Chapter 61: The Alpha’s Wrath Oliver POV

The council chamber's heavy wood doors swung open with a groan. The air was heavy with the tension of silent defiance as I strode in, my boots resonating against the stone floor. At the head of the table sat Alpha Marcus of the Ironclaw Pack, his calm mask barely hiding the fire behind his eyes. He stood up, his silver-flecked hair gleaming in the low light.

"Oliver," Marcus said coolly, tilting his head slightly to be courteous but not so much as to be polite. "What is the honor of this surprise visit due to?"

I didn't make an effort to be nice. "You understand why I'm here." My voice was like a blade, cutting through the quiet. "You've ignored my call. Twice."

Marcus's eyes glowed with challenge as his lips formed a slight grin. "I haven't turned anything down. I just chose not to get involved with your personal grudge. It is a resource waste."

My fists clenched at my sides, the desire to lunge across the table barely restrained. "This is not a vendetta," I growled, stepping closer. "It's justice. Lucas betrayed his pack, and the girl... she's a danger to us all."

Marcus didn't move. "Justice? Or obsession? You've turned half the regions against you with your unrelenting quest. Perhaps it's time to examine yourself why you're truly chasing them."

I smashed my hand on the table, the wood breaking with the force. "Do not try to lecture me, Marcus. Your pack's indifference won't protect you forever. You're either with me or against me."

The older alpha's smirk faded, replaced by a serious, unyielding face. "And what happens when you catch her, Oliver? When you finally obtain what you want? Will it be enough? Or will you pick another target for your wrath?"

His words hit a nerve, but I refused to let it show. Instead, I leaned forward, dropping my voice to a threatening growl. "The mark she carries is a threat to every pack, including yours. You're a fool if you believe keeping out of this will keep you safe."

Marcus looked at me and said in a hard, steady tone. "Furthermore, you are a fool if you think you have any control over the power she possesses. Oliver, passion makes you blind. It will ruin you."

The tension between us was obvious when the chamber fell silent. I stepped back slowly and carefully, a sarcastic smirk forming on my lips. "Destroy me?" My voice was dangerously quiet as I repeated. "I will demonstrate to you what happens to those who disobey me."

I went to my troops beside the door before Marcus could reply. "Grab him."

Two of my guys pushed forward, pinning Marcus to the table as his eyes widened in shock. He struggled, but his rigidity of movement showed his age. "Oliver, this is insane!" he spit out in an angry tone. "This will be shared with the other alphas."

I laughed icily. "Give them freedom. When you resist me, they'll see what happens."

As I pulled the knife from its sheath at my belt, its silver blade gleaming menacingly, Marcus's struggles grew more intense. His tone changed to one of anxious persuasion as he stated, "You don't have to do this. You have time to go back."

With the knife hovering above his throat, I paused. His words briefly stirred something I couldn't quite put my finger on as they reverberated in the back of my thoughts. Then I saw her face, Anna, with the mark that blazed in my mind like a brand, and her rebellious eyes. Any hint of question was smothered by the wave of rage.

"There is no way to turn back," I stated in an emotionless tone. "Marcus, you made your choice. You'll pay the price now."

Plunging downward, the dagger missed its goal by a narrow margin. Marcus's face was thinly sliced by the sharp edge as I rotated it in my fingers. A warning more powerful than words was the way the blood dripped and welled up in his face.

I took a step back and used the edge of my robe to clean the blade. I replied icily, "Take this mercy into consideration. This will not be a warning the next time you ignore me."

Marcus, fighting to keep his cool, looked at me, his mouth clenched. "Oliver, you've sealed your death. You may think that you are unbeatable, but fear-based power is brittle."

I turned on my heel and gave my men a signal while grinning. "Anyone who gets in my way will be crushed, fragile or not."

My thoughts were racing as we left the chamber. Marcus's disobedience was a fissure in the wall I had built, and I couldn't let it grow. To remind the packs of the effects of disobedience, I had to tighten my hold. I needed Anna more than anything else. Everything depended on her mark, and I wouldn't stop until I had her.

The howls of my men reverberated in the distance as I stepped outdoors into the cool night air. They were still looking for her, checking the entire area for her presence. Before long, they would have found her. And there would be no forgiveness when they did.

I had just one thought when I got on my horse: Anna would never get away from me again. Nobody was able to.