All Chapters of The Billionaire’s Marked Mate: Chapter 11 - Chapter 14

The forest was alive with movement. Mist curled around ancient trees, thick and suffocating, twisting every shadow into something dangerous. Zaria’s heart pounded as she followed Lucien, each step guided by the bond that throbbed with a feral insistence. The Alpha had retreated—but only to lure them deeper. She could feel it, could sense its eyes on her even without seeing them. Lucien moved with a predator’s grace, golden eyes sweeping through the gloom, ears alert to every whisper of the forest. He had shifted back into human form, but the subtle tension in his muscles, the glint in his eyes, reminded her that he was always ready to strike. “Stay close,” he warned, voice low but steady. “They’re tracking us. Every step you take, they know.” Zaria nodded, fists clenched, energy thrumming through her veins. Her mark pulsed fiercely, responding to the unseen threat. The bond tugged her forward, almost urging her to confront what lay ahead rather than flee. She swallowed, trying to s

The forest smelled of blood and damp earth. Shadows clung to the trees like they belonged there, as if the night itself had grown claws and teeth. Lucien’s golden eyes burned through the gloom, sharp as flame in darkness. Zaria stood at his back, her breath ragged, her hand still trembling where she’d dared to touch him despite his earlier command to stay behind.Something worse lingered in the silence—an echo in the woods, a whisper that promised the Shadow Alpha was not alone.Lucien’s chest rose and fell heavily, his power barely contained. He did not look at her when he spoke, his voice low and edged like a drawn blade.“Enough. We leave.”Zaria bristled at the tone, at the dismissal. She had followed him, fought at his side in her own small way, and now he wanted to shut her out again. “Leave? Just like that? After everything?”“Now.” His golden gaze flicked to hers, and for a heartbeat she felt pinned in place by the weight of it. Not anger—no, worse. Fear. His fear, masked as c