Page 13 of Marked

“Worth it,” Caleb wheezed, but his eyes sparkled with mischief. “You should see how responsive he is to an alpha’s presence. The way his breath catches, how his body naturally seeks the heat. And those little submissive gestures he doesn’t even realize he’s making—”

Derek’s roar shook the monitors.

“And when he gets flustered,” Caleb pressed on, clearly enjoying his brothers’ reactions, “his cheeks flush this perfect pink. The way he unconsciously tilted his head when I reached past him… pure submissive instinct, even if he doesn’t know it yet—”

The wooden paneling cracked under Derek’s fist as Marcus’ grip tightened dangerously.

“The way he naturally yields, even while trying to maintain that adorable sass. When I helped him out of the truck, he practically melted against—”

The wall cracked where Marcus slammed him harder. Shadow and Storm flanked their masters, hackles raised, while Scout whined anxiously, caught between loyalty to Caleb and submission to the pack order.

Caleb finally cracked a genuine smile. “Though I might have exaggerated a bit. About some of it. You know how I get carried away.”

Marcus’ grip loosened slightly. “Which parts?”

“The touching, mostly. I was careful. Professional.” Caleb rubbed his throat as Marcus released him. “Though the part about his scent, his eyes… that was real. And the way he naturally responds to an alpha presence, even if he fights it.”

Derek paced the length of the great room, his tactical boots silent on the marble floor. “You’re enjoying this too much.”

“Maybe.” Caleb dropped back into his chair, fingers returning to the keyboard. “But you have to admit, it’s kind of adorable how he thinks he’s being subtle with these searches. Look— ‘How to disappear completely’ followed immediately by ‘cute cat videos’ like he’s trying to cover his tracks.”

Marcus loomed over him, watching the screen. “He’s researching the town.”

“Trying to.” Caleb pulled up Kai’s browser history. “But all he’s finding are the carefully curated articles we’ve allowed to exist. Tourist trap stuff. Logging history. Nothing about… well, us. Or what really happens in these woods.”

“Good.” Derek’s voice was rough. “What else?”

“He’s got tabs open for self-defense classes,” Caleb said, his amusement fading slightly. “Survival gear. Security systems. He’s scared.”

Marcus’ claws scraped across the desk’s surface. “He should be. But not of us.”

“Tell that to his search history: ‘How to know if you’re being watched’ and ‘warning signs of cult activity.’” Caleb paused, then added with a slight smirk, “Though he did bookmark an article about Stockholm syndrome with the note ‘just in case hot lumberjacks are actually serial killers.’”

The wine bottle next to Marcus shattered.

“Sorry,” Caleb said, not sounding sorry at all. “But you have to admit, his commentary is—”

“Enough about his commentary,” Derek growled. “What’s his plan?”

“Based on these searches?” Caleb gestured at the screen. “He’s thinking Seattle first, then maybe LA, Vegas, or San Francisco. Looking at temp agencies, coffee shops, bookstores. Smart choices, easy to disappear in big cities, but…” He trailed off, frowning at a new alert. “Hang on. He just opened his banking app.”

Marcus went very still. “And?”

“He’s… oh.” Caleb’s playful demeanor finally cracked. “He’s got maybe three weeks of funds. Max. Even living on ramen and hope.”

Derek’s pacing stopped. “Show me.”

The brothers crowded around the screens, watching their mate’s desperate attempts to budget his meager savings. Each calculated sacrifice, each careful allocation of funds, felt like a physical blow.

“He’s not eating enough,” Derek growled, seeing the food budget Kai had set.

“He’s not sleeping enough either,” Caleb added softly, all teasing gone from his voice. “Look at the timestamp on these searches. He’s been up since—”

“Enough.” Marcus straightened, decision made. “Caleb, make sure the bookstore position opens up tomorrow. Derek, increase patrols—I want to know the moment any other pack comes within ten miles. It’s time we started closing the net.”

“And you?” Derek asked, though his smile suggested he already knew.

Marcus’ eyes glowed red in the dim light of the screens. “I think it’s time the CEO of Stone Industries took a more… active interest in local business development.”

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