Marked Twice by the Alpha King novel Chapter 71

Chapter 71

My jaw nearly hit the floor. He never talked about his wife.

“She’d have pulled the same stunt,” he continued, his voice sandpaper–rough. “Jumped in headfirst if Lucas needed her, no questions asked.” His fingers drifted through Lucas’s hair with a touch so gentle it made my chest hurt. “She missed everything. His first shift. His first hunt. All the times he needed someone in his corner.”

I didn’t dare breathe too loud, like I might scare away this rare glimpse of the man behind the Alpha mask.

“Seven years is a long time flying solo. You forget what it’s like having someone share the load.” Something flashed across his face, there and gone like lightning. “Seeing you step up for him today… knocked me sideways.”

I wanted to reach out, but my courage stalled halfway. “Lucas says she was one in a million.”

“Understatement of the century,” Blake said, his voice warming a few degrees. “She would’ve gotten a kick out of you. Would’ve ripped you a new one for today’s circus act, then poured you a drink after.”

His almost–smile hit me harder than any Alpha command ever could.

He cleared his throat, mask sliding back into place. “About your dad’s case.”

My spine stiffened instantly. “What about it?”

“Been poking around the case files,” he said, watching trees zip by outside. “Something smells fishy. The way Alpha Carter died… your dad might not have blood on his hands like everyone thinks.”

Hope hit me like a sucker punch, stealing my breath. “You serious?”

“Let’s just say I might have enough to delay his execution,” he said, his eyes catching mine. “Still connecting dots, but rushing to off him would be a dumbass

move.”

My world spun like I’d chugged a bottle of moonshine. After weeks of nothing but crumbs, someone was finally throwing me a bone.

“So you’ll help?” The words squeaked out pathetically.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said, choosing his words like he was disarming a bomb. “Don’t throw a parade yet, Ava. He’s no saint, but he might not deserve a silver bullet, either.”

Even that tiny ray of hope felt blinding after weeks of darkness. I looked down at Lucas’s head on my shoulder, my throat too tight for words.

The carriage finally rolled to a stop outside Blackwood Manor. I gently nudged Lucas.

‘Hey, sleepyhead. We’re back,‘ I said softly.

He blinked awake, yawning. “We there yet?”

“Yep.” Blake and I answered in stereo, our voices colliding.

Our eyes locked, and something zapped between us like I’d stuck my finger in an outlet. My neck suddenly felt hotter than a fever.

“Thanks for sticking your neck out for me,” Lucas mumbled, throwing his arms around me. “You’d make a badass mom.”

My cheeks flamed redder than a stop sign, especially when I caught Blake fighting a smile. This bizarre playing–house moment made my skin tingle in ways I didn’t want to examine too closely.

Today had been one hell of a ride–scared out of my mind one minute, drowning in secrets the next, then suddenly catching a lifeline for Dad. But it had also busted open a door I’d been pretending wasn’t there. For those few minutes in that carriage, with Lucas snoozing between us, we’d felt like the real deal.