Chapter Three
Marcus
New victim. Checking it out with or without you.
The text from the hunter, Joanna Sullivan, screamed at me through the screen. It mocked me.
Two bodies in one night? How did she know about this murder before I did? And more importantly, how the fuck did she know this one was connected to the others?
I stared at the message, a roar building deep within my gut.
The audacity of this woman, thinking she could dictate terms to me.
Her blatant disregard for my authority was infuriating.
But there was no time for pissing contests.
Not when another life had been taken without my consent. And certainly not with a fucking human.
I looked up from my phone, meeting Maya’s expectant gaze. We were back at the compound, in my office, the rain still beating against the windows.
“Another body,” I said with a snarl.
Maya’s eyes widened, her body tensing as she leaned forward in her chair. “Where?”
“The hunter didn’t say.” My fingers flew over the keyboard as I sent a response asking the question.
The reply came quick. Old textile mill.
I stood, my chair scraping against the floor. “Let’s go.”
Maya nodded, already on her feet. “Two in one night. This is dangerous, Marcus. I should gather the others.”
I shook my head. “No. Just us. We can’t risk scaring the hunter.”
Maya furrowed her brow but didn’t argue.
We drove to the borderlands, the streets blurring past us as we sped through the city. The decrepit mill loomed ahead, and as before, the stench of a violent death hung heavy in the air.
Joanna was already there, her silhouette bright against the rain-soaked night. She wore the same raincoat as before, but she’d replaced her dark leather pants with a pair of jeans. She stood over the body, studying the remains.
As we approached, she glanced up, her eyes meeting mine with a fiery intensity that sent a jolt through me. She was fierce, this hunter, and she amused me.
“Took y’all long enough,” she muttered.
I ignored the jab, my focus drawn to the body at her feet.
This scene was brutal, even more so than the one before it.
The victim was ripped to shreds like the last, but there was a frenzy to it this time that made my stomach churn.
The scent of the rogue wolf was stronger here, the stench of his rage clinging to the air.
“He’s escalating,” I growled, crouching down to examine the body. The rain had washed away some of the blood, but the violence was still clear. “This kill is… messier.”
Joanna nodded. She crossed her arms as she looked down at me. “He’s losing control. Whatever’s driving him… it’s getting the best of us. My contact on the police force has buried this, but people will start to ask questions if this doesn’t stop.”
I stood, my eyes scanning the area. “The body is still warm.” Dragging a hand through my hair, I frowned. “We need to track him. Now.”
Joanna raised an eyebrow. “We?” She glanced at Maya. “Where’s your luna?”
I met her gaze. “What makes you doubt this is her?”
She held my stare for a moment before meeting Maya’s. She shifted her weight, assessing. “You haven’t been claimed by a lesser werewolf, let alone an alpha. Even if it was just sex, as an alpha, his scent would be all over you, and all you smell like is wet dog.”
I held out a hand, halting Maya’s charge. My wolf snarled at the keen sense of smell and overall perceptiveness of the hunter.
As long as I’d known her, Maya had never taken a lover. As far as I knew, that sort of thing didn’t interest her the way it did everyone else.
“I’m not mated.”
The truth was, I didn’t want a mate. I wanted my mate. The one the Moon had promised each of her children. I was Alpha, and yet the bond had not kicked in… I was wondering if it ever would. I’d felt stirrings, sure, but never that all-consuming pull that some of my kin described.
Joanna tilted her head, a slow smirk spreading across her face. “So, no alpha female?” She chuckled. “No wonder you’re losing the grip on your territory.”
I stepped closer to Joanna, using my height and towering over her. “What the fuck did you just say to me?”
I’d always had a secret fear that perhaps I was defective… not truly meant to lead. But looking into the hunter’s brown eyes, I saw excitement rising deep within her, and her boldness intrigued me, helping me push those negative thoughts aside.
“I don’t need a mate to track a killer, Miss Sullivan.
That I can promise.” I let my voice drop, though I knew it wouldn’t sway her in the least. “And if you’re worried about who warms my bed…
you’re welcome to apply for the position.
” My gaze drifted down her body, a slow, deliberate perusal meant to unnerve her.
She sucked her teeth, not backing down an inch. “Oh, you couldn’t handle me, Mr. Blackwood.” Joanna’s chin lifted, arrogance flashing in her eyes. Her words hung in the air, a challenge that sent a thrill through me. The wolf inside me stirred, eager to take the bait.
I turned to Maya, who was watching the exchange with wary eyes. “Maya.”
She stepped forward, her face hardening. “I’ll secure the area,” she said, peering into the darkness. She understood we couldn’t risk exposure to the humans, not with tensions already running high. She would handle the body to ensure no one stumbled upon the gruesome scene.
I turned back to Joanna, who was watching me with a guarded expression. “It seems you and I are going hunting.”
She didn’t protest. “It went north.” She pointed toward the dense forest bordering the mill. “I can smell it.”
I took a deep breath, sifting through the scents of the night. She was correct. The rogue’s trail led north, a faint but distinct path of violence.
As we moved into the forest, the rain eased, the canopy above shielding us from the worst of it. The trail was clearer here, the wolf’s scent untainted by the city’s muck.
We moved swiftly, Joanna a silent shadow ahead of me, her every movement precise and deliberate. She was a skilled tracker, her instincts honed by hunter magic, no doubt.
I couldn’t tell her age just by looking at her—her black skin was supple and untouched by time—but I admired her prowess, even as my wolf growled at the thought of following behind a human.
Before tonight, the only time I’d allow that was if I was taking her from behind, letting her moans and the arch of her back dictate how much of my cock she could handle.
How deep she needed me to thrust inside of her.
I shook my head to dispel the vivid, distracting image.
The trail led us deeper into the forest, the air growing colder and heavier with each step. Joanna paused, raising her hand in a silent signal. I stopped, adrenaline sharpening my focus. Up ahead, a cabin was tucked away in the shadows.
We approached with caution, our footsteps muffled by the wet earth. The cabin was small, its windows dark and empty. But the scent was unmistakable. The rogue was here.
Joanna drew her knife, the silver glinting in the faint moonlight. Her body tensed as she settled into a ready stance. She glanced at me, her eyes meeting mine.
My body contorted and twisted as my wolf took over, ripping my clothes to shreds. The world sharpened, the scents and sounds of the forest amplifying. I could smell the rogue more clearly now, his scent a rancid stench of decaying human flesh that infuriated me.
Joanna moved toward the cabin door, knife at the ready. I prowled beside her, my hackles raised. The door creaked open, revealing a dim interior. The place was a wreck. Furniture was overturned and blood was spattered across the floor. But the rogue was nowhere to be seen.
I barely fit through the doorframe as I followed Joanna inside, my claws clicking against the hardwood floor. The scent led us to a closed door at the back of the cabin.
Joanna positioned herself to the side, her back pressed against the wall. She looked at me, her eyes narrowing as she nodded. I understood her silent order and reared back, ready to break down the door.
But it swung open.
Ethan King, my beta, stood in the doorway, his eyes wild. He was shirtless, his chest smeared with blood. His torn, dirty jeans hung low, and his feet were bare. He clutched a dagger in his fist.
Ethan? I growled through our wolf bond, the shock of his betrayal a bitter taste in my mouth. He was my second-in-command. My best friend.
Ethan’s eyes flicked from me to Joanna, a confused look on his face. “Alpha,” he rasped, his voice barely recognizable as his gaze returned to me. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Joanna stepped forward, her knife pointed at him. “Drop the dagger. It’s over.”
Ethan glared at her. “It’s far from over, Joey.”
Joey? I snarled.
Ethan growled as he took a few steps back into the room. “She deserves it, Marcus,” he hissed. “They all deserve it. The humans. They’re all the same.”
Joanna’s grip on her knife tightened, her knuckles paling. “You’re sick, Ethan,” she said, voice low. “You need help.”
Ethan laughed, the eerie sound sending a chill down my spine. “Help?” he sneered. “Fuck you, Joanna.” He was trembling.
I inched forward, a low growl rumbling in my chest. Whatever this is, it ends now, my friend.
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. Without warning, he lunged, dagger slashing through the air.
I leaped to meet him, teeth bared, yet my claws drawn back. But Joanna was faster.
She stepped in front of me, her knife flashing as she deflected Ethan’s blow. The two of them clashed, a blur of steel and flesh.
I watched, heart hammering, as Joanna fought with skill and ferocity. But Ethan was strong, and his madness amplified his power. He fought wildly, his dagger stabbing with reckless abandon.
I pounced, biting into Ethan’s arm. He howled in pain, his dagger clattering to the floor.
Joanna took the opening, her blade slicing through his chest. He staggered back, eyes wide with pain. “You bitch.”
The silver blade had seared through his flesh, mirroring the fury burning in his eyes. He dove toward her again, hands reaching for Joanna’s throat.
I leaped, slamming into him, my teeth sinking into human skin as we tumbled to the floor. His strength waned, his body weakening. Nevertheless, he fought, his madness driving him on.
When Ethan’s body finally went limp beneath me, I let my guard down. And in a final surge of desperation, he managed to shove me off. I flew, crashing into a nearby table. Wood splintered, and I hit the ground hard, momentarily stunned by my lapse in judgment.
Joanna saw her chance. She lunged at Ethan, knife poised to strike.
But this time, I was faster.
I shot to my feet, intercepting her in mid-air. Our bodies collided, crashing to the floor, the impact knocking the breath from her. Her knife clattered across the floor, lost in the chaos.
“What the hell, Blackwood?” Joanna yelled, pushing against me. Her heart pounded, her breath hot against my face.
I looked up, scanning the cabin. Ethan was gone. The door hung open, rain pouring in. His scent was already fading, swallowed by the storm.