The Taste of Seduction

move closer to him, but she kept a few feet of

distance between them.

Marcus took another swig of the whiskey.

"There is nothing to be done about it, so... It doesn\'t matter."

"Of course it matters." She said, studying his

anxious expression.

"Why?" Marcus whispered.

Her eyes softened. "Because I care about you." She murmured.

Marcus stared into her hazel eyes and then he chuckled mirthlessly.

"You care about me? Then why did you fucking sleep with someone on the same night that I proposed to you Huh? When were you going to tell me your lover is closer than I thought? Or did you plan on secretly screwing him after we get married?"

His eyes glittered dangerously. Meredith had never seen him this angry and she shrank away from him. Advancing on her, he demanded harshly,

"It was him! Why in the hell didn\'t you tell me your

sweet lover was Atlas, Elvin\'s nephew! Like a fool I told him how much I want you and that he should help me even court you."

Marcus gulped down his whiskey before he continued, "Were you planning on laughing behind my back?"

Meredith stiffened as she realized that Marcus had found out the truth but how? Also he had asked Atlas to help him court her and he had agreed? But why?

Her heart beat faster in her chest and she opened her mouth to talk but it remained soundless with no words coming out.

Her face paled and anxiety constricted her chest as fear gnawed at her spine.

"What? You don\'t have anything to say?" He let out a harsh laugh and sat down at the couch swirling his whiskey glass.

"H-how did you find out?"

Marcus scoffed, "Does it matter how I found out? You made a fool out of me, Meredith. How could you?"

All of the air released from her chest. He was right.

She whispered, "I\'m sorry…I never wanted to hurt you."

"You never wanted to hurt me?" Sarcasm

dripped from his words.

"So what exactly did you want to happen? That I will never find out ? That you would continue to screw him behind my back while I go back to him for advice on how to make you fall in love with me? Tell me, is that the perfect ending you were hoping for?" he mocked.

Meredith furrowed her brows. Why the hell was he overreacting? He was the one who said they could sleep around didn\'t he?

Guilt and shame and sadness swirled around her and she bit her lips. What she did was bad but still he was the one who told her they both could do anything they wanted.

"Weren\'t you the one who said that we both could sleep around if we wanted and that you would never force yourself on me? What happened? Why are you so angry? I never asked if you\'re screwing anyone and I have respected your privacy. Remember you left me alone and ran off with your pretty mistress the other day and we were even in public.

Did you stop to think how I felt about that? Now you\'re angry because I slept with my own boyfriend? What\'s with the double standard Marcus? I thought you were better than this." Meredith said disappointed.

His eyes gleamed crimson. Tension radiated through his chest, and he looked into her eyes.

"I don\'t know! Okay? I know I said that initially but that was before we even knew each other. Now I want you and I won\'t let you go. You\'re mine!"

He roared.

Meredith blinked, stunned by the unexpected vulnerability in his eyes, and the words that he had said. Was he serious?

Meredith suddenly couldn\'t find enough air in her lungs, her voice a broken whisper,

"What?"

Marcus moved in a blur from his seat and Meredith found herself trapped on the door as Marcus put both of his hands either side of her head on the door, only keeping a few inches between them as he leaned his head down to her eye level.

"I love you." He whispered.

His words made her blood run cold, her heart stopping for a second.

"I don\'t love you," Meredith replied.

"I don\'t expect you to," Marcus\'s words surprised her.

Pulling away from her he said,

"We are going to get married and you\'re going to learn to love me too. Because whether you like it or not, I\'m the one you\'re going to be spending the rest of your life with. "

Meredith shook her head as tears spilled from her eyes.

"No. I will never love you!"

Pain flashed across his eyes but it disappeared quickly.

"I don\'t care. You belong to me now, not him!l"

Tears breached her eyelashes. Struggling to

maintain her breathing over the frantic anxiety in

her chest, She gasped,

"Marcus please….don\'t do this…"

His features softened immediately when he saw her distress. He reached his thumbs to hers cheek and tenderly brushed away the tears.

He joined his forehead to hers and sighed, "I really don\'t want to do this but I have no choice.

"Our circumstances are unchangeable. If it were within my power to release you…Maybe I would. Maybe I wouldn\'t. At this point, I honestly don\'t know."

"Marcus please…"

"I\'m going to kiss you and touch you in front of him and I\'m going to watch his eyes filled with pain wishing it was him touching you.

And if you don\'t want him dead or to go back to the human realm you\'re going to stop seeing him once we go back.

You\'re going to convince him that you love me now and not him. I don\'t know how you\'re going to do that but you will behave like you\'re obsessed with me when we are in public or trust me darling I\'m going to be your nightmare."

"You can\'t do that. I\'m the Queen, I can choose whoever I want!"

Marcus chuckled, "No you\'re not. You\'re just a powerless human right now and you need me. Until you can stand on your two feet you\'re going to listen to me."

Traitorous tears splashed down her cheeks. Meredith swiped them away angrily, furious with herself for being so powerless.

"Go sleep, tomorrow we have a meeting to attend as a loving couple."

Meredith pushed him away and glared at him, "I hate you!"

Marcus shrugged and chuckled, "Well I might not be in your heart but I guess I will be in your head."

A/N: Marcus is overreacting I know but this is his first time liking someone over a decade now. At her welcoming ball, Merri pretended she didn\'t know Atlas. Also Marcus had asked Atlas if he liked Merri he said no. He felt they\'re using them and laughing behind his back. As a prince his ego is hurt and he is drunk so…welcome to his villain era. Ha!