Married to the alpha, marked by another

Chapter 10

Drew’s pov

Sarah said softly, with her knees pulled up to her chest and her back against the couch, "You never tell me anything about yourself."

Her eyes were steady, curious, and searching. "I know your wolf rules everything and your pack respects the ground you walk on, but who is Drew when no one is looking?" I crossed my arms and leaned against the edge of the desk, letting her words hang.

She asked questions in a direct, fearless, but careful way. Almost dangerous. And it got me interested. "Why do you want to know?" I asked, my voice low and rough with laughter. "Because I... I want to understand you," she said with a shrug. "Not the Alpha that scares everyone, not the Drew who walks into council chambers and makes people shiver.

The real Drew. The one who... I don't know... laughs, breathes, and thinks. Her dark eyes looked into mine with seriousness. "I think... Drew, I look up to you. I don't always get what you do, but I... She stopped talking, her voice getting softer and more vulnerable."...I admire you."

A slow, almost predatory smile crept across my face. "Admiration, huh?" I said quietly. "Giving it away so easily is dangerous." She didn't even blink. "Not dangerous if you earn it." The way she said it-calm, deliberate, and honest-made my heart race.

My wolf woke up, low and alert. I could see every detail of her: the curve of her shoulder, the way her fingers twisted in the edge of her sleeve, and the faint smell of something soft, wild, human, but untamed.

I finally said, "You want to know me," and stepped closer so she could feel the heat of my presence. "Then you'll have to take everything. Not just what you like. Not just the part that looks good. You want to know the whole truth? She nodded her head. "Yes. I... I want it. Even the tough parts.

The parts that people can't see. I let out a quiet laugh. "You don't care." Or dumb, maybe. "Maybe both," she said, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "I've lived long enough to know when to be careful and when to be honest.

I trust you, so I'm honest with you. A little bit. "Enough." I looked at her closely. I teased, "A little?" in a low, dangerous voice. "I don't think that's enough for me." She smirked a little, and there was a spark of fire in her eyes. "Then I'll give you more. If you can wait.

If you want it. I said, "I'm not very patient," and then I let my hand brush against hers, not in a possessive way, but just to connect. "But you... You're interesting. More than I thought. And I don't say that very often. Not about anyone.

Her cheeks turned a little pink, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she leaned in closer and spoke in a whisper. "I've been paying attention, Drew." To you. For everything you do. You think no one sees, but I do. How you act. How many people fear and respect you? The way your wolf is always on the lookout for danger that no one else sees. You're very special. And scary.

I let the air get thicker between us so that I could feel her breath on my skin and see the warmth in her eyes. "Scary?" I asked, letting out a teasing growl. "I think that's a compliment." "Maybe," she said in a soft voice."Or maybe a warning.

You make people like me feel things. I don't... I don't always get it. But I do notice. All the little things. Every little move. Every look.

The pull I felt toward her grew stronger, and my chest hurt with a low, persistent ache. I quietly said, "I notice you too," and my fingers brushed hers again."More than you think." More than I should, I think.

You have a way of being in this palace, Sarah, that messes up everything around you without even trying. And it's... impossible to ignore. She laughed softly, a short, breathless sound, and leaned back against the couch, but she kept her eyes on mine. "I don't want to mess things up. I just want to live. To be heard. And... maybe to be seen.

I said firmly, "You are seen." "By me. And that matters. A lot. Her hand twitched again, brushing against mine as if she wanted to see how far she could go."And... you?" she said in a low voice. "Does anyone ever see Drew? Or only the Alpha?

It was hard, so I didn't answer right away. Some part of me wanted to tell her everything-every thought, every instinct, every secret part of my mind-but I also knew that trust had to be earned. Slowly. With care. And she was working for it. One inch at a time, one word at a time.

"I... "I think people see what I let them see," I finally said. "But you... You've made me look at myself. And I don't always like what I see. But I want to with you. Her chest rose and fell in a small, steady way. She said, "I want that too." "I want to get to know you. And I want you to know me too. All of me. I let out a low, dark laugh. "Risky." "Scary, but I can't help it." She tilted her head, and her eyes sparkled with interest and defiance. "I'll take my chances."

And then, just as the thin thread between us was about to break, a loud knock on the door broke the moment. A guard came in with a sealed letter that had a lycan king signature mark on it that I recognized right away.

Before I even opened the letter, it burned in my hands. The paper had a faint smell of ash and iron, and the seal, which was a jagged emblem of teeth and claws, made my wolf growl before I could fully understand what I was reading.

Alpha Silvermoon, your pack is hiding my mate. I want her and my unborn pup back in my territory within seven moon cycles. If you fail, there will be consequences. Don't try me.

Lucian.

It was him, of course. I slammed my fist on the desk, which made the ink jar shake. My wolf surged, a storm of raw rage and the need to hunt. I read it again and said, "Impossible." "Not possible."How-The truth cut me like a knife.

He was aware. He was aware that Sarah was pregnant. And it got worse: someone in my pack was definitely talking to him. Someone is giving him information. But who?