Chapter 22

TWENTY-TWO

M arcus kept Natalie tucked against his side as they walked to the SUV, his body between her and any potential threat. He helped her into the back seat before sliding in beside her.

“Home, James,” Natalie quipped to Jax as he got in the driver’s seat.

“Wrong movie reference, Doc,” Jax chuckled, raising the privacy partition. “Try ‘get us out of here before someone else tries to kill us.’”

As the SUV pulled away from the Met, Marcus pulled Natalie closer, needing to feel her safe against him. She turned in his arms, her hands coming up to frame his face. The soft silk of her evening gown whispered against his bare chest as she moved, and her touch sent electricity through his skin.

“You scared me,” she whispered, her fingers tracing his jaw with a tenderness that made his heart ache. “When I saw them hurt you...”

He caught her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm. “I’m fine. Shifter healing, remember?”

“Still.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, the hazel depths swimming with emotions that stole his breath. “I can’t lose you, Marcus. I?—“

He couldn’t let her finish that sentence. Not here, not like this. Instead, he cradled her face in his hands, his thumbs ready to brush away the tears that threatened to fall. For a heartbeat, he just looked at her—really looked at her. The way her lips parted slightly, the faint dusting of freckles across her nose that only his enhanced vision could detect, the way her pulse fluttered at her throat.

When he kissed her, it was with all the gentleness he possessed. His lips brushed hers softly at first, a whisper of contact that made her sigh against his mouth. Her hands slid up his chest, careful of his healing wounds, until her fingers tangled in his hair.

The kiss deepened naturally like waves rolling into shore. He tasted mint and champagne and something uniquely Natalie as she melted against him. Her lips were soft and warm, moving with his in a dance that felt both familiar and thrillingly new. His wolf purred with contentment as she pressed closer, fitting perfectly in his arms as if she’d been made for him.

One of his hands slipped to the small of her back while the other cradled her head, holding her like she was precious—because she was. To him, she was everything. The kiss wasn’t just passion; it was a promise. A vow to protect, to cherish, to love.

When they finally parted, both breathing heavily, he couldn’t resist pressing another soft kiss to the corner of her mouth, then her cheek, then her temple. She hummed contentedly, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck in a way that made him want to purr like a giant cat.

“Marcus,” she breathed his name like a prayer, her forehead resting against his.

“I know,” he murmured, because he did. Every unspoken word, every emotion too big for language—he felt it all.

She nuzzled closer, tucking her head under his chin. Her breath fanned warm against his throat as she pressed a gentle kiss to his healing skin. “Your wounds?—“

“Are already healing.” He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. “And entirely worth it.”

“Stubborn alpha.”

“Only for you.” He kissed her again, softer this time. “Stay with me tonight.”

She raised an eyebrow, a hint of her usual sass returning. “Pretty presumptuous, Mr. Vale.”

“I meant—“ He growled as she laughed. “You know what I meant. I need to know you’re safe.”

“Well, you do have that obscenely comfortable couch...”

“And a state-of-the-art security system.”

“And that fancy coffeemaker I love...”

He tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his expression serious despite her attempt at levity. “And me. You have me.”

Her playful smile softened into something that made his heart stop. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I have you.”

The rest of the drive passed in comfortable silence, Marcus holding her close as the city lights blurred past. His wounds were already closing, his wolf settled now that their mate was safe. And if his arms tightened around her every time they hit a bump, well... he was just being protective.

“Marcus?”

“Hmm?”

“You’re hovering again.”

He kissed her temple, breathing in the scent of her perfume mixed with something uniquely Natalie. “Get used to it, sweetheart.”

Her quiet laugh vibrated against his chest, better than any award acceptance speech could have been. Because she was here, she was safe, and she was his.

Even if she did mock his growling.

From the front seat, Jax’s voice floated back through the partition: “You know I can still hear you two being disgustingly cute back there, right?”

“Eyes on the road, Jax,” Marcus growled, but there was no heat in it. Nothing could ruin this moment.

Natalie just laughed, snuggling closer. “Your beta’s just jealous.”

“Damn right, I am,” Jax called back. “Do you know how long I’ve had to put up with his brooding? Years of ‘I’ll never find my mate’ and ‘Stop trying to set me up, Jax.’ Now look at him, all lovesick and protective.”

Marcus raised the privacy partition the rest of the way, cutting off Jax’s laughter. Some moments were meant to be private—like holding the woman you love after nearly losing her.

“He means well,” Natalie murmured against his chest.

“He means to drive me crazy.” But Marcus couldn’t keep the affection out of his voice. Jax had been by his side through everything.

She tilted her head up, studying his face in the passing streetlights. “Your wounds are healing faster.”

He caught her hand as she traced one of the nearly-closed gashes. “Told you I’d be fine.”

“Still.” She pressed a kiss to his chest, right over his heart. “Thank you for protecting me.”

The simple gesture nearly undid him. His wolf whined, wanting to shift and curl around her, to keep her safe from everything that might harm her. Instead, he tightened his arms around her, dropping a kiss on top of her head.

The city lights painted patterns across her face as she smiled up at him. “My big bad alpha.”

“Yours,” he agreed, catching her lips in another soft kiss. Because that’s what it came down to—he was hers, completely and irrevocably. His wolf knew it, his heart knew it, and soon, the whole world would know it too.

Even if she never stopped teasing him about his growling.