All Chapters of Marked but Unclaimed : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

I couldn't move. I just stood there in the cold, staring at Marcus. At his gold eyes. At the face I thought I knew."Della." My father's voice came from behind Marcus. Calm. Gentle. "Come back inside. It's cold out here."I didn't answer. My throat wouldn't work.Marcus stepped aside. He made room for my father to come through the door. My father walked toward me slowly. His hands were in his pockets. He looked relaxed. Like nothing was wrong."I know this is a shock," he said. His voice was so soft. "But you need to come inside. We can talk about this properly.""You knew," I said. My voice shook. "You knew the whole time.""Yes." He didn't lie. He didn't look sorry either. "Come inside, Della."He reached for my arm. Not hard. Not rough. Just firm. I pulled back, but he held on. He guided me toward the door. I could have fought. I could have screamed. But what was the point? There was nowhere to go. No one to help me.Marcus moved out of the way as we walked past him. I didn't look

I didn't expect the cars. Two black sedans pulled up at nine a.m. sharp. I watched from my window as four people stepped out—three men in dark suits, one woman in navy. They looked like prosecutors. Caroline knocked. "Miss Hart. Your father needs you downstairs immediately." "Who are they?" "Council representatives. Compliance inspection." My stomach dropped. "Of what?" "You." --- The sitting room had been rearranged. Chairs in a semicircle. Documents stacked on a table. Recording equipment in the corner. A camera. My father stood by the window. Marcus sat calmly in a chair. The woman stepped forward. Mid-fifties. Sharp eyes. "Miss Hart. I'm Investigator Caryn Wells, appointed by the Northern Council to oversee contested custody cases." "I wasn't told this was happening." "Emergency protocol. When an appeal claims coercion, we conduct unannounced inspections within seventy-two hours." She gestured. "Sit." I sat. "This inspection has three parts. Visual assessment of li

The SUV stopped outside Shadow Moon's main house.Derek was on his phone. He gave orders.Kade picked me up. My ankle hurt."I can walk—""No."He carried me up the steps.Sienna stood at the door. She had a tablet. Wolves stood behind her."Northern Ridge sent a message," she said. "They say you kidnapped Della. They want her back. They called their allies.""What does that mean?" Kade asked."Forty-three packs will help them. Twelve are coming now. The rest will come soon."Kade carried me inside. Wolves grabbed guns. They checked radios. They looked at screens."How long do we have?" Kade asked."Three hours. Maybe less."Kade put me on a couch. "Derek. How many wolves do we have?"Derek put his hand over his phone. "Fifty-three ready to fight. Twenty more can come in one hour.""Get them all." Kade turned to Sienna. "Call everyone home. Now.""But our other places will be empty—""Everyone comes home." His voice was hard. "We fight here or we lose everything."I sat on the couch.

The message arrived at dawn. A single envelope. Cream paper. Wax seal—a mountain peak crossed with a crescent moon. Sienna brought it to Kade's office where we'd spent the night reviewing defensive positions. "Left at the eastern border marker," she said. "No one saw who delivered it." Kade turned the envelope over. His jaw tightened. "Alpine Crest Pack." "Who?" I asked. "Neutral territory. Three hundred miles north." He broke the seal. Pulled out a card. His face went stone. He handed it to me. --- *To Luna Della Hart of Shadow Moon Pack,* *Congratulations on your recent bonding. We would be honored to host you and Alpha Thorne at Alpine Crest as our guests.* *With respect,* *Alpha Mikhail Volkov* --- "That's polite," I said slowly. "That's political." Kade crumpled the card. "Alpine Crest has stayed neutral for fifty years. They don't extend invitations to packs at war." Sienna crossed her arms. "So why now?" "Because word got out about the bond. About Della." Kade

Kade drove us to the council building. Derek and Sienna came with us. No one talked much on the way. When we arrived, we were led down a hallway to a room at the end. Inside, five people sat behind a long table.The council.They looked up when we walked in. All of them. Cold. Watching. Judging. In the center sat a woman with silver hair pulled back tight. Her eyes were sharp. Cold. She looked at Kade, then at me, then back at Kade. "Alpha Thorne," she said. Her voice echoed. "Thank you for coming." "I was summoned," Kade said. His tone was even. "I'm here." "Yes. You were." She folded her hands on the table. "And you brought the girl." "Her name is Della," Kade said. "Della Hart," the woman corrected. "Daughter of Alpha Lucian Hart of Northern Ridge Pack." My stomach twisted. "That's right," I said. The woman's eyes shifted to me. "You may speak when the council asks you a question, Miss Hart. Not before." Kade's jaw tightened. I felt his anger through the bond but I nodde