Marked Twice by the Alpha King Chapter 56

**Ava's POV**

Lucas darted behind us, taking two quick steps for every one of ours. My adrenaline was crashing, that fake confidence I'd conjured up dissolving with each heartbeat, leaving nothing but raw panic in its wake.

I'd just pretended to be Blake Morgan's wife. The Alpha King's Luna. While wearing his ceremonial cape. That kind of stunt could get me kicked off pack lands—or worse.

Tyler waited by a carriage near the gates, guards creating a careful perimeter—close enough to pounce if needed, far enough to give us privacy. Blake dropped my hand the moment we were out of view, like he'd just realized it was still in his grasp.

"What were you two thinking?" His voice was quiet but packed a punch.

"It's on me, Dad." Lucas wedged himself between us like a tiny shield. "I begged Ava to help. Thought you'd lose it if you found out what happened."

Blake's eyes flicked to me. "And you just rolled with this crazy idea?"

"I messed up," I said, my voice wobbling like a newborn calf. "Just wanted to get the kid out of hot water."

He dragged a hand down his face. "Did it cross your mind what would happen if someone called your bluff? An Alpha King getting hitched isn't exactly under-the-radar news."

I chewed my lip raw. "Yeah, I dropped the ball big time."

"Dad, come on! Don't take it out on Ava!" Lucas tugged his sleeve, eyes getting watery. "The whole dumb plan was my idea. She just had my back."

"Last I checked, she's old enough to vote," Blake shot back, voice hard as nails.

"Look, if you want to fire me, just spit it out," I said, finally meeting his eyes. "I'll be gone before the rooster crows."

Blake studied me long enough that I started counting heartbeats. His face gave nothing away, those storm-gray eyes swirling with something I couldn't name. Then he just turned.

I froze in place. Was that my dismissal?

Lucas looked back at me with raised eyebrows, then gave a tiny shrug and trailed after his dad. I stood there like an idiot, wondering if I was supposed to follow or just start walking home.

Blake paused at the carriage door and glanced back. "You coming or not?"

I hurried over, slipping into the backseat. Tyler closed the privacy screen between compartments with a soft click.

Traffic clogged the streets, stretching minutes into what felt like hours. Lucas eventually conked out against my arm, his face peaceful in sleep. The day's drama had wrung him dry.

Blake watched his son with a softness I rarely got to see.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, not wanting to wake Lucas. "Today was a clusterfuck. Won't happen again."

"Damn right it won't," he replied, but without the bite I expected.

I turned to the window, watching buildings blur past, figuring the conversation was over.

"That said... thanks." The word sounded rusty, like he didn't use it much.

I whipped my head back. "For what?"

"Don't push it," he warned, but a ghost of something almost like humor flickered in his eyes. "Lucas doesn't have a mother. When he needs someone in his corner... I'm glad he wasn't alone."

I tried and failed to stop the corner of my mouth from lifting. "He's a good kid. Just needs someone to actually see him."

Blake's gaze drifted to his sleeping son, his mask slipping just enough to reveal a crack of vulnerability. "Back there, watching you defend him... it was like seeing Elizabeth's ghost."

My jaw nearly hit the floor. He never talked about his wife.

"She'd have pulled the same stunt," he continued, his voice sandpaper-rough. "Jumped in headfirst if Lucas needed her, no questions asked." His fingers drifted through Lucas's hair with a touch so gentle it made my chest hurt. "She missed everything. His first shift. His first hunt. All the times he needed someone in his corner."

I didn't dare breathe too loud, like I might scare away this rare glimpse of the man behind the Alpha mask.

"Seven years is a long time flying solo. You forget what it's like having someone share the load." Something flashed across his face, there and gone like lightning. "Seeing you step up for him today... knocked me sideways."

I wanted to reach out, but my courage stalled halfway. "Lucas says she was one in a million."

"Understatement of the century," Blake said, his voice warming a few degrees. "She would've gotten a kick out of you. Would've ripped you a new one for today's circus act, then poured you a drink after."

His almost-smile hit me harder than any Alpha command ever could.

He cleared his throat, mask sliding back into place. "About your dad's case."

My spine stiffened instantly. "What about it?"

"Been poking around the case files," he said, watching trees zip by outside. "Something smells fishy. The way Alpha Carter died... your dad might not have blood on his hands like everyone thinks."

Hope hit me like a sucker punch, stealing my breath. "You serious?"

"Let’s just say I might have enough to delay his execution," he said, his eyes catching mine. "Still connecting dots, but rushing to off him would be a dumbass move."

My world spun like I'd chugged a bottle of moonshine. After weeks of nothing but crumbs, someone was finally throwing me a bone.

"So you'll help?" The words squeaked out pathetically.

"I'll see what I can do," he said, choosing his words like he was disarming a bomb. "Don't throw a parade yet, Ava. He's no saint, but he might not deserve a silver bullet, either."

Even that tiny ray of hope felt blinding after weeks of darkness. I looked down at Lucas's head on my shoulder, my throat too tight for words.

The carriage finally rolled to a stop outside Blackwood Manor. I gently nudged Lucas.

"Hey, sleepyhead. We're back," I said softly.

He blinked awake, yawning. "We there yet?"

"Yep." Blake and I answered in stereo, our voices colliding.

Our eyes locked, and something zapped between us like I'd stuck my finger in an outlet. My neck suddenly felt hotter than a fever.

"Thanks for sticking your neck out for me," Lucas mumbled, throwing his arms around me. "You'd make a badass mom."

My cheeks flamed redder than a stop sign, especially when I caught Blake fighting a smile. This bizarre playing-house moment made my skin tingle in ways I didn't want to examine too closely.

"Gotta hit the training ground," I stammered, nearly falling out the door in my rush. "Day's half shot already."

Behind me, Lucas cracked up while Blake said something too low to catch. I beelined for the training area, trying to outrun the swarm of butterflies doing aerial stunts in my gut.

Today had been one hell of a ride—scared out of my mind one minute, drowning in secrets the next, then suddenly catching a lifeline for Dad. But it had also busted open a door I'd been pretending wasn't there. For those few minutes in that carriage, with Lucas snoozing between us, we'd felt like the real deal.