MARKED BY MY STEPBROTHER

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Sophie’s POV

The next morning we got a message from Marcus quite early. We let him in after he acknowledged with a knock. It was like reality was back into our lives again. And when I mean reality, I mean the part where we have to fight for peace. It had become a norm for us.

"Alpha. Luna, we have a situation. A large group of hybrids has been spotted near the northern border. They’re not attacking yet. But they’re asking specifically about Lucas.”

“Hybrids huh?”

“Powerful ones,” Marcus replied. “Some of them have abilities similar to Sophie’s. They say they want to meet the ‘True Alpha Child.’”

I wasn't comfortable with the name that they had given to Lucas. What the hell did that even mean? That they were trying to map out his destiny even before he had the chance to grow? Lucas was sleeping peacefully in his crib, but I could sense his power getting stronger by the day.

“It seems that we can’t hide him forever,” I said quietly. “Maybe, we should meet them. On our terms.”

Damon didn’t like it, but he nodded his agreement. “We’ll arrange a meeting in neutral territory. And do make sure that we are well guarded.”

Damon’s POV

Two days later, we met the hybrid delegation at an old stone bridge marking the edge of our territory.

There were twelve of them, men and women with an otherworldly presence.

Their leader, a tall woman named Elowen with silver colored hair and violet eyes, stepped forward.

“We mean no harm,” she said, her voice sounding like she could sing a good melody. “We felt the awakening of the True Alpha Child from many miles away. He carries the old blood. The kind that can either save or destroy our kind.”

Sophie held Lucas closer. “He is our son. We won’t let anyone use him.”

Elowen smiled gently. “We don’t wish to use him. We wish to teach him. To help him control the immense power he carries before it consumes him, or attracts beings far darker than the Shadow Pack.”

I stepped protectively in front of my family. “And what do you want in return?”

“An alliance,” Elowen replied. “And permission to visit the child as he grows. The old bloodlines are dying. He may be our only hope for survival.”

They had made their offer and it was there, hanging in the air.

I looked at Sophie. She met my gaze, and she looked so uncertain and so hopeful at the same time that I wasn't even sure which one surpassed the other.

Sophie’s POV

That night, after putting Lucas to bed, Damon and I sat on the balcony discussing the hybrids’ proposal.

“They seemed sincere,” I said. “And if Lucas’s power really is that dangerous..”

“I know,” Damon replied, running a hand through his hair. “But trusting outsiders after everything we’ve been through..”

He pulled me onto his lap, holding me close. “Whatever we decide, we do it together.”

“Yeah. Together.”

As the moon rose higher, a new howl could be heard in the distance, not threatening, but calling.

The future was very much uncertain.

But for the first time, I felt truly hopeful.

We had each other, we had our son, and we had a pack that was finally starting to heal.

Whatever came next, hybrids, new enemies, or old ghosts , we would face it as a family.

***

So the decision about whether to work with the hybrids or not was something we thought seriously about us for days.

We finally agreed to a second meeting, this time at the neutral stone bridge with stronger security. Lucas stayed safely at the mansion with Lena and a guard. I stood beside Damon, our fingers intertwined, as Elowen and her group approached again.

“You’ve come to a decision?” Elowen asked, her violet eyes calm and patient.

Damon spoke first, putting authority into his voice since he was Alpha. “We will allow limited visits and training under strict supervision. But Lucas is our son first. Any attempt to take him or use him will be met with war.”

Elowen inclined her head. “That is fair. The old blood is volatile. Without guidance, it can consume even the strongest vessel. We only wish to help him survive it.”

I stepped forward. “Then teach us too. I need to understand this power inside me.. and inside him.”

A faint smile touched Elowen’s lips. “Agreed.”

The meeting ended with a tentative alliance. As we drove back to the mansion, Damon remained quiet, his hand never leaving mine.

“Are we doing the right thing?” I asked softly.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But hiding won’t protect him forever.”

Damon’s POV

That night, after Lucas was asleep, I took Sophie to the hot spring behind the mansion. It was a private, natural pool surrounded by rocks and trees. Steam rose gently into the cool night air.

I undressed her slowly, then myself, before lowering us both into the warm water. She sighed as the heat soothed her body. I pulled her onto my lap, her back against my chest, my arms wrapped around her.

“We’ve come so far,” I murmured, kissing her shoulder. “From that first night when I tried to push you away, to this.”

Sophie turned her head and kissed me. The kiss far immediately. My hands explored her wet skin, cupped her breasts, teased her n*****s until she moaned into my mouth. I slid one hand between her thighs, stroking her slowly under the water.

“Damon..” she breathed, grinding against my fingers.

I turned her around to face me, lifting her so she could sink down onto my hard c**k. She took me inch by inch, gasping as I filled her completely. We moved together in the warm water, slow, deep, and intimate. Her golden energy mixed with mine as I knotted her gently, both of us coming with quiet, intense cries.

Afterward, we stayed locked together, floating in the spring.

“I love our life,” she whispered. “Even with all the danger.”

“I love it too,” I replied, holding her tighter. “You made me whole, Sophie.”

Sophie’s POV

The following week brought new challenges and a bit of small joys. So yeah, it was was a medley.

Lucas took his first crawl across the nursery floor, and got rewarded with cheers from everyone that saw it. Damon’s leadership was gaining real support, more wolves were pledging their loyalty, and border security was getting stronger.

But the hybrids kept their word. Elowen visited twice, teaching me meditation techniques to better control my power. Lucas responded well to her presence, sometimes glowing in sync with her energy.

One evening, after Elowen left, Damon found me in the library looking through old pack records.

“Everything okay?” he asked, coming up behind me.

“I’m trying to understand where this power really comes from,” I replied. “Elowen says it’s older than any known bloodline.”

“We’ll figure it out together.”

His phone buzzed. He checked it and frowned.

“Marcus just reported movement near the eastern border. Not Shadow Pack this time, something else. They’re calling themselves ‘The Veil’, a group of ancient-blooded hybrids who heard about Lucas.”

I turned to look at him. “More of them?”

“Seems like it.” Damon said. “And they’re requesting an audience. They say they’ve been waiting centuries for a child like Lucas.”

I felt a mix of hope and fear. “Do we meet them?”

“Well, we’ll had to discuss it with the elders tomorrow. Meetings are usually necessary so that if one side wants to make trouble, you'll be able to tell during the meeting."

"So they'll agree to it?" I asked.

"I think they will. The elders will agree to anything that has to do with the subject of power, especially if it's in their domain," Damon stated.

Damon’s POV

Later that night, as Sophie slept peacefully beside me, I slipped out to the balcony.

The forest was quiet, but I could feel eyes watching from the darkness.

Something ancient and powerful was approaching our territory.

I looked back at Sophie and Lucas sleeping inside.

Whatever The Veil wanted with my son, they would have to go through me first.

So, in other words, let them come.