Marked Twice by the Alpha King

Ava's POV

His expression changed, a flash of hurt in his eyes that made my stomach twist with regret even as the angry part of me savored landing a blow. I knew it was a low shot-comparing him to Jackson was the cruelest thing I could say but 1 couldn't take it back now,

v, couldn't stop the wounded words from tumbling out. His expression changed, a flash of hurt in his eyes.

"I'm nothing like Hayes," he said quietly, the controlled hurt in his voice far worse than if he'd shouted.

"No? He abandoned me for power and packaging it better."

alliance,

and you? I laughed bitterly, "You're doing the exact same thing, just

He set the water down and sat beside me late now."

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the bed, still not touching me. "Everything will be explained tomorrow. It's

We didn't speak again that night. As I drifted toward sleep, I felt him lie down next to me, an arm carefully draping over my waist. His body heat seeped through the thin blanket, more effective than any tea at easing my discomfort.

The irony wasn't lost on me-I'd made up the period excuse, yet somehow his presence was actually soothing my pain.

When I woke the next morning, the bed was empty, but the sound of running water from the bathroom told me he hadn't left yet. My eyes felt gritty and sore, my head stuffed with cotton.

I reached for my phone on the nightstand and found that Ella had called three times and sent several texts. The last one stood out starkly:

Whatever you do, DON'T look at Moonlight News today!!! DON'T

Three exclamation points. Ella never abused punctuation. My heart skipped a beat, a sense of dread crawling up my spine

Why shouldn't I look? When has anyone ever told you not to look at something and you actually listened? My fingers betrayed me, opening the news app before my brain could intervene.

The headline blazed across the screen: "Northern Lights Priestess and Silverpeak Alpha King Share Passionate Kiss! Pack Marriage on the Horizon?"

My fingers froze. The image loaded-Blake and Lyra outside a restaurant, her on tiptoes, lips pressed against his Camera flashes created a halo around them, like some cosmic spotlight deliberately illuminating this moment.

My world collapsed in that instant.

I'd thought Sophia had only sent me pictures of them looking intimate in the council ha❞ but this-this was a completely different level of betrayal.

He'd lied to me.

All evening, he'd lied to me.

Taken her on a date, kissed her, then come back to lie beside me, pretending nothing had happened?

1/

In that moment, I finally understood why my wolf had been in ich ngony when Jackson abandoned me. This feeling of betrayal was like polson seeping into my bloodstream, making och heartbeat painful.

I crawled out from under the covers, quickly pulling on pants and a shirt. I didn't want to wait for him to come out with explanations-I'd heard enough excuses to last a lifetime.

Just as I reached the door, the bathroom door swung open. Blake stood there with only a towel wrapped around his waist, water droplets sliding down his sculpted chest, tracing paths along the battle scars that mapped his body like territorial borders.

I hated my eyes for still being drawn to him. Hated my body for responding with a rush of warmth.

He noticed my gaze, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. One that smile would have made my heart race; now I just wanted to punch it off his face.

"Where are you going so early?" he asked, glancing at the window, "The sun's barely up. Are you feeling better? Maybe we could-"

His words cut off abruptly when he saw my expression.

"So, I interrupted, holding up my phone, my voice as cold as ice, "this is your 'just business'? Is this why you spent the night here? Needed some entertainment after making out with the priestess?"

His eyes instantly sharpened, gaze falling to my phone screen. His face transformed in a heartbeat.

"This isn't what it looks like-"

"Save it," I laughed sarcastically, "That's the standard cheater's line. I expected something more original from the Alpha

King."

I turned to leave, but his hand caught my arm. Not painful, but firm enough that I couldn't walk away.

I spun around and, without thinking, slapped him hard across the face.

Time seemed to freeze for a second, and then I watched as gold completely overtook his eyes-his wolf fully surfacing. I swallowed hard, suddenly realizing the stupidity of what I'd just done. I'd slapped an Alpha King. Not just any Alpha, but the ruler of the entire werewolf world.

I instinctively took a step back, my spine pressing against the wardrobe. His.eyes narrowed dangerously, Alpha energy filling the room, so thick it was hard to breathe.

I'm dead, I thought. He's definitely going to-

But he didn't rage. He didn't strike back. Instead, he moved forward suddenly, pushing me against the wall, but then his movements unexpectedly gentled. He lowered his head, his nose lightly brushing my neck, right where he'd left his mark.

"You smell like me," he murmured, his voice carrying an emotion I couldn't quite deciphe., Even when you hate me, you still carry my scent."

My entire body went rigid. This wasn't the reaction I'd expected My heart raced, the golden mark burning hotter, a familiar warmth spreading from that spot throughout my body. My wolf suddenly stirred restlessly, wanting to get closer to him despite everything.

Chapter 164: I'm Dead

My wolf whined low in my chest, the anger being replaced by much I wanted to hate him, my wolf still yearned for him-fo like I was the most precious thing in his world.

stood there, trapped between his scent and his warmth, feel push him away, to scream about his betrayal; another part wa

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And the most terrifying thing was, I wasn't sure which urge w

Chapter Comments

Chapter 164: I'm Dead

My wolf whined low in my chest, the anger being replaced by something deeper and more complicated. No matter how much I wanted to hate him, my wolf still yearned for him-for the man who had held me so gently, who had looked at me like I was the most precious thing

...his world.

Istood there, trapped between his scent and his warmth, feeling more conflicted than I'd ever been. Part of me wanted to push him away, to scream about his betrayal; another part wanted to lean closer, to let his scent envelop me completely.

And the most terrifying thing was, I wasn't sure which urge was stronger. Chapter Comments

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