The Mark of an Alpha
Chapter 40

The odds have never been in my favor and at the moment that does not seem to change.

My father was killed by a rogue and growing up I thought he was invincible. Now it is me, all alone, against them.

“Melany, run!” Andrew yells at me as the rogue runs up the hill. His bloodthirsty eyes seeping into my own.

Rogues killed my father, killed someone that meant the world to me. The red eyes burn into my irises as the animal moves in slow motion.

My body momentarily freezes as my eyes are glued to the beasts. Fear tightens its grip on my soul for a moment but my wolf does not allow fear to stop her.

The wolf snaps at my face his teeth are so close that I can practically count them.

Move out of the way!

Without hesitation my wolf pulls me out of the way, my body moves to its own accord. My knee jerks up and connects to the rogue's ribs. The pressure shoots down my knee and sending both of us down.

It lands hard on its paws. He grabs hold of his side and glares at me. The padding sound next to me makes me glance back quickly.

His eyes blazed in anger but not towards me, he is staring at the wolf on the floor. His chocolate brown wolf walks back and forth, pacing before me, I have never seen this wolf before but from his scent, I know it is Trent.

“Brad, get back here.” A voice explodes through the trees and the wolf slinks away.

The leaves rustle as three men emerge from the trees and my heart rate plummets.

“You,” the world falters at my lips as I try to wrap my mind around what I am looking at. “I would never think you would do this to me. Haven’t you hurt me enough?”

My wolf howls, the pain in my gums is as if someone has taken a razor blade and skimmed between my teeth. She is not taking any chances she knows that I might not be strong enough for this.

My wolf wants to surface as I push her down, this is my fight. My battle. I am not going to blame the outcome on anyone other than myself.

He steps out of the dense forest and walks through the rogue pack as if they were family. His arm skims the fur of those wild animals as his eyes stay lock on me.

“Melany, you left me no choice,” his hazel eyes burn into mine.

“You made your own choice the second you left me. What do you want? A mate that is pathetic enough to wait for you while you go around and see other girls. Marcus, you lost your chance with me,” I grind my teeth, “can’t you just let me be happy with the people that I love.”

Anger flashes through his eyes as he clenches his jaw.

“Is that,” his eyes dart to Hunter, “pathetic excuse of an alpha one of them?”

“Why does it matter to you?” I hiss at him.

“Because Melany you are doing something that no one has ever done before you’re going to bring two packs together.” He grins at me, “my pack and yours.”

“Your pack?” Like hell I am.

He nods, “You see I am now the alpha of this pack and they listen to my every command.”

He is the alpha of the rogues? And he wants to take over your pack. This is like your nightmares.

Maybe but this time it is my reality and I am not going down without a fight. I know what side I belong and it is not with him.

“Over my dead body!” I seethe at him and I see something click in his head.

I am going to be dead before he gets close to my pack.

“That will work as well but you see there are still some feelings for you in me. Call it crazy but my wolf still wants you in its life. I intend to keep you as my luna.”

Luna! Luna? Is he stupid, deaf, blind you want nothing to do with him!

“Your luna? I will never be anything to you other than ‘The Alpha of the Moonless Pack’ and as for you, you’re worse than these rogues.” I point to the wolves around me as they eye me like a piece of meat.

“I hurt you?” It is a question that stabs my chest.

I laugh humorlessly, “Hurt me?”

“I hurt you,” he states as he takes a step towards me. As a young wolf, he has learned to mimic others' moves. “You know what Red,” the nickname stings. “You hurt me as well. That is why I went after stupid Alpha Hunter,” he smiles. “I wanted to have a civil talk with you but he has to be around. I went to the packhouse and I found him...” He stops and looks at Hunter, “Where do you think I found him?”

I stare at him willing him to come after me so that I have a clear shot at him.

“In your room! Your room!”

Does he want us to feel sorry for him?

My anger seems to fuel my wolf. My fangs protrude even in my human form. I can feel my wolf’s power course through my veins. My wolf is becoming one with me but she lets me be in charge.

He was never meant to be your mate! Let him go.

How?

Let Marcus know that there is no way for him to get back into our life.

My wolf silences our mind and the world. The tips of my finger become numb as I stare at my mate.

There seems to be a pull at my core. Dull at first but Marcus’s eyes widen as he feels it as well.

“What are you doing?” He clings to his chest as the numbness climbs my arms.

“You don’t deserve me,” I repeat my wolf’s words.

The pull becomes stronger as I grasp my shirt. The fabric balls with my fist as the pulls becomes almost unbearable. The static feeling swallows up my chest and a sharp pain invades my mind.

Marcus drops to his knees as the wolves around him look around unsure of what to do. I keel over as something snaps in mind sending both of us hurling to the ground.

A pulsing pain rushes through my body but the pain is nothing compared to the freedom I feel. My mind for the first time since meeting Marcus has become clear.

“What have you done?” Marcus growls at me as he stands on his feet. Trent helps me to my feet as I gasp for air.

“We broke the mate connection...You’re no longer anything to me.” The words sink in. He is out of my life. The 160-pound weight on me known as Marcus is finally off of my shoulders.

My body finally feels free and I take a breath of fresh air and his scent reaches me.

I feel nothing!

“Like I said before you’re dead to me.” My wolf replaces my voice.

Melany, you can do this.

The rogues around me growl and I drop to my knees. This time nothing is stopping me from getting rid of him. My clothes start ripping as my body shifts into my wolf form. My lips roll back as I get ready to go after the rogues.

Suddenly my wolf relaxes.

A true alpha never truly fights alone...their pack is always by their side.

My pack's presence is felt deep down in me. They are here with me. Ready to fight with their alpha.

Marcus is mine! The pack does not argue.

As soon as the words are said wolves from both sides come flying towards each other.

My eyes are on Marcus. His eyes scan around seeing the havoc that is all around him. Wolves snapping and biting. My pack outnumbers them, greatly. He senses the danger and shifts quickly. The snarls fill my ears.

Like the true alpha, he is Marcus runs, runs away from the fight and towards Andrew and Hunter’s direction.

He is not going to hurt them!

Trent and Drake flank me. They open up a clearing so that I can run at Marcus. Marcus’ bites Hunter and drags him into the trees.

Hunter will not be hurt because of me. Claws dig into the dirt as I run after him.

A rogue manages to lunge at me from the side as I concentrate on Marcus. His body pins me to the ground, claws digging into my flesh as I snap at him. Their teeth dart to my neck as my eyes close. There is a yelp and suddenly his weight is off of me.

I look back and Trent is there holding a dirty wolf. His jaw is clench around his neck as he shakes snapping his neck. I nod at him and look back towards Hunter.

A groan escapes him as Marcus sinks his teeth further into his shoulder. Hunter is weak and does not fight him. Marcus drags him deeper into the woods.

I jump to my feet and try my best to get to him but I am in the middle of the war zone. Trent runs ahead of me fighting off as many wolves as he can.

Dark grey wolf tries to show his power by coming after me. He is predictable he aims for my front legs trying to damage one of my most powerful assets. I jump and land on him pinning to the ground my jaw tightens on his neck and he whimpers for forgiveness and for me to spare him his life.

I snap his neck. If he was anything else I would have spared him but a rogue would kill you the second you show weakness. No matter if you saved them seconds ago.

Most of the rogues want nothing to do with me as they see that I did not spare their pack members.

I run through the mob and make it to Andrew and Ken.

“Melany, they injected us with something and now I can’t feel my wolf.” Andrew looks at me as I tug at the ropes binding him and Ken.

The rope loosens and I nudge my head over to Angie. He should take care of her.

“Go get Hunter.” He stands to help Ken along when Ken is on his feet Andrew goes to Angie.

I run into the forest following Hunter’s scent. My paws pad at the ground hard as I make my way to Hunter. I run out of the trees and Marcus has Hunter by the arm shaking him roughly as Hunter groans in pain.

A growl erupts and Marcus’s eyes level with mine. He tries to drag him further away and then tosses him to the side.

Throws him to the side as if he were trash and not a person.

His once hazel eyes start going darker as the red seeps through the rim of his irises. He is now completely like them...he is turning into a rogue.

My eyes go to Hunter his eyes are closed tight as he tries to repress his pain. His shirt is ripped open and there are claw marks across his chest and his shoulder is bleeding profusely. He needs help but Marcus is not allowing me to get to him.

Hunter is Marcus’ distraction as I am looking over Hunter the snapping of teeth brings my eyes to Marcus and his bare teeth closing in on me.