Chapter 34
Elena’s POV
The air in the mansion feels oppressive, thick with mistrust and unspoken words. Marcus has been here less than a week, but his presence has already sown discord like weeds choking the roots of the pack. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s playing a long game, and we’re all his pawns.
But it’s not just him. Sebastian’s ultimatum clings to me like a second skin, his words replaying in my mind: Reject Lucian. Prove your loyalty.
I can’t. I won’t.
My wolf snarls at the thought, pacing inside me, restless and agitated. I step outside, desperate for fresh air, and make my way to the edge of the
ast. The cold night breeze brushes against my skin, but it does little to soothe the storm raging within.
That’s when it happens.
The world tilts, and the ground beneath me vanishes. My vision blurs as I’m pulled into another fragment of the future–a jagged, broken shard of what’s to come.
I see Lyanna, her face illuminated by the eerie glow of the Crescent Stone. She’s laughing, her voice sharp and cruel, as the stone pulses in her hands. Shadows spill from it like tendrils of smoke, slithering across the forest floor and wrapping around the trees.
Marcus is there, standing before her, his head bowed.
Kneeling.
The scene shifts, splintering into chaos. Wolves fighting, blood staining the earth. The pack house ablaze. A single phrase echoes in my mind, spoken ih Marcus’s voice: “Debts must always be paid.”
The vision snaps away, leaving me gasping for breath. I stagger, clutching a nearby tree for support, my heart pounding like a drum.
Marcus is working with Lyanna. He has to be.
My wolf growls, her instincts demanding action, but my mind reels with uncertainty. The visions aren’t always clear. Lyanna has corrupted them before, twisting them to sow doubt and confusion. What if this is another trick?
But I can’t ignore it. Not this time.
I return to the mansion, the weight of the vision pressing down on me. Marcus is nowhere to be seen, but I catch his scent–a faint trail leading out of the house and into the woods.
I don’t hesitate.
Following his scent, I move swiftly and silently through the forest. The darkness is a welcome cover, as it hides the shadows. My wolf sharpens my senses, her presence a steady pulse beneath my skin. Every sound, every shift of the wind feels magnified.
The trail leads me to a clearing on the outskirts of our territory. I crouch low behind a cluster of bushes, my breath shallow as I take in the scene before me.
Marcus stands in the center of the clearing, his posture relaxed but his eyes scanning the darkness as if expecting someone. He doesn’t have to wait long.
Two figures emerge from the shadows, their forms shrouded in cloaks. Their scents hit me like a slap–wolves, but not from our pack. Black Moon. My heart pounds, but I force myself to stay still, my nails digging into the dirt to keep from charging forward. I can’t let them see me. Not yet.
“You’re late,” Marcus says, his tone casual but laced with
annoyance.
One of the figures steps forward, pulling back their hood to reveal a woman with sharp features and cold eyes.
“We had to ensure we weren’t followed,” she replies, her voice icy. “Lyanna doesn’t tolerate mistakes.”
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Marcus mirks. “And neither do I. Do you have the message?”
The woman reaches into her cloak, pulling out a small, folded paper. It contrasts surply against the dark, and I ran y mae ge between both of them
“She says the time is near,” the woman says, “The packs defenses will crumble from within, just as she planned, bad the pr
“Leave Elena out of this,” Marcus snaps, his voice sharp and commanding
The woman raises an eyebrow, “She’s already in it, whether you like it or not. Lyanna wants her broken, the’s the yey to ending of
I can’t breathe. My fingers tighten around the dirt as I fight the urge to leap out and tear them apart.
Marcus hesitates, his expression unreadable. Finally, he nods. “Tell Lyanna Fil handle it. But she’ll have to trust we fire/
woman smirks but says nothing, tucking the hands back into her cloak. With a curt nod, she and her companion disappear bent te e footsteps swallowed by the night.
I stay frozen in place, my mind racing, Marcus isn’t just working with Lyanna–he’s protecting her plans. And somehow, the reperf
I wait until Marcus leaves the clearing before following him at a distance. My wolf urges me to confront him now, but 1 bold back 1 pad to tank to figure out my next move,
When I finally make it back to the mansion, I slip inside unnoticed. The others are either asleep or keeping to themselves, the tension in the drag everyone apart,
I head straight for my room, locking the door behind me, My mind is spinning, replaying the vision and the conversation 1 overheard.
The pack’s defenses will crumble from within.
I can’t let that happen. I won’t.
But what can I do? Sebastian doesn’t trust me anymore, and Rowan’s loyalty to me only deepens the rift between us. And then there’s Lucian–roy mate, my anchor. Rejecting him would break me, but keeping him only seems to fuel Sebastian’s anger,
A knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts. My heart leaps, but I quickly push down the panic,
“Who is it?” I call out, my voice steady.
“It’s Marcus,” comes the reply.
My blood runs cold.
I hesitate, debating whether to let him in or pretend I’m not here. But the choice is taken from me when the door handle turns, and Marcus steps inside, his expression calm but his eyes gleaming with something dangerous.
“You’ve been busy tonight,” he says, closing the door behind him.
My pulse quickens, but I force myself to stay calm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He chuckles, the sound low and unsettling. “Don’t play games with me, Elena. You’re not as subtle as you think.”
My wolf growls, the sound vibrating through my chest. “If you have something to say, say it.”
He steps closer, his presence suffocating. “I’ve given you a lot of leeway because of what happened with my father. But don’t mistake that for weakness. You don’t want to test me before our time comes, do you?”
“I’m not the one working with Lyanna,” I snap, the words out before I can stop them.
Marcus’s expression darkens, and for a moment, I think he might strike me. Instead, he leans in, his voice a low growl.
“Be careful, Elena. Some debts can’t be escaped. And if you keep digging where you don’t belong, you’ll find more than you bargained for. What, did you think we didn’t catch your scent over there in the bushes where you were hiding and listening in on our conversation?”
Piso of Female Alpha
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Chapter 34
I am horrified at his words. Why didn’t they do something when they found me out?
Unless everything they said was to intentionally mislead me.
He laughs heartily at me. He knows the moment I saw through the bullshit. “Yes, everything we said was to mislead you, dummy. I heard you from the moment you stepped into the forest to trail me. You forget I am one of your brother’s best trackers. The real message was in that slip of paper and it’s been destroyed. You will never know our plans or see us coming till it’s too late.”
He straightens, his gaze locking with mine. This pack is on the brink of war. When the time comes, the last thing you will feel is my teeth tearing at your jugular.
With that, he turns and walks out, leaving me trembling with rage and fear.
But his warning only strengthens my resolve. Whatever Marcus and Lyanna are planning, I won’t let them destroy my pack.
Iance at the window, the streetlights glowing against the thick darkness. My wolf stirs, ready for a fight.
Let them come.
