Page 66 of The Alpha's Bullied Rejected Mate
He was too late.
Marcus ran a hand through his hair and ruffled it in frustration.
***
Marcus left the church at dawn.
Kieran’s intel had come in around midnight—he had finally tracked the real dark witch’s magical signatures to the northern ridges. It was a desolate area, but also a perfect location for a witch in hiding. She must have sensed they were onto her, which meant they had to move. Fast.
Marcus had taken the horse since it was the only mode of transport readily available. He did not want to waste any more time.
The forest blurred past as he galloped on horseback, the wind biting at his jaw as swiftly as he rode. Half his mind stayed on the mission.
The other half stayed tangled in the thoughts of a certain green-eyed witch—Athena.
It was a solo hunt, and he would do it his usual way—quick, clean, and efficient. It was just one witch. Nothing he couldn’t handle. And he didn’t like to waste time on his hunts.
But he was lying.
He just wanted to get it over with and return to her.
Their plan was simple: Kieran would take Athena and Riley to the witch rescue camp, while Marcus would track the threat alone. Their roles were set. He had accepted them. So why did every step away from her feel like a fracture?
Memories of last night hadn’t left him. The feel of her lips against his and the scent of her skin clung to him like mist. He could still feel the shape of her magic pressed between them and could still hear the shake in her voice when she pulled away.
But her rejection sat like a stone in his gut.
His grip tightened on the reins as his telecom crackled to life in his ear.
Kieran.
“Status?” the voice buzzed through.
“Halfway,” Marcus replied shortly, as he kept his voice low. The sun had fully risen now, gilding the treetops in light. He had been riding since first light, covering ground fast. At this pace, he would reach the location in another three to four hours.
“How the hell did you ride that fast?” Kieran snapped.
Marcus grunted. “What’s the update, Nash? You’re slowing me down.”
There was a beat of silence. Then—
“Well, there’s been a change of plans.”
Marcus straightened. “What?”
“Another team has already got eyes on the target,” Kieran explained.
“I just received reports from my team. Ryan’s team dropped by my station a few days ago at HQ. They were tracking magical terrains up north and wanted it cross-verified.”
Marcus’s jaw clenched. “And?”
“It’s the same witch you’re after. They have made moves and closed in on the target’s location.”
Marcus swore under his breath. If Ryan’s team was already engaged, that meant word had spread. Had the Council gotten wind of his situation?
“They weren’t assigned, Vale,” Kieran cut in, as if reading his thoughts. “They bailed on their last hunt. This was their Hail Mary—an unapproved claim to prove efficiency.”
“To the Council, it looks like we reassigned it to them,” Kieran added. “This way, there would be no heat on you.”
