Marked Twice by the Alpha King Chapter 157

**Ava's POV**

Tension hung in the kitchen like smoke. Ruth stood chopping something at the counter, movements sharp and precise. Daniel prepped breakfast ingredients while kitchen staff whispered in the corner.

Everyone froze when I walked in.

"Morning, Ava." Ruth's smile looked forced. "Sleep okay?"

*With her wolf nose, Blake spending the night here was obvious as neon. Great.*

"Fine," I said, trying to play it cool. "Blake's here too, so maybe extra food?"

Ruth's eyebrow went up. That knowing look. But she just nodded.

"No problem." Daniel popped up from behind the counter, flashing that killer smile. "Want anything special? My blueberry scones are legendary."

"Sounds great." I perched on a stool, ignoring the staff still sneaking glances.

Daniel started working with those elegant hands of his. The way he handled ingredients looked like art. No wonder half the female staff had crushes on him.

"Daniel," Ruth's voice had an edge. "Where'd you put those herbs?"

"Top shelf, pantry," he answered without looking up. Then winked at the watching staff. "Need me to grab 'em for you, *sweetheart*?"

Ruth's face went bright red.

*Oh. OH.* Something was definitely going on between these two. The way Daniel said "sweetheart"—all loaded with meaning. And Ruth's reaction...

"I can get them myself," Ruth said through gritted teeth.

"You sure?" Daniel abandoned his work, moving closer. "Remember how you said your shoulder was bugging you last night..."

Ruth went from pink to crimson. "Daniel!"

He grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "What? Just worried about my... coworker."

That pause said everything.

*So what's their deal? Friends with benefits? Ruth crushing hard while Daniel plays it casual?*

"You guys should prep the guest rooms," Ruth told the staff, voice back to business mode. "Northern Lights delegation's gonna want breakfast soon."

The assistants scattered. Daniel went back to his station. But awkwardness still hung in the air.

"Ruth," I couldn't help asking, "you okay?"

She studied me like she was deciding whether to trust me. Finally sighed. "Adult stuff's always messier than it looks."

I nodded, thinking about Blake carrying Lyra's scent. "Yeah. I get that."

"Maybe it doesn't mean anything to him," I said quietly. "But it means everything to you."

Ruth's eyes widened, then went sad. "He told me we're just... friends. When it's convenient."

Daniel had obviously heard. He stopped working, looked back at us. "Ruth, didn't we agree not to let this mess with work?"

"Right, we agreed," Ruth's voice sounded calm but I heard the hurt underneath. "Like you said—no promises, no strings. Just scratching an itch."

Daniel frowned like he was finally getting it. "Ruth..."

"I need to grab stuff from the pantry." Ruth bolted, leaving Daniel standing there looking guilty.

Awkward silence.

Daniel turned to me with a shrug. "Women, right? Always making things complicated."

I raised an eyebrow. "Maybe it's simple for you. Not for her."

He stopped working, really looking at me. "What d'you think I should do?"

"Not my circus," I said. "But if you don't want more, quit giving her hope. If you do want more, stop pretending you're just friends."

Daniel nodded slowly. Then that charming smile appeared as he stepped closer. "You're smart, Ava. And gorgeous. If you wanna find out what kinda guy I really am..."

The kitchen door swung open.

Blake walked in.

Air turned to ice.

Daniel immediately backed off, returning to his flour like nothing happened.

But Blake's eyes had already shifted to that dangerous gold.

"Daniel," his voice was scary-calm, "I pay you to cook, not hit on my guests."

"Course, Alpha King." Daniel's voice turned respectful fast. "Just being friendly."

Blake sat beside me. His presence sucked all the oxygen out of the room.

"He didn't do anything," I said quietly.

"I know." Blake's voice stayed level. "But I know what he wanted to do."

Daniel served two perfect breakfast plates with steaming coffee.

"Enjoy," he said, then wisely found other things to do.

We ate in silence. But I could feel Blake's possessive energy radiating like heat.

"I'll drive you to Blackwood." Blake grabbed his jacket.

"Scott can take me," I stood up. "Aren't you swamped?"

"Come on." No arguing with that tone. He grabbed my arm, steering me toward the door.

"Easy there, Alpha King," I said, half-joking. "Keep protecting me like this, people might think we got something going on."

Blake's steps faltered for a second. Then kept going without answering.

The car ride was quiet. I snuck glances at his profile while he drove, jaw tight like he was thinking heavy thoughts.

"Lyra gonna be around today?" I finally asked.

"Probably," he said. Short and sweet. "Delegation's not done yet."

I nodded, didn't push. But my brain started painting pictures of that silver-haired priestess. What was she doing right now? Thinking about? How did she look at Blake?

We pulled up to Blackwood Manor.

"Scott'll pick you up later," Blake said. "Don't skip lunch."

I nodded, but couldn't resist one last look at his profile before getting out. Sunlight hit his face just right, making my heart do stupid things.

Training with Lucas went great. Kid was improving fast—his focus and natural talent blew me away.

After we finished, I was heading back to the villa when voices drifted from the main hall.

"You can't go in there." Sophia appeared like magic, arms crossed. "Dad's got important guests."

"Oh." I nodded. "Where's Lucas? Gotta talk about tomorrow's session."

"Upstairs," something flickered in Sophia's eyes. "But you might wanna see this first."

She cracked the door open just enough for me to peek inside.

Blake sat on the sofa. Next to him sat a woman so beautiful it actually hurt to look at her.

Silver hair cascaded over one shoulder like liquid moonlight. Purple eyes—actual *purple*—deep as twilight. Skin so pale it seemed to glow. She wore traditional northern robes, but even loose fabric couldn't hide those perfect curves.

Lyra Starlight.

She was talking to Blake, one hand resting on his arm, smile like sunshine. And Blake... Blake looked completely focused on her. Interested. Engaged.

My blood turned to slush.

That scent from last night—now I was seeing its source. She looked like some moon goddess who'd decided to visit earth. Elegant as a queen, beautiful as a fairy tale.

*So this is the legendary High Priestess. Lives up to the hype.*

"They look incredible together, don't they?" Sophia whispered in my ear, voice carrying satisfaction I couldn't quite read.