Page 44 of The Dark War

Just on the other side, where the fire once was aflame lay a pile, which he thought was dirt at first, but it certainly wasn’t. It was a pile of bodies. His stomach churned. All the men were gone.

Marcus tried using the mind-link, calling out to his alpha, who was asleep in the carriage, but all he heard was static.

Fuck.

Backing away slowly, he raced to the other side of the forest. He couldn’t do this alone, not if that witch was using the dark magic laced with something powerful. In his brief encounters with dark magic, he knew that it would be suicide for his wolf and himself if he tried to do this alone. Especially if they took an entire pack’s men out so quietly and quickly.

As he exited the forest, he snagged his brow on a thorned bush, breaking the thick hide. Blood trickled down his face as he pounced on the carriage. Kane, taking charge, left the carriage while he yipped for others to follow. The magic was so strong it radiated a half mile causing the mind-link to fail.

His wolf howled inside him; he was being pulled back to that group of women. It wasn’t just to save them, but something else that had his soul reaching out. Hope sparked in his chest. Could it be?

Three-quarters of the warriors followed him. With no mind-link, Kane roared out through his maw to attack and be wary of the magic. Wolves surrounded the clearing perimeter. The vampires only smiled, their fangs dripping with their venom.

Four more vampires jumped from the trees, landing on warriors, clawing at their hide. The surprise on his alpha’s face was not one to want to witness. He roared out a cry so loud that the ground shook. Vampires trembled with fright stopping their assault. It gave the wolves just enough time for an upper hand.

Marcus looked for the witch. She was stalking the women who held children in their arms. Her hands weaving electrical currents, purple and black in color. Before Marcus could pounce on her, the ball of light went toward one woman who tried to flee. Falling dead with her eyes open, the women and children screamed.

Lunging forward, he pushed the witch to the ground. His mouth salivated, trying to rip out the witch’s throat. Her forearms were bloody from breaking her skin, but they healed at an alarming rate.

Witches aren’t supposed to heal this quickly.

He continued to scratch, paw at her skin. Marcus heard Kane order the warriors to grab the children. Wolves ran past him, kids pulling on the tough hides as they bolted through the forest.

A long scratch to the face, he howled at the tenderness under his eye. Pushing his paw to the rogue witch’s forehead, her necked lay exposed. During the brief moment that the witch lost her concentration, he picked on a scent that had his mouth watering for another reason.

His head turned to see a woman with long, chestnut brown hair. Her hands trembled as she stood behind a tree. A vampire stalked closer to her, his nails lengthening, hissing at her while he approached. The overwhelming feeling to protect this woman caused his grip to falter on the witch. He fell over with a thump, only for the witch to scatter away from him and transport somewhere else.

Now that the witch was gone, he concentrated on the brown-eyed beauty that hadn’t noticed him. His growl caught the attention of the vampire, and he grinned wickedly. Using the black magic, he shifted forward, his speed almost unable to be seen as he gripped the woman’s arm. Pulling it behind her body, his nail caught her throat, having her look straight into the eyes of Marcus.

“Mate.” She breathed. Her eyes watered, trying to struggle free. Marcus’s eyes went soft, only to become fierce again as the vampire cut her tender neck. Before he could form a plan in his mind, the vampire pierced his nail straight across her throat.

The vampire’s head reared back in laughter, giving Marcus the opportunity to pounce. The head was ripped off in an instant as his mate fell. He shifted so quickly, feeling the burns and crack of his bones, he was able to catch her before her body fell to the ground.

Marcus’s eyes watered. The pain was like the rushing waves of the ocean into his heart. The pressure, the constant beating of his heart, had him hover over her as he cried.

Putting his hand over her neck, hoping to stop the bleeding, he howled out in anger, pain, and loss. Her throat gurgled. He screamed for anyone to help him, anyone to save his mate. But the dark magic still hovered in the air, her wolf unable to come to the surface to heal her.

“Gods, don’t leave me. Not when I just found you,” he pleaded with her. His hand stayed firmly at her neck, blood still spilling. Her glassy eyes looked up at him, and a brief smile came to her face. Her hand tried to lift, but her body became weaker by the second. He took her shaky hand, putting it to his face.

Cradling her like a child, his tears flowed endlessly, studying what little bit of life was left on her face. Her lips moved, her body’s heat leaving her. “It’s okay.” She barely got the words out. The pressure on his hand slowed the bleeding.

Maybe Clara could help? He could run with her, take her to the carriage, and she would be healed. Marcus shook his head, standing up with her. The entire pack clearing was empty, void of any life. Kane had already returned, the wolves carrying the helpless children to safety.

“No,” he muttered. “I’ll save you, just wait…” She groaned, forcing her hand to touch his chest. “It’s okay,” she whispered again.

Setting her back down, he held her to his chest to rock her. He didn’t want her to leave. He just found her. He had been a complete dick, running around with all those women, trying to sate some of the jealousy he had for his best friend and alpha.

Kane was ruthless, but he got his mate. Marcus, for a long time, had been good until Kane got his mate. He was tired of being alone and going to bed each night with his nightmares. Sure, sex was good and all, but damn, he was a cuddler. He wanted to feel the warmth of someone else’s body and get rid of the nagging depression that hung in his heart.

He was foolish. He should have waited. Gotten rid of the silliness in his mind that he would never have a mate or wasn’t granted one. Now fate had other plans in store. Marcus was to be given a mate, then brutally taken away from him because of his transgressions. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right.

He was just a person, not perfect, but did that warrant him not to ever have a mate? Because now, the match to his soul was dying in his arms, and it was all his fault. He should have been faster, stronger, and forced himself to be a better person to hold out.

Because this feeling in his arms, even though the warmth of her body fading, was the best damn thing he ever felt. He yelled out a cry, a cry so loud he hoped the goddess heard him. The regret, the soulful sorrow in his body, caused him to be limp. He pulled her to his chest, her body unable to move. Her breaths had slowed long ago, her eyes now laying wide open, unable to blink.

“Second chance,” she whispered as the last bit of breath left her.

Chapter Twenty-five

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