Page 30 of Fated to the Lone Shifter (Curse of the Lunaris Alpha #1)

Chapter twenty-eight

Games of Fate

NOAH

I ’m still trying to find Marcus. He didn’t show up to work today, and no one has seen him anywhere.

Same with Sera. Something is going on.

And now I’m really getting worried.

I’m dialing my sixth contact when my phone buzzes. I glance at the screen and freeze.

Sera.

“Hi Noah.” I hear her voice. Relief crashes over me like a collapsing wave, stealing the strength from my knees until I have to sit, my hands trembling as the breath I didn't know I was holding rushes out in a shaky exhale.

But it’s not my Sera. It’s the real Sera.

“This is Agent Lyra Ashwood of the FBI.” So she’s with the law.

She’s at the police station. And she wants me to come down and answer a few questions. They have Bode and his crew in custody.

My fingers tighten around the phone at the mention of his name. The sharp sting of my claws threatening to breach skin is the only thing grounding me.

It confirms all my suspicions. Her secrecy, her instincts, the way she always seemed two steps ahead.

I should feel betrayed. I should feel lied to.

But I don’t. I just feel…hope. Because if she’s been playing undercover, maybe I haven’t lost her.

Maybe what we have isn’t broken beyond repair.

If…she can forgive me for turning Marcus.

She hangs up quickly. No small talk.

In the rush and excitement, I forget to ask her about him. Marcus. Of course I do. That’s what she does to me—makes everything else fade.

But Bode—

The image of Sera beneath him, his mark on her neck, her breath catching under his hands— it twists in my chest like a knife. I want to rip the memory out. I want to kill him again and again. But that image isn’t fading as quickly as I would like.

Forgiveness? Not the way of an alpha.

But fate doesn’t care about grudges. I know she’s mine. My mate. My match. And if I have to burn down the world to prove it, I will.

I close my eyes, and there she is.

Sera, tangled in moonlight and shadow, her magic merging with mine until we’re a storm of heat and light. No longer two beings—but one. Our bond woven through every inch of me. Soul deep. Eternal.

Until the vision shifts.

Fire.

She’s burning.

Screaming.

I try to reach her, but the flames lick higher, separating us. I can smell the smoke, the seared flesh. And I know—it’s the curse. My family’s curse. She’s paying for my bloodline’s sins.

I jerk upright, breath ragged. No more waiting. No more fear.

I drive straight to the station.

When I walk into the station, the energy hits me like a punch—agents, cops, tension so thick it crackles. And then I see her.

Sera.

She pulls me aside, calm and controlled, but I feel the tremor under her words. I smell it in her magic. She brushes my hand as she leads me into a quieter corridor. That one small touch short-circuits everything in me.

My wolf howls.

“Sera…” I begin, but she cuts me off, all business.

“Tonight’s the full moon,” she starts.

I stare at her with barely contained drool. “I’m aware.”

“What happens when Bode and his pack turn in holding?”

My breath leaves me, and I nearly pass out. I hadn’t considered that.

I run a hand through my hair. “It’s not good. Containment won’t hold them if they shift. If they go feral, the body count will be high—and our secret? Exposed.”

She nods, jaw tight. “We need to prepare.”

God, she’s strong. Even now, after everything, she’s focused. I want to pull her into my arms, bury my face in her neck, apologize for everything. But the bite is still there. Faint. Barely visible. I can feel it like a brand on my soul.

I don't know if I’ll ever get over it.

Then she hits me with something unexpected—so unexpected it jolts through my chest like a live wire, short-circuiting whatever fragile peace I’d just begun to feel.

“Marcus is here. He was with them.”

“What?” I blink, my full moon wolf brain trying to catch up.

“He was picked up alongside Bode’s crew. They’re about to question him. If he checks out clean, they’ll release him.”

My jaw clenches.

“I assume you’ll want him home before midnight.”

I nod. There’s nothing else to say. My friend. My liability.

The clock is ticking.

The full moon is rising.

And I’ve got one shot to make this right.

Even if it means trusting someone I’m not sure I know anymore.

SERA

"Let’s start from the top, Marcus," Ember says, her voice cool and steady. "We know you're in witness protection for turning on your drug dealer buddies in L.A. So, what are you doing hanging with a murderous arsonist and his film crew?”

Witness protection. That part was new to me. Drug dealing buddies in L.A. Not as much of a stretch for Marcus. At least now I understand his role with the FBI and with Ember.

I sit back in the chair beside them, arms crossed. Every fiber of me is taut, ready to pounce. I’m listening for more than words—I’m listening to the churn of his thoughts, watching the flicker of hesitation in his jaw, the twitch in his fingers.

Marcus blinks hard, his mouth parting like he might speak, then closing again. He looks rough. Pale. Unshaven. Something in his eyes is fractured. "I’m not helping anyone kill people. Or light fires. I haven’t done anything."

"Then why were you with them?" Ember asks, leaning forward. Obviously, he wasn’t under cover.

His mouth twists, eyes darting sideways like he’s gauging our reaction. "Marsha. We’ve kind of been seeing each other," he mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.

Figures. I clocked their chemistry the night I saw them at the bar. "That much we know. What can you tell us about the fires?" I join the interrogation.

Marcus shrugs. "I thought they were out of town when the fires happened. That’s what they told me."

He’s lying. Not directly, but by omission. I hear it in the beat of his heart, feel it in the shift of his energy. Ember narrows her eyes, but says nothing.

We let the silence build.

Marcus stares at me. Really stares. I can almost see the wheels turning in his mind, as pieces start snapping into place. His lips part, and this time, the truth spills out.

"Bode approached me outside the bar. Said he used to make documentaries in L.A., covering the drug scene. Said he knew who I was. Knew people who’d love to find me. And if I didn’t want that happening, I’d do whatever he asked. No questions."

My gut clenches. "So do something for us instead. Help us take him down. Give us something. Anything."

He looks away. "Even if he’s locked up, he’s still dangerous. It only takes one call."

That does it. I slam my hands on the table and rise. "He doesn’t know anything. He’s wasting our damn time."

Ember stands slowly. I wait for their rebuke. It doesn't come. Instead their voice is lower, tinged with something like disappointment. "You should have told me, Marcus. I could have helped you."

But we all know the truth.

Marcus won’t ever be free. Not unless Bode and his crew are put down for good.

I send a quick text to Tori as Ember exits the room. Need gear we talked about. Hiding spot. Hurry. Might not have much time.

Then I unclip Marcus’ cuffs. He rubs his wrists, but doesn’t meet my eyes. He seems resigned to his fate. Coward.

Movement at the other end of the station draws my attention. A man in a three-thousand-dollar suit breezes in like he owns the place. Bode’s attorney. Perfect.

I watch him storm into Ember’s office. Through the blinds, I see the angry hand gestures, the heated exchange. My stomach knots.

He’s trying to pull strings—to unleash his monsters and let them roam free again, as if none of the blood ever mattered. It certainly explains why Bode and his crew came in without incident. It was too easy for the magnitude of the sins.

Minutes later, the attorney exits with a smug look and heads toward holding. My pulse spikes.

Too fast. This is all happening too fast.

I find Noah waiting just outside. Marcus follows behind me, slower, like he’s walking toward a death sentence. I hand him off without ceremony.

That’s when it happens.

Bode is being escorted down the corridor. He spots us. All of us.

He stops.

His eyes blaze red.

He sees me.

He sees Marcus.

He sees Noah.

The weight of the stare pins us all in place.

It’s a promise.

A warning.

The full moon is rising.

And Bode is far from done.

I check the area to make sure no one overhears me.

“Be ready within the hour.”

Noah raises an eyebrow.

“Bode’s lawyer is already working the angles. They won’t be behind bars for long.”

Noah swears under his breath.

Marcus doesn’t say a word. He just watches me with this haunted look, like he’s not sure if I’m the villain or the only person left who can save him.

Joke’s on him.

I’m not sure either.

But I know one thing for damn sure—if the wolves get loose tonight, the only thing that’s going to keep this town from turning into a massacre… is us.