Chapter Nine
Marcus
The sunlight filtered through the dense canopy of Blackwood Territory, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. I inhaled deeply, the scent of earth grounding me. I needed this run—needed to feel the power of the wolf coursing through my veins to clear my head.
A trace of lavender still clung to me. Joanna’s touch still burned on my skin.
The night before had been a storm of lust and recklessness that had caught me off guard.
I hadn’t intended for it to happen, but the sight of her, the scent of her, the feel of her body pressed against mine… I couldn’t resist.
But now, in the judging light of day, I questioned my actions. I was Alpha of the Blackwood Pack. I had responsibilities and duties: find my mate, strengthen the pack, and secure our future. Not bed a hunter, no matter how enticing she was.
I snarled, the sound echoing through the forest as I picked up speed, my paws pounding against the earth, the wind whipping through my fur. I pushed on harder, faster, trying to outrun the thoughts that plagued me.
As I neared the pack compound, I slowed, shifting back to my human form. I grabbed the clothes I’d stashed at the edge of the tree line, pulling on my sweatpants and a t-shirt.
The murmur of voices carried through the air. The pack was gathering. It was time to face them, to face the consequences of my actions.
I entered the meeting hall, the eyes of my pack members following me as I strode to the head of the room. I could see the concern on their faces, the questions in their eyes. Squaring my shoulders, I stood before them.
Maya marched to stand at my side.
“You’re here today to discuss the future of our kin,” I began, my voice silencing the low chatter. “As you know, our world is changing. There are those among us who believe it’s time to step out of the shadows and reveal ourselves to the humans.”
Murmurs of agreement and dissent rippled through the crowd. I held up a hand, silencing them.
“Trust me, exposure is not in our best interest. We can’t ignore the whispers of an uprising.
We must address them, and we need to do so together.
” I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
“What happens if the rogues approach our pack? What do we do if one of us shows signs of swaying? This is a serious situation, and we need to consider all options.”
Thomas, one of the pack elders, stood, his eyes narrowing. “And what of the hunter, Marcus? The one rumor has you fighting a fellow alpha for? Is she one of these… options?”
The room fell silent. I could feel their eyes on me—their judgment. I stood tall, my voice unwavering. “Joanna is an ally, an asset in our fight against this uprising. She’s not our enemy.”
Thomas scoffed, his lip curling in disdain. “She’s a hunter, Marcus. She kills our kind. And you expect us to believe she’s an ally? That she can be trusted?”
My growl echoed through the hall. “She can be trusted.”
Omar, my companion in age, cleared his throat. “Lucas claims Ethan trusted her right into his bed. Now the Beta is dead.”
The whispers among the pack grew louder, and I saw Lucas shrinking behind a pillar in the hall.
“Ethan is dead because he betrayed this pack. His loyalty lay with the rogues who want to uproot our lives.”
Crystal, a warrior whose ebony skin was much darker than Joanna’s, stepped forward. “And what of her loyalty, Alpha? Joanna’s…? Trusting her to fight this uprising is one thing. But where does her true allegiance lie? With her hunters? Or with us?”
The proposed dichotomy had taken me aback, and my eyes drifted uncomfortably to Maya. Joanna’s loyalties weren’t something we needed to discuss, because my gamma knew the answer as well as I did.
“She… is loyal to what’s right,” I said finally, the words ringing hollow even to my ears.
I didn’t bother filtering through the whispers. Distrust filled their eyes.
“I understand your doubts,” I said, my voice rising above the murmurs. “But Joanna is not like other hunters. She seeks peace. And in this fight, she is on our side.”
The room fell silent once more. I scanned the crowd, meeting each of their gazes, willing them to see the truth in my eyes.
Thomas snorted derisively. “And what of her friends, Marcus? The ones who hate that we merely exist. You think they won’t convince her to turn on us?”
I growled, my patience wearing thin. “Enough, Thomas. I won’t have you questioning Joanna’s character, thereby questioning mine. We’re in this together, all of us. And if we’re to stand against this uprising, we have to trust each other.”
Again, the whispers. I could see the struggle in their eyes, the battle between their loyalty and the fear. And I knew I had to give them something, some assurance that we were on the right path.
“I’ll speak to Joanna,” I declared, my voice firm. “I’ll ensure she understands exactly what she’s promising us. And together, we’ll face this uprising and come out stronger for it.”
“And what about the fact that you have no luna, Alpha Marcus?” Thomas challenged once more. “You say there’s an uprising. That’s just a fancy word for war. You’re without a mate. And without an heir. Don’t you think you’re making the pack vulnerable?”
Maya seethed, her fingers curling into fists as she advanced toward Thomas. I stepped in front of her, not needing to speak a word, my silent command pulling her back from the edge.
“I know what my duties are, Thomas,” I said, holding the elder’s gaze.
“I understand the importance of finding a mate for the sake of the pack’s stability.
But it’s also my responsibility to ensure the mate I choose is the right one.
Someone who’ll strengthen our pack, not create further divisions.
Unlike the few elders who don’t know when to keep their fucking mouths shut. ”
Thomas’s lips pressed into a thin line. Then, without another word, he turned and left the room.
As the meeting ended, the pack members dispersed, their voices a low hum of conversation. I turned to leave, eager to retreat to the solitude of my office, but a hand on my arm stopped me.
I turned to find Maya, her eyebrows pinched so close together they nearly touched. “Marcus,” she began, her voice low, “I hope you know what you’re doing. If this hunter betrays us…”
I placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently, but was too exhausted to make a sound.
Maya nodded, though the worry never left her eyes.
As I retreated, unease settled in the pit of my stomach. The weight of the pack’s expectations—their fears, their doubts—pressed down on me like a boulder. And at the center of it all was Joanna.
It was because of her that my best friend was dead.
He murdered innocents in my territory to lure her out of hiding.
It was her fault that my pack was without a Beta.
She used him, even placed a spell on him to protect herself.
And when she tossed him aside, that spell was the reason I was too late to save him.
No… That wasn’t right, was it?
I’m the one who executed Ethan. I’m the one who pulled my best friend’s heart from his chest. I’m the one who… instead of properly grieving my loss, couldn’t stop thinking about the hunter and the desire to fuck Ethan’s memory right out of her mind.
I tried to stay away.
She left the compound, and I ignored her text messages for days, much like I was doing now. But she was going to get herself killed at Club Luna.
Then I saw her in that dress… and she was nearly the death of me.
I was a horrible friend. A horrible brother.
I made my way to my office. The silence of the main building was a beautiful disparity to the tension in the meeting hall. I pulled my phone from where I’d buried it in the main drawer of my desk and tapped it against my forehead.
The alpha who can’t bring himself to look at a fucking phone.
Ridiculous.
I held the phone in front of my face and looked at the screen. Five missed calls from “The Hunter” and twice as many texts from her.
My thumb hovered over the messages app. But before I could click on it, a knock sounded at my door.
I caught my gamma’s scent before I called out to her. “I want to be alone, Maya.”
The door swung open. “I’m afraid that’s impossible, Alpha… Your hunter’s outside.”
I stood abruptly, the chair crashing into the wall behind me as I charged toward the door. Maya stepped aside, her eyes flickering with concern as I rushed past her.
My heart slammed against my ribcage as I burst through the main doors of the compound.
My eyes darted around the clearing until they landed on her.
She stood tall, her dark braids cascading down her back.
In blue jeans and a t-shirt, she wasn’t dressed in her usual hunting attire, except for the gun in its holster.
“What the hell are you doing here, Joanna?” I growled, stalking toward her. My voice carried through the clearing, the authority in it causing several pack members to pause and watch the scene unfold.
She raised an eyebrow, her voice cool and collected as she held her head high. “You wouldn’t answer my calls.”
I stopped a few feet from her, and my hands clenched into fists at my sides. “You can’t just waltz into my territory without my protection. It’s not safe.”
She scoffed, her lips curling into a smirk. “Last I checked, being the Alpha’s… associate came with its perks. Or did you forget that your scent would be all over me when you snuck out this morning?”
I flinched at her words, the memory of our night together flooding my mind. I hadn’t expected her to bring it up so casually, so publicly.
Two of my pack members, Brian and Leo, approached, their eyes narrowing at the sight of Joanna.
“Who’s this, Alpha?” Brian asked, his voice laced with suspicion. “Why is a hunter strolling into our compound without a damn care in the world?”
Leo snarled. “It’s her, isn’t it? What’s she doing here?”
Joanna didn’t back down, her stance unyielding as she met their gazes head-on. “I’m here to see Marcus. Not that it’s any of your business, fleabag.”
Brian bristled, his body tensing as if ready to pounce. “I’ll show you who’s—”
“Enough,” I snapped, silencing them. I stepped between Joanna and the two werewolves. “She’s with me. And she’s under my protection. Got that?”
Brian and Leo exchanged a glance, but they didn’t argue. With a last glare at Joanna, they retreated, disappearing into the compound.
I turned to Joanna, my expression stern. “Inside. Now.”
She followed me without a word as we made our way to my office. I shut the door behind us, the click of the latch cutting through the silence. I turned to face her, arms crossed over my chest. My face had grown hot.
“What the fuck were you thinking, Joanna?” I hissed. “Coming here alone, challenging the members of my pack? You’re outnumbered here. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
She met my gaze, frustration flashing in her eyes. “You ignored my calls, Marcus.”
I ran a hand down my face. She was right; I had ignored them, but that didn’t excuse her recklessness.
“You can’t just barge in here blindly. My pack is on edge as it is. You need to be more careful.”
She stepped closer. “And you need to trust that I can handle myself.”
I looked down at her, her brown eyes cutting through my defenses as she sang her incessant words.
No. I would not reach out. I would not brush my thumb down those luscious lips.
“We need to talk,” I said, my voice steady. “About last night… It was…”
“A mistake?” she finished with a chuckle. “Spare me, Alpha.”
Her words sliced through me, cold and vicious. I hesitated, the silence stretching between us like a chasm. “No, not a mistake, Joanna,” I finally said. “A complication.”
She nodded. “I know. And I’m game to ignore what happened if you are.”
My wolf gritted its teeth in disapproval.
She was ours.
But I nodded anyway. “…I think that’s best.”
Joanna took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving mine as she dropped onto the couch in the middle of the room.
“I came here because I have new information. James, my mentor, found something.” She paused as if she had to prepare herself.
“There’s a mole in the Bureau, Marcus. They’re trying to leak the conditions of that fucking treaty. ”
I stiffened, the severity of her words hitting me like a punch to the gut. “What do you mean, leak the treaty? That would be—”
“Exactly.” She nodded, her expression grave. “It would expose the supernatural world to humans and reveal just how complicit the government has been in keeping it hidden. They want to create chaos, Marcus. They want humans to fear… everything.”
The thought of the balance being shattered was blood-curdling. “This has to be stopped.”
“And to do that, we need to find out who the mole is. James has a lead, but he may need our help to follow it.”
The uprising was no longer just a whisper, a distant threat. This shit was a ticking bomb, and we were running out of time to defuse it.
“What do you need from me?”
She swept her braids from her shoulders. “As far as werewolves go, you are the only monster—” She paused and inhaled deeply. “The only one I trust. So, I need you to trust that I’m on your side, that we’re fighting for the same thing. And I need your pack to trust me, too.”
I paled. That was easier said than done. I sighed, turning away from her to pace the length of my office. “My pack needs more than words, Joanna. They need action. They won’t just accept that a hunter is saying she’s with us.”
An idea took shape in my mind, a glimmer of a plan that could turn the tides in our favor. It was risky, but it was worth a shot.
“We need to show my pack how serious we are about our alliance,” I suggested. “That you’re someone I trust with my life.”
Joanna chuckled uneasily, stretching out her arms. “Whoa. Slow down there, cowboy. How about you buy me dinner first?” When my smile broadened, she dropped her arms, placing her hands in her lap. “What do you have in mind?”
“How would you feel about making a blood pact, Miss Sullivan?”
Her eyes widened. “I’m not a werewolf, Blackwood.”
“But you are supernatural. From the day you officially became a hunter. Your magic—your power—is one of the strongest I’ve ever felt from a human. My pack won’t be able to deny that.”
Joanna leaned back on the couch, considering. But when her eyes met mine, she smirked. “When do we start?”
My grin widened, the wolf inside me howling with anticipation. “Tonight. We start tonight.”