Marked Twice by the Alpha King novel Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Play Perfect Son–in–law

Ava’s POV

Night had fallen by the time I finally made it back from Blackwood Manor, my fingers still tingling from the fancy moonstone chopsticks they d used instead of normal cutlery, Lucas’s laughter echoed in my ears, and Blake’s hawk–like stare seemed to follow me still, making my skin prickle.

I shoved open our front door and hit a wall of silence. Damn, Our once–lively home now felt like walking into a freezer–cold and lifeless. I tossed my jacket unto Dad’s hand–carved wolf–fang hook. “For protection, he’d always say with that crooked smile. Fat lot of good that charm did us.

“Mom?” &

My voice bounced around like it was looking for someone to answer. Nothing.

My wolf perked up instantly–hackles raised, nostrils flaring. The house reeked of misery, that sharp, acrid scent of someone slowly giving up. I bounded up the stairs and skidded to a stop at Sarah’s door. Pitch black inside.

My gut clenched. Not again. My wolf pawed anxiously at my insides, practically shoving me to check on her. Last time I’d found her curled up, hadn’t moved for almost two days.

I nudged the door open, wincing at the squeak that normal ears would miss but hit mine like nails on glass. The smell hit me first–unwashed sheets and stale air that had me breathing through my mouth.

Curtains pulled shut tight–no moon allowed. For wolves, that’s like humans boarding up the refrigerator. Nobody blocks moonlight unless they’re seriously messed up.

“Mom?” I fumbled for the lamp, knocking over something that clattered to the floor.

The weak yellow light revealed Sarah curled up like a forgotten sweater. Her skin looked paper–thin, with raccoon circles under her eyes so dark they could’ve been bruises. But it was her expression that gut–punched me that thousand–yard stare I’d seen in wolves whose mates had died. Like someone had switched off half her soul.

I bolted to the bed, heart pounding so hard I could taste it. My fingers pressed against her neck, searching for–there it was. Thank fuck.

“You’re… back,” she croaked, voice like tires on gravel.

“Yeah, it’s me.” I pushed stringy hair from her forehead, something hot and painful lodged in my throat. The untouched soup from this morning sat there mocking me. Crusty bread that could probably break a window now.

Her eyes finally locked onto mine. “What time is it?”

“Just after nine,” I said, my fingers automatically finding that spot on my neck where Jackson’s silver mark was now threaded with gold, like some weird metallic invasion. “Mom, you can’t keep skipping meals like this. You’re wasting away,”

“What for?” She rolled away, but not before I caught the shimmer in her eyes. “He’s in that hellhole with silver burning into his skin, and I can’t even feel him anymore. Our connection’s just… gone.“

I squeezed her hand, feeling nothing but bird bones wrapped in skin. “Dad wouldn’t want this. He’d want you fighting. Her face twisted. “I saw him today.”

Those words zapped her like a cattle prod. She jerked upright, suddenly alert. “William? Is he okay? What did they-

“He’s hanging in there,” I lied through my teeth. No way I was telling her about the silver burns eating into his wrists or the bruises blooming across his face. “Said to tell you he loves you. That you’ll be together soon.”

Hope flickered in her eyes like a dying match, then sputtered out. “They won’t let him go unless. Her eyes dropped to my neck, where my collar hid the

Theres no deal to make,” I said, standing up. “I’m getting evidence that clears his name, fair and square. Now please eat something. Even just toast. For

She gave me a weak nod as I helped her sit up. We both knew she’d probably collapse back into bed the second left, but hell, I had to keep trying.

Ten minutes lat

later I was kneeling on our freezing kitchen floor, watching the last drops of Moonlight Spring water seep between the tiles. My vision blurred as trams leaked out. That bottle cost two weeks‘ pay–the special remedy was all that eased the pain when mates were separated.

My hands had been shaking so bad when I grabbed it, thinking about Dad locked up, about Sarah withering away upstairs, and just like that–crash. Gone.

Chapter 44 Play Perfect Son–in–law

The back door creaked open, and a scent hit me like a slap. My wolf went rigid, ears flat, but my traitorous body shivered in recognition.

I swiped at my face, hating that he caught me like this. “Get the hell out, Jackson. Door’s right where you found it.”

He ignored me completely, walking over and crouching down like we were still on speaking terms. “That stuff costs more than you make in a month. Nice job.”

When he reached for my arm, I tried shoving him off, but my muscles felt like wet paper. The second his fingers touched my skin, my mark seared like hed pressed a hot poker to it.

His lips quirked up in that smug smile I used to love. “Little Miss Badass. Always so tough, so damn superior. Look at you now can’t even hold it together long enough to take care of your mommy.”

1 yanked away and scrambled up, trying to look like I hadn’t just been having a meltdown. “If the grand tour of my misery is over, the exit’s thataway.”

“Misery 1 caused?” He had the nerve to laugh, then reached up and brushed a tear off my cheek with his thumb. “If I didn’t give a shit, would I be here? You really think those scraps Blake threw you–those pathetic exchange privileges–will save your dad? He’s just stringing you along”

Sarah stood in the doorway, skeleton thin but with something flickering in her eyes I hadn’t seen in forever–a spark of actual life.

“Jackson?” Her voice suddenly had strength. “I thought that was you!”

Before I could say anything, her eyes locked onto Jackson’s hand on my arm, and her face lit up like someone had flipped a switch.