Chapter Thirteen
Marcus
Joanna lay nestled against my chest, her breath rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. Below her bandages, I traced the line of her spine with my fingertips, feeling the softness of her skin.
The night before was… different.
Slow. Intimate. Words I’d never used in the bedroom before.
What we did wasn’t fucking, that’s for sure. We’d clung to each other like we needed one another to survive. I’d never felt so connected to someone—so utterly consumed by them. It was exhilarating.
Terrifying.
But reality waited for no one, not even an alpha and his…
What was I supposed to call her?
Lover? That felt presumptuous.
Who was to say I was anything more than a distraction? I had to grit my teeth to keep from cursing at the reminder that she’d had one of those before me.
A soft knock at the door pulled me from my spiral. I freed myself from Joanna’s arms, tucking the blanket around her before throwing on my jeans and padding across the room. I cracked open the door to see Maya with a frown on her face.
“What is it?” I asked, stepping out into the hallway and closing the door behind me.
“Four hunters hanging around The Pint,” she said lowly. “They’ve been asking around for Joanna.”
I nodded, running a hand down my face. “I’ll go wake her.”
Maya placed a hand on my arm, stopping me. “Marcus… They’re not happy.”
I met her gaze, seeing the familiar worry in her eyes. “As expected,” I said. “But we need them. And they need us, whether they realize it or not.”
She nodded, stepping back. “I can’t remember the owner’s name, but I’ll ask him to let us have the back room.” She waited until I nodded before continuing. “And I’ll bring reinforcements, just in case.”
I agreed, watching her walk away before turning back to the door. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what was to come.
Joanna was still asleep when I entered the room. I sat down on the bed beside her, my hand resting on her injured shoulder.
“Joanna,” I said softly, giving her a gentle shake. “Wake up.”
She stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She looked up at me, a smile blooming on her face. “Good morning,” she murmured.
“Morning,” I replied, unable to help the smile that tugged at my own lips. “We have company.”
She furrowed her brow, her smile fading. “That was fast.” She jumped up, wincing as her wounds pulled. Grabbing her phone off the nightstand, she frowned. “James never even responded to my text.”
I shrugged. “Maya will have them wait at the bar in the middle of town. The owner’s human, and he doesn’t know much about the supernatural world, but he’s a friend.”
Joanna nodded and hurried to swing her legs over the side of the bed. A jolt of pain made her grit her teeth.
I reached out, steadying her with a hand on her elbow. “Careful,” I said. “You don’t want to tear your stitches.”
She looked up at me, her eyes soft. “Thanks,” she said.
I pinched her chin. “You don’t have to thank me, Joanna. Just take it easy.”
She smirked. “Says the man who needed to fuck me?” She closed her eyes as I brushed my thumb across her lower lip. “We should go,” she sighed. She took a deep breath and pushed herself to her feet.
After she showered, I was mindful of her injuries as I helped her dress. And when I finished getting myself ready, we made our way to the bar.
Maya and her three warriors waited for us outside, their voices hushed in anticipation. They parted for us, their gazes following as we walked past, before they fell into step behind us.
The old bar owner stopped polishing a glass and nodded in greeting. “Your… friends. They’re in the back, like you’ve asked.”
I slid a hundred-dollar bill across the bar. “Make sure we aren’t disturbed. No matter what you hear. Got it?”
The man nodded again, pocketing the money.
Inside the room, the hunters stood waiting. Their faces were grim, their bodies poised for a fight.
“James,” Joanna said, stepping forward. “I’m happy you came.”
The old man’s eyes flicked to me before settling back on Joanna. “Of course I was going to come, Joey. Your text said you were staying with werewolves.”
His voice was coarse, and Joanna tensed beside me.
“I can explain,” she began, “to all of you. Rebecca, Jeffrey… Malik. Thanks for coming.”
I glanced at the man whose name she hadn’t wanted to say. He was lighter than her, with shoulder-length locs held back by an elastic band. He was staring at her with a smirk on his face, as if he, too, knew she wasn’t thrilled to see him.
“Let’s have a seat and get this shit over with,” James declared, plopping his ass onto a nearby bar stool. “Any longer, and who knows, we might all start itching from fleas.”
I growled, ready to put the old man in his place, but Joanna shot me a warning look.
“James, listen to me,” she said, her voice firm. “Marcus and his pack are not the enemy. We all want to stop the uprising, don’t we?”
James scoffed. “Do you actually believe he cares about the human world? He’s an alpha, Joey. His only care is his pack.” His steady eyes met mine. “I don’t know how the hell you got under her skin, but I know you’re manipulating her. You and your kind are using her to get to us.”
I chuckled. “That’s fucking pathetic. I don’t need Joanna to rip your throats.”
The hunters tensed, their hands reaching for their weapons. Joanna stepped between us, her hands up. “Enough. Both of you.”
James looked at Joanna with a furrowed brow. “Joey… you know I only want what’s best for you. What Toya would have wanted for you.”
Joanna’s expression hardened at the sound of her sister’s name. “Don’t bring Toya into this, James.”
James sighed, pinching his nose bridge before glaring at me. “Know this, dog. If you hurt her, if you betray us, I will kill you.”
I rolled my eyes. “If I betray you, we’re as good as dead. Each and every one of us in this room.”
Joanna gestured to the empty seats. “Please, let’s sit and talk.” She attempted to pull a chair out with one hand.
James’s eyes narrowed as I rushed to Joanna’s side, helping her with the chair. “What happened to you?” he demanded, his voice sharp with concern but his gaze edged with accusation.
Joanna sighed, lowering herself into the seat. “I got hurt during an attack. Thankfully, Marcus’s pack healer patched me up, so it’s nothing to worry about.”
James’s gaze snapped to me, his eyes hard. “How exactly did you get hurt, Joey?”
I growled, his implication perfectly clear. “She was injured saving one of my wolves from a member of the uprising. Not that we owe you any explanation.”
Malik, who had been silent until now, leaned forward in his seat, his eyes on Joanna. “Is that true, Joey? You got hurt saving a werewolf?” His tone was dripping with disbelief.
Joanna met his gaze with a blank stare. “Yes, it’s true.”
Malik smirked, leaning back in his chair. “Always the hero, aren’t you, babe? But this time, you’re playing with wolves, Little Red. You sure you can handle that?”
Joanna’s eyes narrowed, her hands clenching into fists. “I can handle whoever I need to, Malik. You, of all people, should know that.”
Malik chuckled, the sound grating on my nerves. “Oh, I know you can handle a lot, Joey. But this? This is fucking crazy.”
“Whatever,” Joanna snapped. “James, why the hell is he here?”
James shrugged, but his eyes never left my hand on Joanna’s shoulder. “Because he’s one of the best.”
Rebecca, the other female hunter in the group, spoke up. “Joey’s right, y’all. We need to focus.” She looked at me, her eyes assessing. “What do you know about the uprising?”
I faced her, appreciating her straightforwardness. “We know that Thomas, one of our elders, is involved. Apparently, he’s been rallying support for them. Like the others, he believes werewolves should rule over humans.”
Jeffrey, the last hunter, nodded. “That aligns with our intel. There’s been chatter among the rogue factions about a major power shift. They’re planning something big, something that will entice the werewolves into the open and challenge human authority.”
Joanna shifted in her seat. “Is there any lead on the mole in the Bureau?” She waited a moment, but when no one answered, she slammed her uninjured hand down on the table. “James.”
James’s gaze bounced from me to the warriors at my side. His face was set in a deep frown. He didn’t want to share information after all.
“The mole has been neutralized, apparently, and the contents of the treaty are safe,” James finally disclosed. “But the whispers of an uprising have failed to quiet down among the monsters.” He crossed his arms. “So, how do you plan on stopping them, Joey? You and your new… allies?”
If I was na?ve enough to be unsure, the way he said “allies” made it clear what he thought of our partnership. The old man would’ve had a heart attack if he knew Joanna was bound to me by blood.
Joanna ignored his tone. “We have a lead on Thomas’s location. Marcus can track him. If we can capture him, we can interrogate him, find out their plans, and stop them before they act.”
Malik snorted. “And what makes you think he’ll talk? From what I’ve heard, these rogues are fucking fanatics.”
“Oh, he’ll talk.” I exchanged a loaded smile with Jerome, who loomed silently by the door. “They always do.”
Malik’s smirk faded as he saw the truth in our eyes.
Rebecca cleared her throat, breaking the tension. “So, what’s the plan? We can’t exactly march into their hideout, guns blazing. Unless… that’s exactly what you intend to do…”
“This is Maya, Marcus’s gamma. And these three are the warriors she and Marcus trust most.” Joanna waited as Maya and the others nodded in greeting.
“They’ll scout ahead with Marcus to make sure the path is clear.
The rest of us will keep a safe distance away.
Marcus will be able to tell if Thomas is alone or if he’s led us straight to the den of the enemy.
Then, we strike. Either we capture Thomas and get out… or, if it’s the latter, we fight.”
James shook his head. “It’s too risky. Too many variables. So many things can go wrong.”
Joanna released an exasperated sigh. “It’s our best shot, James. We have to take it. Thomas knows who I am, what I am. And by now, he knows we’re coming after him. We can’t just sit back and wait for them to make the first move.”
James stared at Joanna for a long moment before finally nodding. “Fine. But if anything goes wrong, I’m holding him responsible.” He jabbed a finger in my direction.
I smirked, unfazed.
He didn’t know that if things did, in fact, go wrong, I’d be the first to blame myself.
***
We spent the rest of the day preparing. While we gathered supplies and discussed strategy in the quiet town of Cedar Grove, the hunters left to gather reinforcements on their end. James had come prepared and left a bag of weapons for Joanna, which she checked and double-checked.
As the sun began to set, we made our way back to the inn to get a few hours of sleep. But as tired as I was, my feet led me to a room that wasn’t mine.
I heard training coming from the other side of Joanna’s door. The whistle of a knife slicing through the air. The stretching of a bow. The thud of silver and metal against wood. It wasn’t until I heard a glass scraping against a table that I interrupted her with a knock.
A smile lit up Joanna’s ashen face once she opened the door. Her lips were still wet from the water she drank, and I could see the tears of pain in her eyes. Her forehead was damp with sweat, her kinky curls secured with an elastic atop her head.
“May I come in?” I asked.
“Of course.” She moved aside to let me pass.
I stepped inside, my eyes scanning the room. Her fighting leathers, courtesy of James, were hanging on the closet door, and her weapons were laid out on the small desk.
“You need to take it easy,” I said. “You’re still healing.”
She rolled her eyes, but the smile was still on her face. “I’m fine, Alpha,” she whined, as if she’d done so a million times. She probably had at this point.
I stepped closer to her, reaching out to place my hands on her shoulders. “Are you? Because I think you’re pushing yourself too hard. And I can’t… I won’t lose you, Joanna.”
Her eyes opened wide but then softened as she tilted her head. “I’m right here, Marcus.”
I nodded, brushing my thumb against her bandages. “Just… be careful, okay? If anything feels off, if anything goes wrong, you run. You get out of there. Promise me.”
She met my gaze, her expression hardening. “I promise… that I will be careful.”
I let out a sigh of defeat, my hands dropping from her shoulders. I looked around the room, my eyes landing on her weapons. “I heard you training. Are you ready for tomorrow?”
She chuckled. “You mean, in a few hours?” She nodded. “As ready as I can be. You?”
“Absolutely,” I said with a subtle smirk. “So, since we have time…” I crossed my arms. “Tell me about Malik.”
Joanna’s expression soured, her nose wrinkling in disgust. “What about him?”
I shrugged, my smirk growing. “Just curious. He seemed… intense. And it’s obvious you two have history.”
Joanna sighed, running a hand down her face. “We dated. A long, long time ago. Back when I thought hunters could have boyfriends and live happily ever after… It didn’t end well.”
I growled, played by myself, as the thought of her with another man made my wolf pace. “He’s an ass,” I declared. “And he has no right to speak to you the way he does.”
Joanna looked up at me, her eyes filled with amusement. “Jealous, Blackwood?”
I scoffed, but there was no denying the truth. “Maybe,” I admitted. “I don’t like the way he looks at you. I don’t like the way he talks to you. I don’t like him.”
Joanna chuckled, shaking her head. “Well, you’re going to have to tolerate him. We need him.”
“I know. But that doesn’t mean I have to like any of it.”
Joanna stepped closer and tapped my cheek. “No, it doesn’t,” she said, her voice dripping with mockery. “But you do have to play nice.” I bit back a laugh at her derisive tone. “Seriously, Blackwood. That mouth of yours is going to get us in trouble.”
I smirked, my hand meeting hers. “You have no idea,” I murmured as I grabbed her hips, pulling her closer. I lowered my head, my lips capturing her moan as her body pressed against mine.
I broke the kiss, my hands moving into the waistband of her pants. “You know,” I said, my voice low and teasing, “I can think of much better uses for my mouth if you’d like.”
Joanna’s eyes widened, her breath hitching as I slowly slid her pants down, revealing her supple skin. I crouched down in front of her, my eyes never leaving hers. She was already panting, her body trembling with anticipation. I smirked, ready to show her just how much better my mouth could be.