“Marcus—”
“Let me finish,” I demanded. I took her hands in mine and gave them a small squeeze. “I need to know… that if when this is over…”
“Don’t—”
“You’ll let mechange you.”
There. I said it. The fucking elephant had been sitting on my chest and crushing me since the night of the blood pact.
Had I ever given anyone the Bite before? No. But not all werewolves in my pack were purebloods. And if I had to create my mate, my Luna, I would be fine with that.
But Joanna didn’t respond. She just stared into my eyes. Raindrops slid down her face, mimicking tears as she remained silent.
Damn it.
I did this. I created tension between us. But the weight of my words left no room for retreat.
Joanna took a deep breath, her gaze still locked on me. “Marcus, that’s…”
Disappointment coiled around my throat, tightening with each second of her silence.
“You can’t mean that…”
What the hell was I thinking?
Joanna squeezed my hands. “I care about you, Marcus. It’s confusing and terrifying… but it’s also one of the deepest feelings I’ve ever experienced. And right now, that’s enough for me.”
I searched her eyes, seeing the sincerity in them. It wasn’t the answer I wanted, but at least it was the truth. I only wished I would’ve realized how much I’d hope for a different truth.
“Okay.” I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against hers once more. “Okay,” I repeated, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. That time, I was trying to reassure myself.
We stood like that for a moment, the rain pattering against the leaves above us and the distant murmur of our allies preparing for battle. Then, with a sigh, I opened my eyes and stepped back.
“Let’s finish this.”
Joanna nodded, her expression hardening. “Oh, yeah.” She removed a red ribbon from around her wrist. “This is for you.”
I took the ribbon from her hand. “What is this?”
Joanna smiled. “Quit playing, Alpha. You know all werewolves look alike.”
Joanna helped me tie the ribbon around one of my fingers. It was the only body part that stood a chance of keeping the fabric unscathed with a shift.
We rejoined the others, who were checking their weapons and gear one last time. The werewolves gingerly held their new knives while the hunters struggled to hide their snickering.
Maya looked up as we approached, her eyes searching mine for any sign of trouble. I gave her a small nod, and she relaxed, turning her attention back to her own preparations.
I cleared my throat for my final words of encouragement. “We face a great challenge today. This is not shapeshifters versus hunters, but individuals fighting for a common purpose. The uprising seeks to divide us, to cause chaos where there is none. But we can see something they can’t. Here, we stand united. And they can’t see the strength that comes from that unity. That is their fatal flaw.”
Heads nodded. Good.
“Let them underestimate us. Let them think we’re weak because we stand together.” My lips curled into a determined smile. “We’ll show them they’re wrong. We’ll show them that hunters and werewolves, united, are a force to be reckoned with.”
When we set out, the world was slowly waking, the blue-gray skies peeking through the wet leaves. The determined birds begun their morning song despite the rain, their cheerful melodies deceptive on our behalf. They sensed something big was about to unfold, and they knew it was in their best interest if we succeeded.
As we neared the warehouse, the stench of the rogue wolves grew stronger. Some were asleep, others were already starting their day. I signaled for the group to split—Maya and Jerome leading their teams to the east and west while Joanna and I took the rest to the rear of the building.
We moved in silence, the rain masking our footsteps. Two rogue wolves in human form guarded the rear entrance, their eyes scouring the perimeter. I nodded to Joanna, and we struck as one, taking down the guards before they could raise an alarm.
