Lahat ng Kabanata ng MARKED BY MY STEPBROTHER : Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

Sophie’s POVMy son, Lucas, was growing incredibly fast. Faster than any normal baby. And if he were to be with humans, then they would tell that something was wrong somewhere. At just over a month old, he was already trying to crawl and had started making small, playful bursts of golden energy when he was excited. Every time he did, Damon and I would exchange worried but proud looks.Of course, we didn't know what would become of his powers. We didn't know how he would be influenced by them. Whether good or bad. Though I wouldn't want it to be the latter. I didn't want my child to turn out like his grandfather. Was there a chance that he might? Would Lucas carry any of Victor's traits?This morning, I was in the nursery watching him sleep when Damon walked in. He had been in meetings all morning, but the moment he saw us, he seemed like a man who had arrived in time..“He’s getting stronger every day,” I said. Damon came up behind me, and put his arms around my waist and rested his

Sophie’s POV Do you have bad dreams? Well, the battlefield I was on was a nightmare of blood, and bodies, bodies bodies. I stood at the back of the fighting with Lucas secured tightly against my chest, golden energy surrounding us like some kind of a living shield. And everytime there was a clash of bodies and snarls, it made my heart beat faster. I could feel Damon through the mating bond. He was being very protective and he was fighting with everything he had. He was magnificent in his big black wolf form, tearing through Shadow Pack warriors like they were nothing. But when Garrick, their Alpha, ran into him with a lot of force, I couldn’t stay behind the protected flank any longer. It made me feel too useless, yet I was in the same battle that he was. “Protect him,” so I whispered to Lucas, then unleashed a blast of golden energy toward Garrick. The force knocked the Shadow Alpha off balance, giving Damon the opening he needed. My mate pounced, pinning Garrick to the gro

Sophie’s POVThe meeting with The Veil was set for the following night in the neutral clearing near the eastern border. Damon wanted to cancel it, but after long discussions with Marcus and the elders, we agreed it was better to face them on our terms than wait for them to come uninvited.I dressed carefully, a fitted black top and tactical pants, with a silver dagger strapped to my thigh. We had to keep Lucas behind at the mansion, under heavy guard with Lena. Leaving him was one of the hardest things I’d ever done.Damon waited for me at the bottom of the stairs, looking every bit the powerful Alpha in dark clothing, his silver eyes sharp and protective.“You don’t have to come,” he said.“I do. He’s our son. So I guess it is better that his parents face so something about this.”He kissed my forehead and said, “Stay close to me.”Damon’s POVTwenty of our best warriors came with us to the meeting. The Veil arrived exactly on time. There were twelve figures who emerged from the tree

Sophie’s POVThe mansion was on full lockdown by the time the sun had already risen. Every window and door had been reinforced and the patrols were doubled. Warriors went round the perimeter in shifts while the hybrids from The Veil arrived under heavy escort. Elowen and five of her strongest members were brought into the war room, where Damon, Marcus, and I waited.Elowen’s expression was a serious one as she looked at the maps spread across the table. “The Hollow Court is older than any pack or bloodline you know. They are the remnants of the First Ones, beings who existed before the moon blessed our kind. They see Lucas as the key to reopening ancient gates of power.”“I see. I have a question.""And what is that?" Elowen asked at once. "Can they be reasoned with?”“Only if you give them the child for training,” Elowen replied honestly. “Otherwise, they will take him by force. And they are far more dangerous than the Shadow Pack or Victor ever were.”I felt a cold knot form in m

Sophie’s POVSo every morning started with training. Elowen and her hybrids worked with me for hours in a secluded part of the forest, teaching me how to stabilize my golden energy and channel it without draining myself completely. Lucas sat nearby in a reinforced playpen, watching everything with wide, curious silver eyes. Sometimes he would reach out with his own power, as if trying to help me when I was struggling with minea.“You’re progressing faster than expected,” Elowen told me one afternoon, as she wiped sweat from her brow. “The child’s presence seems to increase your abilities. But it also makes you a beacon. Those who can smell what real power is will definitely be drawn to you."I glanced at Lucas, who was happily chewing on a teething ring that glowed faintly gold whenever he touched it.“That’s what scares me the most," I told her. Damon trained with the warriors nearby. I could hear his commands rising over the trees. He was one to show strength, how to make decisions