Marked Twice by the Alpha King novel Chapter 145

Chapter 145

Third Person POV

“Sophia?” Ava’s voice from the doorway made her jump.

Sophia whipped around, cheeks flushing at being caught red–handed.

“Ava!” she gasped, eyes wide. “Where’d you come from? I didn’t hear you walk in.”

Ava closed the door behind her, warrior senses clearly picking up on the weird vibe.

“Just got here and saw you pacing a hole in the floor. Everything okay?” she asked, trying to smooth things over.

“Totally fine, Sophia lied, pasting on a smile that felt plastic even to her. ‘Just planning dinner stuff.”

Ava looked unconvinced as she moved around the kitchen island. “It’s just that you’ve been dodging me lately, Ava said, worry creasing her forehead. Since that Hayes ceremony, we’ve barely said two words to each other. Did I step on your toes somehow?”

“What? No way,” Sophia lied again; how easily the untruths rolled off her tongue surprised even her. “We’re golden.”

“You sure about that?” Ava raised an eyebrow, that fighter’s instinct clearly telling her something was off.

She walked to the cabinet, pulling out a small vial–Lucas’s training catalyst, specially formulated for young werewolves learning to control their shifting.

‘I’m teaching Lucas some next–level shift control today,” Ava explained, checking the label.

Sophia nodded thoughtfully, watching Ava gather supplies.

While Ava’s back was turned as she grabbed a water glass, Sophia made her move. She pulled out the nearly identical vial from her pocket. With a quick flick of her wrist, she swapped the vials.

“So,” Ava turned back with the water glass, ‘we’re cool then?”

Sophia forced her lips into a smile, secretly tucking the original kid catalyst into her pocket.

“Never better,” Sophia lied, stomach churning with nervous anticipation.

Ava’s shoulders relaxed as she picked up the switched catalyst and water.

“Glad we cleared the air,” Ava said as she headed for the door. “Lucas and I will probably train till dinnertime, he’s pumped about the new moves.”

“Good luck with that,” Sophia said, her expression hardening as Ava disappeared from view.

She reassured herself the plan was bulletproof…

‘One more time, Lucas! Connect with your core power, feel it flowing!” Ava called out, watching the boy attempt partial shifting–an advanced technique where only specific body parts transform.

Lucas nodded, determination blazing in his eyes. He’d already managed to shift his arms into wolf paws three times running, showing control that kids twice

would kill for.

his

age

‘Drink some catalyst and catch your breath,” Ava handed him the switched formula, “then we’ll tackle legs–that’s where it gets tricky.”

Lucas gulped down the catalyst in one shot, eager for the energy kick. At first, everything looked normal–his eyes flashed gold, the usual signal that the power was kicking in.

But minutes later, things went sideways fast.

Chapter 145

“Ava… his voice shook, face suddenly twisting in pain, ‘something’s wrong…”

His body started jerking uncontrollably, silver–blue light rippling violently across his skin–typical for pureblooded shifts, but at an intensity that set alarm bells ringing.

‘Lucas?” Ava snapped to attention, rushing to his side.

The boy crashed to his knees, arms already morphing, but all wrong–fur and human skin flickering back and forth, bones making sickening crack sounds,

“Can’t make it stop!” he screamed, bloody tears streaming down his face. ‘It hurts so bad!”

Ava instantly knew this was no normal reaction. She’d seen shift mishaps before, but nothing this severe, especially not in a trained pureblood kid.

“Just breathe, Lucas!” She dropped beside him, steadying hands on his shoulders. “I’m right here, focus on my voice!”

But things spiraled downhill fast. Lucas’s face began contorting horrifically, human features on one side, wolf on the other, instead of the smooth transformation of a normal shift. His bones twisted visibly beneath his skin, body caught in a nightmarish in–between state.

‘Help… me… he gasped out, voice morphing into a half–human, half–wolf howl.

Ava had never seen anything like it, panic clawing up her throat.

“I need help!” she shouted, instantly linking minds with Blake through their mark. “Blake! Lucas is in trouble! His shift’s gone completely off the rails–it’s life–threatening!”

Meanwhile, Sophia heard the screams and wolf howls echoing from the training grounds, her blood freezing as she realized something had gone terribly wrong. She bolted toward the sounds, heart in her throat.

When she burst onto the field, the sight knocked the wind from her lungs.

Lucas lay thrashing on the ground, body horrifically suspended between forms. Each incomplete shift left him in a grotesque hybrid state–part human child, part wolf cub. Bones broke and reformed under his skin with sounds that would haunt her dreams.

Blood poured from his eyes, ears, and nose–the unmistakable signs of bloodline rejection–which would cause permanent damage immediately.

“What happened?!” Sophia screamed, terror washing over her in icy waves.

topped

Ava knelt beside Lucas, desperately trying to help but clearly out of her depth. “I don’t know! He was practicing partial shifting, then just… this!” Her voice cracked with panic, “This isn’t normal!”