(POV - Aria)

As soon as the words left her mouth, Aria could see the flash of hurt in his eyes. His eyes shuttered again and he began closing himself off. She suppressed a smile, reaching up to thread her fingers through the hair that curled at the base of his neck.

"Hey," she soothed, bringing his forehead to hers and closing her eyes. Her wolf quietened when his skin finally pressed to hers. "Don't shut off so quickly. Hear me out first?"

She heard him swallow and his lips parted, his breath warm on her face. "Okay."

She pulled away but left her fingers tangled in his hair, looking deep into his storm grey eyes when she spoke.

"I'm not going back with you," she said, her gaze dropped to the dip of his throat. "Not yet."

His eyes lit up and he looked at her with hope sparkling in the depths of his beautiful eyes. And it made her heart so warm, so happy that he seemed as though he really did want her to come back with him.

"I think we should spend some time alone to sort through our own demons," she clarified. "We both have a lot going on behind the scenes, and I think we should figure out if we have feelings beyond sexual attraction. I think we owe ourselves that, don't you? I want us to have a real chance if we want an actual relationship."

He took a deep breath, one that made his chest expand until it brushed hers. He looked away and breathed out, his thoughts playing out across his face.

"I know you're right but," he paused, looking back at Aria. His eyes softened when he looked at her and it was something that softened her in here? We could work things out in, I don't know, separate rooms."

She giggled and even heard Jaden snort from his spot in the car. "Marc," she chuckled, her fingers combing through his hair gently. "You're a big Alpha, surely you can deal with me being gone for a little while?"

He snarled unhappily but it wasn't vicious, nor was it meant to scare her. He was just being petulant, and it was so cute that Aria couldn't bring herself to reprimand him for snarling at her.

"I don't like the idea of you going back to him," he said, his voice low with hatred. "I don't want his filthy hands within ten miles of you."

"That's a little impossible," she sighed, eyes searching his to find the answer that would keep both of them happy until they'd made a decision about their relationship. "I'd have to go back either way. And he would probably come looking for me if I didn't. I'm surprised he still hasn't broken every treaty his father negotiated yet."

"Oh, he's tried," Marcus commented dryly. "But he's still a pup who hasn't had to face another Alpha in battle before."

"What do you mean?" Aria asked cautiously. "What has he done?"

Marcus scoffed and his lip curled in dark amusement, revealing one of his pointed canines. "He's had groups of sentries running along my borders all week, changing them every four hours because he thinks I won't catch their scent, or his in theirs. But I've been an Alpha for far too long. And he's never faced someone like me."

Without even needing to look over her shoulder, she knew that Jaden was grinning maliciously.

"He hasn't ordered them into your territory yet?" she asked curiously. She was surprised that he'd relented enough, although that was probably because Aiden knew what kind of Alpha Marcus really was, and was trying not to be naive in underestimating him.

"No, I think he understands that I'd send his hounds back to him in pieces," Marcus said, baring his teeth. "Mutts who aren't careful get their ears clipped for not listening to their master."

She should have been ashamed by it, but she couldn't help the surge of arousal at his words. It should have scared her, disgusted her, even, but all she felt was the warmth of desire curling in her belly.

"You're not making this any easier, Aria," Marcus ground out, his pupils dilating and his nostrils flaring. He'd picked up the change in her scent and she berated herself for not masking it sooner.

"Sorry," she murmured a little breathlessly. "I can't really help it."

"I'm talking about ripping your packmates to shreds and you're getting turned on by it," he chuckled, lifting his hand to her face and brushing along her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. "How the hell am I supposed to let you run off again?"

She leaned into his touch, craving more of it. "By putting on your big boy pants, love."

"I should do something about that little attitude you have," he said thoughtfully, and she somehow knew exactly what he wanted to do about it. It was why she'd used it as often as possible. "I feel like if I let you go. you'll come back to me even more feisty,"

"You say that like you don't love putting me in my place," she challenged lightly. "The last time I checked, you enjoyed it so much that you'd put me in my place sev-"

"Don't push me, little one," he warned, the storm grey in his eyes darkening with the memory. "You're asking to let you leave my pack and go back to yours, and you're giving me no reason to comply."

"Fine," she said, taking a step back so that they could both breathe air that wasn't weighted with heady arousal. "We need that time apart, because if we realize that we really do want to be together, it won't be a hasty decision made with this."

She emphasized the last word by pointing at his crotch, trying very hard not to look down. She knew there would be very little stopping her if she did.

"Can you blame me when you want it all the same?" he smirked.

"Stop being coc- arrogant," she corrected quickly when he quirked a brow at her choice of words. "You're just afraid of sleeping in a cold bed."

"I'm afraid of sleeping in sheets that don't smell like you."

Her breath caught in her throat and she stared up at him in wonder.

"You don't have to exaggerate," she murmured, not quite sure if she could believe what he was saying. But he shook his head, stepping into her space again and tipping his chin forward until his forehead touched hers.

"The only exaggeration is you thinking that I won't miss you," he whispered. "I know that it might be hard to believe, and I don't blame you for feeling like you're not worth the fight, but it's true. I'm going to miss waking up and breathing you in. I'm going to miss falling asleep on your chest, and I'm going to miss the taste of you on my tongue."

"Now who's making things difficult?" she breathed, eyes fixed on his but sinful deeds on your mind, "Alpha."

He hummed, though it rumbled in his chest and sounded more like a rolling growl. "Call me Alpha again, I've got nothing but you on my mind, darling. So why don't you come back with me, hm? I'll make it worth your while."

"Marcus," she sighed in exasperation. "Focus, please."

He pouted but kept quiet anyway, even though she could tell he was sulking because she hadn't indulged him.

"What if," she began, eyes roving his gorgeous face. "I went back to my pack for three days. Just three days. And in that time, we both sort through the messes in our minds. And if nothing changes, I'll call you to come pick me up. Me and all my belongings."

"And what about the Alpha pup?" he murmured, eyes twinkling although she could see the worry in them. She knew that Aiden would be a bigger obstacle than whatever issues she and Marcus needed to sort out. But she'd resolved to end things with Aiden, regardless of whether she and Marcus worked out or not.

"Whether or not we end up together," she said, seriousness dripping into her voice. "I'm going to end things with him. Once and for all. There are ways to permanently sever a bond without either wolf dying. I'll find one."

Marcus looked so sad that she wondered if she'd said something to hurt him.

"I don't want you to put yourself through something that traumatic just for me." he said. "Losing a mate isn't an easy process, and severing that bond on purpose can do so much damage."

"I can't live being tethered to a mate who doesn't want me, Marc," she said, her shoulders drooping. "I can't go on with my life knowing that he could ruin everything in a second just because I didn't do the right thing."

"You're not the one at fault here."

"No," she agreed. "But I can fix it and make sure no one else gets hurt because of Aiden and I."

"I don't like this at all, I hope you know that," he growled, his fingers brushing the arch of her cheek. "But if this is what you want, then this is what we'll do."

"Really?"

He smiled and reached up to hold her face gently in his hands. "Yes, darling. Say the word and it's yours."

The side of her mouth tugged up in a half smile.

"Then, could I have one last kiss before I go?"

"You can have all of them," he breathed, pressing his lips to hers so gently, so sweetly, that she thought she might cry. "I'll be waiting for your call."

She nodded and Marcus glanced past her and addressed Jaden.

"Take her back, Jay."

She didn't see Jaden but assumed he'd agreed. She slumped into Marcus' arms, breathing him in before she left. It seemed he had the same idea, because his arms circled her and held her tight, his breath warm on the side of her neck.

It took every ounce of self-control she had to pull away and walk back to the car, where a very disgruntled but happy Jaden sat waiting for her.

"Three days," she said, looking back at Marcus, who had already shifted back into his wolf form. He dipped his large head once in understanding and padded off the road, the storm grey of his coat almost dark enough to get lost in the darkness around them.