I slipped into the dress, pulling it down over my hips and fastening the halter around my neck. The silk clung to my curves, the slits revealing almost all of my thighs as I moved. I felt exposed… but also strangely empowered. The dress fit me perfectly.
Marcus did well.
I removed the rollers and ran a comb through my hair, my head feeling light and free. I applied a touch of the makeup left for me in the room.
As I stepped into a pair of gold heels, a knock sounded at the door. I opened it to find Maya looking stunning in a flowing black dress. Her hard gaze swept over me before she gave a nod of approval.
“You look the part,” she said, her voice gruff. “But…” Her eyes locked onto the silver locket nestled between my breasts.
“Oh, shit,” I muttered. I unclasped the necklace and removed it from around my neck. Willing myself not to look at the photo, I tossed the locket onto the desk. Then, drawing a deep breath, I turned to Maya with a small smile. “I’m ready now, right?”
Maya gave me one last once-over and nodded, satisfied. “Marcus is waiting for you.”
***
I followed Maya along the winding path, our heels echoing off the stone walls of the Den. I hadn’texactly thought the shoe situation through. Werewolves might’ve been able to reorient their bodies like damn cats, but this human would sooner ditch her heels than fall on her ass.
As we neared the ceremonial chamber, the low hum of voices and the rustle of shifting bodies filled the air. The torches lining the walls crackled, their flames casting flickering shadows across the cavern.
Shapeshifters crowded the space, the pack forming a loose circle. They parted as Maya and I entered, their gazes cautious. I lifted my chin, meeting their eyes with what I hoped looked like unwavering confidence.
Marcus stood waiting at the far end of the cave. He wore a black suit that hugged his muscular frame. His hair was slicked back, the silver streak glinting in the firelight. He looked every inch the Alpha, powerful and sexy as hell.
As I approached, he extended a hand, silently inviting me to stand beside him. I took it, his fingers wrapping around mine in a firm, reassuring grip. He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear.
“I did good,” he whispered.
A shiver ran down my spine, a spark of something deep and dangerous igniting within me. “Or maybe I can make even a potato sack look couture,Alpha,” I mumbled, fighting the urge to drag him closer.
He grinned. “You look stunning, Joanna.”
I focused on calming my pulse, mindful that all the watchful eyes belonged to creatures with super hearing.
Marcus straightened, his expression shifting from intimate to authoritative. “Brothers and sisters,” he called out with a commanding presence. “Tonight, we gather to forge a new alliance, to strengthen our family and secure our future. We are on the brink of an uprising. An uprising that seeks to expose us to the world, to tear down the walls that have protected us for so long. But we won’t let them damn us.”
The pack roared in agreement, their voices rising in a chorus of fortitude. Marcus lifted a hand, quieting them once more.
“To stand against this threat, we must stay united,” he continued with a magnetic presence. “We must trust one another and fight for one another. Andthat includes those who have long stood against us but now stand with us.”
He extended an arm toward me. I hesitated for a heartbeat, then stepped forward, keeping my gaze steady.
“Joanna Sullivan is a hunter,” Marcus declared. “But she’s also an ally, a warrior who fights for the same thing we do. Peace. She’s proven herself to me; Now, she must prove herself to you.”
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Eyes darted between me and Marcus, suspicion etched into every face. The unspoken question was clear: Why was their alpha trusting a human?
Marcus turned to me, his piercing gaze holding mine. “Joanna, do you accept this alliance? Do you pledge to stand with us, to protect us as one of our own?”
I bit my lower lip and nodded. His eyes dipped briefly to my mouth, and for a fleeting moment, I saw the Marcus from last night, the man who needed me in his arms. But just as quickly, he was gone, replaced by the leader standing before me. His confident grin filled me with silent reassurance.
He held out his hand, palm up, and I mirrored the gesture, placing mine in his. The warmth of his touch steadied me, grounding me in the gravity of what was about to happen.
Marcus extended his other hand. Before my eyes, his fingers elongated, and his smooth skin transformed into the dark, curved claws of his wolf form. The shift was effortless, a reminder of the raw power that coursed through him.
I held my breath as he brought the claws down, slicing a clean, precise cut across my palm. The pain was sudden, a burning sensation that spread through my hand and up my arm. But I didn’t pull away.
Marcus repeated the action on his palm, the blood rich against his skin. He held my gaze as he pressed his palm firmly against mine.
“With this blood, you and I are united,” he declared. “We stand together, we fight together, and we fall together. This is our promise to each other and to the pack.”
