Page 62 of The Alpha's Reclaimed Mate

I closed the door behind myself, wrapping up in the warm wool cardigan on my shoulders.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” said Lucas. “No, he’s the last thing I want to be thinking about right now. You can’t get him transferred here? ...Fine. Aria and I will be there soon.”

It startled me to hear my name spoken in such a professional capacity, but I supposed I’d have to get used to it. The business of the Silent Shadows’ Alpha was my business too. “What’s wrong?” I asked after he hung up.

Lucas sighed and got to his feet, gently embracing my shoulders. “You aren’t going to like this, but we have to go to the Grey Creek villa.”

I resisted the growl brewing in my chest. “Why?”

“It’s Oswald. Something strange is happening to him. The coroner wants us to take a look.”

This time, I couldn't help the disgust screwing up my face. But there was no use arguing. I’d do what had to be done.

“Let’s hurry so we can make it back before long,” said Lucas, ushering me out of the office.

With time of the essence, we took Lucas’ car to the villa. Lucas made a point of opening the car door for me, holding my hand as we walked into the medical center together. The few wolf shifters inside were all familiar to me—soldiers and medics I had seen during my training—and greeted me as I walked past. I gave them polite smiles, but it was a far cry from forgiveness for the way they treated me. Only time could heal the damage the Grey Creek Pack had done.

The moment we entered the refrigerated examination room, a familiar stench struck me. I hadn’t registered it at the time, in the midst of all the chaos, but I knew immediately where I’d smelled it before, when I was facing off against Mara. Rather, when she was running away, leaking pungent black smoke.

My attention snapped to the white sheet draped across a metal table, rumpled and stained with splotches of black.

“Is that...?” Lucas homed in on it too.

“Your assumptions are correct,” said the coroner. He peeled the sheet back, revealing a horrific rendition of Oswald—or what his human form once looked like. Even though he’d only died yesterday, his body was withered and rotten, rancid meat clinging to wet bones, eye sockets hollow, and lips peeled back over inky teeth. Nausea surged in my stomach. I clasped my hand over my mouth, assaulted by a dozen unpleasant emotions.

Oswald’s death suddenly felt incredibly real.

“Oswald Moore, our former Alpha,” said the coroner. “His body appears to be decaying at a rapid pace that is highly unusual, even for shifters. It’s... unnatural. I didn’t want to declare anything in my coroner’s report until I ran it past you, as I felt you two may have a better idea of what I’m looking at.”

Lucas glanced at me.

All my long nights of theorizing finally came to fruition. “I think this is some kind of dark magic.”

“I thought the same,” said the coroner.

“What evidence do you have?” asked Lucas.

“Remember when I fought Mara? Instead of bleeding, she started leaking this noxious black smoke. Whatever’s happening to Oswald now, she has something to do with it,” I explained.

Lucas pondered for a moment. “She must have had them all under her control. Mind control magic or something. When you took the medallion off of her, it damaged her magical connection.” Lucas excused us, took me by the arm, and pulled me aside, lowering his voice away from the coroner. “I’ve read that the medallions amplify the magic possessed by the Council of Seven. If that’s true, then Mara only recently killed my father in an attempt to amplify her magic, to take control of not just the Grey Creek Pack but possibly our pack too.”

My eyes widened. “She would have taken control of me too if she and Oswald captured me.”

“Yes.” Lucas frowned. “This isn’t good, Aria. If Mara is still out there, she could pose a threat to everyone in Alsa Stone.”

“What do we do?”

Lucas stared for a long time at the decaying corpse. “We prepare ourselves for what Mara’s dark magic is capable of.”

If her dark magic was capable of controlling, manipulating, and warping other people I feared what more she could take away from me. From us. I wasn’t willing to let go of Lucas or my new pack so easily.

There was no sign of the Rogues or Mara for the rest of the summer. Lucas and I met with the Council of Seven to debrief them on what happened the night Oswald died and to relay what we’d learned about Mara and her abuse of the medallion. The Elders were shocked anyone had learned of the medallions’ magic-amplification properties, warning us to keep it secret. Since it was pertinent information to the recent spate of attacks, I disagreed with the secrecy, but Lucas promised that when the time came, the truth would be revealed to all. For now, the Council of Seven would take over the investigation.

I settled quickly and easily into the Silent Shadows Pack. Lucas made it clear to both packmates and strangers that I was his. He wasn’t shy about using PDA to show it, either. Holding my hand and wrapping his arms over my shoulders, kissing my temple. “My darling,” he beckoned to me one evening from across the common room of the pack community center.

Holly, Paula, and Esther, who were sitting together, all cooed at his sweet endearments.

I ignored them, or else my blush would feed their enthusiasm. Rising, I crossed the room toward Lucas. “Yes, Alpha?”

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