All Chapters of Marked by Fate: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Geared up and ready, we crouch in the shadows of the forest, hidden and waiting for the humans to make their move. Baylee’s wolves are scattered among us, silent and still, like they’ve been preparing for this fight far longer than we have.The air hangs heavy with tension. Then I hear it—crack—the crunch of a boot against dry leaves. Another step. Then another. The sound grows into a chorus of feet trampling through the underbrush, and my heart kicks into overdrive as nerves finally catch up.They don’t know we’re here. Laughter drifts through the trees, casual and careless.We’re just beyond our territory. They think we won’t cross the boundary—but this isn’t about rogues anymore. This is war.Just as predicted, they stroll into the center of the clearing, completely unaware that we’ve surrounded them.They start to spread out, prepping for a fight they think they’re about to win. Guns click. We raise ours and fire. In seconds, the stillness shatters into chaos—gunshots, screams, th

“You okay?”Drake’s voice cuts through the stillness. He’s looking at Fiona strangely, like he’s already put together something I haven’t.“No,” she snaps. “That bitch nearly got Matt killed. Ben’s with him now, trying to calm him down, but he’s a wreck. I don’t know how much more of this we can take.”“Hang on. You mean… Emma?” Drake asks carefully.Fiona nods, jaw clenched, her eyes full of something raw and bitter. I know that look. It’s heartbreak—the helpless kind, the kind that sits in your chest like a stone because there’s nothing you can do to make it better.Drake exhales through his nose. “So were you guys ever going to tell me?”My spine stiffens. Fiona’s does too.“What?” Her voice sharpens. “No! How the hell did you—Lilly, I told you not to say anything!”“She didn’t,” Drake says, half-laughing, shaking his head. “I guessed. And now you’ve just confirmed it.”“Idiot!” I snap at Fiona, who groans, throwing her hands in the air.“I’m not going to shout it from the rooftops

Thoughts flood my mind like a tidal wave.Keagen, Noah, and Sophie’s first day at school…Their first kisses…Starting big school…Keagen meeting her mate…All the birthdays I’ll miss…The hugs I won’t give after nightmares…The way they make me laugh with their wild, spunky little personalities…Watching them graduate…One of them becoming Alpha… another becoming Luna…Their wedding days…The list spirals endlessly—until one thought slams into me so hard it jolts me back into the present.And I laugh.Loud, unfiltered laughter bursts from my chest, raw and unexpected. Relief washes through me, so pure it makes my body tremble. The room falls still. Every gaze snaps to me, wide-eyed and confused, like I’ve lost my mind.I look at them—my family, my reason for everything—and grin. “I’m not going anywhere, my loves.”Their faces don’t change. Furrowed brows. Confusion. Caution.Drake gently pulls back to search my face, suspicion etched into every line. “What do you mean? How do you kno

After the meeting, I slipped away with Drake. My hands were still trembling from the idea of my own heartbeat stopping. His, too, if something went wrong. And our kids… I couldn’t think about that.Drake followed me into our room silently, like a shadow. When I turned to say something, he closed the distance and kissed me—hard.It wasn’t passion. It was desperation. It was a prayer in the form of touch.He didn’t undress me gently this time. His hands were quick, reverent and rushed, needing to feel me, see me, claim me before the next wave of chaos crashed over us.We stumbled into the bathroom, kicking the door shut behind us. I turned on the shower, too wired to wait. Steam filled the space instantly as Drake pressed me against the wall, mouth hot and demanding on my throat.I moaned, clutching his shoulders as he lifted me, pinning me to the cold tile. He entered me in a single, raw thrust. My breath hitched, and my hands dug into his back.This wasn’t slow or sweet. This was surv

Baylee’s POVMy chest ached from the thunderous pounding of my heart. I knew everything would work out—but the fear still clawed at me. The image of my parents lying dead in my vision haunted me, resurfacing every time I closed my eyes.And yet, beneath the fear, there was something else—excitement. This nightmare was finally nearing its end. My people needed peace. They needed time to grieve, to heal from the loss of those who gave their lives to protect me and my fated mate. They began fighting for us, but in the end, they died fighting for everyone they loved. Now it was my turn to protect them.Curled on Caden’s knee, I gazed out at the surrounding forest, sensing his anxiety flickering through our bond. The only thing keeping him grounded was our skin touching. It wasn’t like the mate bond—it was something more.Instead of sparks or tingles, it was like bubbles of blood beneath the skin, glowing warm where we touched—sedating us, grounding us, shielding us from the chaos of the w