"Marcus..."
After everything had passed, Willow lay limply in his arms, too comfortable to move. Nestled against his chest, she replayed everything that had just happened, his sudden dominance, his overwhelming hunger for her, the way he had lost control.
Instead of fear, her heart filled with a quiet, blooming satisfaction.
She had finally reached him. Finally beco his woman. And he wanted her, burned for her, desired her without restraint.
That realization wrapped around her like warmth, intoxicating and soft. She sank deeper into his embrace, listening to his breathing, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest, letting herself drift in everything he gave her.
Held within his broad arms, supported by his strength, she did not want to move at all.
If she could, she would freeze this mont forever, let it linger as sothing eternal. This warmth, this sense of belonging, it was sothing she had longed for far too long.
But reality refused to stay quiet. What ca next?
Ever since her father had abandoned her and her mother, Willow had carried a deep resentnt toward n. In her eyes, they were unreliable, selfish, incapable of loyalty. For more than twenty years, she had never allowed herself to fall for anyone. She had even accepted the idea that she would live alone.
And yet, Marcus had appeared and quietly undone everything.
From the mont Snow introduced them in their sophomore year, through every interaction that followed, he had slowly, almost imperceptibly, entered her life. Without her realizing it, those feelings had taken root, growing deeper with ti until they beca sothing she could no longer deny.
If that weren’t true, then why had she given herself to him so completely?
Why had everything between them felt so natural, so overwhelming, so filled with emotion?
Why had they reached such heights so effortlessly?
In the heat of passion, it was easy to lose control, easy to surrender to feeling. But now, with the storm fading, clarity returned whether she wanted it or not.
And with it ca unease. Her thoughts drifted, tangled and restless. Marcus, Snow, Lily...
And herself.
The reality of it all pressed in on her, leaving her uncertain, unsure how to move forward.
She had always despised n who were unfaithful, who gave their hearts to more than one woman. And yet now, she had willingly given everything she had to a man who already belonged, at least in part, to soone else.
Could she ask him to abandon the others for her?
’No.’
She couldn’t bear the thought of turning him into exactly the kind of man she had always hated. And Snow... Snow was like a younger sister to her. How could she ever bring herself to hurt her?
Then should she leave quietly? The thought alone made her chest tighten. Lying here in his arms, wrapped in his warmth, how could she leave? How could she possibly walk away from this?
What woman would willingly give up her own happiness?
Caught between these thoughts, Willow found herself sinking deeper into confusion. She didn’t know what to choose, didn’t know what she should say, or even what she truly wanted.
All she could do was remain silent.
As the weight of years of buried emotion surfaced, a quiet ache spread through her chest. Her nose stung, and before she could stop herself, tears slipped free.
She pressed her face into his chest, hiding herself there, unwilling to move. She wanted him to understand, yet at the sa ti, she feared that understanding.
Not knowing where this path would lead, she could only stay still, pretending to sleep against him, hiding her turmoil in silence.
"Marcus..."
Her body trembled faintly, her breathing uneven. The thought ca unbidden, that she might never be able to leave him, that she would beco bound to him in a way she could no longer control.
And sohow, that both frightened and comforted her.
Marcus, unaware of the storm inside her, slowly drew her closer. His hands slid along her waist, gentle now, no longer driven by urgency but by sothing quieter, deeper.
He lifted her slightly and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. His cheek rested against hers as he breathed in her faint, lingering fragrance, his expression filled with tenderness.
Only now did he begin to understand just how much she ant to him. He wanted to hold her like this, to keep her close, to make it so she could never leave.
But his own thoughts were far from clear.
Snow, Lily, Anya, Chloe, Elara from Dominion.
The nas alone were enough to leave him conflicted. Each one held a place in his life, in his heart, and trying to sort through those feelings only left him more uncertain.
For a while, he said nothing. He didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know how to explain anything to the woman in his arms.
So he simply held her tighter.
And like that, they lay together in silence, wrapped in warmth, neither willing to let go, yet neither able to break the stillness between them.
Ti passed quietly.
Marcus remained where he was, holding her close, their bodies still joined, the slow circulation of Human Rock continuing beneath the surface. The steady flow of energy moved between them as they shared warmth, breath, and presence.
Then, faintly, he heard it; the sound of a key turning in the door.
His body tensed instantly. For a mont, panic rose. Had Lily and the others returned already?
But then he glanced at the ti. It was too early. They were still in class. Focusing himself, he extended his senses, letting Human Rock sharpen his awareness.
A mont later, he relaxed.
"Just Mrs. Julia..."
The housekeeper had co early, as usual, to prepare dinner before the others returned. Still, Marcus knew they couldn’t stay like this much longer.
Within an hour, the house would no longer be empty.
He gently shook Willow, who appeared to be asleep in his arms, and lifted her face slightly.
What he saw made his chest tighten. Tears still clung to her lashes, faint tracks marking her cheeks.
Guilt rose sharply within him.
He had been too forceful, too consud by his own desire. He hadn’t stopped to consider her feelings, hadn’t given her the space she deserved.
And now... Now he had to wake her.
"Willow..."
His voice softened as he brushed away her tears, calling her gently.
Wrapped in his warmth, Willow had slowly cald earlier, the turmoil inside her easing as she rested against him. Exhaustion from everything that had happened weighed heavily on her, and for a brief ti, she had truly fallen asleep in his arms.
"Ah!"
The mont she opened her eyes and saw him, she stiffened instinctively. Even though she knew it was him, knew where she was, the intimacy of the mont overwheld her all over again.
His gaze, his arms around her, the closeness between them, it all made her heart race.
mories of everything they had done flooded back, and with them ca a rush of shyness so intense it left her flustered.
She tried to push herself up, desperate to escape the embarrassnt.
"Ah...!"
But the mont she moved, pain shot through her. The lingering soreness from before made her falter, her body losing strength as she cried out softly.
She couldn’t hold herself up. Her body gave in, falling back toward him.
"Careful—"
Marcus reached out quickly, but he was just a mont too late. Her body fell against his, her chest pressing firmly against him as her lips brushed against his in an accidental kiss.
"Willow... are you alright?"
His voice was gentle now, filled with concern. He leaned in, kissing her softly as if to soothe her, his earlier intensity replaced by tenderness.
He knew he had pushed too far.
Even soone like Lily, who was accustod to him, might have struggled with the way he had been today. For Willow, experiencing it for the first ti, it was overwhelming.
Still, he trusted in Human Rock. It wouldn’t harm her. She only needed ti to recover.
"Let help you—"
He reached out again, intending to support her, but she avoided his gaze, too embarrassed to et his eyes. Lowering her head, she slowly pulled herself away from him, carefully freeing herself from his arms.
As she sat up, Marcus couldn’t help but look.
Her body, mature and flawless, was revealed once more before him. Even after everything, the sight of her still left him montarily breathless.
’Too beautiful.’
Then suddenly, her expression changed.
Her clothes... they were gone. In his earlier frenzy, he had destroyed them completely.
"Marcus, you jerk!"
Flustered and mortified, she quickly grabbed the blanket and wrapped it tightly around herself, covering every inch of the body he had been admiring monts ago. Curling up on the bed, she turned away, her shoulders trembling as quiet sobs escaped her.
The sight struck him imdiately. Any lingering thoughts vanished.
"Willow..."
He moved closer, his voice low, uncertain. There was so much he wanted to say, so much he needed to explain, but the words wouldn’t co.
Everything felt tangled, unclear.
And seeing her like this, curled up, vulnerable, her tears still falling, only made it worse.
For the first ti that day, Marcus found himself truly at a loss.
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