Chapter Fifteen
Marcus
The wind shifted, carrying with it the scent of approaching rain and the faint trace of enemies hidden deep within the dense foliage. I crouched low, signaling Maya and Jerome to follow suit. We’d tracked Thomas and his traitors to an abandoned warehouse.
Maya growled low in her throat, her eyes scanning ahead. “If what you say is true, there are more than we expected, Marcus,” she whispered.
I nodded grimly, counting the heartbeats coming from within the crumbling structure. At least eighty rogue wolves.
This was no mere gathering.
It was an army.
“I’ve already warned the others,” I said, turning to Maya. “They know to approach with caution. You’ve taught Grace and Robert well; remember that.”
Maya looked at me, her face calm but laced with the weight of rational doubt. “We can’t take on this many alone.”
I clenched my jaw. “We aren’t alone. We just need to pray that enough humans grew some balls.
” As Jerome reached to rest a reassuring hand on Maya’s shoulder, my right ear started to twitch.
“And it looks like we won’t have to wait to see if the Goddess has answered those prayers.
Time to double back and meet the others. ”
We moved through the forest, retracing our steps to rendezvous with our pack. The first drops of rain fell as we approached the checkpoint, the cool dampness doing little to quell the burning anxiety in my chest.
As we broke through the tree line, I caught sight of Joanna. Her posture was rigid, her face blanketed in courage. But her eyes… her eyes held a storm of emotion that mirrored the dreary weather approaching.
My wolves waited patiently—anxiously—as the hunters wrapped bandages around the hilts of a few silver knives.
Joanna’s gaze snapped to mine as we approached, and I could see the questions and worries that plagued her. I wanted to go to her, to pull her into my arms and promise her that everything would be alright, but I knew better.
“How many?” Joanna asked with a steady voice.
“At least eighty,” I replied, addressing the group at large. “Possibly more. They’re holed up in an old warehouse about two miles from here. Heavily guarded.”
A ripple of unease spread through the group.
“We’re outnumbered,” a hunter stated.
“But we’ve got the element of surprise on our side,” another spoke up.
The human rolled up her sleeves, exposing her mark—an indigo tattoo on the inside of her right wrist. “Plus, we’ve got something they don’t.
” She looked at me, then at Joanna, a corner of her mouth twitching upwards.
“We’ve got a badass werewolf alpha and the most stubborn hunter I’ve ever met leading the charge. ”
A low chorus of agreement spread through the group, and I saw Joanna stand a little taller.
“So, what’s the plan, wolf?” Malik sneered.
My eyes widened at the sight of him before I realized who was missing. “Where’s James?”
Joanna shook her head. “He left. And took about two-thirds of the hunters with him.”
I nodded, filing that information away for later. The hurt in Joanna’s eyes made me want to reach out and touch her. To kiss her forehead and tell her we didn’t need that asshole. But for now, we had bigger problems to worry about.
“Here’s the plan,” I said, addressing the group.
“I’ll lead a small team to infiltrate the warehouse from the rear.
Our goal is to take out a chunk of them quickly and quietly.
The rest of you will split into two teams. One will approach from the east with Maya, and the other will approach from the west with Jerome.
Use whatever cover you can find to get close, then strike hard and fast. The rain is our ally, pitching up different scents from all over.
But don’t be afraid to roll around in the mud if you need to.
” I paused. “Unless…” My attention flew to the woman who held so much of me already.
I didn’t have to finish my thought before Joanna could sigh. “Only one other hunter and I in this group have magic.”
“Is that not enough?” I asked.
Malik chuckled, picking his nails with a pocketknife. “That’s like putting out a campfire with spit, Your Highness.”
Joanna shook her head. “And I’m channeling most of mine into my damn shoulder.”
Breathe…
She promised you she’d be careful.
Joanna stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the assembled fighters. “Remember, our priority is to end this quickly. We cannot afford a drawn-out battle. Take out your targets and move on to the next. We have the element of surprise, and we need to use it to our advantage.”
This woman was incredible and worthy of fighting by my side. I swallowed my fixation long enough to address the warriors once more. “We move out in fifteen, everyone. So, take a piss or say your prayers. We stay low, we stay quiet. We stay alive.”
The group split, melting into the receding darkness and leaving only Joanna and a handful of others with me. I turned to Joanna, reaching out to squeeze her arm. “Can we talk?”
We walked without speaking as I led her behind a large oak tree a few yards away. When we were safe from prying eyes on the opposite side of the tree, she rested against the trunk and rotated her healing shoulder. “What’s up, Black—”
My lips swallowed my name before she could finish. I kissed her hard, my tongue exploring her mouth, allowing me to taste her. She responded in kind, her hands clutching at my shirt, pulling me closer.
She was perfect. So fucking perfect.
But so very wrong.
I rested my forehead against hers once we broke apart. “I needed that,” I murmured, causing a smile to lift her cheeks. “What happened to James?”
The smile fell, and she grabbed at my shirt once more. But this time, there was no desire in her touch, only urgency—her fingers twisting into the fabric. “He found out about us.”
I swallowed hard, thinking carefully about how to phrase my next question. “Is there… an us?”
She lifted her forehead from mine, a look of confusion on her face. “What does that mean?”
I frowned, about to state the obvious. “You’re human, Joanna. A fucking hunter. And I’m an alpha.”
The furrow in her brow deepened as she cocked her head to the side. “And?”
“And I can’t stop thinking about you,” I hissed, pulling away and running a hand through my hair. “From the fucking moment I met you, you’ve invaded my thoughts, and I can’t…” I paused, forcing myself to take a calming breath. “That first night, you asked me if I had a mate.”
“Marcus—”
“Let me finish,” I demanded. I took her hands in mine and gave them a small squeeze. “I need to know… that if when this is over…”
“Don’t—”
“You’ll let me change you.”
There. I said it. The fucking elephant had been sitting on my chest and crushing me since the night of the blood pact.
Had I ever given anyone the Bite before? No. But not all werewolves in my pack were purebloods. And if I had to create my mate, my Luna, I would be fine with that.
But Joanna didn’t respond. She just stared into my eyes. Raindrops slid down her face, mimicking tears as she remained silent.
Damn it.
I did this. I created tension between us. But the weight of my words left no room for retreat.
Joanna took a deep breath, her gaze still locked on me. “Marcus, that’s…”
Disappointment coiled around my throat, tightening with each second of her silence.
“You can’t mean that…”
What the hell was I thinking?
Joanna squeezed my hands. “I care about you, Marcus. It’s confusing and terrifying… but it’s also one of the deepest feelings I’ve ever experienced. And right now, that’s enough for me.”
I searched her eyes, seeing the sincerity in them. It wasn’t the answer I wanted, but at least it was the truth. I only wished I would’ve realized how much I’d hope for a different truth.
“Okay.” I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against hers once more. “Okay,” I repeated, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. That time, I was trying to reassure myself.
We stood like that for a moment, the rain pattering against the leaves above us and the distant murmur of our allies preparing for battle. Then, with a sigh, I opened my eyes and stepped back.
“Let’s finish this.”
Joanna nodded, her expression hardening. “Oh, yeah.” She removed a red ribbon from around her wrist. “This is for you.”
I took the ribbon from her hand. “What is this?”
Joanna smiled. “Quit playing, Alpha. You know all werewolves look alike.”
Joanna helped me tie the ribbon around one of my fingers. It was the only body part that stood a chance of keeping the fabric unscathed with a shift.
We rejoined the others, who were checking their weapons and gear one last time. The werewolves gingerly held their new knives while the hunters struggled to hide their snickering.
Maya looked up as we approached, her eyes searching mine for any sign of trouble. I gave her a small nod, and she relaxed, turning her attention back to her own preparations.
I cleared my throat for my final words of encouragement.
“We face a great challenge today. This is not shapeshifters versus hunters, but individuals fighting for a common purpose. The uprising seeks to divide us, to cause chaos where there is none. But we can see something they can’t.
Here, we stand united. And they can’t see the strength that comes from that unity. That is their fatal flaw.”
Heads nodded. Good.
“Let them underestimate us. Let them think we’re weak because we stand together.” My lips curled into a determined smile. “We’ll show them they’re wrong. We’ll show them that hunters and werewolves, united, are a force to be reckoned with.”
When we set out, the world was slowly waking, the blue-gray skies peeking through the wet leaves.
The determined birds begun their morning song despite the rain, their cheerful melodies deceptive on our behalf.
They sensed something big was about to unfold, and they knew it was in their best interest if we succeeded.