He strode past, his purpose clear in every measured step.
Marcus intercepted him mid-stride, his beta stance alert and professional. "Alpha," he greeted, his voice carefully measured.
Kade's lips twitched with something that might have been satisfaction, a cat-like glint undeniable in his golden eyes, his shoulders loose in a way they rarely were, though he made no smug parade of it. "Mmm."
Marcus hesitated, his brow furrowing slightly. "Don't you think... you went too far tonight?"
Last night had been intense but controlled, the claiming deliberate. But... But the entire pack had heard the screams echoing through the halls, had heard Dakota's desperate pleas, her frantic cries. Pack members with enhanced hearing had exchanged glances, betas shifting uncomfortably at the sounds of their Alpha's mate being thoroughly overwhelmed.
"Marcus." Kade didn't break stride, weaving through corridors where guards immediately bowed their heads, gazes locked to the floor in rigid deference.
