Chapter Four
Joanna
I stopped struggling, my body going limp beneath the giant beast. I imagined he was trying his best not to crush me under his weight.
With my submission, the piece of shit began to rise. As the gray wolf pushed himself off me, I scurried back, my eyes never leaving his.
I watched as the enormous wolf shifted. Bones cracked and reformed, fur receded, and within just a few moments, Marcus Blackwood stood nude before me. I swallowed hard, my eyes widening as I took in the sight of him.
He was a towering figure, his body a landscape of hard muscle, with fewer scars from silver weapons than I’d expected.
But it wasn’t just the size of his chest that held my gaze.
I couldn’t help but notice that he was, indeed…
above average. My cheeks flushed, and I forced my eyes back up to his face, determined not to let him see the effect he had on me.
His amber eyes met mine, anger swirling in their depths. “You have five seconds, Miss Sullivan. Before I force the truth from your pretty mouth.”
I scoffed, pushing myself to my feet. I was acutely aware of his nakedness, of the raw power that radiated from him. It made my heart race, my body responding in ways I didn’t want to acknowledge. “He’s a murderer, Blackwood. He deserves to be put down like the rabid dog he is.”
Marcus ran a hand down his face, his biceps flexing with the movement. “And here I thought he was ‘sick’ and needed help, Joey.”
Shit.
The way Marcus said my name made me step back.
I instinctively reached for my knife, forgetting it was not on my hip.
I cursed again. I’d left my loft in a hurry and hadn’t brought any other weapons with me…
I didn’t think I would need them. But looking into the Alpha’s eyes at that moment, I wasn’t so sure that assumption wouldn’t get me killed.
Even from where I stood, I could feel the heat radiating from his body. It was clouding my judgment. Because despite his anger, I felt a pull toward him. A primal, undeniable attraction that made my body ache with need.
Marcus paced back and forth, his feet slapping against the hardwood floor. He paused, turning to face me, his eyes darkening. “You and Ethan know each other.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. There was no reason to deny it now. I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. “We knew each other.”
Marcus shook his head, disbelief coloring his voice. “He’s been my best friend since we were kids. I should’ve known about you.”
“Not with the spell I placed on him.”
Marcus stilled, his eyes widening. “Spell…?” He paused, trying to put two and two together, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Why?”
I walked over to my knife on the floor, feeling the werewolf’s eyes track my every step. “So that no one would find out about us.” I sheathed the knife at my hip.
Marcus stormed toward me, his gaze burning into mine with an intensity that made my knees weak. “You were fucking him,” he growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that sent a shiver down my spine.
My traitorous pulse quickened as I lifted my chin, daring to meet his gaze. Hell would freeze over before I backed down. “For a short time, yes.” I was pleased with how steady my voice sounded. “He was helping me… with a case. And one thing led to another.”
A snarl curled his lips. “These murders… Did you know it was Ethan all along?”
My body tensed at the rising aggression in his tone. “You need to understand, Blackwood,” I spat, as I massaged my temples. “I decided to work with Ethan despite what he is. What you both are.” I took a deep, calming breath. “But I misjudged his pitiless nature, and your boy got attached.”
I paused, my thoughts drifting as the memory of Ethan’s rough hands commanding my body sent heat skimming across my skin.
“Did I know he was a monster…? Yes.” I closed my eyes, collecting my thoughts, but the grit of Marcus’s breath caused them to snap open a mere second later.
“Did I know he was our monster?” I shook my head.
“I wasn’t sure until tonight. Until I realized even you, an alpha, couldn’t see his identity.
” My lips curled into a proud smile. “That’s when I knew my spell was still masking his scent. ”
According to James, wielding true magic was a rare gift that very few hunters possessed.
Fortunately for me, I was one of the lucky ones, though my magic was feeble—nothing compared to the power harnessed by my hunter’s mark.
But the spell worked… only… “It shouldn’t have worked this long.
It activates with extreme arousal—mental, emotional, physical. ”
“Why is he doing this?”
I shrugged, working hard to avoid meeting the shapeshifter’s gaze. “To get under my skin, probably.”
Marcus punched through the nearest window, unfazed by the shards of glass piercing his skin. “This doesn’t make any sense. Are you trying to tell me that my best friend, my beta, is running around committing treason because of you?”
Again, I shrugged, making sure I remained calm.
“No human’s cunt is that good.”
My body was ready to accept his challenge despite everything: the danger... the embarrassment. Ridiculously, all I could think about was how badly I wanted to feel his human form pressed against mine.
But I took a step back, rolling my eyes. “Fuck you, Blackwood.”
His nostrils flared, chest heaving as he stepped closer, glass crunching under his feet. “You lied to me, Miss Sullivan. From the very beginning.”
I stood my ground, refusing to back down. “I didn’t lie. I only kept some things to myself. In fact, I think I gave as much as I got.”
Marcus’s eyes searched mine, shaded with livid confusion. “What the hell does that mean?”
“You have no mate, yet you travel to crime scenes with only your gamma?” I crossed my arms. “It doesn’t take a werewolf to know something is off when there’s no beta in sight.”
Marcus’s growl echoed through the cabin. “Why was he helping you? What was the case?”
I hesitated, uncertainty gnawing at me.
Should I tell him? Did I have a choice?
I sighed, having made up my mind. “My sister’s murder.”
I watched Marcus for a reaction, but he was unreadable. “Your sister,” he echoed, his voice softer than I expected it to be.
I nodded, looking away. I couldn’t bear to find out if there was pity in his eyes.
“Latoya. Werewolves killed her. Cops never found her body. I hired Ethan to help me find out what happened to her.”
Marcus was silent for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. “And did he?”
My gaze drifted to the floor. “No. But he did help me… cope.”
I could feel Marcus staring at me, his eyes searing through my skin.
“And in return, he also got what he wanted.”
Marcus turned away, hands clenched into fists at his sides. Tension rolled through his body. “And the spell? Why hide your scent?”
I sighed, toying with a braid that had come loose during the fight. “Because I’m a hunter, Marcus. I hunt your kind. I don’t fuck them.”
Marcus whirled around, amber eyes ablaze. “Is this a fucking joke to you?” he growled.
I held my ground. “I didn’t come here to play games with your behind. I came here to stop a killer. And if that means working with you, then so be it. But don’t think for a second that I trust you.”
Marcus took a step closer. “Trust goes both ways, baby girl. And right now, you’re not giving me much to work with.”
I balled my hands into tight fists. “I’m not your baby girl, Blackwood. And I don’t need your trust. I need your cooperation. You just let that monster get away, asshole.”
Marcus smirked, wicked and knowing. “What makes you think he got away?”
I paused, embarrassed by how long it took for understanding to dawn on me. “Your gamma,” I whispered.
We were now inches apart, Marcus looking down at me, amused. “Did you really think I’d let a rogue go free?” He shook his head.
My chuckle bounced off his chest. “And what will you do with him? Give him a slap on the wrist and a stern talking-to?”
Marcus’s eyes darkened, the amusement gone. “He’ll face a trial by his peers. And if he’s found guilty, he’ll face the consequences. That’s the pack way.”
“You should’ve let me kill him.”
Marcus turned away, the aura around his body shifting as he began to transform back into the wolf. “And if I did that, you wouldn’t be able to hear the update he claims to have about your sister.”