Marcus's POV
Before I saw her, I could smell her. Vanilla and wildflowers, mixed with something new—something dark and strong that made my wolf pace inside me like a caged animal.
I watched Erik lead Lyra toward the group while I waited in the shadows of the door to the great hall. His big hand took her small one, but she walked with her chin up and her green eyes flashing with anger.
My chest got tight. When she was mad, she looked beautiful. Stop it, I told myself. She is Erik's partner. Your Alpha's mate.
My wolf didn't care about pack law, though.
Since she turned eighteen and a half months ago, he'd been interested in Lyra. Before Erik even noticed her. Before everyone knew about the mate bond. I'd kept my thoughts buried deep, locked away where no one could find them.
Being Beta meant that you were loyal above all else. Erik was my best friend, my Alpha, my brother in everything but blood.
But watching him hold her hand while Clara's voice echoed from inside the hall, ordering Lyra's death, made something savage rise up in me. "Marcus." Erik's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "I need you to do something."
"Anything."
The word came out naturally, years of loyalty programmed into my bones.
"Take Lyra somewhere safe. Keep her hidden until I can deal with this mess." My wolf nearly howled with satisfaction.
Finally, a chance to protect her. "Where do you want me to take her?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "The old house by Silver Lake. No one goes there anymore."
Erik's blue eyes were hard as steel. "Stay with her. Don't let anyone near her." Lyra looked between us, confusion flashing across her face. "Erik, I can't run. That'll just make me look guilty."
"You'll look dead if you go in there," Erik said sadly. "Clara has the whole pack convinced you're going to snap and kill someone." "But you don't believe that." It wasn't a question. Lyra's voice was soft, trusting.
Something twisted in my gut. She looked at Erik like he hung the moon and stars. Like he was her whole world. And he was. The mate link made sure of that. "No, I don't believe it."
Erik cupped her face gently. "But I need time to prove your innocence. Marcus will keep you safe while I handle things here." Handle things. Like Clara. Like the pack leaders who wanted Lyra gone. Like his own father who was probably pushing for the rejection event right now.
"Go," Erik said hurriedly as voices grew louder inside the hall. "I'll find you when this is over." He kissed Lyra's face, and I had to look away. The soft gesture made my wolf whine with jealousy.
"Come on," I said to Lyra, pushing my voice to stay calm. "We need to move." Erik squeezed my shoulder. "Thank you, Marcus. I know I can trust you with her." Trust. The word was like a knife between my ribs.
If only he knew how I really felt about his mate. The house sat on the far edge of pack territory, hidden by thick pine trees and forgotten by most of the pack. I'd found it years ago during patrol and sometimes came here when I needed to think.
Now I was bringing the woman I loved to hide from my best friend's issues. "It's not much," I said, pushing open the creaky door.
"But it's safe." Lyra stepped inside, her eyes taking in the dirty furniture and cobwebs. "It's perfect. Thank you, Marcus."
The way she said my name made my chest warm. How long had I waited to hear her voice speak to me instead of asking about Erik? "Are you hungry?" I asked.
"There might be some canned food in the kitchen." "I'm too nervous to eat." She sank onto the old couch, wrapping her arms around herself.
"Do you really think Clara planned all this?" I sat across from her, careful to keep space between us. Being alone with Lyra was dangerous. My control was already hanging by a thread.
"Clara's mother was Head of Pack Security when your father was arrested," I said. "She knows exactly how to make someone look guilty." Lyra's face crumpled.
"My father really killed those people, didn't he?" "He was cursed." I leaned forward without thinking. "Erik was right about that. Your father was a good man before the madness took him." "How do you know?" "Because I knew him."
The statement slipped out before I could stop it. "He used to tell me stories when I was little. About brave fighters and magical creatures.
He was kind, Lyra. Nothing like what they're saying now." Her green eyes filled with tears.
"Then why did he do it?" "Someone wanted him destroyed. Someone with power and connections." I clenched my hands. "The same someone who's trying to destroy you now." "Eleanor." Lyra whispered the name like a curse. "Eleanor," I agreed.
"She's been planning this for years. Waiting for the right time to strike." Lyra stood up suddenly, walking to the window. Her scent filled the small cabin, making my wolf antsy with need. "I can feel it, you know," she said softly.
"The darkness. It's getting stronger every hour." "What does it feel like?" "Like there's something else inside me. Something hungry."
She turned back to me, fear written across her face.
"What if I really am dangerous? What if I hurt someone?" "You won't." I stood up too, moving closer without thinking. "You're the gentlest person I know. You wouldn't hurt a fly." "You don't know that." Her voice broke. "What if the curse is real? What if I'm becoming just like my father?" "Then I'll stop you."
The words came out angry, protective. "I won't let you become something you're not." She stared at me, something shifting in her face. "Why are you being so kind to me?" Because I love you. The truth burned in my throat, but I couldn't say it. Not when she belonged to someone else.
"Because you deserve kindness," I said instead. "And because Erik cares about you." The light in her eyes faded a little. "Right. Erik."
We stood there in silence, the air between us thick with unsaid words.
I wanted to tell her everything—how I'd watched her from afar for months, how my wolf called to hers even though we weren't mates, how seeing her with Erik made me want to challenge my own Alpha. Instead, I stepped back. "You should rest. It's been a long day." "Marcus."
Her voice stopped me at the bedroom doorway. "Can I ask you something?" "Of course." "Do you think Erik really loves me? Or does he just feel bound because of the mate bond?" The question hit me like a physical blow.
She was asking me to convince her that my best friend loved her, when all I wanted was to tell her how I felt. "The mate bond doesn't create love," I said carefully.
"It just makes existing feelings stronger. If Erik didn't care about you before, the bond wouldn't change that." "But he never noticed me before last night. " I noticed you.
The words screamed in my head. I've been noticing you for months. "Maybe he was waiting for the right time," I said instead. She nodded, but I could see the doubt in her eyes.
The mate tie might be strong, but it couldn't erase insecurity. "Get some sleep," I said gently. "I'll keep watch." As she disappeared into the bedroom, I sank onto the couch and put my head in my hands.
This was pain. Being alone with her, guarding her, wanting her so badly it felt like my chest might explode.
My phone buzzed. A text from Erik. How is she? Safe, I typed back. Scared, but safe. Good. This is taking longer than planned. Clara's got half the pack sure Lyra's about to go on a killing spree. My jaw clenched. What can I do? Just keep her hidden.
I'll handle Clara. Erik... what if the pack demands you reject her publicly? The phone went silent for a long time. When it finally buzzed again, my blood turned to ice.
Then I'll have to choose between my mate and my pack. I stared at the message, my mind running.
If Erik picked Lyra, he'd lose his position as Alpha. The pack would never accept a Luna they saw as dangerous. But if he picked the pack... Lyra would be destroyed.
A soft sound from the bedroom made me look up. Lyra was crying—quiet, sad sobs that made my wolf howl with the need to comfort her. I stood up, my feet carrying me toward her door before I could think. She was curled up on the bed, her shoulders shaking with sadness. "Lyra?" I whispered.
"I'm ruining everything," she cried. "Erik's going to lose his pack because of me."
"That's not true." "It is." She looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. "Maybe I should just leave. Disappear. Let him have the life he was supposed to have." "Don't say that." I sat on the edge of the bed, my control finally snapping.
"Don't ever say that." "Why not? I'm nothing special. Just a broken omega with a killer for a father." "You're everything."
The words burst out of me. "You're brave and kind and beautiful and perfect, and Erik would be an idiot to let you go." She stared at me in shock. "Marcus..." "I'm sorry." I started to pull away, but her hand caught mine. "Don't apologize."
Her voice was soft, wondering. "How long have you felt this way?" The question hung between us like a loaded gun. I could lie, pretend it was just the stress of the situation.
Or I could tell her the truth and destroy everything.
"Since the moment you smiled at me three months ago," I whispered. "Since before Erik even knew you existed." Her breath caught. "But I'm his mate." "I know."
The words tasted like poison. "Believe me, I know." We stared at each other, the air sparking with tension and forbidden desire.
Her hand was still holding mine, her touch burning through my skin like fire. "Marcus," she breathed. "I know this is wrong," I said desperately. "I know you belong to him. But I can't stop feeling this way."
She was leaning closer now, her smell wrapping around me like a drug. My wolf was going crazy, begging me to kiss her, to claim her, to make her mine.
"Maybe..." she whispered. "Maybe the bond isn't everything." Her lips were inches from mine when my phone burst with sound.
We jerked apart as if we'd been burned. I grabbed the phone with shaking hands. "Marcus!" Erik's voice was frantic.
"They found the house. Clara's taking a hunting party straight to you. Get Lyra out of there now!" Through the window, I could see torches moving through the trees.
At least twenty wolves, moving fast and angry. "How much time do we have?" I asked, already pulling Lyra to her feet.
"Minutes. Maybe less." Erik's voice cracked. "Marcus, whatever you do, don't let them take her alive.
Clara's convinced them Lyra killed someone tonight." My blood froze. "Killed who?" "Jade."