Chapter Eighteen
Marcus
I didn’t think I’d see the day when I heard unease in Joanna’s voice and didn’t have the urge to shift. An urge to let my wolf tear apart the ones responsible and leave them a bloody mess on the floor.
When she first cried out, Joanna’s fear swelled like a sudden gust of wind. She wasn’t trying to draw attention to herself or the bastard pressing a knife to her stomach; I felt it—she was only afraid for our child.
In that instant, the two hunters in front of me who wanted me dead meant nothing. All that mattered was how good one bastard’s fear would taste when I tore out his throat.
And when Joanna blew on my burning palms after I freed her from the chain, it caught me off guard; I thought I’d lost the right to even a shred of her sympathy.
But as my heart fluttered from the jolt of her cool breath, I grew furious with myself.
Because this time, I was the one who’d caused her grief. I had made her worry about me.
But when Joanna located Silas and her hands shook, I didn’t move. When her voice cracked with fear as she begged me for an explanation… my wolf barely looked up from nursing our wounds.
Silas had saved her when I couldn’t, and for that I’d be forever grateful.
“Marcus,” Joanna repeated, finally turning to see the indifference in my gaze. Her mouth dropped open, and she released my hands, taking a few steps away from me. “Hunters!” she called over her shoulders. “Carry the injured inside the building, now!”
“Inside?” a human cried.
“Are you insane?” another added.
Silas disappeared into the faraway building with a smile.
When Joanna’s body tensed, I knew she realized the man on his heels was Chris, one of the alpha’s from the party; that she’d sensed the aura of the brunette woman who was following behind him and knew she too was an alpha.
Lamar also retreated from where he sat watching on the roof of a vacant building, with three lesser werewolves beside him in human form.
Three alphas, a beta, three common shifters… And Latoya. If the hunters fought, there’d be no way they’d make it out unscathed.
“There are tunnels that will lead you out of the compound,” Joanna yelled, “but you have to leave now!” A chorus of protests followed.
“You’re trying to get us killed!”
“It’s a trap!”
“Fix the guns! Please!”
The voices of dissent became more crazed as I sensed the rogues draw closer. Joanna’s head dropped in shame. I don’t know what she did to stop the guns from firing, but she didn’t have the strength to undo it… Perhaps the rejection had stolen a piece of her, too.
Only seconds had passed when her chest rose with a deep inhale. She straightened and lifted her chin. “The Blackwood Pack will not harm you,” she declared, “because as their alpha’s fated mate, I am ordering them to stand down.”
Her words echoed in my ears. My wolf jumped up, my pulse raced. The gasps and whispers of disbelief from both of our kin faded into the background. I stared at Joanna as if she were a tall glass of water in the desert, but I couldn’t utter a single word in response.
Alpha, Grace called through the wolf bond. Is she really your—
I dipped my head.
Joanna whipped around to face me, her eyes hard and relentless. “Right, Marcus?”
I swallowed, trying to wet my parched throat. “You heard my mate,” I rasped. “Stand the fuck down.” I knew James would not take the news lightly. “Let him come.”
The old man yelled the entire way as he sprinted behind me. There was no hunter technique in his movement as he swung his knife. I avoided the attack by simply stepping out of the way.
James caught himself before he fell to the ground. He straightened, now standing face-to-face with the girl he loved.
“James,” Joanna pleaded.
In fury, he threw the knife onto the ground.
Then he spun around, swinging a punch aimed at my face.
I gritted my teeth when I caught his arm; my palms barely had time to heal from the silver chain.
My free hand stopped him from kneeing me in the balls, but then his other fist slammed into the side of my face.
I stumbled backward, shaking my head as pain wracked through my skull. “You got lucky,” I snarled.
“I’m sending you to hell, you fucking demon!”
I grinned, my wolf eager for a chance to put the old man in his place. “Hell was the thirty-six years of my life without her, James. And I’m not going back.”
Malik ran between us. “James, chill,” he stressed breathlessly. “Those monsters are getting closer, and something tells me Joey won’t have the same pull with them.” He looked at Joanna and snorted with a lopsided grin on his face. “You just keep surprising us, don’t you, Little Red?”
She shrugged, limping over to Greg’s body. “They’re still staring, Malik.”
He clapped his hands at the hunters, encouraging them to hurry. “You heard the dog’s human mate, people. Round up the injured, and let’s fucking go.”
“Help them.” I’d directed the order to no one, but my wolves obeyed—one of them shifting into her human form to herd the hunters into the building with a wave.
James swayed on his feet as the hunters darted around him, collecting their injured and scurrying to safety. He stared at Joanna as she picked up Greg’s knife and began to cut a strip of fabric from the dead man’s shirt.
She’d been listening to his movements, and when he finally shuffled away, she paused before taking a deep breath and continuing with the cut.
“Go with them,” she said softly.
I scanned the area, watching as members of my pack carried unconscious hunters on their backs. Maya and Jerome barked orders, telling the wolves who should shift to placate the sheepish humans.
“Go with them.” The words were now a stern command… for me?
My eyes darted back to Joanna.
She’d tied her makeshift bandage around her thigh. “Hill has the list,” she whispered, now removing Greg’s sheath and clicking it onto her leg strap. “No one else needs to die…” She grabbed her quiver off the ground and gestured in the rogues’ direction. “Except for them.”
My nostrils flared. “And you think you can do this alone?”
Joanna picked up the silver chain whip, wrapping it around the quiver. “When I think I can trust you, Marcus, you prove me wrong. I don’t need the distraction of wondering when you’ll hurt me again.”
I winced, immediately getting defensive. “It’s my wolves who are protecting the hunters who came here to kill them, Joanna.”
She nodded. “From the rogues that are here because of me?”
I blinked twice, wondering if I’d misheard her question.
“If I hadn’t left you, you would’ve gone straight home,” she continued. “It’s my fault those bastards are here to corrupt this pack. And I will not let that happen.”
My head flinched back from her misplaced blame. “That’s not true. Joanna—”
“Stop, Marcus. And go. Because I don’t want a reason to hate you… It hurts too damn much.”
I closed my eyes, adrenaline coursing through my body. A lightness surged through my chest after being absent for days.
Joanna didn’t hate me.
After last night, I wasn’t exactly sure where I stood with her. And I was too afraid to think about what that meant for our future. The one I was selfishly determined to have. But if I’d been honest with her, if I’d given her the time and space she deserved, maybe she would’ve chosen me.
Jerome was right: If Joanna wasn’t concerned whether we lived or died, she would not have come to the compound. But here she was. She cared about us—about me. And if I were to drop dead this instant, I’d die happy… If not for the fact that Joanna was now in danger. Because of me.
I opened my eyes and darted toward Joanna while she was slinging the quiver onto her back by its new silver strap.
“Do you want to be with me, Joanna?” I asked quickly.
She averted her gaze. “I don’t want the Bite, Marcus —”
“Do you love me?”
She paused. “I… don’t know.”
Fuck.
Well, that wasn’t a no. And at least Joanna didn’t hate me. She didn’t want to be a werewolf, but she had stood in front of her comrades and declared herself my mate; that had to mean something.
Was it a ploy to save their lives? Perhaps.
But it sounded so fucking good coming from her lips.
“Let me fix this, Joanna, please,” I begged.
Malik appeared by our side, causing Joanna’s eyes to go as wide as mine.
He stayed… again. Like he did at the warehouse.
He held out Joanna’s bow and waited until she grabbed it, earning him a nod of thanks. “I hope you two know what you’re doing,” he grumbled.
“Ah, damn,” Lamar exclaimed as the rogues rounded the corner. “I knew we shouldn’t have settled for nosebleed seats, Silas.” His eyes scanned the area. “Where’d brunch run off to?”
The three werewolves at his side laughed, but Latoya stayed silent, observing her sister’s every breath with a steady gaze. She remained still, her lips pressed and her eyebrows pulled close together.
My gamma and her two favorite warriors prowled forward until they surrounded me. A few more of my wolves crouched low behind us. The humans were safe inside the main building, and we currently outnumbered the rogues. The Goddess had finally given me a break.
Silas walked up to Greg’s body, turning it over with his foot. “That was a decent shot.”
“It was,” I agreed with a confident grin, although we were one alpha to three.
“I hate hunters.” Silas tilted his head, amused. “Except for our youngest Sullivan sister, of course.”
My smirk morphed into a scowl before I realized it.
Silas’s gaze dropped to Joanna. “And I thought I’d have to hunt you down. You’re welcome for saving your life, by the way.”
Joanna’s eyes finally flicked from Latoya. “Fuck. You.”
Silas chuckled. “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask your mate for permission first, babe.”
Behind Silas, the alpha female’s hand flew to her mouth to catch the cry that escaped her lips. Dark circles framed her puffy eyes.
“Brody’s fated mate,” Silas declared, noticing my stare. “But I’m not sure she would’ve thanked the Goddess for that gift had she known the bastard he was beforehand. Maybe tonight, you’ll give her a reason to forget her late, adulterous husband.”
I scoffed, unamused, yet my veins strained against my skin at the thought of the dead alpha.
When Latoya explained in detail what Brody did, I’d demanded to see his body. I hadn’t initially cared who he was when I dumped his corpse in the shower; but the second I was able to pay attention to his stench… I would’ve pissed on him had Silas not stopped me.
Because it revealed Brody was the alpha I’d thrown into the wall at Club Luna—the fucker who’d put his hands on Joanna.
I knew I should’ve killed him then.
But as much as I wished I could’ve been the one to crush Brody’s skull, I wouldn’t have wished the pain of losing a fated mate on any wolf. The physical pain could last years. Decades.
“If you’re busy fucking her, that’d certainly free Joey up for—”
“Think very carefully before you finish that sentence,” I warned, flexing my fingers.
Silas laughed as if he’d been kidding, but his eyes told a different story. “Looks like his wolf is back, Toya.”
Latoya’s smile did not reach her eyes. “Appears so.”
In a flash, Joanna nocked an arrow onto her bow, drawing the string to her ear. All the rogues flinched.
Except for the one she aimed at.
Silas stared at her, still unfazed. “Latoya come here—” He caught the arrow as it cut through the air, but not soon enough. The silver tip made contact, piercing a tiny hole in the shoulder of his shirt.
Malik chuckled, though he tightened his grip on his bladed weapons.
My mate smirked as she pulled another arrow from her quiver.
I fucking loved this woman.
Silas held up his hand, making sure his wolves didn’t intervene. He tossed the arrow onto the ground. “The next one goes through your sister,” he said with a leveled voice.
Latoya’s eyes darted over to him.
Joanna tilted her head to crack her neck, pulling the string of her bow. “You sure you can grab her before I shoot?”
Silas smiled. “Do I not make you nervous anymore, Joey?”
“No.” She released the string.
Latoya screamed. Silas had pulled her in front of him, the arrow impaling her bicep.
Joanna frowned, lowering her bow.
“Joey, what the fuck?” Latoya yelled, cradling her arm. “You heard him!”
Joanna shrugged as Silas broke the arrow’s shaft, letting the half with the silver point fall to the ground. “I heard him last night, too.” She swallowed, releasing the tight pinch of her lips. “I’m sorry you couldn’t keep me in check.”
From the distance, a perilous scent drifted in the air.
Silas yanked the arrow’s remaining half out of Latoya’s arm. “I’m not,” he said over the sister’s groans. “I’m eager to see how strong you are.”
The hair on the back of my neck rose.
“You’ll be a fine addition to my family.”
Chris smiled from where he stood, silent but knowing. Something wasn’t…
Damn it.
I looked up at Silas, whose gaze was now fixed on me.
“Oh, did I forget to mention, Marcus?” he taunted. I wanted to tear that arrogant look off his face. “This isn’t a friendly visit; it’s a business meeting to discuss allying our packs.”
My wolves around me growled, sensing my alarm but not yet sensing the pack of rogues in the distance, readying to ambush us.
“I’m afraid that’s off the table, Silas.” My voice was calm. “My mate doesn’t like you.”
His eyebrows rose, his incredulous stare darting between me and Joanna as he rubbed Latoya’s back. “Did she say that?”
“In not so many words.”
“I meant, has she agreed to be your mate?”
In not so many words.
Silas found my silence amusing. He stopped soothing Latoya and crossed his arms. “Why does it sound like you’ve changed your mind about our… agreement?”
I stiffened. Because I won’t hurt her again. “It isn’t a secret. Joanna knows what I wanted from you, Silas.” Malik and my gamma did not need to know specifics. “And no, I didn’t change my mind; she changed it for me.”
Joanna turned her head, her ear now in my direction, and kept her eyes fixed on the ground. But once I opened my mouth, she looked up to meet my gaze, as if she felt my next words were for her.
“I will do anything to regain your trust.”
Silas sighed, a frown finally appearing on his face. “It seems… that may have to include dying for her.”