Marked Twice by the Alpha King Chapter 170

**Blake's POV**

"Just checking how you're doing." I sat on her bed. "After what happened the other day... worried you might still be upset about those rumors."

"What rumors?" She blinked, looking confused.

"About Ava and Jackson's... past."

"Oh, that." Her expression hardened instantly. "Jackson explained everything to me. Dad, I understand so much more now."

I frowned. "Understand what?"

"About Ava." Sophia's voice carried this cold tone I'd never heard before. "She shouldn't have hidden those things from me. If she'd been honest from the start, none of this would've happened."

"Sophia..."

"Jackson made it all very clear, Dad." She cut me off, eyes shining with this almost blind trust. "He told me things I never knew before. Now I get why that fight happened."

I watched her carefully, unease growing in my chest. She had this weird certainty about her, like someone had fed her a complete set of explanations.

"What exactly did he tell you?"

"Details don't matter, Dad." She waved it off, but I caught the forced quality of her smile. "What matters is we all understand the truth now. Though..." She paused. "Thinking about them being... well, you know, their past still bothers me. But Jackson says we'll work through it."

Her voice tightened when she mentioned their past, but she recovered fast. "He's been so patient with me, Dad. Helping me work through all this."

I nodded, but the unease kept growing. Sophia's reaction was too... rehearsed. She skipped all the details, avoided specific questions, just kept repeating vague stuff about "Jackson explained" and "we understand the truth."

This didn't feel like normal explanation and reconciliation. More like... conditioning.

"That's good then." I stood up, not sure what else to say. "If you need anything, just ask."

But deep down, I knew things were way more complicated than they seemed. What exactly had Jackson told my daughter?

"I will." She picked up her nail polish again. "Dad, you look exhausted. Maybe you should get some rest too?"

That night found me back in the study. William Rivers' files still spread across my desk, but I couldn't focus anymore. My thoughts kept flying to the northern villa, to the woman who should be waiting for word from me.

Tyler reached out through mindlink around nine, sensing my distracted state. "Boss, shouldn't you go see her?"

"Who?" I shot back, playing dumb.

"Ava." Even through our mental connection, I felt his seriousness. "She's been there four days."

"She needs rest," I responded.

"She needs you." Tyler rarely got this direct, but his determination came through loud and clear. "Boss, I've worked with you for years. Never seen you this twisted up over a woman."

I rubbed my forehead. "It's complicated, Tyler."

"Complicated my ass." He actually swore through the mindlink, which was even rarer. "You love her, she loves you. What's simpler than that?"

"The Northern Lights alliance..."

"Screw Northern Lights!" Tyler's emotions flowed through our connection. "Boss, if you let politics destroy your happiness, you'll regret it forever."

After cutting the link, I sat alone in the empty study, his words echoing in my head. Maybe he was right. Maybe I was overcomplicating everything.

Eleven o'clock brought a decision. I gathered up the files, turned off the desk lamp, walked out of the study.

Passing Sophia's room, I caught fragments of her conversation through the door. "...next time will be different, I promise... I know what you need to hear..." Her voice sounded strained, almost rehearsed.

I paused, frowning. This didn't sound like the blissful reconciliation she'd described earlier. More like someone desperately trying to convince themselves everything was fine.

Part of me wanted to feel relieved that maybe Jackson wasn't as perfect as she believed. But mostly I just felt... empty. Should I be sad my daughter was struggling? Or glad she might finally see through his act?

Instead of heading for the garage, I went straight to the manor's back door. Driving to the northern villa would take an hour. Running there in wolf form? Twenty minutes.

The night air was cold but helped clear my head. I stripped off my shirt, let moonlight wash over my skin, then let the change begin. Bones reshaping, muscles extending—every transformation made me feel more powerful.

Seconds later, a massive black wolf stood in the moonlight. My senses exploded—could hear wind three miles away, smell every night creature, feel the earth's pulse.

This was Alpha King power.

I started running, paws almost silent on the forest floor. Trees flew past, Silverpeak's night unfolding beneath my feet. This was my territory, my kingdom, every inch under my protection.

But right now I only wanted to protect one person.

On the way, I tried reaching Ava through our golden bond. The connection was weak, but I caught her emotional state. Complex mix of pain, loneliness, and something confused I couldn't identify.

What was she doing?

Forest became a green blur around me, heartbeat getting faster. Maybe Tyler was right. Maybe I should stop torturing myself and just go after what I wanted.

Political alliances? Trade deals? Screw all of it. Nothing mattered more than Ava.

When the villa's lights appeared ahead, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I stopped at the tree line, let the change reverse. Bones readjusting, muscles contracting—seconds later I was human again.

Threw my clothes back on, took a deep breath, walked toward the front door. Lights were on inside, but dim.

My hand actually shook when I knocked. Ridiculous—I was the Alpha King, ruler of the entire werewolf world, but here I was nervous as a seventeen-year-old on his first date.

The door opened. I saw Ava.