The Mark of an Alpha
Chapter 41

Sharpen teeth gleam in the sunlight.

Everything happens so fast that my mind has to slows it down so that I can see it all.

To see his animal side consuming him.

Marcus closes in on me. His wolf shining through his deadly red eyes. Marcus is lost in his wolf.

There is a vicious growl that rips through Hunter. Hunter’s wolf knows we are in trouble but he is too weak at the moment. Our wolves want to kill Marcus, the abomination of a creature that stands before us.

I step back keeping Marcus’ attention on me. He will not go after Hunter, not as long as I can help it.

Lure him into the trees. Away from Hunter.

I keep my steps small and calculated. Marcus follows teeth snapping as he bares his fangs at me.

A yelp stops my steps and Marcus howls in pain. Marcus' body flings to the side as Hunter’s wolf bites down on the side of Marcus’s neck. Hunter's claws scratch away at Marcus’s ribs as he tries to inflict as much damage as possible.

Stop Hunter! I growl at him.

Hunter is weak so Marcus manages to shake him off and throw him to the side without much effort. Hunter tumbles to the side as he huffs and puffs trying to catch his breath. He stands shakily and drops to the ground again. He cannot take much more he is hurt and I need to protect him as much as I can.

He did it for my pack. Hunter tried to protect my pack members now I have to have his back.

I run to his side and nudge him to stay down. My eyes go to Marcus as he stares me down.

There is no holding back now, Melany, go after him.

Even my wolf wants him gone.

Can I blame her?

He sent me to the brink of self-destruction without even a glance back. I could have done something so stupid just because he did not want me and then he comes back and tries to hurt the person that managed to make me happy.

My body starts to tingle as I feel more powerful. I run at Marcus as he lunges at me and our bodies collide in the air. My claws come out and dig deep into his skin. Marcus whimpers as we land on the ground. I do not hesitate as I aim for his front leg. My teeth sink into his leg and he struggles to get me off.

Make him feel what he made Hunter go through.

That is enough to send me over the edge. I shake my head and he whimpers louder. I start dragging him by his leg and his body cannot take it anymore he starts shifting into his human form. The pain he is feeling is too much for his wolf to handle.

“Stop it!” He screams with agony as I stop shaking my head but I do not release him.

He is kneeling before me his face showing the pain he is going through. His eyes flicker behind me and a wicked gleam appears.

“Get them!” He screams and my eyes glance back as I see rogues behind me. He looks back at me and the Marcus I once knew is not there anymore he is replaced with this power-hungry man before me.

There is no noise. No movement. They stay rooted in their spots. Marcus stares at them waiting for them to do something. I move my head back hard as he gasps for air. I look at the rogues and they stare at their alpha, not helping and most of all not caring that I am about to rip his arm off.

A true alpha never fights alone.

Well, Marcus, that means you were never a true alpha, to begin with.

My pack rises out of the trees and stands next to the rogues. Andrew and Ken are amongst them and Andrew nods his head letting me know that they are fine.

Melany, the rogues don’t want to fight you. They were misled by Marcus making them believe that you were being held hostage by Hunter. He promised them a true pack in return they would help him get rid of him and get back his mate.

I release Marcus and he gets to his feet cradling his arm. The rogues take the lead and walk towards him.

“You’re all a pathetic excuse for wolves.” His eyes scan the wolves descending. “Every one of you.”

Marcus knows that they are no longer on the same side. He turns and runs to the trees as the rogues rush past me into the trees after him. The screams of agony and the growls let me know that he did not get far.

I shift and run to Hunter, whose breathing has slowed down, he looks at me. He is lying face up on the ground, he looks over at me and before I can utter a word he beats me to it.

“Are you okay?” This man cares enough to worry about my well-being. Tears well up and I fight the urge to cry.

“I should be asking you that question.” I look over him and he is still bleeding I kneel next to him and my hand puts pressure on his cuts on his chest.

“You’re not hurt are you?” He breathes in deeply as he looks over me.

“I’m fine,” his hand goes to my face and he caresses my cheek. “You had me worried,” he winces and his chest heaves as he presses his lips tight together so his groan of pain is muffled.

“Hunter,” I can feel my eyes burning and I do not want to cry but I see him in pain and there is nothing that I can do. “I would do anything to take your place.”

His eyes widen and he slowly shakes his head, “I rather take this and be hanging by an inch of my life than see you hurt.” The tears stream down my face and his thumb catches them and wipes them away.

“I would go toe to toe with death before I let anyone hurt you again.” My words settle and he takes a deep breath his eyes dart in all directions as if not sure what to say anymore.

He takes a deeper breath and looks at me shocked, “Melany?”

“Yes?”

“You’re healing my wolf.” I look down and his wounds look older than they are.

As wolves we can heal faster than humans but not like the movies where their wounds are instantly gone. That only happens when there is a healer close by. Since healers are just that they are too valuable to take out to battle since they cannot fight.

“My wolf is healing me faster.” Healers just heal your human form, not the wolf.

“I’m a wolf healer?” Hunter looks at me astonished.

“You are truly once in a lifetime kind of mate.” His hand goes to mine and he presses harder to his chest. His heart beats against my palm. “Your hands are no longer cold.”

I smile at him sheepishly and he pushes himself up, his breath fans across my face and he comes closer to me. I push myself towards him and our lips connect as my wolf is overwhelmed with everything happening. She has found her powers and he called us his mate.

The howling and cheering behind us make us break our kiss. I get up and help Hunter to his feet. Even with my powers he still needs to go to the infirmary to make sure that he is fine. His shoulder is not bleeding anymore but the gashes are not completely healed.

Andrew comes from behind me and wraps his arms around me.

“Mel saved the day!” I give him a playful shove. Ken bows his head at both of us. Hunter instructs him to head back home and tell his pack that the rogues would not be a problem and Ken runs off.

“How do you know that they won’t be a problem?” I question.

“Because they joined your pack that’s why they went after Marcus he was threatening their alpha. So the biggest pack has just gotten bigger,” he smiles and winces as he tries to calm his breathing.

Suddenly my body feels exhausted. The ground starts tilting and my feet feel unbalanced. “Melany, are-” Andrew’s voice is drowned out and suddenly darkness takes over my vision.

You’re okay your body needs rest as well as you.

My wolf comforts me and I let my mind relax. They’re safe, is all that runs through my mind.

Almost losing the person you love, breaking the mate connection, killing off your true mate, growing a pack, and gaining your powers all in less than twenty-four hours can make anyone pass out from exhaustion.

Less than twenty-four hours feels like a month. My mind turns off as my body prepares to heal itself as well.