Chapter 36 Chapter 36
Marcus POV
I swear I’m going to make them pay, even if it’s the last thing I do on this earth,” I roared, kicking at the ruined fake jewelry scattered across the floor.
Glass skittered and clinked as the pieces flew, catching the light one last time before landing in ugly, broken piles. The sight only fueled the fury burning through my chest.
“Calm down, Marcus. People are still watching,” Kira said, her voice coaxing, but it grated on my nerves like a persistent buzz.
“Do I look like I fucking care?” I snapped.
I turned on the bystanders still lingering in the room, their eyes wide, their phones and cameras half-raised as if they were afraid to miss a single second of my humiliation. Rage surged, hot and uncontrollable.
“The hell are you all staring at?” I barked. “Can’t you see the show is over? Get out!”
They didn’t need to be told twice. Panic rippled through them as they scrambled toward the exit, bumping into one another in their rush to escape my wrath. Someone knocked over a display stand in their haste. Another cursed under their breath.
A sudden flash went off right in front of my face.
I froze, then slowly turned, catching sight of a camera pointed directly at me, its lens trained on my expression, capturing every ugly second of my breakdown.
Something inside me snapped.
With a growl, I lunged forward, yanking the camera out of the man’s hands and crushing it effortlessly between my fingers. Plastic cracked, metal warped, the device crumpling like it was made of paper.
The man’s eyes widened in terror. He stumbled back, nearly tripping over his own feet before turning and bolting for the door.
Good.
The store emptied soon after, leaving behind a heavy, suffocating silence. Only Kira and a handful of my pack members remained, standing awkwardly among the wreckage of what was supposed to be my triumph.
The air felt thick. My chest burned with hatred, my muscles coiling tight beneath my skin, veins standing out along my arms as the urge to destroy something threatened to consume me.
“I swear I’ll make that Ethan pay,” I hissed. “He thinks he’s untouchable. Like he’s above all of this.” I let out a bitter laugh. “I’ll put him in his place.”
“And I know just how to help,” Kira said quietly, coming up behind me.
Before she could say another word, I spun around and wrapped my hand around her throat, lifting her clean off the ground.
“Don’t you think you’ve done enough already?” I snarled, baring my teeth.
She clawed at my wrist, struggling to break free, but I tightened my grip instead.
“Ma Marcus,” she gasped, her voice strained. “You’re… you’re hurting…me.”
“And?” I squeezed harder, watching her skin darken beneath my fingers, turning from pale to red, her eyes widening in panic. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t end you right now.”
“She’s your mate, you moron!” Hugo shouted inside my head.
“And what if she is?” I shot back. “She’s done nothing but cause more problems between me and Sophia.”
“No,” Hugo said firmly. “She’s been trying to help you. Kill her, and you’ll bring the wrath of the Moon Goddess down on yourself.”
That gave me pause.
With a snarl, I released Kira and let her drop hard to the floor. She collapsed to her knees, coughing violently, one hand clutching her throat as she dragged in air like she’d nearly forgotten how to breathe.
I rolled my eyes and crouched in front of her.
“You’ve got five minutes to explain how you plan on fixing this,” I said coldly. “You know I’m not known for patience.” I leaned closer. “And if you suggest poison again, I swear..”
She shook her head frantically. “Poison won’t work. Not this time.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Go on.”
She slowly pushed herself to her feet. “If we want to take someone as powerful as Ethan down, we’ll need to be… creative.”
“You have less than a minute,” I warned, already losing my patience.
Her gaze flicked toward the pack members still watching us, hesitant.
I followed her look, then straightened. “Leave,” I ordered them.
“Return to the Shadowmoon Pack. Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone and tell my beta to handle the media.”
They bowed and quickly filed out, leaving the room eerily quiet. Outside, the distant hum of traffic and the occasional blare of a horn filtered in through the glass doors.
I turned back to Kira. “Speak.”
“I know a group of assassins,” she said. “They worked for my pack before everything fell apart. They’re efficient, discreet, and fast. Ethan won’t even see it coming.”
My wolf stirred approvingly in the back of my mind.
“At last,” Hugo murmured. “She’s thinking the right way.”
“Shut up,” I snapped internally.
“Are you suggesting assassination?” I asked aloud.
Her gaze appraised me, as if judging to see how far I was willing to take things. Then she nodded slowly. “If Ethan’s gone, Sophia will have nowhere else to turn.”
I stepped closer. She swallowed, retreating instinctively, but I caught her wrist, stopping her.
Before she could protest, I crushed my mouth against hers. She stiffened for a moment, then slowly melted into the kiss.
“You’re a genius, Kira,” I murmured against her lips. “A worthy Luna. If this plan succeeds, consider your Luna succession to be one of the best in history.”
Her fear vanished instantly, replaced by eagerness. “You promise?”
“I always keep my promises,” I said smoothly.
“Then consider it done,” she replied.
I pulled her closer, crashing my lips down on hers again as my hand slipped beneath her shirt to grope her breast.
She let out a satisfied moan, relaxing into my touch. Adrenaline surged through me, the image of Sophia breaking down and crawling back replaying in my mind, making me hard, my pants tig
htening.
Soon.
Very soon.
Ethan would be nothing more than a memory.
And Sophia would be mine again.