Chapter 5: Secrets

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• The Mark of Betrayal   Chapter 48: Second Betrayal

  RomanI knew Sawyer would begin pegging me with questions the moment we were alone. There was no way for me to force his pups to stay with us after Samara left and they went to find their friends. Rather than fight it, I pulled on Pierce’s strength to stay calm and I followed Sawyer to his office.He, like always, sits behind his desk like he’s the fucking king of the pack. It always sat wrong with me before. I’m his friend, his ‘brother’. But he always put the distance of the desk between us when I came to visit. Always. I don’t even do that with my pack members when they come to talk to me. I always sit beside them, making them feel comfortable.Now I know why he does it. And he should keep his distance. He is right to fear me. He must have known that if I ever found out what he did, I would kill him for it.“So, now that it’s just the two of us, tell me, what did she see?” he asks.I shrug, sitting back. “Thankfully she only heard her mother die, but that was enough. She saw her bl

• The Mark of Betrayal   Chapter 47: Althea's Response

  SamaraI’m equal parts excited and terrified to talk to Althea today. The excited part is that we can finally avenge Teddy's murder. The terrifying part is that I know I’m about to rip my sister’s life apart.Over breakfast, my stomach is in knots. I can feel Roman brushing against my mind, Pierce purring in my head to help keep me calm.‘We need to pull ourselves together, Ayla. Pierce is going to have his hands full keeping Roman from killing Sawyer while we’re away from him. We need to be able to do this without him helping us.’Roman expects that Sawyer will ask him what he saw in my mind while they are alone. He’s going to keep Sawyer busy while I go speak to Althea.Over breakfast, I get to know my niece and nephew better. Sloane can’t seem to get enough of me and it’s obvious that she adores Roman. Slade is darling, a little Alpha already. I’d like to think that he gets that from my side of the family. I hate that I'm about to tear their world apart.The opportunity to slip awa

• The Mark of Betrayal   Chapter 46: Unsettled

  RomanAll night I’ve been holding on to Samara tighter and tighter, mentally and physically. With all the planning I did to make sure that I didn’t kill Sawyer right away, that we were ready to kill him when the time came, that we didn’t give ourselves away, I didn’t take into account how overwhelming it would be for Samara to return to her family's pack. EVERYTHING she sees is sending her back to that day when she was nine years old, helpless and alone, hearing and seeing her loved ones die around her.I’ve watched the memories flash in her mind, felt the pain, the sorrow, the loss all over again. So, when we get to our room that night, I’m not surprised that it all comes pouring out of her.I scoop her into my arms, locking the door to our room before carrying her to the bed. I’ve watched Sawyer watching her all night long. His first question to her about how she got out let me know that he was nervous about what she might have seen before she left. Since her being overwhelmed by he

• The Mark of Betrayal   Chapter 45: The Pack

  SamaraI’m struggling to stop crying. Roman is helping me, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen any of my family members, that all my emotions are bubbling up inside me.Althea leads us to the office that used to be my father’s. Even walking up to his door, the door that I came to at least once every day to see him, brings back a flood of memories. I reach out mentally, grasping for Roman. He mentally wraps himself around me, steady and strong, helping to keep me grounded.“Oh, Samara, I’m so sorry. All of this must be so overwhelming for you,” Althea says.“It is,” I whisper, just as Roman wraps an arm around my waist.“I’m right here,” he whispers in my ear. I notice a flicker of a frown on Althea’s face before it’s gone.“Maybe it would be better for her right now if she’s with you. I’m sure this is a lot,” Althea says to Roman.“Yes, I agree. The mate bond will help keep her steady.”When we step into the office, it’s surreal. Nothing is the same, not the smell, not the furniture,

• The Mark of Betrayal   Chapter 44: The Viper's Den

  Roman“Tell me again what the plan is, Samara,” I say as we leave our pack. It’s only a couple hours’ drive to Sawyer’s pack, and I need to know that she’s ready to face Sawyer and not give everything away today. My father will be mobilizing the warriors today and tonight, but I know that once they realize that Samara is back, they’ll want to have a party for her.I’m guessing that Sawyer will try to figure out what Samara saw or heard that night. It will be tricky to keep from showing how much we know, but Samara wants a chance to speak to her sister alone. Since I doubt she’ll have that time today, I made sure that we had a plan in place so we don’t show our hand too soon.“I never leave your side,” she says.“Rule number one, and the most important rule. We have the mind link, and we have our warriors with us, but I will feel safer with you by my side in case something goes wrong, or Sawyer figures out that you saw him that night. What else?” I ask.She stiffens beside me. “I let Sa

• The Mark of Betrayal   Chapter 43: Executing the Plan

  SamaraOver the next two weeks, Ayla and I push hard to get stronger and smarter in our fighting strategy. The pack is stronger since my Luna ceremony. All of us can feel it and the energy in the air as we prepare for war is so thick you can almost taste it on your tongue.While Roman says that my blood strengthened the pack, I feel stronger since my Luna ceremony as well. Accepting him freely, drinking his blood as I said the words to accept him as my mate and Alpha has made me stronger. Feeling my mate’s increased strength and energy buzzing through our bond is also making me feel stronger. It’s like our energy feeds off the other’s but only intensifies rather than burning out.At night, I can’t get enough of my mate. After spending most of the day sparring in one form or another, you’d think that I’d be exhausted, but I’m not. After dinner, we spend time talking war strategy with Alpha Sterling, Beta Austin, and Gamma Adrian. Then Ayla and Pierce run together, strengthening their bo