Chapter 164: Stubborn Mark
Zara
The first thing I did was attempt to establish a mind link with Sophia. A wall of darkness, of emptiness, surrounded me. Even as I stumbled through the darkness, I knew they had implanted silver somewhere on her body.
Establishing a mind link would be impossible until the silver was removed. She had assumed her wolf form to save her mate, but her wolf form still lived within her, simply trapped in her human body. She would retain her enhanced speed and strength, as well as her connection to the pack.
My nerves were on edge, but panicking wouldn’t help. I needed to remain calm for her sake and come up with a plan to save their lives.
When the fight ended, Kane entered the house. I saw his entire body tense with anger. Not only did they want me in exchange for their lives, but they had also come here to take Govinda. I knew this was a low blow for Kane, since Sophia was part of his pack, and he was charged with protecting us all.
I waved gently over our mate bond, watching the tension ease from his shoulders.
Alpha Kane had lost younglings in this fight; Freya’s Luna people were less fortunate. The bodies of a wolf and a human were scattered everywhere, and her car was completely destroyed. I realized that Marcus intended to use Freya’s Luna people in his place. After all, what did wolf corpses mean to him?
Alpha Kane gathered a group of men and began dragging the fallen into the forest to be burned. We dragged the bodies of our men behind the building, hiding them from view. Their families would need to mourn them properly, and they would have a lavish funeral.
I helped the boys drag the bodies into the forest, though I could only handle one at a time. Each of us had a grim expression, and we were all thinking the same thing.
Marcus had been toying with us for weeks now, taking almost no action to throw the pack into disarray. We still had little information about him and no idea where he might be based.
I’d seen a stone bedroom during my brief visits to him, but I couldn’t get enough information to pinpoint a specific location. Their headquarters had to be close enough for immediate action, but far enough away to remain safe and unnoticed.
A plan was beginning to take root in my head, though I needed to think it through.
War between Marcus and us was inevitable, but this pack was already being bullied. Alpha Kane had brought nearly a thousand of his people from across his vast territory. Many were staying with other families and filling all the nearby hotels.
Bran and Zeke’s men were in the same situation: they found shelter or made do with the tents Kane provided them. Food was provided at the large city community center thanks to an influx of volunteers.
Kane’s office was looking by Renold and Miranda and he resumed training two weeks ago, increasing his group by another hundred. Anyone willing and able to fight found a place in this war.
Kane divided the training into small groups, delegating this task to some of his men. I was surprised by the influx of volunteers, young men and women willing to risk their lives for this pack.
Despite Kane’s brutal reputation, he was willing to give everything for this pack. I could tell from his gaze that Kane would rather give his life than force any of his men to fight. It was a side of him I never knew existed, a side that changed my perception of him.
A couple of days ago, I was discussing evacuation plans with Alpha Kane. His territory was vast, but Marcus had set their sights on the center of the Sterling Empire. Many residents could have fled to the opposite end of Kane’s territory, nearly four hours away.
Others could have fled to a neighboring town and found refuge until the war ended. We needed inside information; we needed to know when this war would begin. Without it, we’d all be dead by now.
I was once the type to rush into any situation without a second thought. Though I’m still stubborn and headstrong, I’ve learned my lesson. No matter how crazy my plan, I’d thought it through. This pack had no other choice.
My sense of self-preservation and my duty to the Moon were at war, but they didn’t change my mind.
The smell of burning bodies hung in the forest, dark smoke rising into the night-shrouded sky. The wind blew in the opposite direction, a gift from nature, so that the people in this pack wouldn’t have to endure the stench of death.
Kane’s men quickly cleaned up the blood from the streets, houses, and cars.
Fatigue had long since settled over me over the countless hours that had passed. My legs ached from the ballet shoes Sophia had given me, and my dress was stained with dirt.
I reeked of the stench of a walking corpse, and I promised myself a long shower when we were finished. I visibly jumped when Kane placed his hand on my shoulder, and soothing sparks licked my skin.
"Let’s go back and let the others finish cleaning," Alpha said quietly, his eyes still dark and worried.
Alpha led the way.
I walked to where I’d parked Zeke’s Mercedes. The car was somehow untouched, not a scratch on the shiny paint.
"Good, Zeke will be happy to hear his car survived," Alpha chuckled dryly, climbing behind the wheel.
Alpha pulled on a pair of loose sweatpants, returning to his human form. Though I found it hard to tear my eyes away from his sculpted muscles and soft skin, we both had other thoughts.
I’m sure Alpha had already assumed I was hatching a plan and wasn’t about to let them die for me. Instead of demanding answers from me, we drove home in comfortable silence.
"Attention, everyone. Return home. Threat neutralized."
Alpha sent a short message over the mind link, informing everyone in town that it was now safe to return home. My birthday quickly went downhill, though I had no one to blame but my dad. I still considered Alpha a blessing to be my friend, despite the issue of Stubborn’s stubborn mark.
