Zara
Without Ethan, we had no idea why Kate was so valuable to Marcus, and I didn’t want to go to Marcus and ask him personally.
Alpha Kane and Zeke left the house shortly after exploring the dungeons. The rest of Kane’s people had arrived and needed proper shelter and food. Bran had also left due to the arrival of his people. Several warriors brought by Luna Freya were confused by her absence and outraged by how their Luna had betrayed the pack.
I was enjoying my free ti, relishing the peace. Soti during the day, Sophia finally called. She assured that she and Govinda were fine and asked if I’d stay the night with her.
She picked up from the packhouse around seven in the evening. The tension and fatigue had vanished, leaving a slight flush on my skin. A sparkle lit up her eyes when she thought I wasn’t looking.
"How’s Govinda doing?" I asked, noticing the smile that touched her lips when I ntioned his na.
"It’s hard for him. He’s leaving his family, but he understands his choice." She sighed. "Alpha Kane ca by today and questioned him. It seems he trusted Govinda."
"Alpha Kane ca by?" I frowned. I hadn’t seen or heard from him all day.
"Just for a couple of minutes." She shook her head. "Is it bad that I’m happy? I feel terribly sorry for Govinda, and I understand what he’s lost, but I’m still very happy."
"I don’t think it’s bad." I frowned. "I just hope the other mate sees things his way. We don’t want to destroy them the way they’re destroying us."
"Govinda never wanted to be a part of this," she frowned. "He was raised to obey the Alpha above anyone else; his opinion never mattered."
"Well, it does now." I nodded, smiling reassuringly.
We spent the night in her bedroom, as we had countless tis before. She told about Govinda and how she would et him at her aunt’s house. I saw the guilt burning in her eyes, but I couldn’t find an ounce of guilt in myself.
I knew I would have done the sa. She seed unable to stay away, but she didn’t betray the pack by giving him information. I promised her I wouldn’t tell Kane, and I happily kept my word.
Her pastel pink walls remained the sa, even though she’d begged her mother for months to repaint the room. Over the years, her double bed had been replaced with a king-size bed, and a sofa had been placed against the far wall. Her room had changed little since we were friends.
"I heard you spent the night apart from ," Kane’s deep voice reached through mind-link.
"Who told you?" I asked, casting a suspicious glance at Sophia.
"Sophia," Kane chuckled, his laugh deep and resonant. "What would I do if you didn’t take into bed?"
"I don’t take the bed," I chuckled. "You’re the one who likes to cuddle all night."
"You sleep naked," Kane chuckled. "Do you bla for wanting to be close?"
"I sleep naked because you won’t let sleep with my clothes on." I rolled my eyes, though a blush was already beginning to appear on my face.
"Clothes are too tight," Kane chuckled. "I’m afraid I’ll miss you tonight."
"Mighty Alpha Kane Sterling can spend the night alone," I cooed, chuckling as his low growl echoed through the mind link. "After all, you left alone all day today."
"I had things to do," Alpha sighed, and my heart fluttered as a strong longing coursed through the mind link.
"Does this have anything to do with my whole family seeming busy?" I smirked.
"Tomorrow is your birthday," Kane chuckled.
"I don’t need a party or anything," I sighed, though a smile still spread across my face. "I have enough to worry about tomorrow."
"With all this death, we all need a little rest." I felt Alpha’s smirk through the mind link. "You most of all."
"I suppose that was a good idea," I chuckled, blushing at the thought of Alpha throwing a birthday party for .
"Goodnight, Zara," Alpha purred. "I’ll be thinking of you tonight."
Sophia eyed suspiciously as I broke the mind link, the corners of her lips curling into a smirk as she felt the heat on my face.
"I guess you were talking to Alpha Kane," she giggled.
"Don’t pretend you had a different expression when we talked about your mate," I teased.
We stayed up late, talking like we always did. Alpha was right: we needed a little fun amid all this drama. We couldn’t let death take away our laughter and love.
I curled up on her couch, covering myself with a mountain of blankets to replace Kane’s incredible body heat. Sleeping without him made shiver, but I reminded myself it was only for one night.
As I sank into darkness, anxiety washed over . The pink walls around faded, replaced by smooth stone. The carpets disappeared, turning to smooth tiles. Where her desk had once stood, a fireplace now roared.
Marcus stood up from the couch he’d been sitting on, a breathtaking smile on his face as our eyes t. I was sure I hadn’t brought myself here, and I wondered if he could really call against my will.
"Hello, beautiful," Marcus grinned. "Happy birthday, Zara."
I glanced at the clock on his wall, which looked oddly out of place.
Against the backdrop of the burgundy velvet furniture. He was right, it was my birthday. The clock on his TV was showing three in the morning.
"What am I doing here?" I winced. "I didn’t drag myself here."
"I ca to visit you this ti." He smirked. "It’s not every day that you find her mate."
"You’re not my mate." I chuckled, relieved by the disconnect between us.
"You are, Zara." Marcus smiled slyly, his ocean eyes seeming to catch the firelight, making them shimr with heat. His voice grew unpleasantly soft as he began to approach . "You’re more like than you think."
"You don’t have to say anything, beautiful," Marcus murmured, stopping just inches from . His hand touched my jaw, but I couldn’t pull away.
"So beautiful, so perfect," Marcus purred, his voice tinged with awe. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him looking at . "I’m asking you to choose , Zara. I know what you want, what you need. I would give you the world."
My chest tightened at his words, and I desperately tried to break free. The mark on my neck burned with desire, and it took all my willpower to stay still. I felt the sincerity of his words on my tongue, felt his tenderness toward sliding across my skin.
"I don’t... I don’t want this." I managed to force the words out, though I was unsure.
"What a beautiful Luna you will make," Marcus murmured, running his fingers through a strand of my jet-black hair.
Sothing in his words called to , making my blood sing.
"You feel it, don’t you?" Marcus murmured, his gaze soft as I struggled to find the words. "The power is here, Zara. All you have to do is reach out and take it."
An image, full of blood and death, flashed through my mind. Kane’s cold corpse lay on the ground, his blood soaking the earth. Sophia and Govinda sprawled across the battlefield, their fingers intertwined as they t at death’s door.
Ryan, Dad, Zeke, Bran. They were all scattered across the battlefield, the grass a vibrant crimson. Birds circled ahead, drawn by the scent of blood and death. Buildings burned to rubble, the shards of a classroom scattered across sidewalks and deserted roads.
A pub house was engulfed in flas, crackling as the heat consud every trace. A once-beautiful city reduced to rubble, the ground stained with the blood of thousands. A crown of gold and rubies on my head, Marcus by my side.
I didn’t want any of this.
"No," my voice wavered as I pulled away from him. No. I don’t want this. I don’t want to be yours. I will not help exterminate my pack."
"Why destroy an entire pack when you can rule them all?" Marcus’s voice trailed off, his gaze intense as he took in my horrified face. "I would never ask you to do this, Zara."
"But..."
***
The conversation with Marcus replayed in my head until a headache began to throb in my temples. What did he an? Did he have a backup plan? And why should I bitterly regret it?
My internal monologue was interrupted by the sound of Sophia waking up. We both headed to her kitchen, where we’d prepared a huge breakfast. Since her mom and dad were completely useless in the kitchen, they sat off to the side with steaming cups of coffee in their hands.
Sophia didn’t dare tell her parents she’d found her mate. They both asked a few questions about Sophia’s mysterious lover, but quickly dropped the subject.
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