Forbidden

|13|

Marx

"That's impossible. Her and Laurent are to be marked, showing that she's his mate. Come with another lie wolf." Val said, confusion and anger lacing her tone. I could see she didn't want to believe what she just said so I decided to maybe sugarcoat the truth with a small little white lie.

"She is my mate Val, we were to perform the marking ceremony in a weeks due but Laurent came and filled her head with lies. Claiming to have a bond with her when everyone knows that one cannot mate outside of their own pack, so tell me Val, who is the one lying here?" I spoke with forced confidence and just like I hoped, I saw it in the way her eyes took on a darker color that she took the bait.

Moving a little closer, her fur nearly brushing against mine, Val stared me right in the eyes.

"You never told me your name, stranger." Her words crashed over me like a wave of pure sensuality and I groaned inwardly. That was...new.

"My name is Simon, but you can call me Marx."  I circled around her, taking in her appearance when I was suddenly hit with an immense urge to see her human form. As if on cue, she hit the floor with her back arching up in pain. Taking a step back, I watched her crooked U shaped wolf form morph into a naked mass of long browned legs and arms, with brunette locks covering her breasts. Groaning in pain from the sudden forced change, Val wobbly stood up and glared at me, although the flushed look she had and the fact that she was utterly bare made the glare less threatening.

"What you do?" She asked slowly, not quite sure if it was my fault or some freak of nature accident. I, myself, didn't know what happened but I shrugged my shoulders in a uncaring fashion.

"I didn't do anything, you phased out. Why you blaming me for something you did?" I laughed, hiding my uncertainty at the situation. That's shouldn't had happened. I would ask the Elders later, I thought as a plan hit me full force and a wolffish grin split my lips.

"So Val, do you want to be with Laurent or not?"

**************

Eden

Morning came and I just laid there alone, like I had all night. Laurent hadn't returned and I wasn't really surprised. I had a tendency to push people away because of my past. Plus, Nana M, Marx and Mason's grandma, always told me what was the point in me making friends when they would do nothing but see me as a murderer. Releasing a shaky breath, I let Nana M's words assault me.

"How could anyone love you? Murderer of Alpha Laiya.
Useless child who will amount to nothing but being a pup bearer.
Even then, you will be worthless. Who would mate with some one who kills those closest to her?"

Everyday I heard those words, she sang them like a repetitive mantra. Once in the morning, once before lunch, and once after dinner. Only good thing she'd ever done for me was train me to fight after it was announced that I had been promised to Marx. She said I needed to know the basics of combat if I was to ever be of any use to Marx in his glorious future. God, that lady was full of it.

Making myself leave the bed, I showered and found some clothes in a nearby crate. They were men's white tank and shorts but they would have to do. Dressing and going into the hallway, Larry walked past me, not even throwing a glance my way or a good morning. Abandonment was hitting me hard this morning and I was struggling to stay in control of my emotions. Opting to go straight for the front door, I carried on and left, not a single person even stopping to greet me.

"Who cares about you? Nobody!"

I kept walking until I left the encampment, wandering my way over to a field of oak trees and climbed onto the huge twisted branches. Letting my legs dangle over, I wondered if maybe I should leave. I wasn't part of Marx's pack any longer and Laurent never officially welcomed me into his, so perhaps I should just go. I mean for the first time in my whole life, I was a free wolf. Perhaps doing that would give me peace of mind, I hated feeling like the bad guy because of something I couldn't control.

"Why did you do this Artemis? What have I done wrong to deserve this? Is this finally your punishment for what I did to mom?" I questioned myself out loud, hoping the skies would open and Artemis herself would answer the question. When nothing happened and I was done looking like a deranged fool, I closed my eyes and leaned back into the trunk of the tree.

"You okay up there lovely?" A smooth Persian voice asked and despite myself, a slight tug pulled at the corners of my lips.

"Don't I look like I am?" I replied sarcastically, thinking he would go away if I kept him at arms length.

"Naw, looks like you playing tug of war with ya self, and ya losing." I opened my eyes at that and just stared ahead of me at the endless expanse of trees.

"Am I that transparent?" I grimaced at the thought, if Waydi could see past my calm facade then Mason would have no problem at all.

"Nah, I just pay attention to people is all. It's kind of my thing, I'm an observer." Waydi laid his arms up on the tree, resting his chin on them.

"You know...you're the first person to even talk to me today. Why? Everyone else seems to avoid me, since I'm the bad guy and all for getting in between Laurent and Val." I peeked down at Waydi and he was looking up at me, his smile on full cute overload.

"Well lovely, I don't like Val so you have no problems with me. She isn't as kind as everyone makes her out to be. Trust me, when she and I dated, she was a total fucking nightmare, she acts different with Laurent though. Maybe she changed but I don't like her." Waydi muttered, his pupils dilating while he lost himself in his thoughts, just as I had earlier. I sat up and leaned over to look at him.

"Wanna go for a run? I'm lonely and no one else would, so will you join me?" I hesitated in asking, but decided to anyways. Waydi's smile grew even bigger and he pushed up of the trunk.

"Sure, why not lovely."

I hopped down and we phased out, charging off in full sprint to wherever, Waydi leading the way. Neither of us notice there was a midnight wolf watching us go.