I awoke to a soft knock on my bedroom door before I saw Sebastian enter with a warm smile and a cart full of food.
I also noticed that I had again slept through the night and part of the morning.
"I brought extra since you slept through dinner." Sebastian wheeled the cart over to the bed.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and my stomach let out a very loud growl when I took a look at everything that was brought up to me. I was just starting to stuff the rare cooked meat into my mouth when Sebastian gave me a worried look then glanced over at the door.
"You also have a guest waiting for you."
The fork full of meat stopped half way to my mouth. "Why would I have a guest? Who is it?"
Before Sebastian could answer I heard the heavy footsteps coming down the hallway towards my room. Then I could smell it, the scent of leather, and warm spice, Marcus' scent.
"Why is Marcus here?" I panicked as I jumped up off the bed and pulled on some clothes.
I heard his deep baritone voice respond as I was struggling to pull a shirt over my head. "Because I was worried about you."
Once I was able to see again I turned and saw Marcus' tall frame leaning against the door frame. "If you were worried why did it take you so long to come find me?"
I saw Marcus flinch at the question. "I don't take rejection well." He mumbled as he combed his hand through his tousled hair.
There was a moment of silence before Marcus took a deep breath and continued. "I want to say I'm sorry for being so possessive. I just wanted to keep you safe, so please come back home with me."
I tilted my head in confusion as Marcus walked into the room. "Thanks for the apology but why would you think I would go back?" I was genuinely confused since I didn't have any romantic feeling for the Alpha and Marcus knew this.
Marcus opened his mouth to answer then stopped as he scented the air. "Your scent is different. Why does it smell like the vampire?" He was in front of me before I could answer, with one of my wrists gripped in his warm hand while his other hand moved my head to expose the bite mark on my neck. "You bonded with him?!" Marcus growled as he squeezed my wrist tighter, and his other hand wrapped around my neck.
"Marcus stop! You're hurting me!" I tried to pull my wrist from his grasp and step back but he was too strong for me. Before I knew it Marcus had me pinned against a wall as he continued to squeeze the life out of me.
"How could you bind yourself to a filthy bloodsucker?! Have you no pride in your wolf heritage?" Marcus growled as he continued to bore down on me with his Alpha voice.
Someone please help me! Kade where are you? I screamed in my mind as I attempted to reach out through the mate bond.
My vision was starting to blur as I felt myself slip into unconsciousness, but before the darkness could take me I felt him. Kade was close and I felt his panic, rage, and protectiveness race through the bond.
"Release him!" Kade commanded as he entered the room. I felt Marcus go ridged as a gasp of pain escaped his mouth. "I said release him dog!" Marcus let go of me like my skin had burned his flesh and stumbled backwards.
Once I was free I slid down the wall and coughed as I attempted to get my lungs to work properly again.
I felt Kade's cool hands wrap around me as he lifted me and placed me gently on the bed. "Are you ok?"
I took a deep breath and felt the pain around my neck as dark bruises started to bloom on both my neck and wrists. "A little sore, but I'll live." I croaked out as I smiled up at Kade. "Thank you for saving me."
"Always." Kade breathed as he placed a tender kiss on my bruised neck before he whirled around to face Marcus. His eyes started to glow crimson with his fury. "Kneel!" He commanded.
I watched as Marcus fought the command but ultimately he submitted and fell to his knees.
His eyes burned with years of hatred as he glared up at Kade. "You will pay for this bloodsucker!" He snarled.
"I already have." Kade rumbled as he stood before the Alpha shifter, a menacing aura of power radiating from him. "Do not touch him ever again. If you do I will rip the fur from your hide and use your pelt as a rug in my foyer."
Marcus stiffened, gave a curt nod, and slowly got up off the floor. He gave one sorrowful look at me before he turned and walked out the door.
Once he was gone I finally let myself relax and slumped back onto the bed. "That was intense." I mumbled.
"I'm sorry Riley. I should have never left you alone."
"It's not your fault. There is no way you could have known he would show up here." I sighed as I watched Kade walk over to the wardrobe and pull out the cream he had used earlier.
"This is going to sting." He warned as he gently started to apply the cream to the bruises around my neck.
I winced at the contact as Kade tended to my injuries. "How did you make him submit like that? I didn't think anyone could make an Alpha submit to them."
Kade chuckled quietly as he finished applying the cream then put the container away. "I can't do that to just any Alpha, Marcus and I have a type of blood bond. It is a sigil that was carved onto his flesh and sealed using my blood." Kade explained as he handed me a bottle of water from the forgotten food tray.