hard as stone

Marshall let out a sigh as he dropped his head back, rolling his eyes when all Ori did was disappear right back down the hallway. He couldn't help but shake his head when he heard the bedroom door slam shut. He was already annoyed that her reaction was to go back to her room and hide away without even having a conversation with him. Marshall dragged a hand down his face before continuing to pack away the groceries. He decided to give Ori the time by herself until he finished putting all of the food away. The moment that he finished, Marshall turned on his heel and headed for his spare room.

Quiet as he opened the door, Marshall wasn't the least bit surprised when he noticed the nest that Ori had made under the desk in the room. Her sadness filled the air and would have been overwhelming if it wasn't for the fact that Marshall had been expecting it. It was as familiar to him as it could be, the fear that filled an omega when they were in an uncomfortable situation was always the same. Marshall just didn't know why it bothered him so much, coming from Ori.

Closing the distance between them, Marshall lowered to his knees in front of her. "Sweetheart, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. I just want to take good care of you, okay?" Marshall hesitated for a moment before he reached out to wrap his arms around her shoulders to pull her into his chest so he could attempt to comfort her as much as he could.

Ori had been hoping that that would've been that and he'd leave her alone for a while. All she could think about was how much danger she was in, even if Marshall hadn't shown her how violent he could be. The alpha was acting so calm and collected about the whole situation, liked he'd done this before. Ori was terrified she'd never step outside of this apartment again.

The door slowly opened and Ori didn't have to look up to know. She shrank back into the small cubby hole and tried to disappear into the nest around her. Her heart started beating rapidly when out of the corner of her eye, she saw him getting closer and then slowly drop down on his knees right by her. Trying to hide the fact that she was crying, she dug her face into the blankets and wheezed, his words making her shiver.

She jumped when she felt his arms around her, pulling her out of the shitty nest she had thrown together in under a minute. Still, it was her nest and that's where she wanted to be. He forced her against his chest and Ori slumped against him. He was so warm, and comfortable, but a whimper still left her lips. Before Ori could find the words, Marshall's phone started ringing in his pocket.

Once he had answered, Ori could hear a tiny voice, but couldn't make out anything being said. "Marshall? It's Jones. You know that girl from the cafe yesterday? She's missing today. You took her home right? Her mom's here, wanting to talk to you. Her name is Maggie King. Her and her daughter just moved into town."

@ castle.

Marshall started to purr as he pulled Ori against his chest, reaching up to begin running his fingers through her hair. His fingers didn't even pull through her hair once before his phone rang. He let out a sigh as he lifted himself enough to pull his phone from his back pocket. He looked down to Ori, giving her a stern look before he spoke. "Make one noise, little pup, and you won't like what happens. Understand me?" His voice dipped, giving her a clear command that he was sure Ori wouldn't be able to disobey. He cleared his throat before answering the phone call.

"Yeah, what about her?" Marshall responded, his face scrunching slightly. "Yeah, I dropped her off outside of her place. Watched to make sure she got in safe and everything," Marshall explained in a low voice. He opened his mouth to offer to come inside, only for his blood to run cold at the mention of Maggie King. His ex. Marshall inhaled sharply as he looked down to Ori, his stomach twisting into a knot. His face hardened as he bit back a sigh. "I'm going to shower and then I'll be in, okay? Should be less than an hour," he added before he hung up the phone.

Marshall turned back to Ori, letting out a low sigh as he shook his head. "I have to go into work. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm going to shower but are you sure you don't want something to eat first? I'll at least get you a glass of water so you can have something to drink while I'm gone," he offered gently. Marshall pushed to his feet before holding his hand out to Ori. "Come on. Let's get something into you before i have to leave."

Ori pretended to hide her face in his chest, anything to get away from the stern look he gave. But she had her ear turned to the phone, wondering if she could catch anything. She couldn't. But this meant he was going to be leaving and maybe she could find a way out while he was gone? Though she expected to be locked back up in her room, and she didn't think she'd make it if she tried going out the window.

Taking his hand, she decided it was better to get out of her room for the little time she could now. She had no clue what the call was for, but if he was just being called in for a shift, Ori could be alone, locked up for over twelve hours. Something seemed wrong though. Marshall had gone a little pale, his body looked stiff as he moved... He seemed worried.

Despite her just not wanting to care, Marshall seemed distressed, and she could tell by his scent. It wasn't completely turning, but she could catch small subtle hints of his nervousness. "A-are you okay?" Ori felt the urge to ask, her voice coming out quiet though as they entered the kitchen.

@ castle.

Marshall's stomach twisted as he led Ori out into the kitchen. He was relieved that she had come with him of her own accord instead of him having to drag her into his kitchen. Marshall didn't know how long he would be gone and he didn't want her to be here without food or anything to get her through the day. Marshall turned back around when Ori broke the silence between them. He certainly hadn't been expecting her to ask if he was okay but it warmed his heart. Reminded him why he had her here in the first place. He just wanted to take good care of her. And that's what he was going to do.

"Yeah I am, sweetheart. I just didn't want to have to leave you alone today," he explained in a low voice. Marshall shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair. "I just want to make sure you're taken care of and you don't need anything else," he said, his frown only deepening. The thought of Ori needing something and him not being here to provide it... it made his stomach twist into an uncomfortable knot.

"Now. What do you want to eat? I have orange juice... tea, water to drink," Marshall added once he had pulled open the fridge, looking inside at the various options they had.

Ori frowned as she watched Marshall move around the kitchen. She couldn't place her finger on it, but something told her something else was wrong. And it was beginning to make her worry herself. More than she already was. Ori ended up asking for some fruit so Marshall sliced her up some apples and bananas, with some peanut butter and a water.

She sat at the kitchen counter and ate while he went to shower. He left the bathroom door open and while Ori sat there, she kept staring over at the front door. Picking up a slice of apple, she dipped it in the peanut butter before her eyes darted to the hall. Could she slip out quick enough and get away? Ori sat there contemplating too long, because before she could get over her fear and move, Marshall was already coming back out of the bathroom. He was dressed in his black jeans and button up, his vest over his left arm, while his right hand ran a towel over his damp curls. He had only been in there for a few minutes, but what did she expect?

She rose up from the bar stool when Marshall directed her to, knowing it was back to the bedroom for her. There was nothing in there for her, not even a tv. She could only hope he wouldn't be gone that long, but she knew it didn't matter. He'd always be gone more than he was here, so she'd be spending a lot of time in that room, it seemed.

"D-Do I have to stay in there?" Ori finally muttered, as they stood in the hall.

@ castle.

Marshall tossed the towel that he had used on his hair back down the hallway, toward the laundry room. He couldn't help but frown as he looked at Ori, her question making his heart ache. He wanted to care for her and he wished he could have had the time to put a television in her room or something. Anything that meant Ori being happy here. Marshall nodded toward the room before he turned back toward her. "I'm sorry but yes, you do," he added in a low voice. "I shouldn't be gone for too long though, okay? There's just someone at the station that needs to speak to me and once that's done, I'm going to come right back here, okay? Won't be all day like a usual shift would be."

He sighed as he reached out, pulling Ori flush against his chest. He pressed a kiss to her temple before he backed away entirely. "I have to get going but I have a few books if you want to look real fast? Maybe a book will help keep you occupied..." he trailed off, thoughtful as he twisted around in place. Marshall grabbed the few books that he had in his room before moving back out to the hallway.

"Here. I'm sorry if none of them spark your interest but maybe when I get home, we can do some shopping online. How's that sound?" Marshall suggested, hoping that the offer would serve to help make Ori at least a bit more compliant. "And you'll be able to get whatever you want, okay?"

Ori knew what the answer was going to be, and still she felt her heart drop when he gave it to her. She didn't want to be with him, but she also didn't want to be locked up. Knowing he wouldn't be gone long didn't serve to lift her spirits too high. Her breath caught in the back of her throat when he abruptly pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her head. It made her feel slimy and she wondered how long he'd stay sweet for, before...

She stepped back, pressing herself against the bedroom door when Marshall disappeared into his room. Glancing over the books he returned with, Ori just grabbed all three. They all looked like nonfiction, but she decided she give them a better look over when she was alone. "Thanks," she muttered, holding them close to her chest before Marshall ushered her into the spare room.

Looking down by her feet, she saw the bags he had left and she supposed that was something else she could do while he was away. Ori turned to look over her shoulder right as the door closed and she heard the lock. Her whole face seemed to tighten, and she felt her jaw clench as more tears came to her eyes. She dropped the books down on the bed, not realizing they all seemed to be about a cold case or an unsolved murder. Instead, she turned to the bags on the floor and started rifling through what Marshall had gotten her. Stuffed animals and more blankets, lots of things to make a nice nest.

Dragging all of the bags over to the closet, she opened the doors and was relieved to see it mostly empty. She began padding the floor with blankets, making a thick pile of them before she began adding her pillows. Then she started digging through the bags. Two of the smaller blankets he had bought she used by hanging them from the closet rack, creating a makeshift canopy that hid the walls. The other blankets and comfy things she used to pad the rest of the nest and and she even made a small hiding place for the snacks. At the bottom of the bag, she even found fairy lights. She strung them up on the inside of the canopy, and once that was done, she stepped back to admire her handiwork.

It was a good nest, one she was proud of. Grabbing one of Marshall's books, she crawled into the nest and even shut the closet door. It was perfectly lit up inside with the small twinkling lights. Sinking down into the nest, she got as comfortable as she could and waited for him.

@ castle.

Marshall was out for far longer than he would have preferred but when he got to the station, Maggie had been hysterical. Talking about how her daughter was missing and she was sorry because she should have told Marshall when she first realized she was pregnant. Marshall and a daughter named Orion who he had seemingly never met. Except he knew damn well that Orion was in his spare bedroom, hopefully, wrapped up in all of the supplies that he had bought her. it explained everything. Of course, Marshall had felt an instant pull toward Ori, she was his daughter. Even if he hadn't realized it. His inner alpha certainly had.

He had consoled her, taking her phone number down and given her his so that she could call him if any news popped up so that they could keep each other in the loop. Marshall had smiled and promised her that they would find Ori. He had been so on edge when he first met Ori because he had known she was in danger. Just the thought of his little pup being in danger, around a crazed predator... no, that wasn't something he wanted by any stretch of the imagination.

Once he had finished speaking with Maggie, Marshall lingered long enough to speak to Jones about the situation before he promised to come back in if he was needed. Marshall was too close to the case now that everyone knew that Ori was his daughter, he couldn't directly work on the case. That was a blessing to him because it meant that he could head right back home like he had promised Ori that he would.

Marshall wondered if he should tell Ori what he had figured out but he decided against it, not wanting to freak her out. Certainly not wanting to tell her what he was feeling toward her. he was sure that if he did, it would only serve to further upset her. Clearing his throat as he headed into the apartment and straight on over to the room that Ori was in. He hesitated for a moment before making his way inside. His brows pulled together as he glanced around, not immediately seeing Ori and that would have alarmed him if it wasn't for the scent emanating from the closet.

"Omega?" Marshall called, tilting his head to the side when he stepped up to the closet. "C'mon. Open up, please? We'll make some tea and then we can start shopping for whatever you want, okay?"

Ori wasn't surprised when Marshall had been gone for hours. It was expected, in his line of work and as long as he was gone... She knew she could stay here, in the comfort of her nest. Inside the closet, she could trick her mind into believing she was elsewhere, not trapped inside of a strangers apartment. It had been a bit harder to forget about her predicament, seeing as the only reading material she had been given focused on a murdered victims case.

Stirring awake, when she heard Marshall call through the door, Ori rolled and shifted around, stretching. The book she had been reading slipped off of her lap, falling closed before she could mark her page. Tilting her head towards the door, Ori raised her hand to the wood and slid it open. More light streamed into the closet and she rubbed her eyes before looking up at him. He took up almost the whole doorway, and it terrified her to think she was at this man's mercy.

Looking up at his face, he didn't seem as worried as he had when he left. Ori wondered if that meant there bad been trouble and there wasn't anymore. He had been gone longer, maybe something bad happened but now it was okay? Pushing her blankets away from her legs, Ori got to her feet and stretched, careful not to mess up the nest she had taken so long to build. She was excited to get out of this room for a while, and she had been needing to go pee for almost an hour.

"O-Okay," she tried to slip by him, eagerly looking at the open bedroom door. "I'll meet you in the kitchen?"

@ castle.

Marshall was surprised by the nest that Ori had made herself. It was so welcoming that he nearly wanted to crawl into himself but he wasn't going to do that. Not yet, anyway. Ori hadn't done anything to deserve some form of punishment and just knowing who she was to him, it made him want to care for her even more. "Sure thing. Go to the bathroom, whatever you need to do. I'll start out tea. Just chai tea okay?" He offered with a raised eyebrow before he turned to head out into the kitchen.

Starting his kettle, Marshall prepped their cups of tea before he let out a sigh. He was relieved that Ori seemingly wasn't going to continue fighting wit him. He knew that she wasn't necessarily happy to be with him right now but she would come around to him, sooner or later. He was sure of it. He would treat her right and she would start to love him, just like Marshall loved her. When Ori appeared, Marshall looked up with a gentle smile.

"Now, what are you wanting to get? I'm sure you want things to entertain you when I'm not here but maybe you want some other nesting supplies? Anything else?" Marshall asked as he poured the hot water into the mugs. "Do you want any milk or sugar for your tea?" He asked, glancing over to her as he added the tiniest pinch of sugar to his cup.

Once they were settled on the couch, Marshall leaned forward to pick up the laptop that sat beneath the coffee table. He pulled it open before heading to whatever websites Ori wanted to shop on.

Ori sunk down on the couch with one leg underneath of her, her mug being held in both hands. It felt like a breath of fresh air to be out of that bedroom, even if she wasn't necessarily happy about sitting next to Marshall. All she could think about was figuring a way out of here, but so far that seemed pretty impossible. Ori was sure Marshall knew exactly what to do to not get caught and letting your victim escape was definitely not on the list.

She looked up at him as he browsed around on the web, watching as one of the curls he tried to push back fell back in his face. "I-I don't know," Ori whispered, watching as he scrolled through amazon. Ori didn't belong her and all she wanted to do was go home, and the last thing she wanted was to spend this man's money. The more he gifted her or the more she took from him, she was afraid it would come back to bite her later. He'd expect she owed him something.

Marshall wouldn't hear any of it, so she settled on looking for some more books she'd be more interested in, and a little mattress that would fit inside the closet for her nest. Even with all of the blankets, after a few hours, she could feel the hard floor under her back. Sitting back on the couch, Ori looked over at Marshall, and swallowed before dropping her eyes to her tea. "H-How... How long are you going to make me stay here? I-I miss my mom." Her voice came out quiet and timid, slightly afraid of upsetting him.

@ castle.

"You can't just read the same three books over and over again, Ori. I mean, I suppose you could but you'd end up bored more often than not. THat's not what I want for you," he explained in a low voice. He glanced toward her, shaking his head, "I want you to enjoy your time with me and I promise I'm going to take good care of you. You're not going to have to worry about anything while you're here with me. I promise," he whispered, turning his head to the side long enough to press a kiss to her temple before his attention returned to the computer out in front of him.

Marshall started to relax further when Ori continued to search for things that she wanted to buy. He was content to buy her whatever she asked for, nodding his head any time that she looked up to him for permission before adding something to the cart on amazon. There wasn't anything on the site that he was going to tell her no to.

Marshall let out a sigh, his shoulders sagging when Ori started asking when she could go home. He shook his head, a slight frown on his face. "I don't know, Ori. I want to protect you and make sure you're safe, okay? I promise that's all this is. I'm not going to hurt you or anything," he reassured her, squeezing her shoulders after wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You'll get to go home to your mom soon enough, okay? But stop asking about it because I don't have a concrete answer for you."

Ori's eyes fell back to her lap, after he closed the laptop once they were done. She sank back against the couch, shivering at his arm around her shoulder. All she could think about was that night, how every thing seemed to point out taking a ride from him was wrong. Why hadn't she listened to herself? If she had only went against her instincts and followed her gut, she'd be safe in her own home right now. But no, she had to listen to the alpha.

Peeling away from Marshall, goosebumps ran down her arms as she slid off the couch. To her, it just sounded like Marshall wanted her to stop asking because the answer was never, but if he directly told her that... How would she react? "I-I'm going to go shower," Ori muttered, wanting to get as far away from him as possible.

She disappeared down the hall, hurrying into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. Grabbing a towel off of the shelf, she sat it on the toilet and started the hot water. Ori felt like she couldn't relax or calm down. She had thought she wanted out if the bedroom, but now that he was home she just felt on edge and like she couldn't breathe. Ori pulled his clothes off of her body and left them in a pile on the floor as she stepped into the shower.

@ castle.

Marshall was trying to ignore the continued souring of Ori's scent as she sat beside him. It made his heartache to know that he wasn't doing enough to calm her nerves. He sighed as she all but ran for the bathroom, a slight frown on his face as the door slammed behind her. Some part of him felt wrong for wanting to be with her on that level because he had been able to piece together that she was his daughter but he hadn't even known about her until a few hours ago. So did it really make it so bad that he was lusting after her? He didn't think so.

He ran both of his hands down his face before he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he hung his head. Marshall hated the feeling of defeat that had settled over him. He felt like he wasn't doing right by her, as an alpha and as her father. He tugged his bottom lip between his teeth, wondering if he cooked her a nice meal if it would help her to see that he wasn't such a bad man. Marshall had no intention of hurting her so he couldn't be that bad, could he?

Pushing to his feet, Marshall headed into the kitchen to start making chicken parmesan. He had no way of knowing if she'd like the meal but it was pretty much universally loved so he was hopeful.

Ori didn't step out of the shower until her skin was bright red. She didn't feel any better, but she was clean and smelled fresh and that meant something. Grabbing her towel, she dried her hair and wrapped it around her body. Opening the bathroom door, she grabbed his old clothes off the floor and dropped them in the dirty hamper. Out in the hall, Ori could smell something yummy coming from the kitchen. Tiptoeing down the hall, Ori made sure to keep her towel wrapped tightly around her, already feeling too revealing. But there had been no clothes in her room and she didn't feel comfortable enough to just go get some from his room herself.

Marshall looked busy as he moved around the kitchen. A part of Ori wanted to step up and offer help, a part of her knowing a working alpha shouldn't be coming home to slave around the kitchen... But he had kidnapped her, she had to remind herself of that. She shouldn't feel bad for him. "M-Marshall?" Ori broke the silence as she stepped into the kitchen. "Can I get some clothes out of your room or ...?" Her eyes roamed around the kitchen, and the smell was enough to make her mouth water.

Stepping further into the kitchen, she moved over to the stove to investigate, seeing the chicken parmesan he must've just pulled from the oven. Ori took a step back, not wanting to upset him or seem rude by poking around. Especially have naked with damp hair. "It..smells good," she blushed, feeling more uncomfortable as she tightened her hand around her towel.

@ castle.

Marshall felt his mouth water at the sight of Ori's dripping hair. The towel she had wrapped around her offered little to no protection and he knew it would have been so easy to bend her over the counter and have his way with her. His cock twitched at the thought and he forced away the thought, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. No, that wasn't what he was going to do. Not yet, not until he had Ori begging him to fuck her. It would happen eventually when Ori fell into her heat. He wondered how long that would take before she was begging to take his knot.

"Of course. There's shirts in the first big drawer... boxers in the top one but if you want sweats, they're in the drawer beneath the shirts," Marshall added after a moment of thought. He gave her a soft smile, nodding his head. "Thank you. Pasta will be done in a moment and then we can sit down to eat when you're dressed," he added, glancing toward the few bottles of wine that sat on his counter. "Did you want a glass of wine or just some water, tea to drink?" Marshall asked, glancing over his shoulder toward her.

Once he had plated their food and poured their drinks, Marshall carried everything over to the dining room table. He was quick to sit, letting out a content sigh as he relaxed back. He looked up to Ori, trying to ignore the sense of pride he felt when he looked her form over, seeing her wearing his clothes. "Alright, dig in. Let me know how it is."

Ori began leaving the kitchen until he asked what she wanted to drink. She raised a brow towards the offer of wine and bit down on her bottom lip. Ori had never had a drink before, but if he was offering, was it okay? She had a few more years before she could legally make that decision, but perhaps it would help her calm down. ""Wine ..?" She questioned, almost afraid it was a trick to see what she'd go for. When Marshall agreed, Ori's eyes fell back to the floor and she hurried to his room.

She hadn't stepped foot in his room since being here, but it didn't look much more lived in than the spare room. He had a few personal things on his dresser and a radio, but other than that, it was pretty empty. It was obvious to Ori that all Marshall did was work, and he didn't have much of a social life. She wondered if he ever did, if he ever had a girlfriend or anything to live for other than his career. Dropping her towel, she grabbed one of his shirts from the large drawer like he had told her and then a pair of his boxers. The sweats had gotten a bit to hot the night before.

Coming back down the hall, Ori came to sit at the dining table by Marshall, where he had sat her plate. She hadn't eaten since the apples earlier in the day and she was starving. Picking up her fork, she cut into the chicken before taking a bite. Covering her mouth as she chewed, she glanced up at Marshall, "it's good!" Ori remembered the last good meal she had, her mother had chili the night before Marshall had taken her. Swallowing, Ori sat back and lifted the glass of wine before taking a small sip. "S-so... What was up at work?" There was no way she knew it had something to do with her mom, she was only trying to break the silence.

@ castle.

Marshall met Ori with a brilliant smile as she sat beside him, wishing her could reach across and lace his fingers with her. He thought that if he did, she would probably stress out too much. That it would scare her more than it would comfort him and that wasn't quite worth it yet. His instincts were at war inside of him. Marshall wanted to protect her on one hand because she was his pup and even if he had never known about her before, he certainly couldn't shake the need to protect and care for her. But still, Marshall couldn't avoid the desire to fuck her. It would have been the perfect ending of the night to him. A light buzz coursing through him as he fucked Ori, spread out on the dining table.

His arousal would have leaked into his scent but Marshall was doing his best to keep his composure. His scent would have been enough to alarm Ori but he hoped if he didn't act on the urges, that it would help her to calm. He hoped that Orion would realize that he wasn't going to hurt her. Not in the way that the predator would have, at least.

Marshall waved off her questioning. "Let's not ruin the evening with talk about work, hm? Just want to relax and enjoy the night with you," he explained lowly as he continued to eat, sipping at his wine every so often. "Wanna retire to the couch and watch a movie after we finish? Or did you have something else you wanted to do?" He asked, hoping like hell that she wouldn't hint at something like leaving.