All Chapters of Marked by Fire & Fang: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

LilyThe world had quieted—if only for a moment.The fires were low now, and the war council had dispersed. Logan slept soundly in a cradle beside our bed, his tiny chest rising and falling in perfect rhythm, completely unaware of the weight he carried in his blood.And for once, I allowed myself peace.I curled into Link’s warmth, feeling the tension in his muscles slowly unwind as we breathed in sync. His arms draped protectively around me, his thumb stroking slow, lazy circles against my hip.The coming days would bring blood and bone, war and wrath—but tonight, we were only two souls bound by fire and fate.LinkI felt her ease against me. Not fully, never fully—not with the prophecy hanging between us like a sword. But enough.Enough to let me press a kiss to her temple and savor the small things: the scent of her hair, the way her breath caught when I traced a path down her spine, the soft hitch in her throat when I whispered, “We’ve made something beautiful, haven’t we?”She no

LilyThree days back at Greyhowl and the cracks were already beginning to show.Not in the stone. Not in the tech.In the people.It started with a missed check-in. One of our security teams patrolling the southern ridge never returned their signal. Then came the tampered drone footage—video loops feeding false calm while something, someone, moved under the cover of night.“Sabotage,” Marcy confirmed, storming into the war room with her tablet in hand. “And it came from the inside.”I stared at the screens. Live feeds flickered over each surface—heat signatures, spell energy readings, encrypted messages. Logan’s nursery remained locked down, guarded by layers of defense and the fiercest magic I could muster. But that didn’t mean we were safe.Link’s face was carved from stone. He stood at the head of the table, arms folded, voice low and lethal. “Pull every badge log for the last forty-eight hours. No one gets in or out without triple clearance. And get me a clean list of every member

Character BackstoriesLily CarsonOrphaned at five when her mother vanished into the woods under mysterious circumstances, Lily was raised by her aunt in a small town where whispers followed her like shadows. Her mother, believed to have succumbed to postpartum psychosis, had actually been part of the Original bloodline—wolves so ancient their power could unravel kingdoms. Lily grew up unaware of her true nature, keeping her head down as a maid at Greyhowl Manor, where she found comfort in routine and silence. Haunted by prophetic dreams and drawn inexplicably to the estate’s Alpha, Lily's quiet strength masked a storm waiting to awaken.Alpha Link GreyhowlThe youngest Alpha to rule the territory, Link bears the scars of leadership and betrayal. Years ago, he lost his first mate under circumstances no one speaks of—a fracture that made him cold, calculated, and unreachable. He rebuilt his house, closed his heart, and trusted no one. Until Lily. From the moment she arrived at Greyhowl

LinkThe bodies came at dawn.Three of them.Thrown at our borders like trash bags of meat.Two rogues and one of ours—Beta Dane, the youngest patrol scout. Nineteen. Eager. Loyal.His throat had been torn open, but not with claws.Teeth. Human. Deliberate.The rogues had their mouths sewn shut with silver wire.On their chests, the same message carved into flesh as we’d found on the fox.“The flame will fall.”I stood over Dane’s body, my wolf vibrating under my skin, begging to rip something apart. Rage pulsed so hard in my temples I could barely hear Cassian over it.“They were dropped here, not killed here. No scent trail. No magic signature.”“They’re mocking us,” I growled.Cassian’s jaw clenched. “Or warning us.”“No,” I said, eyes burning. “Warnings are for prey. This—this is a fucking declaration.”Behind us, I could feel Lily watching from the top balcony with Logan cradled against her chest.The wind carried her scent to me—sweet smoke and fire and something ancient. I want

LilyI woke screaming.But the sound never left my throat.Link’s arms were around me, his scent grounding me, dragging me back from wherever that fire had swallowed me. Logan’s cries split the silence a moment later—panicked, primal.“I’ve got him,” Link murmured, voice a growl of relief and fear.My skin burned where the mark on my palm had flared. I looked down and saw it glowing—brighter than ever. Gold and red, wrapped in violet veins. Pulsing.“What happened?” I whispered.“You passed out,” he said, handing me Logan. “But not before your body lit up like a damn furnace. The cult’s gone. They left you in the center like an offering.”I kissed Logan’s soft hair, my voice barely holding together. “They spoke a name.”“I saw it.” Link’s face was carved from granite. “Arkana.”The word tasted wrong in my mouth.And yet… familiar.“Do you know what it means?”Link shook his head. “But the Elders might. I’ve called a meeting.”I held Logan tighter, heart thundering. “We don’t have time