Marked Twice by the Alpha King Chapter 113

**Ava's POV**

As Blake took my hand to lead me away, Sophia suddenly pushed through the crowd, her face tight with worry.

"Father, wait," she called out, slightly breathless.

Blake stopped but kept his fingers firmly intertwined with mine. His expression remained serious, though I caught that softening around his eyes he reserved for his children.

"What is it, Sophia?"

She glanced at me, something complicated flickering across her face before turning back to Blake. "The Hayes family behaved like assholes, but please don't bail on the ceremony."

A knife twisted in my gut. Not one word of apology for my humiliation—just straight to defending the Hayes family. We'd huddled together in that underground cell, facing death side by side, and now she was choosing them.

"This is Jackson's big day," Sophia continued, golden hair falling forward. "Eleanor and Vanessa were just... you know how they get."

Blake's jaw tightened, though his voice stayed patient. "You know what they did was wrong, right?"

Sophia lowered her head, using her hair as a shield. "Yes, Father. But this alliance matters for both packs. Please."

Blake sighed, reaching out to brush her hair back—pure dad energy in that simple gesture. "I won't wreck your day, but the Hayes family owes an apology."

Through our mind-link came his thoughts: *I have to think about Sophia, but I can't let them disrespect you like that.*

*I get it, she's your daughter. But I think our friendship just crashed and burned,* I replied, tasting bitterness. Another relationship turning to ash.

"Go back to your fiancé," Blake told Sophia. "I'll stick around."

She hugged him gratefully before hurrying off without even a backward glance. I watched her disappear into the crowd, something hollow opening up inside me. The girl who'd fought beside me through hell had vanished.

Blake turned to me, voice dropping low. "I'd rather take you to our cabin. These people aren't worth our time."

The tenderness in his eyes hit me right in the chest—that look he saved just for me.

I shook my head despite wanting nothing more than to escape. "I need to clean up and check on my mom. She's probably freaking out."

My wolf paced restlessly—half wanting to follow Blake, half worried about my mom.

His gray-blue eyes studied me before he nodded. "Don't make me wait too long."

Across the room, Eleanor and Vanessa exchanged looks that could curdle milk. Their faces still showed the aftershock of being publicly dressed down by the Alpha King.

The mark on my neck warmed beneath my collar—a reminder of just how weird my situation was. An ordinary wolf with the Alpha King's mark, swimming with political sharks.

My mom appeared at my side, gently taking my arm. "Let me help you clean up."

Her voice had that slight tremor it got when she was worried. Until she spoke, I hadn't even noticed her hovering nearby, but her presence was like finding solid ground.

I nodded, then turned to Blake, forcing my voice to sound normal despite the emotional hurricane inside.

"I'll see you later, Alpha King," I said, loud enough for nearby wolves to hear the proper respect in my address.

He gave a regal nod, his public mask sliding into place as he turned toward Sophia, clearly going to support his daughter.

His thoughts brushed mine: *I'm keeping tabs on you. Anything happens, link me immediately.*

I caught a glimpse of Sophia standing beside Jackson, her face lighting up as her father approached. That friend who'd once shared my darkest hours was now completely lost in her own bubble.

As Blake walked away, I noticed the wolves around me shift—their hostility morphing into wary, confused side-eyes.

We made our way through the ceremony hall. Through our link, I could feel Blake's attention partly on me even as he played nice with the Hayes family.

The connection felt like wearing invisible armor in enemy territory.

My mom remained quiet as we walked, but her shoulders were wound tight, her steps quick and nervous.

We passed Richard Hayes and several elders who froze mid-conversation, their faces hardening.

"That Rivers girl..." one muttered, not bothering to lower his voice.

Sarah's grip tightened on my arm as I lifted my chin, channeling every ounce of warrior training.

The second the cleaning room door closed behind us, my mom spun to face me. "What's going on with you and the Alpha King? Why would he stand up for you like that?"

Her eyes were wide, fingers twisting together like anxious snakes.

"He's just Sophia's dad," I kept my voice low. "He doesn't like seeing guests disrespected."

No way I was telling her about the mark hidden on my neck—that bomb could wait.

She sighed, her forehead creasing. She didn't buy it but didn't push.

She dampened a fancy towel and began gently dabbing at my face, wiping away wine stains with motherly care.

In the mirror, the red streaks on my face looked like blood—a perfect visual for my position in this pack.

"Ava," she said quietly, "before that wine incident, Jackson talked to me about something."

Her voice wavered, eyes darting away from mine.

My wolf instantly went on alert. "Jackson talked to you? About what?"

As she worked on cleaning my dress, she said, "He suggested you could return to Shadow Creek as a training instructor."

There was a thread of hope in her voice that made my stomach clench.

"What? With Dad's situation? They'd never—the entire pack thinks he's a traitor." My voice jumped before I forced it back down, paranoid about eavesdroppers.

My mom shook her head, something like life returning to her eyes for the first time in months. "Jackson said that's not an issue. If he personally recommends you, the council will approve it."

Her hand touched my cheek, the gesture straight from my childhood. "This could be our chance, Ava."

I frowned, internal alarms blaring. "Since when is Jackson Mr. Helpful? That doesn't sound like him at all. He must have an angle."

My wolf growled, sensing a trap that my mom was unknowingly pushing me toward.

"I know you don't trust him," she said, voice heavy with desperation. "But this might be our only shot at saving William. Jackson said if you could regain pack status as an instructor, you'd eventually qualify to use the Blood Protection Right for your father."

Tears gathered in her eyes, hitting me harder than Eleanor's insults. "Your father gave everything for Shadow Creek. Now he needs us to fight for him."

Her voice suddenly found steel I rarely heard. "I already told Jackson you'd think about it. He said if you agree, he can submit the application to the council tomorrow."