Chapter 5 Marked for War

Chapter 5: Marked for War

XANDER

The message from Derek amused me. It wasn't surprising-he was predictable that way. But the sheer irony of it was too good to ignore. He'd rejected Amara in front of the entire pack, cast her aside as if she were nothing, and now he wanted her back?

Not because he cared.

Because he couldn't stand the thought of me having her.

Too bad.

I leaned against the cracked wooden frame of the dingy apartment, my heightened senses picking up the steady rhythm of Amara's heartbeat. It was calm-too calm. But beneath the surface, I could scent the subtle spike of her fury, like the burn of lightning just before it strikes.

Her golden eyes flicked between my face and the glowing text on my phone, pupils narrowing. The muscles in her jaw clenched, and a quiet growl rumbled in her throat.

She thought she had time. Thought she could stay hidden a little longer.

She was wrong.

"You reek of his scent," I muttered, wrinkling my nose. Even now, after years apart, Derek's presence still clung to her like a sickness. It made my wolf bristle, the primal urge to erase it rising in my blood.

"How did he know?" she demanded, voice like a blade, sharp and cutting.

I smirked, sliding my phone back into my pocket. "Did you really think he wouldn't find out?" Folding my arms across my chest, I watched her carefully. "This was never going to stay a secret, Amara. You should have known better." I tilted my head slightly, letting the amusement in my voice slip through. "Besides, I want him to try and take you back. Let him come. Let him fight for you."

Her golden eyes darkened, her wolf pressing against her skin. Power simmered beneath the surface, making the air feel electric.

"You told him, didn't you?" Her voice trembled-not with fear, but with barely contained rage. Her wolf wanted to fight. I could feel it clawing at her, just beneath her skin. "How could you be so careless? What did you think was going to happen?"

I chuckled, stepping closer. "I don't need to tell Derek anything. He was always going to come looking for you. He can smell you in his dreams, Amara. You were his mate. Even though he rejected you, that bond doesn't break so easily."

Her lips curled back slightly, revealing the barest hint of elongated canines. Her wolf was surfacing.

"I am not some prize to be fought over!" she snapped, her voice laced with something primal.

I moved faster than she expected, closing the space between us in a heartbeat. My fingers brushed her wrist, my claws barely retracted. Heat radiated from her skin, her pulse thundering against my touch.

"Aren't you?" I murmured, watching the way her lips curled in disgust.

She let out a bitter scoff, shaking her head. "You don't own me, Xander. No one does. And once my mother is safe-once I get my revenge-this ends. Don't think for a second that this changes anything."

Ah. There it was. That fire. That defiance.

I admired it, really.

But I also knew better.

"You think you can just walk away?" My voice dropped lower, quieter-deadlier. "That's cute."

Her body stiffened. "Of course I can. And I will. Don't think for a second that I intend to stick around with your family." Her voice was laced with venom, but her frustration was evident. "And now you've ruined what I intended to do."

Her scent changed, sharp and smoky, laced with fury. Her wolf was restless, pushing against the constraints of her human form. I could see it in the way her nails elongated into claws, in the way her pupils darkened, swallowing the gold whole.

"You don't have to worry," I continued. "You'll still get your revenge. Derek doesn't know what's coming." I leaned in slightly, letting my breath brush against her ear. "But Amara... you agreed to this. Just do what I tell you to."

A muscle in her jaw ticked. She exhaled sharply, then let out a humorless laugh. "I am not some beta to follow your commands, Xander." Her voice was steady, but her body betrayed her-her wolf craved dominance, even as she resisted it.

I shrugged, unfazed. "Because you don't have a choice."

The truth hung heavy between us.

She hated it.

"I do have a choice," she bit out. "And I can't wait to have this all done and be gone from you."

Her golden eyes glowed in the dim light. Her wolf was closer to the surface now, raw and untamed.

"You should have killed him when you had the chance," I murmured, watching her closely. "Maybe you wouldn't hate my family as much as you do."

A flicker of something-regret?-passed through her gaze before she masked it with more anger. "And yet, here I am," she shot back. "Making deals with you instead."

I grinned. "Exactly."

She crossed her arms. "Don't act like you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart, Xander. You want him dead just as much as I do."

She wasn't wrong.

Derek deserved to die.

But I never did anything without a reason. And I sure as hell didn't make deals with rogue wolves without expecting something in return.

The dim light caught the bruise along her cheekbone, the faint, swollen curve of her lip. She was battered. Bloodied. Worn down.

But still standing.

And that? That did something to me.

"Pack your things," I ordered, voice quieter now. "We leave tonight."

She didn't move.

Didn't speak.

Instead, she studied me with that sharp, assessing stare, searching for weakness. Looking for some kind of deception.

She wouldn't find any.

I meant every damn word.

Finally, she scoffed and turned on her heel. "I don't take orders."

I smirked.

"That's what you think."

Leaning against the wall, I let my gaze sweep over the apartment. It was pathetic, really. A place barely holding itself together-much like the woman who lived in it.

But that was the thing about Amara.

She refused to break.

She wasn't just doing this for revenge.

She was doing it to survive.

And that? That, I could respect.

Minutes later, she emerged from her room with a single worn duffel bag slung over her shoulder.

"That's all you're taking?" I asked, arching a brow.

She shrugged. "This is all I have left."

No sadness. No self-pity. Just cold, brutal truth.

I nodded, pushing off the wall. "Let's go."

She hesitated, just for a second. Then she stepped forward, locking the door behind her like it mattered.

Like Derek wouldn't burn this place to the ground the moment he got the chance.

Outside, the moon hung low, bathing the streets in a silver glow. The night air was thick with tension, thick with the scent of the hunt.

The weight of war settled between us.

She thought she was walking into an alliance.

Maybe.

Or maybe this was going to be more trouble than either of us had bargained for.