All Chapters of Marked by Fate: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Lilly’s POVAnger ripples through me as Layla lets out a low, menacing growl.You can mess with me all you want—but fuck with my kids? HELL. FUCKING. NO.“It’s fine, Mum. I promise,” Caden says, trying to calm me.“It will never be fine!” I snap, my hands shaking. “Leave her to me—I’ll teach her a damn lesson!”“Go get breakfast. Have Evelyn bring some upstairs, but don’t tell her about your dad until she gets here,” I say. He nods and heads out, clearly relieved to escape the tension.“I’m going to kill her,” I mutter to Drake, clenching my fists.“Matt, get upstairs,” I link sharply. “We need to discuss your dick of a wife.”“On the way,” he replies immediately.“She’s going to the dungeon for this,” I growl. Drake sighs, sitting on the end of the bed and tugging me onto his lap.“I’m crazy mad too,” he says gently, stroking my back. “But think of Sammy.”I snort, crossing my arms. “I am thinking of Sammy. That’s why she needs to learn a damn lesson. If she doesn’t wise up, Layla wi

The next few days drag by. We’re bored out of our minds being locked up 24/7, and the frustration is starting to choke us—we’ve got zero leads.Drake is slowly losing it. He spends most of his time up on the roof just to change the scenery. It’s his only way of feeling connected to nature now that he’s supposedly in a deep, eternal sleep.If I had to leave the house for even a second, I was surrounded by three guards. Constant shadows. And while I considered them friends, their overbearing presence was driving me nuts.The life inside our walls feels like it’s slowly draining from us. We’re all outdoorsy people—being cooped up like this is torture, and the cracks are beginning to show.The kids argue. The parents lose patience. Then the kids make up, and we get drunk just to breathe again. Then we start all over the next day.And the guilt? Heaven, the guilt is the worst part. Lying eats at me like acid. Anyone who doesn’t know Drake is awake keeps asking how I’m holding up. How he’s

Drake looks giddy when I arrive—eyes wide, a huge grin lighting up his face like he’s been waiting just for me. He looks absolutely delectable.I squeak in excitement, running straight into his arms. He catches me effortlessly, and I crash my lips onto his, letting the thrill of the moment rush between us. His excitement bleeds into mine, and for a heartbeat, the world feels perfect.Everything feels right now. Now that he’s out in the open. Now that the truth is on our side. We’re finally free.I pull back, grinning like an idiot.“We got them.”I say it with pride—real, solid pride. I did it. Without Drake. Without being told how. Just me, the boys, and Layla. That alone feels like the biggest win of my life.“You’re a far cry from the tiny, broken girl who fell into his arms. Now we’re strong. We’re fierce. And we’re fucking terrifying,” Layla purrs inside my mind, her joy sparking through me.Drake brushes my hair from my face and kisses me again, then rests his forehead on mine.

CADEN’S POVShe studies my face for a moment, then turns back to her work like it’s nothing. My stomach flips and feels like it drops out of my ass—only getting worse when she starts slicing thin layers of skin from the man’s stomach like she’s peeling an apple.“Hold it in, boy. You’re showing us up,” Cain growls, his voice tight with frustration.I swallow hard, breathing through my mouth to avoid the stench of blood and body fluids leaking from him. It barely helps.“Don’t worry. The first time’s always the worst,” Dad says, watching my face with sympathy. He’s not judging me. That alone surprises the hell out of me.“Are you okay, love?” Mum asks gently.I wave her off and force myself to stand straighter. She smiles, then turns back like flipping a switch—instantly becoming the same terrifying woman torturing a killer without blinking.“Who were you working with?” she asks, her voice sharp and demanding.He looks like he’s about to give up—drained and broken—but when he lifts his

I grab my coffee as we step into the kitchen. The second we walk in, the tension spikes—Fiona looks like she’s ready to kill someone while Emma lounges across from her, smug as ever. She glances at me, eyes narrowing as her nose wrinkles in distaste.It only gets worse the closer we get. You could cut the air with a knife.“Alpha, make sure the Luna sits on your knee,” Evelyn scolds. “She destroyed the seat last time. Took me ages to get all the blood out of it.”I snort, letting Drake sit first before settling on his lap.“You should’ve seen Caden, babe. It was AMAZING!” Ben tells Fiona excitedly, lifting her onto his knee. Matt slips into the seat next to Emma, who immediately rolls her eyes at him.Layla growls in my head. She has zero respect for anyone—but her blatant disregard for her own mate pisses us both off.“Why? What happened?” Fiona asks, though her voice is distracted, her concern more focused on Matt than the story.“He lost his shit. Made the prisoner drink wolfsbane