THE WAY KEEPER

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER FOUR

MARCUS POV

‘Marcus, hey Marcus!’

‘Yeah’ I replied waking up, ‘sorry, I slept off.’

Robert smiled nodding to the door. ‘We have reached our stop, I have mind linked with my beta and he says your sister is waiting for us on the platform.

‘Let’s go then’ I said getting up.

Getting off the bus with Richard got us both a lot of attention. We were both tall and broad chested wearing casual clothes that exposed the tattoos on our forearms, surrounded by body guards. Girls turned to look at us and being the playboy I was, I looked back winking at a girl or two, but Robert just held a straight face and kept looking forward searching for his soul mate. When I saw him stop and smile I knew he had found her.

Sitting on a green bench wooden bench wearing a yellow flowery sundress with a matching broad brimmed hat and gladiator sandals was my sister blooming in pregnancy and talking animatedly to a female stranger who sat at the other end of the bench. My wolf stirred within me restlessly and I figured maybe he was also excited to see her Lara again after so long. I tried to wave to catch her attention but Robert held my hand and just stood staring at her as she spoke to whoever this mystery lady was for about a minute.

‘Let’s go’ he said moving quickly, we picked up a few parts of their conversation despite the distance because of our wolf hearing The lady was taking about being a niece to willow.

‘She doesn’t look like willow’ said Robert stating our presence. ‘Honey!’ Lara screamed getting up excited, but her sudden motion made the bench to tilt sideways causing the lady on the other end to fall to the ground. My heart stirred within me and my wolf howled in pain, as Richard rushed to the scene.

‘Oh my goodness are you ok? I heard Lara ask

‘Dude, what is up with you today?’

‘Don’t just stand there help her you idiot.’ He responded angrily

‘Lara you are not in a condition to bend’ I said as I began to I run as well.

I watched Lara still trying to bend over to help the girl, which was almost impossible because of her condition, Richard was already by her side holding her waist and pulling her to him. As one of his men reached out to help the girl whose long hair was sprawled all over the concrete like red velvet. My wolf growled through the mind-link which startled even me causing everyone to look at me including my sister. Everyone moves back making room for me, perks of being next in line to the throne I guess. My wolf was jumping circles in my head and it was giving me a headache causing me to frown.

‘What’s wrong with you?’

‘I said help her!’ my wolf screamed again

‘Lara is fine.’ I responded rolling my eyes at him

‘I mean the girl you royal piece of trash, how in the world did I get stuck with someone as ignorant and stupid as you!’

‘The feeling is mutual’ I responded before closing our link, not giving him the time to answer.

I walk up to the mystery lady who was already picking herself off the floor and held out my hand but her red hair shielded her face like a curtain and she couldn’t see me, so I decided to hold her by the shoulders to help her up. The moment I touched her, a huge current passed through me almost causing my heart to stop beating. It all happened so fast and I was so startled I dropped her causing her to land face first on the concrete floor. She screamed painfully, causing my wolf to howl at me.

‘What is wrong with you boy? You hurt our mate; mate is hurt so do something!’ But I just stood there in total shock watching her hold her nose as droplets of blood landed on the floor. ‘My mate, it’s really you; we found you’ that was the only thought that kept replaying in my head

‘Marcus what happened?’ my sister asked surprised, ’Bill please help her’

‘Calm down baby it was just an accident.’ I heard her husband say trying to pacify her through our personal link as he held her close.

I saw Richard’s beta walking up to us, but I growled so deeply within the mind-link and he stopped. ‘Step any closer and I will rip you apart.’ I said to him through the link again. He looked at me confused at first but then his eyes bulged and he smiled knowingly before stepping back with his hands up.

‘Mate is on the floor, she’s crying,’ my wolf whined

I rushed to pick her off the floor and placed her on my lap as sparks ran through me again.

‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.’ I kept repeating rubbing her back, she whimpered but still leaned to my touch, which I loved but it made me feel so helpless watching her cry in pain not knowing what to do. I looked up to find Lara and Richard but saw that everyone was looking at us. Lara’s eyes were filled with tears but they held several emotions as she slowly moved towards us, Richard was right behind her with his hands in his pockets. I saw several men at the scene but from the scent I knew they were all wolves. I felt someone trying to talk to me through the mind link so I opened it up.

‘You i***t, how could you drop your mate? It was Lara.

‘Not now Lara, please just help me, she’s really hurt.’

‘She’s not the only one who will be getting hurt mister.’ She answered angrily and I visibly gulped.

‘How is Richard still alive? Our sister is crazy’ my wolf asked me, ‘That we both can agree on.’ I responded.

Lara stopped glaring at me and looked at my mate before sitting down beside us with Richards help.

‘My dear I am so sorry, here let me see’ Lara said, my mate shook her head with her eyes still closed and blood oozing through her fingers holding her nose.

‘Please let me take a look, I am a doctor; I can help’ Lara said sadly

‘Please let her take a look.’ I said, sadness filling my voice as I rubbed her back to soothe her, I see my mum always does it to dad when he is having his anger fits, never really understood the science behind it but if it works for her, I hope it will work for me..

She turned and opened her eyes to look at me and my breath hitched. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes upon even in pain. Her eyes were a strange blend of blue with flecks of green, with a full pair of lips I couldn’t wait to taste. Her face was beginning to swell and it broke my heart to know I caused her such pain. I made a vow to myself there and then that I would give up my life to protect her from pain as I held her tighter to me lost in her eyes.

‘Look at me sweetheart’ Lara said turning her face softly with her fingers.

‘Robert please tell one of the men to get me the med-kit in the car with an ice pack.’ She asked looking at the Robert who mind linked one of the warriors to get it.

‘What’s your name honey?’ Lara asked gently tilting her head backwards.

‘Desire’ she whimpered as Lara kept talking to her and tilting her head backwards, giving me a clear view of her neck; wear my mark would sit. My wolf was literally dancing circles in my head when he heard her name. I held the back of her head to cushion her and her hair felt like silk in my hands.

‘Desire’ he said in my head, rolling her name off his tongue ‘she’s so perfect’ he continued and I couldn’t agree more.

‘Listen fool,’ he said growling at me in my head, ‘if you mess this up for us with that useless power hungry waste of fur called Natasha, I swear to you, I won’t let you live it down. Whatever it is you have with her ends here and now, we have our mate and she is all we need to be strong.’

‘Why are you always so insulting, you shaggy mutt?’

‘It’s because you always test my patience pup. You hardly ever listen to me and you always seem to have a gift of ruining things.’

‘What! You think I would leave our mate for Natasha’

‘I never said that! I know you care for that spoilt brat who is only with you because she wants to be queen, and I know she will not give you up without a fight. All I am saying is respect our mate and protect her.’

As much as I hated to admit it, my wolf was right, even I know Natasha can go over-board sometimes. I had to end things with Natasha and start on a clean slate with my mate. ‘If anyone tries to hurt our mate, I will not hesitate to kill them Marcus, even her’ he said again. We continued to banter back and forth till I heard my mate wince in pain. My wolf and I growled defensively holding her tighter ready to kill.

‘Put a sock on it mister, you are scaring her.’ Lara mind linked me. She wasn’t wrong, Desire shook visibly upon hearing that sound and would have jumped off me had I not gripped her so tightly. I mentally face palmed myself for the mistake and looked up to find Richard smirking at me, wriggling his eyebrow amusingly.

After a few more minutes, Lara finished patching her up and placed the ice pack on her face to lessen the swelling and asked her to hold it down with her hand.

‘Thank you so much madam, I am grateful.’ Desire said. Lara looked shocked and so was I, who says thank you to the person who hurt them?

‘Mate is very polite, she’s making me fall for her more’ my wolf said. ‘You are starting to sound like a love sick puppy, don’t forget lover boy she’s mine’ I replied.

‘She’s mine too man w***e and just so you know I would rather be her puppy than Natasha’s puppet’ he spat back. I wanted to give him my response but feel Desire move, trying to get off me. She looked at me and saw me staring intensely at her.

‘Mate is checking us out, use the chance to apologize’ I heard my wolf say but the words didn’t fully register; I was lost in her eyes.

‘Marcus!’ he growled in my head, ‘why do I have to do everything myself?’ I didn’t quite understand till I felt him take full control of us. We both struggled for a while causing my body to shake

‘Hey, stop. She’s human don’t let her see you’ I screamed in my head

‘Shut up, I know what I’m doing.’ He responded keeping his eyes shut

‘Sir, are you ok? Please unhand me, I have to go now’ I heard her say. God that voice, it was beautiful. She tried getting up again but my wolf that now controlled my body held unto her and placed our forehead against hers.

‘Hey, what are you…’

‘Please, please …..’ He said, his voice sounding deeper than mine.

‘Desire, please forgive me, I never meant to hurt you. I would never dream of hurting you. It kills me seeing you like this.’ He held her hand placing it on our chest with both of his ‘Its hurts here’.

‘It’s alright, I’m not upset. It was an accident and I’m going to be fine, see the bleeding has stopped’ she said removing her hand from our chest causing my wolf to whine, taking her withdrawal as a sign of rejection of his affection. He withdrew to the back of my mind with his tail literally between his legs giving me back control and closed the link.

She rose and I got up too beside her and saw her staring at my height.

‘Dude look, you did it, I think she likes us.’ I said to him trying to cheer him up, knowing how sensitive he is. I felt him look up and open the link to stare at her. He wagged his tail happy as we kept looking at each other. We held each other’s stares for a while before we heard someone cough which snapped us out of our trance. I looked to see Lara standing close to her husband smiling.

‘Thank you for your help, I have to go now’ she said picking up my bags.

‘Robert please do something, I don’t want to lose her.’ I mind linked to Robert

‘What do you want me to do? You seem to have it all covered, really smooth dropping her by the way, never seen anything like it.’ he asked chuckling.

‘Really, because I recall my mate falling us both down the staircase because I pushed him for standing in the way’ my sister teased joining the conversation.

‘I recall that my mate deliberately fell on me to cause the fall and while I was busy trying to cushion our fall down that staircase, my mate was busy touching my d…’ Robert teased

‘Really guys, focus.’ I stated, sounding desperate not really intending to but my wolf was obviously agitated watching her carrying her bags.

‘Relax, your majesty, I know where she’s going, Robert can offer to take her to Willow and you will offer a ride in your car following us. Baby will you please?’

‘Anything for you my love’ he responded before closing the link

‘Thanks sis’ I said

‘You may be next in line but you will always be my baby brother, anything to make you happy’ she replied

‘Is your aunt picking you up?’ asked Robert.

‘No Mr. Alpha sir’ she replied

Roberts wolf Zeus immediately came to the surface as he went into defensive mode ; surprised at her words, and Lara gasped knowing any wrong move, this wouldn’t end well.

‘Baby’ she said trying to calm him through the link

‘Walk towards me, very slowly’ he responded to her not taking his eyes of Desire.

While Robert was a calm, patient, brilliant and funny man; Zeus his wolf was a calculated, ruthless, cold blooded and savage beast and was known as the shadow of death. My wolf was trying to come to the surface as well to protect our mate, even if it meant facing Zeus. I knew we would defeat him given our advantage as royals but it won’t be a piece of cake taking Zeus down.

‘I’m sorry did I say something wrong? Desire said seeming to sense the tension, ‘I heard Mr. Bill calling you Alpha before you arrived and I thought it was your name.’

Everyone turned to Bill who stepped back slowly and said ‘I think I need to go start the car.’

Lara shook her head giggling and her husband just sighed closing his eyes.

‘Sometime I wonder why I haven’t gutted that idiot.’

‘I was trying to tell you, you big bad wolf.’ Lara said through our link hugging him.

Zeus responded hugging her back, ‘I will face the entire world if that is what it takes to keep you safe.’

‘I know’ she responded

‘I missed you mate’ he said

‘I missed you more’ she replied

‘Impossible’ he said smiling before continuing ‘Robert wants control so I have to go, I’ll see you tonight?’ he asked still hugging her

‘It’s a date’ she responded before Robert came back and turned to Desire

‘My name is Robert’ He said, ‘and that clumsy ox behind you is my best friend and brother-in-law Marcus. Since you don’t have a ride, we will be taking you to your aunt’s house, it’s the least we can do after all the trouble caused today.’

‘Mark, please take her bags’ said Lara.

‘Place them in my car, she’ll ride with me so you can be with Lara’ I said looking at Marcus. Mark replied ‘yes sir’ and looked down to resume picking up her bags.

‘Honey wait for me in the car, guys follow her’ said Robert.

‘Robert…’ she said turning to face him, he kissed her on the temple smiling and said through the mind-link, ‘I just need a minute with Marcus my love’. He then whispered, ‘go now, my son must be hungry with all the waiting and excitement.’ She smiled touching her belly and he placed his hand on top of hers. She turned and walked away with several men surrounding and following her. ‘Desire you can come with me.’ Lara said

‘Okay’ she replied before walking in their direction, Lara was waiting for her to catch up before walking her to the cars.

‘What is it Robert?’ I said curiously, eager to get to my mate

‘I just wanted to be the first to say congratulations your highness’ Richard said opening the link to his whole pack. The congratulations started pouring in through the link and I was a little over-whelmed by the emotions that flowed through: love, surprise with renewed respect. Reality suddenly dawning on me that a new chapter of my life was about to begin. No longer was I just a prince, I was now truly next heir apparent and a mate to a beautiful human girl and our lives would be surrounded by responsibilities, demands and expectations.

‘This information is not to go out of the pack; you have only been informed with one sole purpose. We are to guard our prince’s mate with our lives, Am I clear?’ Richard said sternly, creating a mental picture of Desire through the link for recognition by the pack.’

‘Yes Alpha’ said the pack before closing the link

‘Thank you Richard’ I said giving him a brotherly hug.

'Congratulations your majesty' he said hugging me back.

'I cant believe I am going to be king.' I said as we walked towards the cars.

'I believe you will make a great king' Robert responded, 'and there lies your motivation not to fail' he continued pointing towards a sleeping red head woman sprawled all over the back seat asleep. Sarah walked up to us hugging Robert first then me.

'I gave her some pain relievers, they seem to be kicking in.'

'Thank you Lara' I said.

'You are welcome.'

'Let go home' said Robert pulling his mate close to himself as the walked to the his car. I left them, walking to my designated vehicle, where lay my beautiful destiny. My beautiful Desire.