Chapter 15 - Play it cool
1928 Words
Chloe woke up early next morning to the seething sunlight that filtered in between her curtains, surprised to find Marcus sleeping next to her. She had thought he would leave her bed as soon as she had fallen asleep, but he had stayed the whole night.
He was sound asleep, his freckled face relaxed, and a slight pout on his lips made them undeniably kissable... She even had to fight the urge to lean forward and kiss him. Thankfully, she was able to stop herself, realizing that it would be a very stupid move.
Instead, she propped herself up on her elbow, observing him. He had a distinctive appearance with a strong jaw and well-defined nose, a combination of rugged and refined features, making him a very handsome man.
What if Nolan had never shown up in her life? Marcus would probably have been her boyfriend, maybe even her chosen mate by now… They had barely been able to keep their hands off each other that night before hell broke loose, when Nolan had destroyed everything, and she could still recall the heat of their kiss.
But that was all in the past now. Because Nolan had shown up… and he had claimed her. She had physically felt the mating bond snap into place when their eyes met, making it so freaking hard to reject him.
"Obviously," her wolf scoffed. "It goes against everything we are. The Moon Goddess chose him for a reason."
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Chloe groaned. "I refuse to mate with that monster. I don't care what twisted plan the Moon Goddess has for us."
"But he's our mate," her wolf protested. "We will never feel complete without him."
Chloe shook her head, refusing to listen to the voice inside her head. "I won't be tied to someone who only brings darkness into our lives," she replied firmly. "I won't let him control me, or our fate."
A wave of bitterness washed over her. It was so unfair! How could she deserve a mate like him? She had always tried to live her life with kindness and compassion, yet fate seemed to have a different plan for her.
She couldn't help but wonder what she had done wrong. Maybe she had made some terrible mistake in her past life? Or maybe she was paying for someone else's sins… Either way, the idea of being stuck with someone who was practically insane made her stomach churn. It was such a cruel twist of fate.
As Chloe's thoughts drifted, Marcus moved under her gaze. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, revealing his piercing blue eyes that locked onto hers as a warm smile spread across his face.
"Good morning, princess," he said, his voice low and husky.
Chloe felt her heart skip a beat at the sound of his voice. Despite everything, she still couldn't deny the attraction between them.
"Morning. Did you sleep well?” She tried to sound casual, struggling to keep her voice steady.
Marcus stretched lazily, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. "Like a baby," he said. “How about you? Any more nightmares?”
She couldn't help but shudder at the memory of her dreams. "No, none since you came in," she admitted, suddenly feeling embarassed. She hated the fact that he had found her screaming in her bed, haunted by nightmares, the night before.
Marcus's eyes softened as he looked at her. "I wish I could take all your pain away," he said, his voice low and gentle. "I hate seeing you suffer."
Chloe felt a lump form in her throat at his words. "I'm just feeling a bit lost right now," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "These dreams. They feel so real. And Nolan... he's so present." She lowered her gaze, feeling the weight of the bond on her shoulders. "I have to find a way to break free from him."
Sitting up in bed, Marcus took her hand. His auburn locks were all tousled, giving him a boyish look. "You will," he said with confidence, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. "And I'll do everything I can to help you! If you let me..."
Chloe felt a comforting warmth from his touch but quickly withdrew her hand. She couldn't ignore the fire that Marcus's closeness stirred inside her, but at the same time, she couldn’t let him know about it. They were friends, nothing more.
Besides, he had a girlfriend! Reminding herself of this fact, she forced a smile. "Thank you, Marcus. I really appreciate it,” she sat up as well, quickly arranging her long black hair into a low bun. She should tell him to leave and go back to his own room... Even though he didn't look like he was about to budge, she knew it was for the best. She had to make him leave, for both of their sakes! The last thing she needed was for Freya to catch him in her room.
As she was thinking of a way to politely ask him to leave, there was a sudden bang on the door, startling them both.
“Chloe!" Freya's voice reverberated through the door. "Can I come in?"
"s**t!" Chloe whispered urgently to Marcus. "Quick, go hide in my bathroom!"
But Marcus only looked amused, raising one eyebrow in question. "Why?" he teased. "It's just Freya."
Chloe frowned in frustration. "I don't want her to see you here," she hissed. "I don't want her to get the wrong impression. And think about Juliette! What would she say if she found out you spent the night in my bed?" Her face flushed as she realized the implications of her words, causing Marcus to smile even wider.
"Well, that's actually not a problem," Marcus chuckled, “I…”
Freya’s voice interrupted him. "Chloe? Are you okay?" she sounded concerned.
"Get in my bathroom. Now!" Chloe wheezed, pushing Marcus out of the bed and nearly causing him to fall on the floor.
"Okay, okay," he held up his hands in surrender. "I'm on my way."
He quickly made his way to the bathroom, closing the door softly behind him. Chloe breathed a sigh of relief and opened the door to Freya.
"Good morning!" she greeted Freya with a cheerful smile, letting her into the room.
"Is there someone else in here with you?" Freya frowned, scanning the room. "I thought I heard someone..."
Chloe tried to play it cool. "No, just me," she lied with a shrug.
"Has Marcus been here?" Freya looked suspicious, wrinkling her nose. "I can smell him.”
“Just briefly," Chloe pushed Freya towards the door. “Should we go to your room? It would be nice to have breakfast together, just you and I… We can continue where we left off yesterday, with the dresses."
Freya's eyes lit up. "Oh, what a great idea!" she exclaimed, seemingly forgetting her suspicions as they made their way to her quarters.
As they arrived at Freya's door, Chloe felt a burning sensation on the back of her neck. She glanced over her shoulder to see Marcus leaning against the doorpost of her room, arms crossed and an amused smile playing on his lips.
Chloe's heart skipped a beat as she met his gaze, feeling a mix of embarrassment and attraction. She quickly averted her eyes and focused on Freya, hoping that Marcus would take the hint and go to his own quarters.
"Shall we?" Freya opened the door, gesturing towards her room, unaware of the tension in the air. “What do you want for breakfast? I’m in the mood for waffles.”
"Waffles sound great," Chloe smiled, trying to push aside the lingering thoughts of Marcus in her bed. She couldn’t believe they had spent the whole night together!
“Did you sleep well?” Freya asked, sinking into her usual armchair.
Chloe took a seat in the other chair with a smile, knowing that Freya's armchair had to be her favorite. It seemed like every time they hung out in her room, she always claimed that particular chair and Chloe found it rather cute.
“I slept okay,” Chloe shrugged, not wanting to think of the scary dreams that had plagued her all night.
“More nightmares?” Freya gave her a sympathetic smile.
“Yep,” Chloe nodded, “Horrible ones. But it’s okay now.”
“And that woman… is she still haunting your dreams?” Freya grimaced. “I'm sorry, it feels like I didn't take you seriously last night. Do you really think we have a ghost in this house?”
“I'm not sure,” Chloe let out a little laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “I know it sounds crazy, but I've never seen her before. She started showing up in my dreams when I came here…”
“Maybe we should try and research the history of the house,” Freya suggested. “See if we can find any information about this woman. Maybe it will help put your mind at ease.”
Chloe nodded gratefully. “That's a good idea. Maybe we can start after breakfast.”
“Yes, and we must pack! I can’t believe we’re leaving tomorrow. I’m so excited!” Freya exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. “What if we meet our future mates tomorrow, Chloe? What if I meet my fated one? I’m so nervous!” She let out a little nervous laugh as she twirled a lock of her red hair between her fingers.
Chloe forced a smile. “Who knows? Maybe you will,” she tried to sound optimistic.
“Don’t be so low, Chloe,” Freya patted her on the knee. “It’s going to be fun! And who knows, maybe we'll even find your northern prince charming like you've always dreamed of,” she teased playfully.
“Oh, come on, give me a break,” Chloe rolled her eyes and laughed, shaking her head. “And spare me the fairytales! I have no such aspirations.”
“We’ll see about that,” Freya grinned mischievously. “Oh, here comes our waffles,” she exclaimed as they heard a knock on the door.
The aroma of strong coffee and fresh waffles with strawberries wafted in as the door opened. However, both girls’ eyes widened with surprise as Marcus strolled in, still in his close-fitted white t-shirt and grey joggers, carrying the tray.
“Breakfast, ladies?” he smiled, setting the tray on the table.
“Marcus,” Freya’s annoyance was palpable. “What is this? Since when do you serve me breakfast in the morning? Where’s Jing?”
“I ran into her on the way down,” he explained casually, settling into another armchair at the table and pouring coffee into the cups. “And this looked so good, I wanted to have them all for myself, but I decided to be generous and share them with you guys,” he grinned. Chloe noticed there were three cups on the tray, and Marcus leaned back in his chair and gave her a mischievous wink.
“Why the sudden generosity?” Freya asked, her tone sour as she glared at her brother.
“I don’t know,” he shrugged, a smug grin playing on his lips. “I just slept so well last night… It was one of the best nights of my life, actually.”
Chloe couldn’t help but choke on her coffee and started coughing, staring at him in surprise.
- Writer
