Zara

"We both played our parts well tonight," Marcus replied, his tone hard and cold. "That girl deserves better. She’s been through far more than you have. If you don’t remember, your father took her from home a few months ago. She tolerated him far longer than you have. I’m not a good man, I’ve never claimed otherwise, but I’m nothing like your father."

As Marcus turned to leave my room, a fleeting thought crossed my mind. Marcus had become an unexpected and, in a sense, an unwanted ally. Without him, I wouldn’t have the information I have. I needed to know where he’d go after this, what he’d do.

"Where will you go after this?" I asked in a quiet voice. "I’m sure you’re not planning on staying here after Kane gets Holly out of here."

"What will I do?" He murmured thoughtfully. "I have no idea, Zara. That question has always bothered me."

"Come with us," I suggested, shuddering at the tone of my voice. I could still feel the effects of his mark, but I no longer felt any romantic feelings for him. Kane’s mark had almost completely burned all emotion out of me, leaving only room for him.

In any case, having another ally on our side wouldn’t hurt. Marcus was clearly my Father’s right-hand man. With all his knowledge at our disposal, we had a much better chance of winning this war.

"Come with you?" Marcus chuckled. "I will be executed the moment I set foot into your pack. If your precious chosen one doesn’t, then Alpha Bran will."

"I won’t allow it." My answer was immediate, and I felt the weight of my words as I spoke them. I will never abandon Kane for Marcus, but if he truly wants to cross over, I will give him safety. Kane will be rightly angry, but I’m sure Marcus already knew that. "I’ll see to it." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"You’ll swear for me, even against your own Alpha?" Marcus quipped, raising one of his fair eyebrows. "Even after everything I’ve done?"

"If you help us, if you leave my Father and cross over, then yes." I nodded. "After everything you’ve done, Kane will be angry, but I know he’ll understand."

"I’ll think about it," Marcus replied, catching me off guard. I half expected him to refuse outright, but I was glad he was considering it. We were a good team, in a weird way. Though it was hard to look past all the crap he’d done to me. "And one more thing," I called out, just as he turned away. "Could you find a way to get Holly to my room tomorrow? It’ll be easier to escape if she’s already with me."

"I’ll make sure she’s here tomorrow," Marcus nodded. "I won’t apologize for what I did, but I admit, you continue to surprise me."

"Thank you, Marcus. I don’t trust you completely, but you’ve helped me more than I’d like to admit. If you want to come to my side, come to my room tomorrow," I replied. "You can leave with us." "As long as you don’t betray my trust, no one will harm you."

"Spoken like a true Luna," Marcus chuckled, closing my door behind him.

That night, I didn’t sleep at all. My mind refused to shut off, especially now that I knew I might see Kane again. I rubbed the silver cuffs on my wrists, wishing he hadn’t removed them before he left. I needed to talk to Kane again, to hear his voice, to wash the worry from my eyes.

I was stuck in a void between sleep and consciousness, tossing and turning on the soft bed. The bed was comfortable, but even the softest material couldn’t relieve the anxiety raging in my stomach.

Morning arrived too quickly, bringing with it the most difficult part of the day. I had plenty of time, and all I could do was wait for Kane’s group to arrive at the warehouse. My father and his troops would leave at sunset, giving Kane’s men the best opportunity to get in and out without a major fight.

After several hours spent in bed, lost in anxious thoughts, there was a knock on my door. Only it wasn’t Marcus. I assumed it belonged to my father, even though he was only a few years older than me.

His chestnut hair was short and tousled, a few strands falling over his face, and he held a silver tray. My eyes narrowed as I sat on the bed, ignoring the man who had entered my room.

"Eat," he grumbled, his voice heavily accented.

The nameless thug placed the tray on my bed, and I stiffly walked toward the glass of wine. Slowly finishing the food on the tray, I watched with bated breath as the man left. Marcus usually brought me food every day. The change made my heart pound. Too many things could go wrong in the short time it took Kane’s men to reach the warehouse.

Marcus could be caught; his secrets could be revealed to my father. For all I knew, he could be sitting in a cell somewhere, or worse, dead. He could easily change his mind and tell my father the truth, trying to bargain for his life.

Hours passed, but no messages, no visits from Marcus or anyone else. By the time I heard the thunder of footsteps in the hallway, I was ready to tear my hair out. I jumped out of bed, startled when my bedroom door swung open with a loud slam.

The nameless man who had brought me food stood in the doorway, looking into my eyes with surprise. My heart sank as I realized I’d let my guard down, and that this man knew I wasn’t under Marcus’s influence.

His hands braced against the doorframe, and I watched as his mouth opened. Instead of words, a strangled sigh escaped his lips. His body fell forward, hitting the floor with a dull thud. My gaze darted forward as I saw a familiar face at the end of the hallway.