Marked Twice by the Alpha King Chapter 85

**Blake's POV**

The night pressed down like ink as I tore through the woods, my paws barely touching the ground. Each leap brought me closer to Ava, this weird pull tugging me forward like someone had tied a rope around my heart. I'd never felt anything like it—her fear, her pain, even her damn body temperature, all hitting me in waves.

I'd seen tons of wolf marks over the years, studied every ancient text I could get my hands on, but this connection? Between wolves who hadn't marked each other? Unheard of. That silver mark on her neck threading with gold—it was telling me something I couldn't quite grasp.

The cabin finally came into view, light leaking through busted windows. I slowed, nose working overtime. Six mercenaries inside. All Omegas—the kind who'd drifted so far from pack life they'd forgotten what honor even looked like. They reeked of booze, blood, and that unmistakable scent of hunters ready to enjoy their prey.

Then another smell hit me, making my hackles rise. Moon Heat. That restricted drug they use to punish female wolves who've committed serious crimes. It forces victims into artificial heat while keeping them fully conscious—making them experience every humiliating second of their bodies betraying their minds.

They'd done this to Ava.

My vision edged with red. No thinking. Just action.

I burst from the shadows, catching the first guard mid-yawn. His throat opened under my claws before he even registered the danger. Hot blood sprayed across my fur as the second guard fumbled for a weapon. Too slow. My teeth found his neck, the snap of his spine oddly satisfying.

The lights inside shifted as the rest scrambled toward the door. I licked blood from my muzzle, letting my Alpha energy roll out like a tsunami. When the first guy stumbled outside, what greeted him was death on four legs.

"Alpha King!" someone screamed, backpedaling so fast he tripped. Recognition dawned too late.

My claws tore through his chest, ripping out his still-pumping heart. The other three shifted simultaneously, thinking pack tactics might save them. Idiots. No wolf stands a chance against an Alpha King riding rage like this, especially not bottom-feeding Omegas.

The fight—if you could call it that—ended in seconds. Six bodies scattered across blood-soaked ground, satisfying my wolf's thirst for revenge. Only one thing mattered now.

I charged into the cabin, my nose leading me straight to the basement. Moonlight spilled through shattered windows, lighting up stairs heading underground. Ava's scent grew stronger, twisted with that sickly-sweet Moon Heat, firing every nerve ending I had.

At the bottom of the stairs, I shifted back, bones cracking, muscles stretching. The pain barely registered. All my focus locked on that iron door where Ava waited.

Now human, I stood naked, sweat and blood streaking my skin. My body had already responded to Ava's scent in ways too obvious to hide. I dragged in a breath, willing control I wasn't sure I had.

I pushed the door open and finally saw her.

There in a silver cage, Ava curled against the corner, training clothes hanging in tatters. Moonlight painted her trembling body in silver and shadow. Even now, she tensed at the sound of my entrance, ready to fight. Always the warrior.

"Ava," I called softly, my voice rougher than gravel.

She lifted her head, eyes unfocused until they found me. Recognition flashed. "Blake?" Just my name, broken and weak, but it hit me like a punch to the chest.

I grabbed the silver bars, ignoring the burn against my palms. One hard yank and the lock shattered, door swinging wide.

"Found you," I knelt before her, careful not to touch. The Moon Heat hit me like a wall, challenging every bit of restraint I had. Heat rolled off her in waves, desire and pain battling in her eyes.

"They injected—" she tried, shame keeping her eyes from mine.

"I know," I cut in gently. "Moon Heat. I can smell it."

Tears gathered but didn't fall. That hurt worse than any physical wound—seeing her humiliation.

"You shouldn't see me like this," she whispered, arms wrapping around herself, trying to hide reactions she couldn't control.

"Listen to me," I forced steadiness into my voice despite my racing heart. "We need to get you out of here. The drug will wear off, but first we need to reach Blackwood."

"No..." she tried to back away. "Can't let anyone see me like this..."

"They won't," I promised. "Tyler's cleared the route. No one will see you, I swear."

I hesitated, then offered my hand. "Let me help you, Ava. Trust me."

Her eyes traveled from my face to my naked body, shame and desire warring in her expression. Moon Heat's cruelest trick—amplifying natural responses while keeping the mind brutally aware of everything happening. She could see me, smell me, even sense my own reactions, while her body answered in ways her mind fought against.

Slowly, like each movement cost her, she reached out and touched my wrist. Her skin burned like fire, that small contact making my wolf howl for more.

"I need to carry you," I said, voice strained with effort. "Is that okay?"

She nodded weakly, trust in her eyes nearly undoing me. Goddess above, she was suffering the worst humiliation imaginable, yet still trusted me not to take advantage. That knowledge both warmed and gutted me.

I slid my arms under her knees and back, lifting her in one smooth motion. She weighed almost nothing, but her heat was shocking. When I pulled her against my chest, a small sound escaped her, immediately bitten back. I felt her struggle—instinct wanting closeness while her mind fought the drug's influence.

"Focus on my voice," I whispered near her ear as I headed for the stairs. "Think about cold water, about the forest, about anything that helps you stay centered."

She nodded, face buried against my neck, her breath hot and quick. Her racing heart pressed against my chest, her scent—normally sharp and clean—now twisted into something sweetly intoxicating. Each step tested my control, especially when she shifted against me, unconsciously seeking more contact.

We climbed the stairs and moved through the bloody front room. Ava spotted the bodies, surprise flickering across her face, followed by understanding. "You killed them for me," she said softly, voice carrying both shock and something close to gratitude.

"Anyone who hurts you pays," I answered simply, hiding the possessiveness surging through me.

Outside, moonlight spilled across bloodstained grass. Ava shivered in my arms, from cold or drug effects, I couldn't tell. Her arms circled my neck, fingertips pressing into my shoulders.

"Didn't think you'd come yourself," she murmured, voice dreamy. "The big, bad Alpha King..."

"I felt you," I admitted, somehow feeling like I was sharing a secret. "Your mark... it's changing."

Her hand flew to her neck, touching where Jackson's silver mark now threaded with gold. "How's that possible?" she asked, confusion momentarily cutting through the haze.

"Not sure," I answered honestly. "Unless the original mark gets overridden, or..." I hesitated. "There are old legends about soul-compatible mark transfers..."