TWICE MARKED

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAINS AND CHOICES

I didn’t stop screaming Luca’s name until my throat went raw. The warriors dragged me through the woods like I was nothing, their claws digging into my arms as I fought and kicked.

“Let me go! Where is he? What did you do to him?”

They didn’t answer. They just pulled me harder, tightening their grip until my legs almost gave out. My heart pounded in my chest so hard I thought it might explode. Luca was gone. And I didn’t know if he was alive or dead.

The thought crushed me.

We reached the pack borders, and I realized where they were taking me, home. No, not home. That place was no longer home to me. The Silverclaw Pack was a prison, and Darius was the jailer.

The tall gates loomed ahead, guards watching from their posts as the warriors shoved me through. Familiar faces stared at me, some with pity, most with disgust. I was the traitor now. The one who ran from her mate. The one who broke the rules.

“Keep moving,” one of the guards barked.

I stumbled forward, my legs weak. My body ached all over, but it didn’t matter. All I could think about was Luca. Was he hurt? Was he captured? Or worse… was he dead because of me?

They dragged me straight to the pack house. Everything looked the same, but it all felt smaller, colder. Like the walls themselves had been watching me this whole time, waiting for me to fail.

Darius was waiting for me in the grand hall, standing tall in his perfect suit, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked calm, almost bored.

“Leave us,” he ordered the warriors.

They let me go and stepped out, slamming the heavy doors shut behind them. I wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. I was trapped.

“You’re disappointed,” Darius said smoothly, his voice like poisoned honey. “You thought you could escape me, didn’t you?”

“Where is Luca?” I snapped, my voice sharp, even as my hands trembled.

“Is that his name?” He tilted his head, pretending to think. “Ah yes, the rogue." He fought well… for a nobody."

“Where is he?” I screamed, my wolf clawing inside me, desperate to break free.

Darius walked toward me slowly. “He’s alive. For now. Your brother saw that.

“What do you want from me?” I spat.

“You already know. You’re mine. I marked you once, and I will do it again.”

“You only marked me for power,” I hissed. “You don’t love me.”

“Love?” he laughed softly. “Love is for weak wolves. I need loyalty. I need a mate who knows her place.”

“I’ll never be that again.”

His smile faded. He grabbed my chin roughly, forcing me to look into his cold blue eyes. “You will be whatever I need you to be.”

“You can’t force me.”

“Oh, but I can.”

He let go of me and stepped back. “Your brother is loyal. He believes in this pack. He believes in me. And he brought you home because he thinks I can fix you.”

“I’m not broken.”

“Oh, but you will be.”

The door opened, and Jaxon walked in, his expression tight, his eyes avoiding mine.

“You’ve done well, Jaxon,” Darius said. “You brought your sister back. I’ll make sure your father is rewarded.”

“Thank you, Alpha.” Jaxon’s voice was flat.

“Tell me, did she say anything strange? Did she seem confused?”

Jaxon hesitated. “She kept talking about… another life. About you betraying her. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Don’t worry. She’s just sick. She needs time. And I know exactly how to heal her.”

He signaled to the guards. “Take her to the lower cells. She needs to remember who she belongs to.”

The guards grabbed me roughly and dragged me down the stone steps to the cold underground cells. They threw me into a dark room and slammed the iron gate shut.

“Enjoy your stay,” one of them sneered before leaving.

I sank to the floor, my body shaking, my heart heavy with rage and fear. I couldn’t stay here. I had to get out. I had to find Luca.

But I was weak. Too weak to shift. Too weak to fight.

“You’ll be stronger,” Luca’s voice echoed in my memory. “I’ll make sure of it.”

I had to keep moving. I had to survive.

I didn’t know how much time passed in that cold cell. Hours? Days? I barely slept. Food was shoved through the bars, but I barely touched it. My mind was trapped in a storm of memories.

In my first life, I never escaped this place. In this life, I would.

One day, Jaxon appeared at my cell door, his eyes tired, his face hard.

“You need to eat,” he said, sliding a plate inside.

“Why do you care?” I whispered, my voice raw.

“You’re still my sister.”

“Then help me. Let me go. Please.”

He clenched his fists. “Father said this is what’s best for you.”

“They’re lying to you. Darius is lying to you.”

His jaw tightened. “You need to remember who you are.”

“I remember. I remember dying because of him.”

“Stop. You’re not thinking straight.”

“You think I’m sick, but I’m not. I know what he is. And I know you’ll be next. He’ll use you. He’ll destroy you.”

He turned to leave.

“Jaxon, please. Just tell me one thing.”

He paused.

“Is Luca alive?”

Silence.

“Yes. For now. But Darius has plans for him.”

My heart twisted. I had to get out. I had to save him.

That night, the guards changed. A younger one took the evening shift, a boy I recognized from my old life.

“Tommy,” I whispered. “Please. You know me. You know I’m not a threat.”

He glanced around nervously. “I can’t. If the Alpha finds out…”

“You know Darius isn’t right. You’ve seen the things he does.”

He bit his lip. “I could get in trouble.”

“Please, just loosen the lock. That’s all I’m asking. I’ll handle the rest.”

His hands trembled. I could see the battle in his eyes.

Finally, he sighed and pulled out the key. “I’ll leave it just loose enough.”

“Thank you.”

When the night deepened and the hall grew quiet, I made my move. I shoved the door hard, and it creaked open just enough for me to squeeze through.

I crept through the halls, my heartbeat like thunder in my ears. I knew this place. I remembered every secret hallway, every guard change.

I made it to the storage room, where I found a small dagger. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

I needed to find Luca. And I needed to find him fast.

As I slipped through the dark corridors, I heard voices around the corner.

“Take the rogue to the holding yard. The Alpha wants to deal with him personally tomorrow.”

My chest tightened.

Luca was here. And he was running out of time.

I followed them at a distance, keeping to the shadows. I caught a glimpse of him, his hands chained, his face bruised but still defiant.

I couldn’t lose him. Not now.

I crept closer, ready to make my move.

But then I heard another voice.

“Step away from him,” Darius commanded, appearing in the yard unexpectedly.

I ducked behind a stack of crates, holding my breath.

“Change of plans,” Darius said. “Bring the rogue to the trial chamber. I want Amy to watch when I end him.”

Panic flooded me.

They were taking him to the chamber, the place where Darius executed traitors. I remembered that room. I remembered the blood on the floor.

I had no more time.

I had one chance to save him.

And I couldn’t fail.