Marked By The Ruthless Alpha King

Cyrus Montgomery POV:

I looked down at the woman lying unconscious in my arms.

Her body was still trembling faintly from the effects of the Forbidden Forest. I could feel how little strength remained in her, yet the moment I held her closer, the oppressive energy surrounding us seemed to settle again.

I remembered what had happened when she first appeared.

The Forbidden Forest had been pressing against my Lycan ever since I entered its territory, restricting the full force of my power and making every movement more difficult. Then she stumbled into the clearing.

The moment she appeared, I felt my strength return. The oppressive force weighing on my Lycan suddenly vanished, and my power surged freely through my body. The change was so sudden that I unleashed my full strength. Within moments, every threat surrounding me had been brought down.

The forest fell unnaturally quiet, and the invisible restraint that had bound my Lycan was completely gone.

But the same force that had reacted to her was now turning against her. The longer she remained in the Forbidden Forest, the more rapidly it drained the little energy left in her body.

My eyes narrowed as I looked at her pale, weakened face. Whatever connection existed between her and me was clearly more complicated than I had first assumed.

Yet the woman in my arms was becoming colder by the second. I had no intention of letting the answer disappear before I found it.

I tightened my hold around her waist and felt her head shift against my chest. Her breathing was so faint that I could barely feel it.

There was only one way to give her enough energy to survive.

Marking her.

My fingers brushed against her cold cheek before sliding down to her jaw. Her skin was softer than I expected. I lowered my head toward her neck, and a faint scent reached me.

White tea and winter frost.

Clean and delicate, with a cool sweetness beneath it.

It did nothing to awaken my wolf, yet something about it eased the restless pressure building inside me.

My canines extended, and I bit into the side of her neck.

Her body arched faintly in my arms as my teeth pierced her skin. A soft sound escaped her lips, and warmth touched my tongue as my energy flowed through the mark.

The connection opened. Her fear brushed against my mind first.

I pushed more of my energy through the mark.

Her trembling gradually eased beneath my arms. Her breathing steadied, and the coldness beneath my palm slowly disappeared.

When I lifted my head, the fresh mark stood out against her pale skin. My gaze lingered there before returning to her face.

Her lashes remained still, her lips slightly parted, completely unaware of what I had just done.

A faint sound escaped her. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

Before I could think, I lowered my head and brushed it away with the tip of my nose. Her skin was warm beneath the brief touch.

I paused for a moment before lifting my head.

Through the faint connection between us, I could feel that her life was no longer slipping away.

The Forbidden Forest had gone quiet. Whatever secret this woman carried, I needed to uncover it.

Footsteps sounded through the trees. Dax and the guards emerged from the darkness.

I straightened, my expression returning to its usual coldness, and adjusted my clothes to cover the wound left by the silver blade.

Dax stopped when he saw the unconscious woman in my arms. His eyes dropped to the fresh mark on her neck. Surprise flashed across his face before he lowered his gaze and knelt.

"Alpha King. What are your orders?"

"Clean everything. Leave no evidence behind." I glanced down at the woman in my arms. "As for her, she's my new attendant. That's all anyone needs to know."

Dax hesitated for half a second before answering. "Yes, my King."

I carried her to the black armored vehicle and settled her carefully against the seat. As Dax gave me his report, I finally learned her name.

"Annamarie."

The vehicle started moving. Her weakened body shifted with the motion, and her head fell against my shoulder.

I looked down at her. She should have been pushed away. Instead, I let her remain there.

Her hair brushed against my neck, carrying that same faint scent that had quieted the forest. Through the mark, I could feel the fragile rhythm of her breathing.

For the first time tonight, my attention settled on the real problem.

Her.

The moment she entered the clearing, the Forbidden Forest had gone quiet, and the restriction on my Lycan had disappeared. Now, through the faint mark between us, I could still feel the strange energy moving around her.

I needed to know why.

That mystery mattered far more than the Elders' demands.

Their voices came through the mental link again, pressing me about alliances, bloodlines, and the need for an Alpha King to have a mate. They wanted a political marriage. They wanted a Luna they could use to strengthen their influence.

Fine. If they needed me to have a mate, I would give them one.

My gaze dropped to the woman sleeping against me. She had restored my power simply by appearing, and now my mark was keeping her alive. Too many questions surrounded her.

I would take her back to Bloodmoon Pack, not for the Elders, but because I needed to uncover the secret connecting her to me.

Outside the window, the lights of Bloodmoon Pack drew closer.

I looked down at her again, my gaze lingering on the fresh mark at her neck. For some reason, I found myself wanting to lean closer, drawn toward the warmth of her skin and the faint trace of her scent. I resisted the impulse and remained where I was, my eyes fixed on the mark I had left behind.

Whatever she was, I had no intention of letting this mystery disappear before I uncovered the truth.