Marked Twice by the Alpha King

Blake's POV

A chill ran down my spine. No werewolf made that kind of oath lightly. Break it, and her wolf would abandon her forever.

"Take your time, I said, gentling my voice. "I believe you."

What came next hit me like a freight train.noveldrama

Sarah recounted the conversation word for word-Jackson bragging about framing William, Richard admitting they'd planned for the entire patrol to die, both of them celebrating how perfectly their scheme had worked. The only thing that had gone wrong was William surviving when he should have been buried with the rest.

My vision went red around the edges. They hadn't just destroyed one man's life— they'd committed mass murder and pinned it on their sole surviving victim.

"They packaged a murder as a border conflict," Sarah whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Made William carry the blame while they celebrated getting away with it."

I flexed my hands, fighting the urge to shift right there in that cramped room. Every instinct I had screamed for blood; for justice, for making these bastards pay in the most painful way possible.

But that could wait. I will, eventually.

"Alpha King,” Sarah suddenly grabbed my hand, "you must tell Ava all this! She needs to know her father is innocent! And warn her that Jackson is dangerous!"

I have to stay here and keep watch the whole Hayes," I told her, forcing my voice steady. "But you need to know-Ava's never doubted William's innocence. Not for one second."

Sarah's face crumpled. "She must hate me. I should have stood by her instead of believing their lies."

"She doesn't hate you." I reached out, covering her trembling hands with mine." And she's never blamed you for the choice you made. She knows separating from a fated mate isn't easy to bear."

"Besides," I added, "Ava is excellent. We all knew that. She and Sophia can handle Jackson just fine. I trust them completely."

Sarah looked at me then, something shifting in her expression. The worry lines around her eyes softened slightly.

"Alpha King," she suddenly asked, "may I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"Do you really love her? My daughter?" The question carried the weight of every protective mother who'd ever lived. "Because if you're just playing games..."

The directness caught me off guard. Here was Sarah, roughly my age, asking me the kind of question only a mother had the right to ask. Unusual situation, getting the parent talk from Ava's foster mother, but I understood her need to know. Any good mother would want her daughter from heartbreak.

rotect

I looked her dead in the eye. "I love her more than my next breath. Soon as this mess gets sorted and William's free, I'm making her my wife in front of the whole werewolf world."

Fresh tears spilled down Sarah's cheeks, but these ones carried joy instead of pain.

"Thank you," she choked out. "Thank you for taking care of her."

"I should be the one thanking you and William for raising such an incredible daughter, I admitted softly. "She's made, nerything in my I better.

A comfortable silence settled between us. Sarah wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and I could see some of the weight she'd been carrying finally lifting from her shoulders.

I glanced toward the window, checking the sun's position. By now, Jackson should be walking straight into whatever trap my glile had waiting.

Sophia's POV

"Ready for this?" Ava whispered, her green eyes meeting mine across Blackwood Manor's sitting room.

I twisted my engagement ring-the one I couldn't wait to get rid of. "More than you know."

We'd spent the last hour going over our plan, Dad had left with a convoy impressive enough to make Richard Hayes he was bringing good news about Jackson's Alpha candidacy. Meanwhile, I'd texted Jackson with just enough honey in my words to lure him straight here.

The trap was set. All we needed was our rat.

"Remember," Ava murmured, settling into her hiding spot by the window, "let him hang himself. The more he admits on his own...

"The harder he falls. Time he got a taste of his own medicine." I smoothed my dress, practiced my excited face one more time. After watching Jackson lie to me for months, there was something darkly satisfying about turning the tables.

She reached over, squeezed my hand briefly. "I've got your back."

Strange how those simple words made my throat tight. Just days ago, I'd been plotting against her, convinced she was destroying my family. Now I knew who the real poison was.

Tires crunched on gravel outside. My heart kicked against my ribs.

"Showtime," Ava whispered, slipping into the shadows as the front door swung open.

I grabbed Mom's photo album and curled up on the couch, flipping pages with practiced nonchalance. When Jackson's footsteps sounded in the hall, I looked up with what I hoped was perfect, innocent excitement.

"Jackson!" I bounced up, meeting him halfway across the room

God, he was still beautiful. That perfect smile, those dimples that used to make my stomach flutter. When had something so lovely become so

hollow?

"Sophia.” His arms circled me in that possessive way I once mistook for passion. "You sounded excited on the phone."

I pulled back, eyes wide with fake enthusiasm. "Jackson, you won't believe what I heard."

His smile stayed fixed, but his eyes sharpened like a predator catching a scent. "What is it, baby?"

I lowered my voice, playing the excited conspirator. "Lyra from Northern Lights... she might have found evidence clearing William Rivers.

The change was subtle but unmistakable-his/smile froze, a muscle in his jaw twitched, his pupils contracted to pinpoints. Gotch

"What kind of evidence?" His voice was carefully controlled.

"Something about Northern Lights border patrols finding proof. I kept my tone casual, like I was discussing a new restaurant instead of dropping a bomb. "If William is proven innocent... there's nothing stopping Ava from becoming Luna.*

His fingers tightened on my arms-not quite painful, but a warning. "How reliable is this information?"

Chapter 194: Two Bombs

I shrugged, felgning innocence. 'Reliable enough that Dad's taking it seriously."

A muscle jumped in his jaw. "I see."

Time for the second bomb.

"So, I sighed dramatically, "I think we should postpone out wedding."

His face went slack with shock. "What?"