Zara

"You made it out?" Sofia’s voice murmured in my head.

"Safe and sound." I chuckled softly. "No one noticed."

"Keep calm," Nova muttered. "We need a clear head."

I tried to keep a clear head as I headed to the other side of the Sterling Empire, stopping when the edge of the forest appeared.

I took a deep breath and walked into the forest. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep a clear head. Every rustle made me turn sharply. I was sure Alpha Kane would appear at any moment and drag me away before I could say anything.

Every sound was either Marcus, coming to ruin my life, or Alpha Kane, coming to ruin my body. The real test came when the ice hole appeared. My heart sank and started beating faster.

"Calm down, Zara," Nova quietly encouraged.

"You can handle it," Sofia murmured over the mental link.

"I’ll be with you the whole time." Sofia nodded, and I could almost see the silly grin on her face.

I tried to imagine my anxiety leaving me, a clear oasis dawning in my mind.

I approached the pool, noticing how different it looked at night.

Marcus and I used to come to the pool to rest, to take a break from his duties as the future Alpha.

In the middle of the night, the pool looked mysterious and menacing. The usually clear water was dark, like murky ink, frozen in the dim moonlight.

I arrived early, and the minutes passed too slowly.

11:59

There was silence all around. The familiar sounds of nature were gone. Not a single cricket. The entire forest held its breath.

12:00

My watch blinked, and my gaze wandered.

"Hello, Zara."

Marcus emerged from the bushes, no longer hidden in the darkness. His eyes glittered hungrily as he walked toward me.

I didn’t let my anxiety grow. Marcus was nothing to be afraid of.

"Wonderful. It’s good to see you again."

"Zara," Sofia muttered. "Focus."

I conjured up an image in my head, showing her what was happening.

A low growl echoed in my head as she spotted Marcus.

"Any minute," Nova muttered. "Marcus will try to get into your head."

"You know why I’m here." I straightened up and tried to keep my voice even and clear. "Tell me what I need to know."

"Hm, you want information?" Ethan asked thoughtfully, a sly smile on his face. "And what will you give me in return?"

Marcus glared at Ethan, but then quickly looked back at me. For a split second, I saw the Marcus of my childhood in his gaze.

Hearing Ethan’s words, two more wolves entered the clearing. Each possessed Marcus’s strange beauty, though all three were completely different.

The first was huge, with tanned skin and short, curly hair. The second had skin the color of fresh espresso, and his eyes were golden and hard.

"You said to come alone." My gaze darted between the two new wolves. I suppressed any fear that threatened to overwhelm me. And yet you brought reinforcements?"

I felt like I was wrestling a wild bull. The scarlet mark on my neck itched and burned, begging Marcus to soothe it with his touch. I restrained that part of myself while simultaneously controlling my emotions.

"My friends are simply here for protection." Marcus’s smile was understanding and slightly condescending. "After all, we are on Alpha Kane Desmond’s territory." Something happened in my head, something that almost caught me off guard.

I felt someone wandering around in my head. If I had closed my eyes, I would have surely seen Marcus’s sly smirk as he wandered around in my head.

This time, my head wasn’t clouded; my thoughts were clear, but my attention was scattered.

"Why don’t you come with us, beautiful?" Marcus murmured, walking slowly toward me. "Let me finish what I started, and I’ll give you all the information you want..." eh."

I felt his words swirling in my head, urging me to follow him. His words tried their best to dull my senses.

"No." I shook my head, feeling a small part of me cringe at the word. "I’m not going with you."

"Learned any new tricks?" A look of surprise flashed across Marcus’s flawless face, followed by a scowl.

Irritation coursed through me.

"It doesn’t matter. Try as hard as you want, but you’re destined to be mine. My Luna."

That part of me whined at the word "Luna," and I couldn’t help but think how appropriate that would be. Luna, Zara.

"Wake up," Nova hissed.

"Zara, control yourself," Sofia frowned in my thoughts.

My thoughts stopped trembling and finally froze.

"No one dictates my destiny." I snapped at Marcus, holding back my irritation at the last moment. "I don’t belong to anyone. Now give me the information you promised before I warn the rest of my pack."

A sly smirk appeared on Marcus’s face.

"Are you threatening me with your precious Alpha?" Marcus’s eyes gleamed slyly. "I’ll tell you one thing, beautiful. This is only the beginning. Your pack will fall, and you will take your rightful place at my side."

"Don’t count on it." I shook my head, ignoring my searing mark.

No matter how much I denied it, part of me wanted to be with Marcus. The desire I saw deep in his eyes called to me, like the darkness surrounding him. It was alluring, promising power and praise I’d never experienced before.

Marcus continued to creep into my head, searching for a way to weaken my control. Though his face remained calm, I felt his burning disappointment.

He had never been neglected before, never resisted. For some reason, I was his ultimate prize, a prize he had to win.

This only gave me strength. I was not a prize to be won. I am stubborn, unyielding, and selflessly loyal, Zara.

"You can’t break me, Marcus," I said his name barely audibly, without a hint of longing or familiarity in my words. "What a waste of time this must be for you."

Marcus’s eyes flashed dangerously, his sly grin widening. He looked like an avenging angel or a demon. His beautiful blond hair and porcelain skin seemed to glow in the moonlight.

"On the contrary, I was just about to ask you something wonderful," Marcus’s voice was hoarse and smug. "Haven’t you ever wondered where your brother was?"

Thoughts of Marcus clouded my mind. The mind link broke, leaving me alone.