Marcus stood on the balcony of the packhouse, staring out into the darkened forest beyond the
walls.
Thunder rumbled in the distance; it was rough enough to shake the glass in the windows.
The storm was coming fast, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before Lucas would feel it too.
Suddenly, a memory struck him like lightning.
Right after Kaela died, when the war with the rogue packs had ended and silence had returned, Alpha Marcus had locked himself away in mourning.
He hadn’t noticed Lucas’s cries echoing through the night.
He hadn’t smelled the boy’s fevered scent or heard the terrified whimpers from under the bed.
It was during one of those first thunder–heavy nights that Lucas had nearly burned alive with fever.
The pack doctors couldn’t help.
Not even the shaman could explain it.
The boy was fading. The only thing that brought Lucas back… was Brianna.
Three days after their bond ceremony, when Brianna had moved into the Shadow Walker Packhouse, she had gone straight to Lucas’s side.
Her wolf’s energy had stabilized him. Her voice had soothed him. And from that moment on, Alpha Marcus had handed over the boy entirely to her care.
And she had never once complained.
He remembered the scars now.
Every time they lay together and he turned out the lights, it was so he wouldn’t have to see what his pride ignored. But his hands always found them. The claw marks across her ribs. The bite near her collarbone. Some were old… but others had still been raw. Brianna had never explained. And he had never asked.
But now, as thunder cracked again and Jayden whimpered in the room behind him, it all made horrible sense. The boy hadn’t meant to hurt her, but in his panic, he must’ve lashed out
countless times.
Brianna had taken it all without a word.
A hollow ache twisted in Alpha Marcus’s chest. Guilt sat heavy in his gut like a stone.
After confirming Lucas was sedated with calming herbs and watched over by the night guards, Marcus stepped out into the hall.
Ava was waiting just outside, her arms crossed under her chest and a faux pout on her face. “Alpha Marcus, are you finally going to bed?” she asked with forced sweetness.
“I was hoping you’d let me stay in your room tonight. The storm’s making me uneasy “Didn’t I say to stay with Lucas?”
and I-”
Alpha Marcus cut her off, his voice cold and clipped.
10 30.91
“Sleep on the floor if you have to have someone prepare a guest room tomorrow
Her jaw dropped, but he didn’t wait for a response
“And breakfast. Before dawn. I leave for the council by six”
He disappeared down the comdor leaving her in the shadows, fuming and humiliated
But Ava clenched her fists, whispering to herself
“You’ll come around… You have to. I look just like her after all.”
The next morning, Ava rose before the sun, determined to impress. She made sure the creakfas table was overflowing grilled venison, smoked ham, honeyed bread, and rich, spiced coffee
She wore a silk robe too fine for the kitchen, her every move was calculated
Alpha Marcus entered in silence, he’s dressed for the Council, his aura sharp with authority
He glanced once at the table, then at her
“You didn’t know I’m blood–vegetarian?
His voice was quiet, dangerous.
After Kaela’s death, he’d sworn off all flesh, believing it would cleanse the soul bond he’d ond
had with her
Even the pack respected it. Ava should’ve known. She did know.
She smiled anyway, lifting a fork with the ham toward his mouth,
“I read somewhere that restricting your diet like this can dull your instincts” she said
“You need protein to stay sharp, Alpha. Just one bite, for me.”
The fork never made it.
Alpha Marcus’s hand moved in a flash, he slapped it out of her grasp with a snarl
The metal clattered to the floor. His wolf eyes flared silver
“I said get out of my sight.”
Ava gasped, her heart pounding painfully against her chest.
He stood, disgust thick in his voice
“The only reason I’ve allowed you this close is because you wear a dead woman’s face. Don’t
make me regret that.”
He walked away, leaving her breathless and humiliated once more.
And yet, Ava refused to surrender.
She was a survivor. And in her mind, that face gave her the right to belong in this pack house
That afternoon, in his council office, Alpha Marcus worked straight through until his hands ached and his vision blurred
His head pounded from hunger and exhaustion. He finally leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.
“Why hasn’t Brianna brought my meal yet?”
He muttered aloud, half to himself.
Silence answered.
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Then realization struck.
His gaze dropped to the empty chair in the corner of his office where Brianna’s usual spot greeted him.
But she was gone.
She had left. And the bond they once shared was slipping further from reach with each passing day.
Alpha Marcus swallowed hard. The hunger in his belly was nothing compared to the ache in his chest.
He wasn’t sure how much longer he could take it.
He absentmindedly pulled his phone from his pocket and started to dial her number but froze just as his finger hovered over the call button.
Damn it… He needed to hear her voice.
4.57 pm G
