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

Shawn“Alice!” I call out, my voice cutting through the quiet rustle of the garden leaves as I step out from behind the row of trimmed hedges.She pauses in front of the mansion, one hand still on the heavy oak door she’d just pulled shut behind her. For a second she looks exactly like the Alice I’ve always known, her perfect posture, jet-black hair swept back in that elegant knot, the kind of composure that could make you fidget and give away yourself if you had something to hide. From here, I'd watched her come out of the mansion, no glance toward the gardens, no quick scan of the rose beds or the fountain the way she always does when she steps outside. Instead her eyes had remained straight ahead, locked on nothing, and that's how I know something is sitting on her mind. She turns toward my voice, and the mask slips just enough for me to see the confusion she was trying to bury. “Oh, Shawn,” she says, relief passing across her face as she descends the steps

Eva “You should be fine by tomorrow.”“Oh God! I really really hope so.” I huff out air through my mouth, arms hugging my legs while rocking myself on my bed. Danielle comes out of the dressing room, her basket full with laundry she'll be returning tomorrow morning. It was routine for her—gather the clothes at night—return them neat the next morning. “You'll be sleeping out on the balcony again tonight?” she asks, walking to the window and drawing the curtains shut with her free hand. “I owe it to myself to see tomorrow.” She smiles at my reply, then looks around the room. The balcony door stood wide open, letting a current of wind flow in that I'd might have considered chilly had I not been in this state. “Don't forget to put off the lights before you retire. The moonlight today is brighter than usual, it should suffice.” she says, her voice carrying a hint of maternal tone in it. I nod, following her eyes to the balcony, to the dark sky illuminated by

ShawnI stand at the open drawer of my desk, the low light of the office catching the edge of the vial as I draw the last of the suppressant into the syringe.My fingers remain steady, despite the way my skin keeps humming under.“Tell me what you've gathered so far.” I say, to Felix– the head guard stationed near the door, without lifting my gaze from the syringe. “Alpha,” he says, voice low and clipped, “there’s been no way to trace where the man came from. My teams are still combing the streets, but it’s like he materialized from nothing. There are no vehicle logs or scent trails that hold past the outer perimeter.”I set the empty vial down carefully, tilting the syringe between my fingers to watch the liquid catch the light. “So in the three whole days I’ve been away,” I say, my tone even but edged with something darker, something dangerously looming on the surface, itching to strike. “...you’ve uncovered nothing?”He shifts on his feet, just a fraction, t

Shawn I turn back to the bed at the sound of the retreating footsteps, and watch Eva lying beneath me, her white hair spilled across my pillow like snow on ink. Her shoulder is slightly exposed from the way her sleeve has slid down a bit, showing off completely flushed skin, glowing in the low light of the bedside lamp. Her eyes are smoldered with raw, unfiltered desire as she looks up at me, lips slightly parted, chest rising and falling in quick, expectant breaths and I can't help but wonder if it's the same look I'm wearing on my face—mirroring hers.Gods, I had never thought I’d be here with her again. Not like this. Not after everything. Whatever this pull between us is, it has dragged us both under, and I have to admit to myself that she's far braver than I’ve ever been. She smiles up at me, soft and wicked all at once, her eyes reduced into crescent moons, and my heart does something ridiculous—it skips, then slams against my ribs harder and faste

Eva “You’re late,” Alice says, as I step into the training clearing behind the mansion. She is walking around in a black workout gear, arms crossed, one eyebrow arched in that way that made her look both controlled and impatient.“Sorry. I got… distracted.”Distracted? No. I just overslept, but I'm going to lie my way out of this. Hopefully she doesn't read my mind. She stops mid-stride, her boots crunching on the gravel, studies me for a long second, then gives a small nod. “Let's try to be earlier next time.”I nod, acknowledging what she'd just said. “Alright. Let’s see what you’ve got. What do you already know? What skills do you already possess?”“None,” I reply honestly, spreading my hands. “I’m starting from zero.”She nods once, taking my reply in. “No problem. I can work with that. I don’t usually teach beginners, but since Shawn asked…” she pauses, her expression softening just a fraction. “I’ll try and carry you along.” A second of silence passes by