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Chapter 16
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2025-04-28 16:44:14
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MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEENLEXA POINT OF VIEW I walked next to Cross as we left the meeting hall, my mind still trying to understand what had just happened. Free. I was free from Damian. Tomorrow I would marry Cross, the Alpha's firstborn son."Are you okay?" Cross asked, his voice low so only I could hear."Yes," I said, though my heart still beat too fast. "It's just... a lot to take in."He nodded, understanding in his strange golden-red eyes. "Do you want some time alone? To think?"The offer surprised me. Damian had never cared what I wanted or needed. "Maybe a little time, yes.""I'll walk you to your room," he said.We moved through the pack house, past curious eyes and whispered conversations. News of the dissolved marriage and upcoming wedding had spread fast. Some pack members looked away when they saw us. Others stared openly, trying to understand how the girl they'd nearly executed yesterday was now walking freely as the future Luna."Ignore them," Cross said, noticing my discomfo
Last Updated : 2025-04-29MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 1
LEXA POVThe white dress strangled me like chains. I stood frozen in the small room at the back of the ceremonial hall, my hands trembling as my father's pack helper stabbed the last pins into my hair."Stop fidgeting," she snapped, jabbing a pin into my scalp.I bit my lip until I tasted blood. Pain was nothing new these days. What was a little more?Through the window, I watched pack members file into the ceremonial grounds. Their faces glowed with joy and excitement, emotions that felt like foreign languages to me now. This wedding wasn't my celebration. It was my prison sentence."Your father will be here soon," the helper said, her eyes sliding past mine like I was already a ghost. Nobody looked at me directly anymore. Not since Sara's "accident." Not since I became the replacement bride.My stomach twisted into knots. What could I possibly say? That every fiber of my being screamed to run? That the thought of marrying a man who loathed me made me physically sick? A man whose hea
Last Updated : 2025-04-22MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 2
LEXA POVMorning light stabbed through the curtains, yanking me from what little sleep I'd found. For one blessed heartbeat, I forgot. Then reality crushed me, the cold, empty space beside me, the strange bedroom, the gold band that felt like a shackle on my finger.I was Damian's wife now. His unwanted burden.The cabin stood silent as I dressed. No sign of Damian, just messy blankets on the couch proving he'd been there at all. A note sat on the kitchen counter: *Pack meeting. Be there by 10.*No "good morning." No "please." Not even my name. Just orders.I checked the clock, 9:30. My stomach knotted so tight I thought I might be sick. Pack meetings meant facing everyone. Facing *her*.The walk to the main pack house felt like walking to my execution. Pack members froze when I passed, their whispers following me like poison. I kept my eyes glued to the ground, counting steps, begging my lungs to keep working.The main hall buzzed with noise when I arrived. Pack members huddled aroun
Last Updated : 2025-04-22MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 3
DIAMIAN POINT OF VIEWThe empty hospital corridor echoed with my footsteps as I walked toward Sara's room. Morning light spilled through the windows, making long shadows on the shiny floor. Each step felt heavier than the last.I checked my watch, 6:15 AM. Too early for other pack members to visit. Perfect. I needed these moments with Sara to be private, away from prying eyes, away from my mother's watchful gaze, away from the wife I never wanted.I stopped at her door, my hand frozen on the handle. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. These visits drained me more than any pack fight or territory run ever could. But I came anyway, day after day, pulled by equal parts love and guilt.I pushed the door open.The sharp smell of hospital cleaner mixed with the soft rose oil the nurses rubbed on Sara's skin. The machines beeped steadily, counting each heartbeat, each breath she took in her endless sleep. Three months like this hadn't dimmed her beauty. Her golden hair spread across the
Last Updated : 2025-04-22MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 4
LEXA POINT OF VIEW My fingers bled as I pushed the last white rose into place. Three hours spent arranging flowers for the territory gathering, my back screaming in protest. It had to be perfect. Everything had to be perfect. "They're just flowers. No one will even notice." Damian's voice made me jump. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, watching me with cold eyes. "I notice," I said, straightening. "And your mother will tear me apart if anything's wrong." He shrugged. "Why bother? Mother will find fault no matter what you do." His words cut because they were true. Still, I had to try. Damian walked around the table, studying my work. "Sara would have used blue flowers. They match the pack colors better." Always Sara. Every breath, every moment circled back to my half-sister. Sara who was better. Sara who was wanted. "The flower seller had no blue ones," I said, swallowing hard. "Did you?" Doubt dripped from his words. "Or did you simply not try hard enough?" I bit my to
Last Updated : 2025-04-22MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 5
LEXA POINT OF VIEWA scream tore through the pack house, ripping me from sleep. I bolted upright on the couch, my heart hammering against my ribs as footsteps thundered down the hall. Damian burst from the bedroom, yanking on a shirt. "What's happening?" I gasped, but he was already gone, the door slamming behind him. More shouting. More running feet. Something huge was happening. I jammed my feet into shoes and chased the noise. Pack members rushed toward the hospital wing, their faces tight with fear and hope. No one noticed me trailing behind, invisible as always. Outside Sara's room, a crowd packed the hallway. I stood on tiptoes, trying to see past bodies. Through tiny gaps, I caught flashes of movement inside. "It's a miracle," someone whispered, voice trembling. "After all this time," another added. My stomach twisted into a knot. Only one thing could cause this much excitement. "Let me through!" Alpha Gregory's voice boomed as he shoved through the crowd. Linda follow
Last Updated : 2025-04-22MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 6
LEXA POINT OF VIEWHarsh light stabbed through the tiny window, jolting me from broken sleep on the freezing cell floor. Every muscle screamed as I pushed myself up, my mouth dry as sand.Today was my trial. Probably my last day alive.The door banged open. Two female pack warriors entered, faces hard as stone."Get up," the taller one ordered. "Clean yourself before the trial."They marched me to a small washroom, watching my every move as I splashed icy water on my face and tried to untangle my hair with trembling fingers. The mirror showed a ghost, sunken eyes, cracked lips, hollow cheeks. Was this really me?"Hurry up," the second guard snapped. "Everyone's waiting."I patted my face with a rough towel. "Will I get to speak? To defend myself?"The women exchanged looks that made my stomach sink."The Alpha decides who speaks," the first one said, not meeting my eyes.They led me through dim underground hallways toward the main pack hall. The normally busy corridors stood empty, ev
Last Updated : 2025-04-22MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 7
I counted the bricks on the cell wall, forty-three across, twenty-eight high. The monotonous task kept my mind occupied, away from thoughts of what would happen when the moon rose.Outside my tiny window, pack life continued. Voices drifted down from the grounds, excited, eager. They prepared for my death as if planning a festival."Did you hear? Silver blade execution!""First one in fifteen years!""They're setting up in the ceremonial clearing!"Each snippet of conversation hammered another nail into the coffin of my hope. No rescue would come. No last-minute discovery of truth. Tonight, I would die.The small bowl of water they'd provided sat untouched on the floor. Why bother drinking? Why prolong my final hours of misery?A young pack member, barely sixteen, brought my midday meal. He slid it under the door without meeting my eyes, hurrying away as if my bad fortune might be contagious.I pushed the food tray aside without looking at it. My stomach had twisted itself into knots
Last Updated : 2025-04-23
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MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEENLEXA POINT OF VIEW I walked next to Cross as we left the meeting hall, my mind still trying to understand what had just happened. Free. I was free from Damian. Tomorrow I would marry Cross, the Alpha's firstborn son."Are you okay?" Cross asked, his voice low so only I could hear."Yes," I said, though my heart still beat too fast. "It's just... a lot to take in."He nodded, understanding in his strange golden-red eyes. "Do you want some time alone? To think?"The offer surprised me. Damian had never cared what I wanted or needed. "Maybe a little time, yes.""I'll walk you to your room," he said.We moved through the pack house, past curious eyes and whispered conversations. News of the dissolved marriage and upcoming wedding had spread fast. Some pack members looked away when they saw us. Others stared openly, trying to understand how the girl they'd nearly executed yesterday was now walking freely as the future Luna."Ignore them," Cross said, noticing my discomfo
MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEENDIAMIAN POINT OF VIEW I slammed the door of our private quarters so hard that the windows shook. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. The burn in my chest felt like I'd swallowed fire. How dare they? How dare he?"That man is not your father," Mother said, pacing the room like a trapped animal. Her face was red, her breathing fast. "No real father would humiliate his son this way. In front of the elders!"I kicked a chair, sending it crashing into the wall. The wood cracked, one leg breaking off. It didn't help. Nothing would help this feeling inside me."My wife," I said through gritted teeth. "He took my wife.""She was never worthy of you," Mother spat. "A nothing girl, a placeholder until Sara recovered. But the insult, the shame of it! To dissolve your marriage like it was nothing!"I grabbed a glass from the table and threw it against the wall. It exploded into shiny pieces. The sound matched how I felt inside, shattered, broken, sharp edges everywhere."And now he'l
MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEENLexa point of view The room went quiet as everyone waited for Alpha Gregory's answer. I could hardly breathe. My future hung on his next words.Alpha Gregory looked at each face around the table. His eyes lingered on Damian, whose jaw was tight with anger. Then he looked at me, really looked at me, maybe for the first time."I have heard enough," he said finally. "The marriage between Lexa and Damian was forced. It was never real in spirit or body." He straightened his shoulders. "As Alpha of this pack, I declare this marriage dissolved, effective immediately."The words hit me like a wave. Free. I was free.Linda jumped to her feet. "You can't do this!""I just did," Alpha Gregory said, his voice firm. "Pack law gives me this right when a marriage is proven false."Damian's face turned dark red. "Father, you're making a mistake.""No," Gregory answered. "My mistake was allowing this marriage in the first place. It should never have happened."I felt Cross's hand touc
MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEENLEXA POINT OF VIEW I walked beside Cross through the main pack house, my heart beating fast in my chest. Pack members stopped to stare as we passed, their eyes wide with shock. Just yesterday they'd gathered to watch me die. Now I walked freely among them, protected by the Alpha's firstborn son."Hold your head high," Cross said quietly. "Show no fear."I straightened my back, lifting my chin. The clothes Cross had given me fit better today, a dark blue shirt and black pants that someone had adjusted overnight. Gone was the white death dress, gone was the prison dirt. I looked like someone who belonged."They're waiting for us in the meeting hall," Cross said. "My father, the pack elders, your father... and Damian with Linda."My stomach twisted at the thought of facing them all. "What exactly will happen?""Justice," Cross replied, his golden-red eyes gleaming. "The first step toward it, at least."We reached the large wooden doors of the meeting hall. Two guards st
MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 13
LEXA POINT OF VIEW Morning light filtered through the window, waking me gently. For a moment, I forgot where I was, the soft bed beneath me, the warm blankets, the unfamiliar scent of pine and wilderness surrounding me. Then it all rushed back. The execution platform. The silver blade. Cross.I sat up, pushing hair from my face. Cross was no longer in the chair by the fire where I'd last seen him. The room stood empty, though signs of his presence remained, a jacket thrown over a chair, boots by the door, a book open on the table.The bruises on my wrists looked better this morning, the healing salve having worked overnight to fade the angry red marks to dull purple. I flexed my fingers, grateful for the lack of pain.A soft knock on the door made me pull the blankets higher."Yes?"The door opened, and Cross entered carrying a tray of food. Steam rose from a bowl of something that smelled wonderful after days of prison meals."You're awake," he said, setting the tray on the bedside
MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 12
SARA POINT OF VIEW I gripped the armrests of my wheelchair until my knuckles turned white as Mother slammed our quarters door. The walls shook, and I watched a small vase topple and shatter. The sound matched perfectly with how I felt inside, something precious and carefully crafted, now broken beyond repair."How dare he?" Mother seethed, pacing before me like the predator she was. "After seven years of absence, that mongrel returns and ruins everything!"My body tensed with barely controlled rage as I sat by the window. Outside, the clearing had emptied, pack members returning to their homes, no doubt whispering about tonight's events. The execution platform stood abandoned in the moonlight, the platform that should have ended Lexa's miserable existence once and for all."Mother, calm down," I cautioned, though my own voice trembled with fury. "The walls have ears."She spun toward me, eyes wild and dangerous. "Calm? You expect me to be calm? We were moments away from eliminating h
MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVENLEXA POVCross carried me through the pack house, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallways. Most pack members remained in the clearing, likely discussing the shocking events they'd just witnessed. His arms felt solid beneath me, secure in a way I hadn't experienced in years, perhaps ever.We passed the familiar corridors where I'd grown up, then turned down a wing I rarely visited, the private quarters reserved for the Alpha family. Cross pushed open a heavy wooden door with his shoulder, not breaking stride as he carried me inside.The room was large and unexpectedly lived-in. I'd assumed any space belonging to Cross would have gathered dust during his seven-year absence. Instead, fresh linens covered the bed, a fire burned low in the hearth, and personal belongings sat arranged on shelves and tables."You've been here all along," I whispered, the realization dawning.Cross set me gently on my feet beside the fire. "Not all along. But long enough."He moved to close
MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 10
CHAPTER TENSilence hung over the clearing, broken only by the steady patter of rain against leaves and the platform beneath my feet. Cross's arm remained firm around my waist, his body radiating heat against my rain-soaked dress.Alpha Gregory finally broke his shocked trance. His eyes, the same golden color as Cross's without the red flecks, shifted between his firstborn son and Damian, who still gasped for breath on the platform."Cross," the Alpha managed, his voice rough with emotion. "After all this time..."Cross's grip on me tightened slightly, his body tensing. "Seven years is nothing compared to eternity, Father. Or have you forgotten our last conversation?"Something passed between father and son, an old wound, unhealed, festering beneath the surface. The pack watched in stunned silence, many of the younger members clearly confused by what they were witnessing."I never forgot," Alpha Gregory said quietly. "Not for a single day."Linda moved to help Damian stand, though her
MARKED BY THE ALPHA'S VOW Chapter 9
LEXA'S POINT OF VIEWThe rain fell harder now, drops hammering against the wooden platform. I remained frozen in place, neck still pressed against the cold stone, the executioner's blade suspended in the air above me."Get away from her." The commanding voice came again from the powerful figure now moving through the parting crowd.As he stepped fully into the torchlight, gasps rippled through the gathering. Even through my fear and confusion, I recognized the significance of their reaction."Cross," someone in the crowd whispered, the name spreading through the pack like wildfire.Cross. The name meant nothing to me, yet everything to the pack members whose faces transformed from bloodthirsty anticipation to shock and awe.He strode forward with predatory grace, each step deliberate. Taller than any werewolf I'd ever seen, his broad shoulders stretched the fabric of his black coat. But it wasn't his size that commanded attention, it was the aura of raw power that surrounded him, a ta
