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“What did you do to the men?” Marcus bellows as he approaches the steps, slowing down. “Where are they?”
“Dead,” he says simply, but gathering me close, he ignores him.
I release a sob as blood soaks my dress, but I don’t pay any attention to it as I lean into his peppery scent. Moving my face into his neck, I inhale deeply, pressing against his hard body.
“You’re bleeding.” I pull away to inspect him. “Are you hurt?”
He shakes his head, pulling me back. “It’s nothing.”
“This is all my fault,” I realize tearfully. “I’m so sorry. I thought I could save them.”
“Shh, it’s okay,” he hushes me, his voice deep as he nips at my earlobe. “None of that matters.”
“I can’t believe you found me,” I sob, clinging to him.
“I’ll always find you,” he murmurs. He holds me for what feels like eternity before he pulls away, noticing my bound hands. He quirks a brow before twining his fingers in the bindings, snapping them gently. Then, kneeling, he snaps the ones around my ankles, too.
“Oh, thank you.” I breathe a sigh of relief, shaking my freed arms and legs.
“Now, see here, Noah.” Marcus pushes himself between us angrily. “These are my prisoners. You can’t just come in here and disturb the Order.”
His movements are quick and lethal as he pushes me behind him. I stumble slightly until I hit the door, sliding down next to Isolde and Stella, both of whom are watching Noah with a surprising amount of calmness.
Noah doesn’t speak as he steps toward Marcus, staring at him for several seconds before he lifts his hand in the air slowly, clenching his fist tight.
The movement is casual, but his face is anything but calm. No, he looks wild, his severe eyes focused on Marcus. It’s almost as if he’s completely transformed into a different alpha—someone I don’t recognize.
“Noah,” I murmur his name under my breath as I scamper to my feet.
But he’s not listening to me, so focused on something I can’t see. Nothing happens at first—Marcus is suspiciously still and quiet. But then he coughs, followed by a rough choking sound. Staggering forward, he claws at his neck, falling to his knees as he scratches at his skin. It’s like he’s being strangled.
When his face turns an angry purple, my head jolts toward Noah with alarm. Just like he did with Cass at the beach, he’s killing Marcus.
But before I can say anything to stop him, Joanna does.
“Stop it! You’re killing him!” When he doesn’t pay any attention to her, she glances back at me, alarmed. “Make him stop! He’s your father, too.”
Noah’s killing him. My father.
I jump up with a start, yanking at his arm. “Noah, stop it. Please.” He doesn’t act like he hears me, so I pull again, yanking hard on his arm. “Noah! You’ll kill him. This isn’t you. Stop!”
He jolts then, his concentration broken when he looks down at me, the fire in his eyes dimming slowly. Something shifts in him, and eventually, he drops his arm.
Marcus falls to the ground in a heap, sucking in deep, greedy breaths. In my periphery, I see Joanna rush toward him.
Noah staggers back slowly, his eyes wide and confused. I lay my hand on his shoulder, and immediately, he pulls me close and buries his face in my hair.
“I’m sorry,” he mutters into my hair. “I thought he would hurt you, and I’d need to…” He hesitates as if he doesn’t know what he’d do next if left to his own devices.
“It’s okay,” I whisper. “Try to calm down.”
“I had to kill people to get to you,” he whispers, his mouth pressed against my ear. “And now that I started, I feel like I won’t be able to stop. I don’t feel like myself anymore. I’ve never done anything so…”
I shush him, tightening my arms. “You don’t have to kill anyone else. I’m safe, and so are you.”
“I love you,” he whispers against my ear hotly.
I press into him. “I love you, too.”
