Page 14 of Marked

“Local business development?” Caleb’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re going to terrorize him with quarterly reports and profit margins?”

“He needs stability,” Marcus said, ignoring his brother’s grin. “Financial security. The bookstore will be a start, but…” He trailed off, watching Kai on the security feed. “We’ll create more opportunities. Legitimate ones.”

“Through shell companies,” Derek nodded, understanding. “So he won’t know they’re ours.”

“Exactly.” Marcus moved to the floor-to-ceiling windows, his wolf eyes cutting through the darkness to find the distant glow of the cottage. “Small steps. Let him think he’s choosing his own path.”

Caleb turned back to the screens, pulling up new windows. “I can have the bookstore position posted by morning. Jane already knows to hire him—she’s been prepped for months. Oh, he’s finally stopped researching. Fell asleep with the laptop still open.”

Derek moved toward the door, already shifting. Storm fell into step beside him, both predators moving with lethal grace. To any observers, it would appear to be just another night patrol with Derek’s “dog”—a perfect cover for when Derek completed his shift to wolf form beyond the tree line. The brothers often ran as a pack with their wolf-dogs, the six of them indistinguishable to distant observers, maintaining the carefully crafted illusion that protected their territory.

“Take the north ridge,” Marcus ordered. “Past Knox’s territory. Make sure they understand what happens if they cross our borders.”

“Gladly.” Derek’s grin was all fangs before he disappeared into the night, Storm’s massive form melting into the shadows beside him.

Caleb’s fingers flew across the keyboard. “Setting up the job listing now. Should I make it sound desperate? ‘Immediate hire needed, competitive salary, flexible hours’?”

“Perfect. Add healthcare benefits. He’s been skipping his medications—trying to stretch his budget.”

“You’ve been monitoring his prescriptions?” Caleb asked, though he didn’t sound surprised.

“Everything.” Marcus’ voice was soft but held an edge of steel. “His anxiety medication. His student loan payments. Everything he needs but can’t afford.”

“Which we’ll provide,” Caleb murmured, understanding. “One careful step at a time.”

“Until he has no choice but to accept our protection.” Marcus’ claws tapped against the glass. “Until he understands that fighting this—fighting us—will only hurt him in the end.”

“And when he finally realizes who’s really behind everything?” Caleb asked, watching his brother carefully.

Marcus’ smile was slow and dangerous. “By then, it will be too late. He’ll be too dependent. Too involved. Too…” His claws extended. “…ours.”

Through the trees, a wolf’s howl split the night—Derek, marking their territory. Claiming their space. Warning others away from what belonged to them.

The cottage windows offered no challenge to alpha strength, but Marcus didn’t need to break in. He had keys to every lock, codes to every alarm. Sarah’s protective wards had died with her, leaving only the illusion of security.

He moved through the darkness like a shadow, his wolf reveling in their mate’s scent filling every breath. Honey. Rain.Mine.

Kai lay curled up in his sleeping bag, laptop still casting a blue glow across his face. Dark lashes fanned across cheekbones like ink strokes, casting delicate shadows. Even in sleep, tension lined his features, though it couldn’t diminish the soft curve of his mouth—lips slightly parted, pink and perfect and begging to be claimed.

Marcus’ control slipped, just for a moment. His claws extended, fangs dropping as he fought the urge to wake Kai,to pin him down, to taste those tempting lips. The wolf in him howled at the sight of their mate so vulnerable, so close.

Sosmall.

He knelt beside the sleeping bag, letting himself truly look for the first time in years. Kai’s oversized shirt had ridden up, exposing a strip of pale skin. His neck lay bare, perfect for marking. Those artist’s hands that had once drawn pictures for them now twitched in dreams. A stray lock of silky black hair fell across his face, and Marcus nearly broke at the need to brush it away, to feel if it was as soft as it looked.

A whimper escaped those kissable lips, and Marcus froze. But their mate was still asleep, lost in whatever nightmare plagued him. Instinct drove Marcus closer, his presence alone enough to make Kai settle. The boy’s breathing evened out, his body unconsciously recognizing its alpha.

“Fighting so hard,” Marcus whispered, voice rough with restraint, watching those dark lashes flutter. “Running so far. But you’ve always been ours, little one.”

He reached out, not quite touching, letting his hand hover over Kai’s face. Even this close, he could feel the heat of his mate’s skin, see the rapid flutter of pulse at his throat. The urge to taste, to claim, to devour was almost unbearable.

Kai turned in his sleep, seeking the alpha’s warmth without knowing why. His lips parted on a soft sigh—part distress, part need—and Marcus’ last thread of control nearly snapped.

The wolf demanded:Take. Claim. Keep.

Those lips, that delicate face, the vulnerable arch of his throat—everything about Kai called to the predator in Marcus. One taste. One kiss. That’s all it would take to shatter a decade of careful restraint.

Kai shifted again, cheeks flushing pink in his sleep, and Marcus had to dig his claws into his own thigh to keep from reaching out. Their mate was a study in contradictions—sharptongue and soft lips, fierce spirit housed in such a delicate form. Even now, a tiny furrow appeared between his brows, as if he was arguing with someone in his dreams.

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