Chapter 18
Marissa POV
It was early in the morning, the sun wasn't even out yet and I was already drenched in sweat, my muscles burning as I drove my twin spears into the wooden target with relentless precision. Each strike was a release, a way to channel the frustration that had been building inside me since the wedding.
A week had passed since I'd tied the knot with Charles, and I hadn't seen him since the ceremony. Not that I minded. The less I had to deal with him, the better. But apparently, he had other ideas.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him approaching. He was dressed in baggy pants and an oversized t-shirt that read *We already did it* in bold, obnoxious letters. I rolled my eyes and kept training, ignoring him as he stood there, awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
Finally, he spoke, his voice hesitant and stammering. "Uh, Marissa? I haven't seen you since the wedding day."
I didn't stop. "So?"
He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. "Well, it's... it's normal for married people to, you know, spend nights together after their marriage."
I paused mid-strike, turning to glare at him. "And it's also normal for me to have more important things to do than lay in bed."
Charles blinked, his face flushing red. "Oh. Okay."
He stood there for a moment, watching me as I resumed my training. I could feel his eyes on me, and it was starting to irritate me.
"Marissa," he said, interrupting me again.
I spun around, my patience wearing thin. "What now?"
He fidgeted with the hem of his ridiculous t-shirt. "You should probably consider sleeping in my house. Or, you know, my uncle Theo might start assuming you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing."
I raised an eyebrow, my grip tightening on the spears. "And what exactly am I supposed to be doing?"
Charles stammered, his face turning an even deeper shade of red. "Uh, you know... having kids. Acting like you just got married. You haven't even spent a few minutes with my parents so that they get to know you"
I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. "Right."
I turned back to the target, driving my spears into it with even more force. The wood splintered under the impact, but I didn't stop.
"Marissa," Charles said again, his voice tinged with desperation.
This time, I completely lost it. With a furious grunt, I swung my spear and knocked the head clean off the wooden target. It flew through the air and landed with a thud several feet away.
I turned to Charles, my chest heaving. "What. Do. You. Want?"
He flinched, taking a step back. "I just... I mean, since we're married, you're obligated to pick up some responsibilities. You know, act like a wife instead of..."
He trailed off, his words dying in his throat as Eve entered the training grounds. I'd never been so grateful to see someone in my life.
"Marissa!" Eve called. She was dressed in a sleek black outfit, her hair cut to a short one, a staunch sign of her rebellion towards her dad. . I wondered why she was here because never in her life had she shown interest in looking for me for any reason at all, she always didn't like me that way.
"Eve," I said, lowering my spears. "What brings you here?"
She walked over, her eyes scanning the destroyed target. "Impressive. Did the target insult you or something?"
I said. "Something like that."
Eve glanced at Charles, who was still standing there awkwardly, then back at me. "Anyway, I was wondering if Michael might have mentioned his address to you during the wedding. You know, when you two were chatting."
"Why would he tell me? We only met for the first time that day, it would be strange if he did."
"He is a chatty guy, so I thought he would have slipped in inside his words." Eve smiled awkwardly
I shook my head. "No, he didn't. And shouldn't you know his address and stuff? I thought he was your boyfriend."
Eve waved a hand dismissively. "He's not technically my boyfriend. But I'm thinking of asking him out."
I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued. "Really? That's... interesting."
Eve grinned. "Dad had been making me spend more time with the dude from Merci Pack, I didn't want him to have that much control of my life so I brought Michael. Anyway, I figured I'd check with you first. If you don't know, I'll just head into shifter territory and ask around. Someone's bound to know where the only human lives."
I nodded, trying to hide my amusement. "Good plan. Hope you find him"
Eve smiled, then glanced at Charles, her eyes lingering on his ridiculous t-shirt. "Nice shirt, by the way. Very... festive."
Charles looked down at his shirt, his face turning red again.
Eve turned back to me, her grin widening. "You two are naughty, huh? Already causing trouble so soon after the wedding….to even announce it"
I rolled my eyes. "Don't start, Eve."
She laughed, giving me a playful wink before heading off. "You can get back to beheading targets, Marissa. And you," she said, pointing at Charles, "she is in her nasty mood, maybe keep some distance until she vents it out."
Charles paled, and I couldn't help but smirk as Eve walked away.
Once she was gone, I turned back to Charles, my spears resting on my shoulders. "Anything else?"
He shook his head quickly. "No, no. I'll just... leave you to it."
I watched as he hurried off, his oversized t-shirt flapping in the breeze. As soon as he was out of sight, I let out a long sigh and turned back to the training grounds.