Marked Twice by the Alpha King novel Chapter 99

Bad Husband 99

Moonlight spilled through the trees as Jackson Hayes slipped through the forest in wolf form. His gray brown fur melted into the shadows hetween pines as he tracked the scent that had haunted him for years. Ava Rivers. His fated mate. The woman whose neck he’d marked with his teeth before tossing her side like she meant nothing.

Third Person POV

ང པ ༽༼ང༽

The mate bond tugged at him, sharper tonight than it had been in months. It was the danger–the mark always burned strongest when she was threatened. His wolf paced beneath his skin, clawing to take control completely.

Jackson dropped his muzzle to the ground, sorting through the mess of scents. Ava’s–sharp like pine sap after rain. Sophia’s–stupidly flowery and soft. And cutting through both, the unwashed stink of rogue wolves.

M

Shit.

Those same rogues he’d let slip through his fingers three years back during that border cleanup. He’d kept a few breathing on purpose–figured they might come in handy someday. Talk about a plan backfiring.

A howl ripped through the night, making his ears twitch. Blake was out there with his wolves, tearing apart the forest looking for his daughter. The Alpha King’s rage rolled through the trees like thunder before a storm. Jackson needed to move fast. If Blake connected him to any of this, he was beyond screwed.

He pushed through a tangle of brambles, and there it sat–a rundown cabin with light bleeding through cracked shutters. His wolf surged forward, recognizing Ava’s scent growing stronger. His heart hammered against his ribs as memories flooded back–the way she’d felt beneath him, the way she’d smelled when he’d claimed her, the way she’d finally submitted to him. That silver mark on her neck–his mark–even if it was fading now.

Jackson shifted, bones cracking as he stood on two legs again. He crept toward the cabin, keeping to the shadows. Rough voices leaked through the thin walls.

“Look at her fight… ain’t seen nothing like it…” “Just wait till that Moon Heat really hits… she’ll be begging for it…” “What about the pretty blonde?”

Moon Heat. The words hit him like a punch to the gut. They’d given his mate that sick shit? His claws shot out as rage surged through him, his wolf howling inside his head.

He didn’t think–just moved. The door splintered under his weight as he burst through, shifting mid–leap back to wolf. Four rogues huddled around a bottle- littered table, their faces frozen in shock as 200 pounds of furious werewolf crashed into their party. Before the nearest one could even stand, Jackson’s fangs found his throat and ripped.

Hot blood sprayed across the floor. The others scrambled to shift, but they were slow, drunk. These Omega rejects never stood a chance against a wolf of his bloodline. Thirty seconds later, the cabin fell quiet except for the drip of blood from his muzzle.

A trapdoor in the floor caught his eye. He nudged it open with his paw, shifted back to skin, and descended into darkness.

The stink hit him first–sweat and blood and piss. Then something else–sickly sweet, like rotten fruit. Moon Heat. His stomach churned as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Two iron cages stood in the center of the dirt floor.

In the right cage lay Sophia, out cold, her hair matted with dirt, face bruised but breathing steady.

In the left…

Ava.

Silver chains wrapped her wrists and ankles, angry/red burns marking where metal touched skin. Her clothes hung in tatters, showing more burns beneath. But it was her eyes that stopped him cold–glazed over but still aware, her body trembling uncontrollably. The Moon Heat working its way through her system, forcing her into a false heat while keeping her mind cruelly clear. Nothing in wolf society was considered more degrading.

J–Jackson?” Her voice cracked, barely a whisper through parched lips.

He froze, caught between them–his ticket to power and the woman the Moon Goddess had chosen for him. Outside, howls drew closer. Fresh rogues approaching. Brock’s backup plan, no doubt. That idiot had hired more muscle than Jackson realized.

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Chapter 99

Help me, Ava managed, dragging herself forward an inch, the chains scraping new burns across her skin.

Jackson’s mind raced, Sophia would be fine–standard wolf venom, nothing fatal. And Ava… the Moon Heat would put her through hell, but protrahly wouldn’t kill her.

Time was running out. The howls grew closer. In his current state, he couldn’t carry both women and outrun a pack of hungry rogues. He had to pick-

The math wasn’t hard. Save Sophia, become the hero who rescued the Alpha King’s precious daughter. Blake would practically hand him Shadow Creek. And Ava? She was damaged goods now–a traitor’s kid who couldn’t even hack it as Lucas’s trainer without falling for Blake.

His mind was made up before he’d even admitted it to himself.

Jackson strode to Sophia’s cage and snapped the lock with one sharp twist. 11e gathered her up, her body limp against his chest, that pure Morgan bloodline scent filling his nose. This was his future. This was power.

“Jackson?” Ava’s voice sharpened, sudden panic cutting through the drug haze. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Can only take one, Ava. His voice came out flat, empty of the guilt he should’ve felt.

“You can’t- Her words caught as realization hit. “You’re leaving me here? Break the chains at least! Give me a fucking chance!”

Jackson looked down at her, taking in the sight of his once–proud mate. She’d always been a fighter–all lean muscle and sharp edges and deadly skill. Seeing her reduced to this–chained and drugged and helpless–triggered something dark and satisfied in him.

“No time,” he shrugged, not even bothering to fake concern anymore. “Maybe I’ll swing back later.”