The King's Prey (Unedited Edition)

Chapter 42 : False Hope

Madrugada • [maw-drew-gah-dah]
The moment at dawn when the night greets the day.

🖤

~+~

~ Samuel ~

Even in these freezing conditions, sweat glistens against my body as I struggle to contain Markus. His wolf thrashes against the chokehold I have him in; it pains me to witness what his actions have brought him to—what his actions have forced me to do.

I barely remember how I entangled myself in this mess in the first place. All I can seem to recollect is the image of him lunging for Anastasia while she was mid-shift. The sight of it sent a fury unlike any other through my bones and it took me a millisecond to react before I could be rational about my decisions.

"Markus!" I yell out hoarsely. He releases another loud growl as he continues to battle against my arms around his neck. His claws attempt to reach for my limbs but struggle as I stay out of reach from behind him.

I release my grip just as I think he's finally begun to calm down—that's until he snaps his canines at my legs once he's back on his feet. I roll away from him swiftly, standing as we circle each other in a heart-racing standoff. Taking in my surroundings for a moment, I realize we're deep into the Ancient Woods—far from the battle. Far from Anastasia.

I need to find her. I need to make sure she's ok.

But first I have to handle Markus' rampage. Even in just jeans, I can barely feel a silver of the cold. In fact, the snow littering the forest floor burns my feet as the cold ground clashes with the heat radiating off of my skin.

"Markus, please. There are better ways to handle this," I plead. If I end up being responsible for his death, I don't know how Sterling will ever be able to see me as her Alpha again. I understand her boiling hatred for him—I get that they have a horrible relationship because of his shitty decisions, but he's still her family. Despite the crimes he committed against Phantomridge, Sterling doesn't deserve to lose one of the last parts of her bloodline that she has left.

You took everything from me! Markus mindlinks. His words catch me off guard as they invade my head—I forgot he's still bonded to the pack even as a rogue. But what confuses me more is why he's kept it though. He could easily remove it if he were to drink lotus tea mixed with wolfsbane. It's a painful process, but it's not exactly difficult to acquire the ingredients.

"You know that's not true Markus!" I growl back. Without hesitation, he charges for my arm, but I dodge his attack just before his teeth are able to sink into it.

You say you're nothing like your parents! You say you're different, but it's all lies!

His words pierce through my heart, but it's not like I haven't heard them a thousand times before. Yet whenever their faults are placed upon my shoulders, it's only a reminder of the reputation I've created for myself—the legacy they forced me to fulfill in order to honor their wishes.

His jaw snaps again, this time at my right leg. I know Markus is extremely skilled in combat—we trained together before our first shift—but I'm more diligent and strategic. I'm able to predict my enemy's attacks and be conservative with how I use my energy. I grab him by the collar and easily throw him against a sturdy tree. He cries out but hastily gets back onto his feet, preparing for another strike.

"Sterling wouldn't have wanted this! You know how much she cares about you," I bark.

You're pathetic! All you ever do is manipulate the people around you—even my own goddamn sister. You made everyone in Phantomridge believe that what your parents did was justified since it only benefited you and your fucking family! Every word he speaks is filled with livid hatred, yet he does a horrible job of disguising the sorrow behind his voice.