Marked Twice by the Alpha King novel Chapter 154

Chapter 154

Ava’s POV

I reached for the medical supplies, but Blake blocked my hand, his jaw set in that stubborn way I’d come to recognize.

“Sit still,” he ordered, though his voice lacked its usual command. “That needs proper cleaning.”

‘I’m perfectly capable of bandaging my own wounds,” I replied coolly. “I’ve had plenty of practice these past few days.”

A muscle twitched in his cheek. “I’m sure you have.”

When I tried to stand, his hand shot out, not quite touching me but effectively blocking my path. Our eyes locked in a silent battle of wills. The look on his face wasn’t the Alpha King’s authoritative glare, but something far more dangerous–raw concern mixed with a determination that said he wasn’t backing down.

“Please,” he said, the word so unexpected it froze me in place. Blake Morgan didn’t say ‘please‘ to anyone. “Let me help you, Ava.”

Something in his tone–a vulnerability I rarely heard from him–made my defenses waver. I slowly sank back onto the table, still watching him warily.

He kept his movements deliberate as he gathered supplies, like I was some wounded wild animal that might bolt. Maybe I was.

“You didn’t have to come charging in like that,” I said, my voice rougher than intended./”I had it under control.”

Blake snorted, rifling through cabinets until he found a med kit. “Yeah, bleeding on their floor looked real controlled.”

The familiar sarcasm loosened something tight in my chest. This wasn’t Alpha King Blake with his formal masks and careful words. This was just… Blake. The man who called me on my bullshit.

He examined my arm, fingers surprisingly gentle for such a large man. His eyes darkened as they traced over old from today.”

“Just part of the Hayes welcome package,” I shrugged, trying to sound casual.

ses peppering my skin. These weren’t

Blake turned on the faucet, testing the water temperature before guiding my arm under the stream. I couldn’t help but tense up–not just from the sting, but from his touch. It brought back everything at once: moonlit training sessions with Lucas, whispered conversations in the hallway, the weight of his gaze across a crowded room.

‘Hold still, he murmured, voice unexpectedly soft. “Let me fix this.

Something about his tone–about having this powerhouse of an Alpha tending to me like I was something precious–made my throat tight. After days of being treated like dirt, the simple care in his touch felt almost overwhelming.

I watched him work, noticing things I’d missed before. The shadows under his eyes. The stubble darker than usual. His hair sticking up on one side like he’d been running his hand through it repeatedly.

“Why’d you really come?” I asked quietly.

His hands paused, but he didn’t look up. “You know why.”

“Pretend I don’t.”

This time his eyes met mine, clear and direct. “Three days without hearing from you, I sent Tyler to investigate. When he reported what Martha had done His jaw tightened. ‘Let’s just say I’ve had calmer/moments.”

“So what, your property got damaged and you came to collect?” The words came out sharper than intended.

“Don’t. His hand gripped the edge of the table. “Don’t twist this into something ugly. Nobody treats someone I care about like this Nob

The raw honesty in his voice made my mark pulse. I’d expected excuses, maybe some formal Alpha King speech about pack responsibility. A

Chapter 154

I thought I was persona non grata at Blackwood,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. “After Lucas-*

‘I was wrong, Ava.”

I blinked, taken aback by the bluntness. Blake never admitted failure–not as Alpha, not as father, not as anything.

His fingers came up, tilting my chin so I couldn’t look away. ‘I was scared out of my mind when Lucas collapsed. Needed someone to blame. You were there His eyes held a vulnerability I’d never seen. ‘It was easier to push you away than admit I might lose both of you.”

My chest ached at the admission. No grand excuses, no Alpha posturing–just raw truth. “I understand, I said quietly. “If Sarah or William were hurt, I might have overreacted too.”

“How is he?” I asked, desperate to change the subject before I did something stupid like cry.

A ghost of a smile touched Blake’s lips. “Driving the healers crazy. Made something for you–some wolf carving.”

The image of Lucas bent over a block of wood, tongue caught between his teeth in concentration, made my eyes burn. I ducked my head, focusing on the bandage Blake was carefully applying.

The ointment stung like hell, but I barely noticed as his thumb traced slow circles against my pulse point–an unconscious gesture that sent sparks up my

arm.

He finished the bandaging, his fingers lingering on my wrist a second longer than necessary before reluctantly letting go.

“Thank you,” I said, pointing to the neatly bandaged wound. “And… thanks for the explanation. Much better than sending Tyler to apologize.”

The corner of his mouth curved upward. “I’ll make sure someone checks your wound in the morning.”

I nodded, but then remembered reality: “But I can’t just leave. Sarah and I have nowhere else to go. For my father

we have to stay here.