Alle Kapitel von Marked by My Fiancé's Brother: Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

~Maya ~ I feel antsy, checking my phone again and again. Still nothing from Elder Kit, and the uncertainty is killing me. Already dressed in leggings and an oversized tee, I march to the training grounds. The cool air makes me shiver slightly, but as I move, warmth spreads through my body. It's not that I hate exercising, but combat training is definitely not my favorite activity — especially with the younger wolves, and especially when one of them is— "Oh, the pack Luna graces us with her presence today," Karina mocks loudly, and of course, all heads turn to me. Around twenty young wolves, with the Alpha's daughter clearly their ringleader. "A wolfless Luna... such a shame," one she-wolf giggles. "I know. Ridiculous." Another rolls her eyes. "We're here to train, not gossip," orders the coach, a muscular woman. "Ten laps, everyone." I try to lose myself in the jogging, inhaling the pine scent mixed with warm soil, soaking in the view — but ignoring Karina's stares is m

~ Maya ~Spending time with Stacey and Nico leaves me practically flying. I miss my mom dearly, too.I'm meeting Lazar at the coffee shop in the mall, and I'm running quite late — but passing the hunting shop, my feet stop on their own. There, in the centre of the window display, sits the rifle. The rifle — the limited edition Dad spent two seasons chasing, calling every dealer in the region. Unlike most wolves, he loves hunting in human form, too. “Claws make it too easy”, he always said. “A rifle keeps the forest honest.”For one heartbeat, I'm reaching for my phone to snap a photo and send it to him.Then I remember.Dad is... complicated now. He used to be my greatest supporter. He loves me dearly — or maybe loved. The day he slapped me without letting me say a single word, condemning me without a shred of proof — hurt worse than Derek's reaction. I haven't stopped loving my father. But the wound is still raw, and I'm not ready to face him yet.I put the phone away, tear my eyes

~ Harvey ~I ring the bell a few times. No answer.The door to the next flat opens and a young guy pops his head out."Are you looking for Bella Stevens?""Yes," I reply dryly."She's on vacation. She'll be back in a few days.""Thank you," I say politely, and take the stairs back down to the car.Another door, another dead end. Bella was the last loose end — the one person who might finally shed light on what really happened the night Maya and I were drugged — and she's sunning herself somewhere while my whole case sits and rots. I make myself unclench my jaw before I get in the car."At least you realise Maya didn't drug you," Zev says."I wouldn't be so sure yet. I'm still investigating, and she's still a suspect."I wish I could Alpha-command the truth out of her. But she's marked by me, and the command doesn't work on my own mate."Brute. How could the Goddess pair me with a thick skull like you?" Zev huffs. I ignore him, climbing into the back seat and motioning for the warrior

~ Harvey ~My beloved's birthday party. The celebration I've spent millions on — decorations, gifts, all of it. Every year it was one of the most beautiful days of the year, the one time Gina and I were simply happy to be together, and nothing else mattered.Tonight is awkward. Maybe because on paper I have another mate, and standing too close to Gina would look wrong. Maybe because Georgina is trying so hard to show the entire world that, despite my being mated to someone else, our love is still strong. Rubbing our relationship in everyone's faces is exhausting and hollow, and it strips the magic out of what used to be real.Gina plasters on a smile, presses herself close, and laughs too loudly at things I didn't even say. And my gaze drifts, unbidden, to Maya. She's on the dance floor with Nico, effortlessly graceful and composed, her skirt lifting a little with every turn. Why is it so short? Barely mid-thigh, leaving those long, toned legs on display. Zev starts to growl, and I cr

~ Maya ~"You have a very powerful wolf, Maya."I arch a brow, waiting for the punchline. There isn't one. There's no mockery in his tone, no gentle pity, nothing but a steadiness that unsettles me more than shouting would."Elder," I say slowly, "I'm twenty-four. I never had a first shift. I have no wolf spirit. I'm the wolfless Gamma daughter — the whole pack has built a small religion around reminding me of it.""No." He sets his glasses on the desk and folds his hands. "You are not wolfless. You never were. Your wolf simply had the sense to stay hidden."The words don't fit anywhere in me. I open my mouth, close it again."Every wolf wake at the first full moon after their eighteenth year," he goes on, watching my face the way you'd watch a cup balanced on an edge. "Every ordinary wolf. But yours is not ordinary. It comes once in a thousand years, and it does not wake on a schedule. It waits until the world around it is strong enough to survive it." He lets that settle. "An elemen