Page 58 of Marked

Jorge hadn’t even looked up from where he was aggressively chopping vegetables, still sulking about his abandoned Greek menu. The brothers had wisely retreated.

Maria bustled in from the garden, arms full of fresh herbs, their scent mixing with the simmering paella. “Jorge, stop that sulking. You can make your Greek feast tomorrow—Kai will still be here.” Her tone brooked no argument, as if their mate’s extended stay was already decided.

Derek’s phone buzzed. His expression darkened as he read the message. “Johnson found more tracks along the eastern border. Fresh ones. The Knox Pack is getting bolder.”

“How many?” Marcus demanded, lunch forgotten.

“Three scouts. Our patrol caught their scent near the old hiking trails.” Derek’s jaw clenched. “Too close to Kai’s cottage for my liking.”

“They know he’s here.” Caleb’s usual playfulness vanished. “Word travels fast in our world.”

In the living room, Kai stirred slightly, his pre-mark pulsing with a faint silver glow through his shirt. The brothers tensed, their wolves responding to their mate’s unconscious distress.

“Speaking of unwanted attention…” Marcus’ phone chimed with an incoming call. He glanced at the screen and growled. “The Cascade Pack from Oak Harbor wants to ‘discuss territory agreements’ now that our mate has returned.”

“Vultures,” Derek spat. “They didn’t care about territory lines until they sensed Kai.”

“Politics,” Marcus muttered, declining the call. “Every pack within a hundred miles suddenly needs urgent meetings. The River Valley Pack from Mount Vernon is pushing for an alliance, and even Cooper Pack from Port Angeles is suddenly interested in our borders.”

“Because now they can’t pretend they don’t sense what he is,” Caleb said. “The pre-mark’s strengthening. They all feel it.”

Maria paused in her herb sorting, her expression knowing as she watched Kai shift restlessly in his sleep, the mark on his hip gleaming brighter for a moment before fading.

“We arranged protection for him in Seattle,” Marcus’ voice held steel. “Made it clear that any supernatural entity who caught his scent would face consequences. The city’s neutrality laws helped mask his presence there.”

“Cities are dead zones for us anyway,” Derek added. “Too much concrete, too many people. No pack would choose to settle there. That’s why Kai’s mother chose it—harder for us to track them.”

“Smart woman,” Caleb mused. “Using our own nature against us. But now…”

“Now he’s back in wolf territory,” Marcus’ eyes flashed red. “And every pack in the Olympic Peninsula and Cascade Range wants to test our claim.”

Derek’s phone buzzed again. His expression darkened as he read the message. “Johnson found Blackwood tracks along the northern border. Fresh ones.”

“How many?” Marcus demanded, lunch forgotten.

“Five scouts. Our patrol caught their scent near Cedar Falls.” Derek’s jaw clenched. “They’re trying to find weak points in our defenses. Getting bolder.”

In the living room, Kai whimpered softly in his sleep, his pre-mark pulsing with silver light. Shadow pressed closer, his crimson eyes alert, while Storm and Scout adjusted their positions protectively around their charge.

“Those bastards have some nerve.” Caleb said. “After what they did during the Blood Moon…”

Marcus’ grip tightened on his phone until the case cracked. Nine years ago, during the sacred Blood Moon ceremony with multiple packs present, Edmund Blackwood had launched his attack. The alpha’s hatred for anything that threatened their ancient traditions had led to bloodshed none of them would ever forget.

Maria crossed herself quietly, remembering that terrible night as she arranged her herbs. Jorge’s chopping slowed, the kitchen heavy with shared memories.

“They killed our parents.” Caleb’s voice was uncharacteristically dark. “Our grandparents died protecting the ceremony.”

“Grandmother saw something coming,” Derek added quietly. “Something about Kai’s importance. That’s why she insisted on the emergency marking.”

Marcus remembered that night with painful clarity. Their parents using their final strength to shield the ceremony, their grandmother’s urgent commands still echoing in his mind. They’d been so young—Marcus at twenty-three, Derek twenty-one, Caleb just eighteen—but the ancient magic had accepted their claim on thirteen-year-old Kai.

“The pre-mark protected him,” Marcus said, watching as the silver glow beneath Kai’s shirt pulsed in response to their heightened emotions. “But Sarah saw too much that night. The violence, the true nature of our world…”

“She ran the next morning,” Caleb finished. “And we were too young, too weak from the ceremony to stop her.”

“They lost half their pack in that raid,” Derek continued, checking his phone again. “You’d think they’d have learned their lesson.”

“They’re desperate.” Marcus’ voice was cold. “Their bloodline’s weakening. And what we have…” His eyes flashed red. “A quarter-wolf mate, carrying First Pack blood, already bearing our pre-mark.” He didn’t need to elaborate further. Such a combination hadn’t been seen in centuries.

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