Claimed by the Alpha’s Rival

The Price of Betrayal

"You brought them here."

Jace's accusation landed like a knife.

Lily stood frozen beside the hotel window, staring at the sea of red laser sights painting the darkness outside.

Hundreds.

Maybe more.

Every entrance covered.

Every rooftop occupied.

Every escape route gone.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then the first explosion hit.

The entire building shook violently.

Glass shattered somewhere below.

Screams erupted from the lobby.

Marcus burst through Lily's door a second later.

Golden eyes blazing.

Murder already written across his face.

"They're inside."

The Alpha didn't waste time asking questions.

Not yet.

Survival came first.

Judgment later.

Another explosion thundered through the hotel.

Dust rained from the ceiling.

The floor trembled beneath their feet.

Then came the sound.

Boots.

Dozens of them.

Moving with military precision.

Fast.

Disciplined.

Hunting.

Jace cursed.

"Daywalkers."

Lily frowned.

"What the hell is a Daywalker?"

Marcus's expression darkened.

"The Blood Council's special forces."

That sounded bad.

The way both men looked suddenly made it sound worse.

"They can move during daylight," Jace said while loading silver rounds into a pistol. "Short periods. Long enough to kill almost anything."

A crash echoed from the hallway.

The door opposite Lily's room exploded inward.

A body flew through it.

Dead before it landed.

Marcus inhaled sharply.

"Move."

Nobody argued.

—

The hallway had become a war zone.

Smoke filled the air.

Broken furniture littered the floor.

Blood stained the wallpaper.

At the far end stood six figures dressed in black combat armor.

Their helmets glowed with crimson lenses.

Daywalkers.

One raised a rifle.

Purple light flickered along its barrel.

"What is that?" Lily asked.

"UV ammunition," Marcus growled.

"Vampires heal from normal wounds."

Jace smirked.

"These don't."

Great.

Supernatural radioactive bullets.

Exactly what this day needed.

The Daywalkers opened fire.

Purple flashes illuminated the corridor.

Marcus shifted instantly.

Bones cracked.

Muscles expanded.

Clothes tore apart.

Within seconds a massive black wolf filled the hallway.

The transformation still stunned Lily every time.

One second man.

Next second nightmare.

Marcus launched himself forward.

The first Daywalker died immediately.

Claws ripped through armor.

Blood sprayed across the ceiling.

The second lost his head.

The third barely had time to scream.

Then something metallic exploded from the walls.

A silver net.

Covered in glowing runes.

Marcus roared.

The trap wrapped around him instantly.

Smoke erupted where silver touched fur.

The Alpha crashed into the floor.

Snarling.

Thrashing.

Trapped.

"Marcus!"

The Daywalkers smiled.

Apparently that had been the plan.

Kill the wolf later.

Take the girl now.

Jace grabbed Lily's wrist.

"We're leaving."

"What about him?"

"He'll survive."

Marcus roared again.

Loud enough to shake the building.

Definitely still alive.

Jace pulled her toward a fire escape.

The hallway behind them erupted into gunfire.

Then they were running.

—

The streets of Nocturne Falls blurred around them.

Rain hammered the pavement.

Neon lights reflected in puddles.

Sirens wailed somewhere in the distance.

Jace moved quickly despite his injuries.

Lily struggled to keep pace.

Behind them came pursuit.

Daywalkers.

Vehicles.

Drones.

Too many.

Then an idea formed.

Dangerous.

Stupid.

Probably suicidal.

Which described most of her plans lately.

Lily suddenly stumbled.

Hard.

She hit the pavement.

Pain shot through her knee.

Jace stopped instantly.

"What are you doing?"

The hunters immediately changed direction.

Moving toward her.

Not him.

Not Marcus.

Her.

Exactly as she'd hoped.

Because the serum had changed something.

The Daywalkers weren't targeting her.

They were tracking her.

Recovering an asset.

Like retrieving stolen property.

Jace's eyes narrowed.

Understanding appeared.

Then anger.

Real anger.

"You want them to take you."

Lily looked away.

That alone answered the question.

Jace laughed once.

Cold.

Disbelieving.

"You want to meet him."

Silence.

"Lily."

Still silence.

"Your father."

The word felt strange.

Wrong.

Yet not entirely.

Jace stared.

Then shook his head.

"You idiot."

"I can handle myself."

"No."

His voice became harsh.

"You think you can control this."

The hunters were getting closer.

Red lights everywhere.

Lily stood.

Determined.

"If Caspian wants me alive—"

"He doesn't want you alive."

Jace cut her off.

"He wants you useful."

That hit harder than expected.

For a second doubt appeared.

A second was enough.

Jace punched her.

Hard.

Everything went black.

—

When Lily woke up, she was hanging upside down.

Sort of.

Jace had thrown her over his shoulder.

Like luggage.

Very rude luggage.

"What the hell?"

"Good."

Jace sounded exhausted.

"You're awake."

"You hit me!"

"You were being stupid."

"That's not a valid medical procedure!"

Another gunshot echoed.

Then a scream.

Then more running.

Lily finally realized where they were.

Underground.

Sewers.

Wonderful.

Because her life apparently needed more horror movie settings.

The tunnels smelled awful.

Water rushed through ancient channels.

Shadows danced across brick walls.

Then Jace suddenly jerked.

A flash of purple light illuminated the darkness.

The Rogue staggered.

His left arm smoked.

Burned flesh filled the tunnel.

The UV round had punched directly through his shoulder.

Jace gritted his teeth.

But kept running.

Didn't slow down.

Didn't complain.

Just kept moving.

Stubborn i***t.

The thought felt strangely familiar.

Marcus would have done the same.

Which was annoying.

Because Lily didn't want them having things in common.

—

They found Marcus three tunnels later.

The Alpha had escaped.

Of course he had.

The silver net hung in shredded pieces behind him.

His wolf form was gone.

Human again.

Bleeding.

Furious.

Alive.

The moment he saw Lily, relief flashed across his face.

Only for a second.

Then it vanished.

Replaced by something colder.

They continued moving.

The city above descended into chaos.

Until finally they reached sanctuary.

A church.

Ancient stone.

Broken stained glass.

Holy symbols everywhere.

Jace collapsed onto a pew.

Marcus locked the doors.

Silence settled.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

Inevitable.

Because now came the real battle.

—

Marcus turned toward her.

"What did you do?"

No anger.

Not yet.

That somehow felt worse.

Lily swallowed.

Nothing.

Marcus took a step closer.

"What did you do?"

The church seemed to hold its breath.

Jace watched from the shadows.

Waiting.

Lily looked away.

Marcus noticed.

Of course he noticed.

The Alpha always noticed.

Then she finally spoke.

"Caspian contacted me."

Silence.

Marcus didn't react.

Which was somehow terrifying.

"He said we could avoid a war."

Still nothing.

"He said if I cooperated..."

Her voice weakened.

"...he'd let you both leave alive."

The words echoed through the church.

Marcus froze.

Completely.

For the first time since she'd met him, genuine pain crossed his face.

Not anger.

Not jealousy.

Pain.

"You believed him?"

Lily opened her mouth.

Closed it again.

Marcus laughed softly.

The sound was awful.

Broken.

"You believed him."

"No—"

"You trusted him."

"It's not that simple."

Marcus looked away.

As if he couldn't bear looking at her.

That hurt more than shouting ever could.

Then came Jace's voice.

Cold.

Amused.

Cruel.

"She doesn't trust him."

Both turned toward the Rogue.

Jace leaned back against the pew.

Blood stained his sleeve.

His expression remained unreadable.

"She doesn't trust anyone."

The church fell silent.

Jace smiled bitterly.

"That's what happens when everyone lies to you."

Marcus said nothing.

Jace continued.

"We taught her that."

Nobody argued.

Because nobody could.

—

Several minutes passed.

Rain tapped softly against stained-glass windows.

The church smelled of dust and old wood.

Lily couldn't breathe properly.

Everything hurt.

The lies.

The truth.

The choices.

Then Marcus suddenly stood.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

His eyes locked onto hers.

And something changed.

Something resolved.

Without warning, he grabbed the front of his shirt.

And ripped it open.

The sound echoed through the church.

Lily stared.

Confused.

Then she saw it.

A scar.

Directly above his heart.

Old.

Pale.

Perfectly preserved.

Its shape matched something she knew intimately.

The tiny bat-shaped mark on the back of her neck.

Exactly.

Her breath caught.

Marcus's voice was low.

Dangerously calm.

"You think blood marks only work one way?"

Lily couldn't speak.

Marcus stepped closer.

"The day I carried you out of that fire..."

His fingers touched the scar.

"...you clawed my chest."

The church fell silent.

"Your blood entered the wound."

Lily's heart stopped.

Marcus's golden eyes never left hers.

"From that day forward, your heartbeat became my compass."

The realization hit like a freight train.

No.

Impossible.

Marcus continued.

"You drank the masking serum."

Another step closer.

"I couldn't smell your blood anymore."

Another step.

"But I could still hear your heart."

Lily felt herself backing away.

Marcus followed.

Relentless.

Predatory.

Certain.

His voice dropped to a whisper.

"And every time you lied..."

The Alpha stopped directly in front of her.

Close enough that she could feel his body heat.

Close enough that she could hear his heartbeat too.

"It sped up three beats."

Lily froze.

Marcus stared into her eyes.

Seeing everything.

Every secret.

Every fear.

Every hidden plan.

Then he spoke.

"So, tell me your real plan..."

His gaze hardened.

"...or I'll personally go to the Council and cut your father's head off to ask him myself."