Embraced Scars

Chapter Ten

He lightly kissed the top of my head, and I felt a litle smile crawl onto my face. For the first time in what seemed like years, I fell asleep instantly, and happy.

Marcus's POV

I looked down at Annabelle's sleeping face and couldn't keep a goofy smile from tugging at my lips. Her eyes were moving underneath her eyelids, her long eyelashes brushing her cheeks. She was tucked up against me, her leg thrown over mine and her arm resting on my chest. Her tiny chest was rising and falling slowly, her heart beating rhythmically against my side. Her long hair was sprawled over the pillow behind us, the creamy blonde strands of hair tickling my arm slightly. 

My fingers unconciously trailed over the scars on her thigh, following the little dents in her soft skin. The scars looked like little valleys, carved into her flesh. It hurt me to think of the pain she must have been in to recieve so many scars. 

I thought of the time we'd kissed in the kitchen when she first arrived. Her lips had been so soft on mine, her body perfectly moulded to mine. She had been so scared, but had responded instantly. It felt like a life time ago that we shared that moment. 

I laid still for what seemed like hours, just watching her sleep. She looked completely different. She didn't look nervous or angry. Her young face was peaceful, despite the red cracks down her cheek. 

Sadness ate away at my heart, however. I missed my parents so much. Even though he was cruel and he often didn't show it, my father did love me, and I him. I was closer to my mother than I had been with anyone, even Cody, who I'd known since birth. Losing both parents in one day at only sixteen had been tough. My heart had been covered with a layer of ice, that was only just starting to melt. 

I heard a little groan as Annabelle woke up. Her sleepy eyes looked around, a frown on her face. They finally landed on me, a hot red blush running up her neck and onto her cheeks. She offered me a small smile, 

"Morning." She said, her voice thick with sleep. I felt my eyes grow wide and my wolf howl with joy at the sound. 

"Morning." I replied, smiling back slightly. She rested her head back on my arm, her fingers drawing little circles on my chest. I sighed, looking at the ceiling. WasI going to tell her?

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly, rolling onto her stomach so she was looking down at me. I paused for a moment, wondering what to say.

"It's a bit depressing for this early in the morning." I told her with a small smile. She returned it.

"It's OK, you can tell me if you want." Her voice was soothing and soft, like her hands on my chest.

"Yesterday marked the seventh year of my parents death." I told her. She looked shocked, then grabbed my hand and kissed it.

"You dont have to tell me if you don't want to." She said.

"I want to," I twisted our fingers together, rubbing my thumb over her palm, "My father was the old Alpha, and he became completely power crazed. It was his plan to take over the surrounding rouge packs so he could expand his territory. I was young and didn't know what to do. So I just followed along. He was killed in battle, trying to take over the Western rouges. They are the only pack we haven't defeated."

"What happened to your mother?" Annabelle asked hesitantly, her dark eyes looking into my light ones. 

"She killed herself when she found out. The mating bond for Alphas and Lunas is even stronger than the usual bond. She couldn't handle it." My voice was just above a whisper, a lump of emotion lodged in my throat. 

"I'm so sorry, Marcus." Annabelle breathed, tears filling her chocolate eyes. I shrugged, looking at our entwined hands. "Why are you still trying to take over the Western rouges then, if you were only following after your father?"