Marco's POV
"What are you doing here, Corbin?" I asked the moment I stepped out onto the front porch of my estate. The air carried the chill of the coming night, brushing through the pines that surrounded the property. The moonlight spilled across the marble steps, silvering the edges of Corbin's figure as he stood waiting for me.
He didn't bow. He just looked at me, calm but tense. "You know why I'm here," he said.
My patience was already thin. "If you wanted to help her, you should have thought about the consequences first. You knew Lara Quinn belonged to me, yet you still went around her like some desperate fool."
Corbin's eyes hardened. "If she really belongs to you, Marco, why did she come to me for help? Why was she willing to beg me instead of you?" His tone was sharper than usual, almost taunting. "Do you honestly believe she's in love with you? I think the Seer was wrong. Maybe it was never Lara. There are plenty of women who would die just to have you."
The sound of his words struck something deep inside me. I felt the beast within me stir, restless and angry. "I already marked her, Corbin," I said through gritted teeth. "She is my mate. I know it."
"Then why," he countered, stepping closer, "do you still make Serene think she has a chance with you? Why keep her hanging on if you're so certain Lara is yours? You can't have both. If you really love Serene, then step down as Alpha, marry her, and I'll take Lara Quinn."
The growl rose from my chest before I could stop it. "That's enough."
The silence that followed was thick and dangerous. My control slipped, and the shift came without warning. My vision sharpened, my skin burned, and I could feel my wolf rising. The sound of bones shifting echoed faintly against the quiet night until I stood before him in my true form.
Corbin's confidence faltered. He lowered his head immediately, the instinct of submission taking over. "I'm sorry, Alpha," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "I was only trying to help."
"You are not helping me," I snarled, my voice a deep rumble that vibrated through the ground beneath us. "You are making everything worse. If you truly wish to help, stay away from her. Do not give her the money she asked for. If you obey, I will not report you to the council for what you've done. But if you cross me again, you will not get a second warning."
Corbin didn't reply. He only bowed his head lower and stepped back, the scent of fear faint in the wind. Then he turned and disappeared into the trees that lined the edge of the estate.
I stood there for a long moment before the tension left my body. Slowly, I shifted back into my human form. The cool air touched my skin, and I drew in a deep breath, the scent of pine and earth grounding me.
From the front porch, the land stretched out in silence. The estate was vast, surrounded by forests that connected to the sacred wolf lands. The city lights glimmered faintly in the distance, far below the hills. This was where most of us lived, high above the humans, hidden and powerful.
But I didn't feel powerful tonight.
I walked toward the edge of the terrace overlooking the valley. The moonlight painted everything silver, and the stillness of the night pressed heavily on my shoulders. This place had always been my sanctuary. Here, under the full moon, I could hear the distant howls of my kind and feel the pull of the pack deep in my veins. It reminded me who I was.
Yet, no matter how hard I tried to bury her name beneath pride and anger, it kept echoing in my mind. Her scent still lingered in my memory, soft and impossible to forget. Her voice haunted me in the silence of my estate, as if every wall and every corner of this place remembered her better than I ever could.
Tomorrow was the deadline. Part of me had hoped she would sign it immediately, not out of obligation but out of understanding. I told myself that once she signed, I could finally marry her and fulfill what the Seer had foreseen.
I looked at the moon above the hills, its silver glow washing over the forest below. It should have brought me peace, but instead, it only reminded me of the weight I carried. Because the more I tried to keep Lara Quinn at a distance, the deeper she sank into my soul.
I told myself that I wanted Lara to sign the contract so I could finally end this uncertainty, so I could make things right before the next Blood Moon. That was the excuse I kept repeating in my head, the one that sounded reasonable. But deep inside, I knew the truth.
I wanted her to be mine. The thought alone terrified me more than anything the Seer had ever warned me about.
I was a man of honor and principle, an Alpha bound by word and promise. I would never betray Serene, no matter what fate whispered in my ear. I owed her my loyalty, my respect, perhaps even the love I once thought I could give.
Like Lara, I too had made a vow to defy the prophecy. I had sworn to fight destiny and prove everyone wrong, including my parents, the elders, and the Seer herself. I was Marco Blackwell, Alpha of the Moonfire Pack, and I refused to be controlled by anyone's vision of fate.
Today was the deadline, but when I arrived, her desk was empty. The clock ticked quietly. Each second made my chest tighten a little more. Lara always came before me, always prepared, her calm voice greeting me with my schedule and the day's tasks. The absence of that voice felt wrong.
I tried to push the unease away, pretending to focus on the reports stacked in front of me, but I could not read a single word. The silence mocked me. I found myself walking toward the window, pulling the blinds open just to make sure I would see her the moment she arrived.
There was no one in this city who could help her, not without me knowing. Every path she could take led back to me. It was cruel, but it was also the truth. I had cornered her without meaning to. Perhaps that was why I hated myself a little more each day.
Then I felt the faint pull in my chest, that familiar spark that always came before she appeared. The bond between us stirred like a live current. Even before the elevator doors opened, I knew she was near.
For weeks I had forced myself to ignore her, to keep my distance. I thought staying away would weaken whatever connection we shared. I was wrong. Every time I denied it, it only grew stronger, more consuming.
The memory of that night in the cabin returned to me like a fever. Her voice, her touch, the way she looked at me as if I was both her salvation and her ruin. It haunted me endlessly.
I needed to marry her not just to fulfill the prophecy or satisfy the council. I needed to marry her to end this ache, to stop this endless torment of wanting what I could not have.
Once she was my wife, I would finally have the right to touch her again, to claim her without guilt, to make her mine in every way that mattered. And maybe, that would silence the war between my duty and my heart.
I tried to be patient with Lara, waiting for the moment she would finally submit the contract, but when lunchtime came, she left before I could even speak to her. My patience had reached its limit. I could no longer sit still in my office pretending to focus on my work. I had been waiting for this day, for her signature, for her decision.
I told the rest of my staff on my floor, including my executive assistants, to go to the mall and support the expo our company was participating in. It was the perfect excuse to clear the floor. The truth was simple, I wanted to be alone with Lara.
When I stepped out of my office, I found her standing in front of her cubicle, I walked closer, and the faint scent of her perfume drifted through the air, soft and distracting.
When she handed me the documents, the envelope felt heavier than it should have. I let out a quiet sigh of relief, though my chest tightened at the same time as I looked at her. This was the beginning of something that could either destroy us or bind us in ways neither of us could ever predict.
"Get ready, Ms. Quinn," I said, my voice calm but firm. "We are leaving in fifteen minutes."
Her brows furrowed, and her lips parted slightly. "Where are we going?"
"To my parents' house," I replied, watching the color rise to her cheeks.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Your parents' house? Why?"
"Because we are getting married tomorrow," I said evenly. "As I promised them." I paused, letting the words sink in. "They could not wait to meet you. And judging by your reaction, I assume you have not read the contract carefully."
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. I stepped closer, lowering my tone. "So let me remind you. Starting today, in public, we will act like a real couple. Especially in front of my parents. That means holding hands, kisses, and everything that normal couples do. Tonight, we will stay at my parents' house. I have already spoken to your mother and informed her you will not be home."
Her eyes flickered with shock, confusion, and something she tried to hide but failed. Without waiting for her reply, I turned and walked back to my office, pretending I did not notice how she was still staring after me.
As I closed the door behind me, I allowed myself one deep breath. The office was silent, the faint hum of the air conditioner the only sound between my thoughts. I set the envelope on my desk, staring at it for a long moment before pulling the contract out.
Her signature was there, small, precise, but enough to bind her to me. Enough to change everything.
I reached for my pen, my fingers tightening slightly around it. For a brief moment, I hesitated. I told myself this was just business, that I was only fulfilling what I had promised. But the truth pressed deeper than that.
I signed my name with a firm stroke, the ink gliding smoothly across the paper. The final line that sealed our agreement, and perhaps, our fate.
As I leaned back in my chair, the weight of what I had done settled on my chest. This was it, the beginning of our so-called arrangement, the start of our pretend relationship.
But as I looked at the contract lying open on my desk and thought of her face, I could not help but wonder which one of us would truly win in the end.