Chapter Five
Marcus
The rain had finally stopped, leaving the forest dripping. I led Joanna back through the trees, her words still ringing in my ears.
She had been involved with Ethan. My friend. The revelation left a knot in my gut, twisting tighter with every attempt to unravel it.
Joanna walked beside me, her steps silent, and her face a collapsing wall. Tension radiated from her body like a beacon.
This hunter. A killer of my kind. Yet here she was, working with a werewolf.
We arrived back at the textile mill, and her face paled. “Where’s Maya?”
I turned to her, my wolf eyes glimmering with amusement.
“Taking him wasn’t part of the agreement, Blackwood.”
I shrugged but kept moving. When she sighed, I knew she understood. Ethan was my responsibility. And if she wanted to talk to him, it would be on my terms.
I led Joanna through the maze of old buildings, the stench of abandoned dreams thick in the air.
As we descended into the tunnels, she stayed close, her eyes sharp as if memorizing every turn, her hand never far from her knife.
I could smell her wariness, but beneath that, something else lingered—something sweeter.
It made my wolf pace, eager to taste more.
We reached the entrance to the compound, and Joanna froze, no doubt sensing my pack’s power behind the door. I nudged her with my nose, urging her forward. As long as she was with me, she was safe.
We entered through the lower level, a labyrinth of dark, narrow tunnels snaking beneath the main buildings. I could sense the hunter’s unease, yet her heartbeat remained steady, a quiet rhythm in the silence.
As we ascended to the main floor, the atmosphere shifted. The cool darkness of the tunnels gave way to warm, inviting light, the scent of home filling the air. I shifted back to my human form, my body contorting as bone and muscle realigned.
Lucas, one of my more obedient pack members, appeared and handed me a robe. I nodded my thanks, slipping it on as I turned to Joanna.
Her eyes, which were so focused on my cock earlier tonight, swept over the space, taking in the subtle signs of pack life.
Passing shapeshifters grimaced at the sight of her.
Her small body was tense, but curiosity flickered across her face.
I gestured for her to follow me, leading her to the guest quarters.
“You’ll stay here tonight,” I said, opening the door to a room. I switched on the lights, revealing simple furnishings: a bed, a dresser, a small table with a lamp. The window overlooked the forest, where the moonlight cast long shadows through the trees.
Joanna stepped into the room, her eyes darting to every dark corner. She turned to face me, arms crossed. “Tonight’s just full of surprises.”
“If you’d rather someone take you back to your car, I can arrange that.”
“Where’s Ethan?”
“He’s being held in the cells below. We won’t be questioning him tonight.” I saw the protest rise in her eyes, and I held up a hand to stop her. “He’s injured and needs rest. We all do. He’ll still be here in the morning.”
She hesitated, but finally nodded, her shoulders lowering in submission.
“Make yourself comfortable. There’s a bathroom through that door if you want to clean up. I’ll have someone bring you fresh clothes, too.”
She looked around the room again, her face a wall of silver. “Sure,” she mumbled.
I turned to leave, then paused, looking back at her. “You’re safe here, Joanna. No one’s going to harm you.”
She met my gaze, her eyes searching mine for deceit. After a moment, she nodded. “Uh-huh.”
I left her then, closing the door behind me. As I made my way to my room, my mind drifted back, still struggling to process the night’s events: Ethan’s betrayal. Joanna’s revelations.
Everything was spiraling out of control.
Maya was waiting by my door, her somber gaze unsettling. “He’s secure,” she said. “But… there’s something you need to know.”
I tensed, shifting my weight. “What is it?”
She sighed. “He was ranting. About the pack… about a revolution. Ethan said this is just the beginning. That there are others like him. Others who want to expose us to the humans.”
Her words hit like a blow, silencing the chaos in my head. “Others? Who?”
She slumped her shoulders. “He wouldn’t say. But, Alpha, if he’s telling the truth…”
An icy dread crept over me.
If Ethan was telling the truth, my problems were far bigger than just one rogue wolf.
This could be the start of a war.
I ran a hand through my hair, hoping to stop the prickling of my scalp. “We’ll deal with that tomorrow. For now, let’s focus on getting some rest.”
Maya bowed her head. She took a step to leave, then paused. “And the hunter?”
I met her gaze, a small smile playing at the corners of my mouth. “She’s in the guest room.”
Maya raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.
I entered my room, stripping off the robe as I shut the door behind me. Trudging through the darkness, I dropped onto the bed, my body aching with exhaustion. But as I closed my eyes, all I saw was Joanna. Her cocky grin, her defiant stance… her body pressed against mine.
I growled, turning onto my side.
This was going to be a long night.
***
Having barely slept, I was already dressed by the time the first light of dawn filtered through the window.
Joanna opened the guest room door after the first knock, her brown eyes wary but alert.
She was wearing the clothes I had sent for her: a simple pair of sweatpants and a tank top.
Her beautiful brown skin was damp, and she smelled of my pack’s soap, a scent that sent a shiver of possessiveness through me.
“Ready?” I croaked.
She nodded, stepping out into the hallway. “I’ve been ready since last night, Alpha.”
“Alpha?” Hearing that word leave those full lips sent a spark through me, igniting every fucking nerve ending.
She yawned, oblivious to the way my mouth began to water. “If you must know, the first name that came to mind was asshole, but I’m trying to be nice.”
We made our way down to the cells, the air growing colder as we descended. I opened Ethan’s cell door to find him awake.
His wild eyes darted between me and Joanna. He was tethered to the wall with heavy chains: silver-infused manacles tight around his wrists and ankles, his wounds bandaged and his body tense.
With each step, I hid my hurt beneath a mask of disappointment. I shook my head, pressing my lips into a firm line. “Ethan, it’s time for you to talk.”
Joanna strode forward, her eyes devoid of any warmth. “Tell me about Latoya.”
A sneer curled Ethan’s lips. “Why should I tell you anything, Joey?”
Joanna didn’t react. “Because if you don’t, I’ll make sure you never see the light of day again.”
Ethan laughed. “Do you think you can scare me with your threats?” His eyes beamed, a fanatical light burning in their depths.
“You’re the one who should be scared, Joey.
Because you can’t control what’s coming.
You can’t handle the truth. And the truth is that all humans are manipulative little shits…
no matter how good they are at riding your cock. ”
I growled, the warning echoing through the cell. “Enough, Ethan.”
Ethan’s eyes brimmed with malice as he continued. “The hunter loved it, you know, brother. Every minute. Every time. She’d beg for more. Isn’t that right, Joey?”
Joanna held her impassive stare, but I could see the slight tightening of her jaw, the almost imperceptible flinch of her eyes. I growled again, another warning that vibrated through the cold air. “I said, enough.”
Ethan just chuckled, setting my teeth on edge. “What’s the matter, Alpha? Can’t handle hearing how our little hunter likes to be fucked? How she’d scratch at my back and scream my name?”
My wolf surged, wrath boiling in my veins. The thought of his hands on her, his body claiming hers, was provoking. But I couldn’t let him see it. I couldn’t let him—or Joanna—know how much his words affected me.
Because I wasn’t sure why they did.
Joanna stepped forward, her voice like ice. “You pathetic piece of shit. Is that the best you can do?”
Ethan’s smirk faded… “I want you to admit it, Joanna. Admit that you loved having me inside you. You loved using me to ease your pain, to fill the void left by your dead sister.”
Joanna’s hand moved so fast that I barely saw it. The sound of the slap bounced off the cell walls as Ethan’s head snapped to the side. Blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth.
He turned back to her, his eyes burning with fury. “You little bitch,” he snarled.
I stepped between them, my body a barrier, my voice low. “She’s not the one chained to a wall, Ethan. And the only reason you’re alive right now is because you said you had information about Joanna’s sister. So, start talking.”
He smiled. “What does intel get me?”
“A trial by your peers.”
Joanna scoffed from behind me.
“Fine.” Ethan leaned back against the wall, his eyes bright with a calculating gleam.
“Turns out Latoya was a hornier bitch than you are, Joey. CCTV footage has her wasted and dry-humping some werewolf outside of Club Luna. Imagine my surprise when I learned the werewolf was a member of the revolution.”
My ears twitched. “Revolution?”
Ethan’s eyes flicked to me. “Neither of you can stop what’s coming. So, the only way to survive is to join the cause.”
I didn’t take my eyes off him, but I could feel Joanna’s frustrated gaze on me—probably because it was my fault Ethan was no longer talking about her sister.
I knew Ethan’s games, his manipulations. Hell, I taught him half of what he knew. I wouldn’t let him goad me into recklessness. “And what cause is that, Ethan?” I asked, my voice deceptively calm.
Ethan’s eyes widened. “The cause of our kin, Marcus. Freedom. Humans have lived in ignorance for too long. They think they’re the apex predators, the rulers of this world. And it’s time they learned their fucking place.”