couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh as she quickly threw off her cover and pulled on the pants. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the way Marcus's eyes flickered, his blue eyes gleaming, before he quickly looked away. Still a gentleman, she thought.

“Always,” her wolf added, a sense of approval in her voice.

Marcus laid down once again on her bed, making himself comfortable on the side. He patted the empty space next to him, beckoning her to join him. "Come, get some rest," he urged, his voice soft.

Chloe looked at him with hesitation. The invitation was very tempting! She was dead tired. And she did want him to stay. But could she let him?

"I'm just going to keep you company until you've fallen asleep," he reassured her with a warm smile. "Don't worry, I won't touch you."

She couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment, her mind racing with confusion as she tried to understand why.

“It’s not rocket science,” her wolf scoffed.

Chloe realized her wolf was right. She wanted him to touch her. Desperately. Still, it was wrong, she felt it with every fiber of her being.

"Just for a little while," she exhaled, giving in to her exhaustion and the comfort of his presence. "You're a good friend," she added, meeting his gaze, just to make make it clear that she didn't expect anything more from him.

He flinched slightly, but quickly regained his composure. "Of course," he nodded understandingly, his lips forced into a smile. "That's what friends are for."

Carefully, she laid down beside him and without a word, he pulled her into his embrace, holding her close as he spooned her from behind. His tall, muscular frame covered her back, providing her with a comforting presence that she desperately needed.

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, Chloe's mind began to wander, imagining what it would be like to feel Marcus's hands travel down her body, caressing her. She could feel the heat radiating off his body, his pulse accelerating, as if he was thinking the same… But if he did, he hid it well, maintaining his composure. His racing heart was the only thing that gave him away as he held her, stroking her arm in a comforting gesture.

Next thing she knew, she turned around in his arms, her body instinctively seeking more warmth and comfort. Nuzzling her nose into his chest, she took in his comforting scent, feeling a deep sense of contentment washing over her.

Feeling safe.

Feeling home.