Marked Twice by the Alpha King

Out of the Mouth of Cub

Third Person POV

"Exactly." Ava nodded. "But it only works if you trust us. If you believe we're telling you the truth."

Blake's anger hadn't diminished; if anything, it seemed to concentrate, becoming something more focused and dangerous. The thought of Jackson manipulating his daughter, suggesting Ava become his mistress-it made his blood burn in his

veins.

"Absolutely not." His voice dropped to a growl. "It's too risky. I won't put either of you in his crosshairs.

"Dad," Sophia's voice was surprisingly steady as she looked up at him, "if he's been lying to me this whole time... if he's been using me... I want to know everything. Maybe this is the only way."

Blake looked between them-his daughter and his mate-suddenly realizing they'd formed an unlikely alliance against a common enemy. Pride mixed with apprehension in his chest, a heady cocktail.

The debate was cut short by the thunderous bang of the front door flying open.

"MOM! DAD! Guess what happened at school today!" Lucas's voice echoed through the manor halls, a burst of pure

childhood enthusiasm.

All three adults froze mid-argument, the heavy atmosphere suddenly punctured by innocent excitement.

Lucas skidded into the living room, training gear rumpled, backpack dangling from one shoulder, face flushed with news he couldn't wait to share. He halted abruptly when he registered the scene: three tense adults, his sister's tear- streaked

face, his father's glowing eyes.

"Whoa." He glanced around, instantly picking up on the mood. "Did somebody die or something?"

No one answered immediately. Lucas's brow furrowed with worry as he padded over to Ava.

"Mom?" He reached for her hand without hesitation. You look sad. Are you okay?"

Before Ava could answer, he spotted Sophia's tears and immediately changed course. "Soph, why are you crying? Did someone say something mean to you? Want me to kick their butt at training tomorrow?"

The offer-so earnest from such a small boy-broke through the tension. Sophia's laugh came out watery but genuine as she looked at her little brother, this innocent child who saw family as the simplest thing in the world.

A memory flashed behind her eyes-the catalyst training incident, how close she'd come to hurting him with her jealousy and manipulation. Her throat tightened.

"Lucas," she said softly, brushing away tears, "I haven't been very nice to Ava lately. I said some pretty awf because I got confused about some stuff."

ngs

"Oh, that's all?" Lucas's relief was palpable as he bounced on his toes. "That's easy to fix! Dad says when we hurt someone's feelings, we just say sorry and mean it." He shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Then we hug it out and move on."

He looked between the three adults expectantly. "So everybody just needs to say sorry, and then we can have cookies

Chapter 190: Out of the Mouth of Cub

before dinner. Right?"noveldrama

The simplicity of it-the pure, unfiltered wisdom of childhood-made all three adults exchange glances. This wasn't over, not by a long shot. But maybe it was a start.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Jackson from the beginning," Ava said, looking Sophia in the eye. "You deserved to hear it from me, not him."

Sophia took a shaky breath. "And I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions instead of just asking you." She twisted her hands together. "I should have remembered who had my back when it really mattered."

"I'm sorry I let this fester instead of stepping in sooner," Blake added, his voice gruff with emotion. "I thought I was giving everyone space, but some things need to be faced head-on."

"See?' Lucas beamed, satisfaction radiating from him. "Now everyone hug, and we can go eat. I'm starving!"

Blake watched his son-so innocent, so untouched by the complexities swirling around him-and felt some of the burning rage in his chest begin to bank down to embers. Not extinguished, just controlled. Jackson's name still made his teeth clench, but Lucas's presence was like cool water on heated skin.

"Go wash up first, little wolf," Blake ruffled his son's hair. "We'll be right behind you."

"Kay!" Lucas scampered off, crisis averted in his mind, completely oblivious to the adult world's tangled web of lies and hurt.

The dining room that evening felt different-cautious but warmer, like the first thaw after a long winter. Blake occasionally reached over to add food to Sophia's plate without asking-an old habit from when she was small-and Ava caught the way Sophia's eyes softened each time. Meanwhile, Ava cut Lucas's meat into perfect bite-sized pieces, anticipating his needs before he could voice them.

"So what'd you learn today?" Blake asked Lucas, deliberately steering toward safe waters.

"Coach showed me this awesome dodging move!" Lucas, demonstrated with his fork, nearly knocking over his water glass. "I almost crashed into the wall, but I did it perfect on the second try! Right, Tyler?"

Tyler, standing guard near the door, nodded with the ghost of a smile. "Natural talent."

"Mom, Lucas turned to Ava, excitement bubbling over, "can you help me practice tomorrow? You're w than anybody."

better at dodging

"Sure thing, kiddo," Ava smiled, warmth spreading through her chest at how easily he called her 'Mom' now.

Sophia watched them from across the table, something shifting in her expression. This wasn't the political alliance she'd” pictured, the calculated arrangement she'd feared. This was just... family. Messy and imperfect, but real. The way her mother would have wanted it.

After dinner, while Lucas was distracted with dessert, Blake's expression darkened again. He touched his temple briefly, using his mindlink.

Tyler, my study. Now.

On my way, Boss.

Blake stood, drawing himself to his full height, Alpha energy settling around his shoulders like a cloak. "We need to find out exactly what Jackson Hayes is doing in Shadow Creek."

His gaze moved between Ava and Sophia, voice dropping to that dangerous register that made even veteran wolves think twice. "If we're setting a trap, we need all the information we can get. Tyler's going to help us dig."

The atmosphere thickened again, the brief family peace giving way to strategy. Blake's instincts-honed through decades of leadership-screamed that Jackson's threat ran deeper than they'd realized.

"Whatever game he's playing," Blake's voice was steel wrapped in velvet, "we'll be waiting with one of our own."

BITE ME WEREWOLVES:

Okay, I see all your comments... sorry for the delay. Life's been absolute chaos lately. I'm working on the next chapters whenever I can grab a free minute. Promise.

Thanks for hanging in there with the slow updates. Love you guys. Your update reminders are like a cat's gentle purrs- technically you're pushing me, but it just makes me feel so warm and happy that I want to write even-more!❤