Willow in the Woods: Guarding the Willow

Chapter 17

Marcus

"How bad is that gut feeling of yours?" Dorian slumped against the side of the ice blue Hummer blowing out a ring of white smoke from the cigar.

"It's not great, Dorian... I want to trust that Willow can handle this. She obviously wants to handle it on her own. She can be so DAMN stubborn sometimes!" Marcus slammed his fist into the hood of his Hummer leaving a nice sized impression. It was about twice the size of his fist. Marcus would have to fix that later.

"Now Marcus, I have to ask. And I don't want you taking swings at me cause, boy, you know you don't want none." Dorian laughed, and Marcus glared at him with a low growl in his throat. "But is this your gut... Or your heart talkin?"

"What are you saying Dorian?" Marcus rolled up one sleeve of his shirt."Are you suggesting this because I've slept with her, and now you think I'm jealous that she might stay with that prick that damn near KILLED HER?!"

Dorian moved lightning quick to face Marcus and grab him by the front of his button up plaid shirt, lifting him a few inches into the air. Dorian's eyes turned a vibrant gold and his muscles and height began to bulge and extend, along with the black hair on his head and arms. In a deep gutteral tone, he growled out. "I am not the one you want to challenge Marcus. STEP. DOWN. and THINK! Your a fool if you don't see that you feel SOMETHING for her. You would never challenge ME, your FAMILY, your FRIEND, your BROTHER, otherwise."

Dorian lowered Marcus back down to his feet after a long moment of snarling at him. Dorian then fully pulled his moon form back inside himself. Out of any of the Wolfborn, Dorian had the most control. Neither moon nor earth children had an easy time of controlling their turn only halfway through. But Dorian could. It showed a true power of will and strength." You're the one who brought up jealousy... Not me. The thought of her being with someone else wouldn't hurt...if you didn't care at all."

Marcus looked at the ranch house following Dorian's gaze. Sylvia was currently instructing Mr. Max in her kitchen.

Marcus let out a long sigh. "Your right. I'm sorry. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's this damn guardian thing. But ya. She's grown on me. Sometimes it feels more like a rash though.....I'm sorry I challenged you. I shouldn't have...."

"Don't be an idiot, Marcus. If I were in your shoes, I would be doing the same damn thing. Standing here talking to you, tormenting myself like a mad man. And you know it." Dorian said slugging Marcus's shoulder.

"How are things with you and..."

Before Marcus could get out Syl's name, Dorian let out an exasperated huff. "Oh, don't get me started! It's always one step forward, and two steps back! Dancing around a rattlesnake. I'll think we are getting closer and then she pushes me away. But..." Dorian let out another puff of smoke from his cigar. "Audrey was her sister, her twin. The thought of being with me even with Audrey having been gone for decades...well....it's hard on me too sometimes. You know how siblings can be." Dorian looked at Marcus and then lowered his head. "Well I guess it's more complicated with your brother...but your going to have to suck it up, and quickly. You're not going to get a flight out of here the day before Thanksgiving. And you know he has the money, power, and connections to help Mr. Max in there. Maybe not with Sylvia...no one has that much power. But he can help you. And you know he will. It's not the first time he's helped us out in a pinch."

Marcus groaned as he took his phone out of his pocket. "Ya, but that was different. We had lost everything to that twister. It was for the Ranch...not for me."