Page 63 of Alpha's Forbidden Fate

Mariya, of all people, should hate Selene. It was the attack from her family that eventually led to her demise.

She should be angry.

But she isn’t. She is not even a smidge resentful, and now I am more confused than ever.

If Mariya could reconcile this fact, does that mean my parents can too?

My siblings?

Me?

A few minutes later, I step out of the back room, wiping my eyes to clear any traces of emotion. Willow gives me a sympathetic smile, “Colt is waiting for you in the car. Goodbye, Liam.”

” Goodbye. And thank you, Willow.”

As I get into the car, Colt looks at me with concern, but I just nod, not trusting my voice to speak.

The drive back to town is quiet and tense. I don’t know how to process everything that’s happened tonight, Mariya’s revelation threw me for a loop.

As Colt drops me off at home, he leans over and says, “Hey, don’t mention Willow to anyone. Okay?”

I agree, still lost in my own thoughts.

In the house, I head straight for the shower, hoping the hot water will wash away the feeling of unease Mariya’s words have left behind. I don’t think I’ll be getting any sleep tonight.

After I’ve dried off and dressed, I decide that I need to talk to Marco. Rosa’s opening up the restaurant, so I’ve got the time. The streets are quiet as I drive toward Marco’s place, the night enveloping everything in a blanket of darkness. I park outside his apartment building and make my way up to his door, knocking loudly.

There’s no answer, and a sinking feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. I try the handle, but it’s locked. With a sigh, I pull out my phone and dial Marco’s number, but it goes straight to voicemail.

Something isn’t right. It’s very late, or early, depending on how you look at it, and Marco should be home sleeping. He’s always been reliable, never missing work. I can’t shake the feeling that something has happened to him.

Feeling the need to ensure he’s not in there sick or dead, I pick the lock. Geez! This is the second time in so many weeks I’ve picked a lock! I think I’m becoming paranoid.

Inside, I find only silence and darkness. There’s no sign of Marco.

Okay, if he’s missing, then I need to search for him. I grab one of Marco’s t-shirts to track him down and begin following the faint scent trail through the city streets. I am filled with dread when the scent leads me to an eerily dark and forsaken place.

As I step into the abandoned warehouse, the putrid stench of death and decay assaults my senses. The air is thick with the metallic tang of blood and the sickly-sweet odor of rotting flesh.

My heart pounds in my chest as I move deeper into the shadows, my footsteps echoing off the cold concrete floor. And then I see them—Andrea’s lifeless body lying on the ground, her once vibrant spirit snuffed out, and two others, their vacant eyes staring up at nothing.

Confusion, doubt, and disbelief swirl inside me. How could this be happening? How could I be the mate of someone capable of such heinous acts?

I kneel beside Andrea, my hands trembling as I reach out to touch her cold, lifeless skin. Another victim of this senseless violence.

And two other bodies...

I have to look to see if it’s Marco, but neither is Marco. My relief is short-lived, though. I followed Marco’s scent here, so he’s been here.

Anger simmers beneath the surface, a molten rage threatening to consume me. But beneath it all, there’s a nagging sense of doubt, a flicker of uncertainty.

Selene wouldn’t do this.

Would she?

Could Mariya have been right? Could Selene really be my mate?

I shake my head, trying to banish the thought from my mind. It’s impossible. It’s madness. And yet... the doubt remains.

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