Marked Twice by the Alpha King Chapter 78

**Ava's POV**

Pain crashed through my skull like thunder, my eyes struggling to focus in the thick darkness. Every muscle screamed as if I'd been hit by a truck—this feeling was worse than those ten-hour extreme training sessions at Academy. I tried to move, only to discover cold metal biting into my wrists.

Silver chains. Fuck.

The distinctive burn of silver against wolf skin sent memories flooding back—the masks, Sophia's scream, the needle in my shoulder. Moon venom from silver spiders.

*Wait... how am I already conscious?* Normal wolves stayed under for at least twelve hours after a full dose.

My racing thoughts were interrupted by silver's scorching pain as I shifted position. I forced myself to breathe through it, falling back on Academy training. *Focus on the mission. Assess the situation. Survive.*

The room slowly came into focus—some kind of underground dungeon with stone walls, ancient tribal symbols carved into the rock, and iron torches casting eerie shadows. I was caged like an animal in a massive silver enclosure.

*Who the hell has this much high-grade silver?* My foggy brain started calculating. *Only major packs could afford containment this elaborate...*

I squinted through the semi-darkness, my wolf senses dulled by the silver but still sharper than a human's. That's when I saw her—Sophia, lying motionless on the stone floor just feet away, her golden hair matted with dirt, face unnaturally pale.

My heart lurched. *Shit. Blake trusted me to keep his family safe, and now his daughter's locked in some fucking dungeon because of me.*

I dragged myself toward her, each movement sending fire through my veins as the silver chains scraped against my skin. Swallowing the pain, I reached her side and gently checked for a pulse. Weak but steady. The relief nearly made me dizzy.

"Sophia?" I whispered, carefully brushing hair from her face. "Can you hear me?"

Nothing. The needle mark on her neck was swollen and bruised—they'd given her a full dose. She wouldn't wake for hours.

*I should've protected her. I'm a failure as a warrior. First Dad, now Sophia...*

I closed my eyes, trying to collect myself. The silver was blocking my ability to shift, to heal, even to mindlink. No way to contact Blake or Steven, no way to howl for help.

Low voices filtered from somewhere beyond our cage—rough, unfamiliar tones that set my instincts on edge.

"Mission said grab one girl, nobody mentioned two." The voice was raspy, male.

"Extra girl means extra pay." Another voice, followed by a dark chuckle. "Especially this fancy one. Bet she's worth something."

"Doesn't matter who they are," a third voice cut in, deeper than the others. "We stick to the plan. Get paid, clean up loose ends, disappear north."

"I'm getting food first. Those girls won't wake until tomorrow with the dose they got."

Heavy footsteps faded away, followed by the grinding of what sounded like an iron door.

I inhaled deeply, sorting through the scents despite my dulled senses. Smoke, mildew, unwashed bodies... and that distinctive smell of wolves who belonged nowhere—Omegas, drifters, the bottom of wolf hierarchy. Wolves desperate enough to do anything for money.

Focusing on Sophia's face, I felt a wave of guilt crash over me. She looked so fragile, nothing like the fierce woman who'd defended me at the arena.

"I'm so sorry," I murmured, gently arranging her into a more comfortable position. "I should have protected you better."

Her face, so similar to her mother's from the portraits at Blackwood, made my chest tighten. Blake would be devastated if anything happened to her. The thought of his pain hit me harder than I expected.

*If I hadn't agreed to go out with her... if I'd insisted we stick to the main streets... if I'd been more alert...*

I checked her breathing, relieved to find it steady. Then I carefully examined the needle mark on her neck—no infection yet, just bruising.

"Blake's going to kill me," I whispered, wiping dirt from her cheek with the corner of my torn shirt. "And he should."

I forced my mind back to strategy. These rogues didn't know I was awake—that was an advantage. My Warrior Academy extreme adaptation training had prepared my body to process toxins faster than most wolves. If I could stay quiet and gather intelligence, maybe I could find a way out when they returned.

The silver chains had weakened me, but I could feel strength slowly returning to my limbs. I tested the chains methodically, searching for weak links or manufacturing flaws, falling back on escape drills from Academy.

*Observe. Wait. Strike when they least expect it.*

Time crawled in the windowless dungeon. Minutes stretched into what felt like hours. I had no way to know if it was still night or already morning.

"You're stronger than you look, Sophia," I said softly to her unconscious form, partly to keep myself focused. "Standing up for me at the arena... I didn't expect that."

I carefully shifted her head onto my lap, making her as comfortable as possible on the cold stone floor. My fingers gently worked through her tangled hair, picking out dirt and dried blood.

"I promise I'll get you back to your family," I whispered. "Back to Blake and Lucas."

The unfamiliar tenderness of my own actions surprised me. I wasn't exactly the nurturing type—more the "stab first, ask questions later" variety.

*I've gotten so used to keeping most people at a distance... except for Ella, almost everyone else gets the cold shoulder. Maybe that's why connecting with Sophia caught me off guard.*

My thoughts drifted to Steven's words about Blake not caring who I spent time with. Why did that still sting? Why did I care so much about completing his missions, earning his approval?

*Even if I don't make it out, Steven and Blake will find us.* The thought brought strange comfort. Blake wouldn't rest until he found his daughter, and I'd just be... collateral rescue.

I heard footsteps approaching in the distance, faint but growing louder. My warrior senses snapped to attention despite the silver's dampening effect.

*They're coming back.*

I quickly assessed my condition. The silver burns on my wrists weren't as painful now—my body was adapting. Good. One chance was all I needed, but timing would be everything.

"I won't let them hurt you," I whispered to Sophia, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I promise."

Looking at her defenseless form reminded me of Lucas's trusting eyes. Both of Blake's children had shown me nothing but kindness, and I'd failed them both.

*If only one of us can escape, it has to be you, Sophia.*

I gently laid her head back on the ground, arranging her as comfortably as possible. Then I stretched out nearby, assuming a convincing unconscious pose. I slowed my breathing to a deep, even rhythm, leaving my eyelids slightly parted so I could watch through my lashes.

Keys jangled. The iron door creaked open.

*Blake trusted me,* I thought as footsteps approached. *And I failed him. But I won't fail again.*

I thought of my father's calm eyes before battle, drawing strength from the memory.

*Moon Goddess, give me strength to protect her...*