Page 36 of Fated to the Lone Shifter (Curse of the Lunaris Alpha #1)

Chapter thirty-three

Ever After Ashes

SERA

M arcus helps the Bensons sit up as they blink against the fire’s lingering glow, their movements groggy and uncertain. I stand nearby, keeping my expression calm as I watch them take in their surroundings—the scorched earth, the chaos still hanging heavy in the night air.

"The last thing I remember is Bode," Mr. Benson murmurs, dazed. "He was in the house. Grabbing us."

I step forward, careful with my words. "There was a struggle. You were taken, but we found you in time. You’re safe now. That’s what matters."

They nod, but I can see the worry in their eyes. Not just about what happened. About their son. Noah.

Tori just arrived, breathless from the sprint through the woods and charcoaled from the firehouse fire, responding to my earlier telepathic call.

She’s kneeling beside Noah without a word, her fingers already working a soft golden glow into the wound on his leg.

I watch the tension bleed out of him, his jaw relaxing as the pain eases. His wolf will have to do the rest.

Meanwhile, Marcus retrieves the trap and as many of the used weapons as we can locate.

Together, we dig a deep hole at the base of an ancient pine and bury the evidence, returning the earth to its untouched state.

I wave my hand over the earth and whisper, "Protego," a traditional warding spell passed down through my mother’s line. The word hums in the soil beneath my palm, a faint shimmer of energy rippling outward as the charm settles into place, its purpose more than symbolic—a true barrier against dark intent. Hopefully, it’s enough to keep the authorities at bay as well.

The fire has been burning for nearly an hour when the FBI finally arrives—red and blue lights from the nearby road cut through the darkness like sirens of judgment.

My stomach tightens. I brace for Ember to tear into me for failing to preserve the scene.

..and the dead bodies. God knows what the agents will find in the surrounding woods—blood, DNA, maybe even traces of magic.

But at least the threat is over. Bode is dead. And that’s what matters tonight.

Ember approaches, cool and composed. "Is everyone alright?"

I nod. Tori offers a quick affirmative, her focus still on Noah.

Once reassured of everyone's safety, Ember gives a clipped update.

"We tracked their vehicles to a lot two counties over.

Then followed their motorcycles to a cave on the Bitterroot range, just inside Lolo.

That's how they've successfully been 'out of town' during each of the arsons.

God only knows how they made it from the cave to here. "

She places a hand on my shoulder.

I flinch. A sharp jolt of vision floods my mind. Lycans transforming in the cave. Jumping on motorcycles. The FBI finding those bikes over an hour ago and being held back—by Ember.

As I patch together the meaning of my vision, I’m interrupted by Ember's final question: "Are you confident you’ve gotten the arsonists?"

I hesitate, then nod, suddenly exhausted. Ember removes her hand from my shoulder. “Good. We’ll do a quick sweep and then debrief everyone in the morning."

I’m too stunned to question anything—my mind reeling in confusion. Ember’s not angry. Not even surprised at the mess. They just seem... relieved. They wink at me, then nod toward Noah and Marcus, before placing a hand on Tori’s shoulder.

"I appreciate this gesture," Ember says quietly.

Tori’s brows rise at the use of the Fae phrase.

We all share a laugh—soft, tired, disbelieving.

As Ember disappears into the trees, I think to myself Are you kidding? These supernaturals and their secrets.

Half an hour later, Noah and I sit in silence, hand in hand. No need for conversation; our bond allows us to now read each other’s thoughts.

Marcus crouches nearby, panting, blood smeared across his torn uniform and jaw. He’s not looking at us. His eyes are fixed on the ground, hands trembling where they rest on his knees. The fire’s long out, but something still burns behind his eyes.

Tell me. I hear Noah press the thought into his mind, gentle but firm. Wolf-to-wolf. No rank. No command. Just you and me. What happened to you?

Marcus flinches—his head jerks slightly like he’s about to snap back, but doesn’t. His voice is low when it finally comes, broken glass wrapped in smoke.

“I didn’t come to Lolo to start over,” he says. “I came to disappear.”

He raises his eyes, and we see it—guilt like rot beneath his skin.

“I was dealing in L.A.,” he confesses. “Big players. Fast money. Stupid choices. I turned in the crew I was working for. Got a federal deal in exchange for witness protection. They scrubbed my record, gave me a new name, stuck me in this quiet-ass town. It worked, and I was quite happy…until Bode showed up.”

Noah intervenes. “He knew?”

Marcus nods slowly. “He came to me one night. Told me he knew exactly who I was. What I’d done. Said if I didn’t do what he asked, he’d burn it all down—my name, my life, everything. And I believed him. Still do.”

His voice cracks. “At first, he just wanted me to slow down the crew. Buy him time. Keep people off certain scenes. Let the fire destroy the evidence. I told myself it wasn’t that bad. I wasn’t hurting anyone. Not really.”

Noah’s giant hand squeezes mine tightly. “You were protecting yourself.”

“No,” he snarls. “I was being a coward.”

He looks up at Noah then, eyes rimmed red. “Then once he realized who you were, he wanted more. Wanted me to set you up. To isolate you. Make you vulnerable. I told him to go to hell.”

I clench my jaw. “And Natalie?”

His breath catches like I’ve punched him.

“That message was for me. His punishment. I knew. And then he sent Marsha.”

The way he says her name—raw and venom-laced—sends a chill down my spine.

“She said she was there to help. But she was my leash. A test. Bode wanted to make sure I stayed in line. The motel fire? I destroyed the camera. That time, I did what he asked. I didn’t want anyone else I cared about to get hurt.”

“And the firetruck?” I ask. I picture him coming out the back, the hose failing mid-response.

“I was trying to switch it off,” he says. “Pressure was too high. Thought I could re-route it, sabotage it just enough to give him a window. But the valve snapped. Before I could fix it… you were there. You turned me around, and I thought that was it. You knew. I thought it was over.”

Why did you rejoin him? I hear Noah reaching out to Marcus telepathically.

He shakes his head, ashamed. “After the fire at your parents’ place… something snapped. I ran. Didn’t think. Just shifted in the woods and let the wolf take over. I thought maybe—maybe if I gave into the shift, I could outrun it all.”

“But they found me.”

“Bode’s crew?” Noah presses.

Marcus doesn’t have to answer. I feel it ripple through the bond— yes.

“They couldn’t read my thoughts. Not in wolf form. But they knew I was vulnerable. Knew I was desperate. So they gave me a test.”

His hands shake harder now. “They brought a man to me. Some homeless guy, passed out by the creek. Said he didn’t matter. Said no one would miss him. Said if I was serious about proving my loyalty, I’d do it.”

My heart drops.

Marcus swallows. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“That’s what I told myself,” he says, staring through me.

“I was surrounded. Outnumbered. He was unconscious. I thought it would be quick. But it wasn’t.

Because I hesitated. And the man regained consciousness and started to cry out.

One of them was going to get him. We couldn’t let him go.

So I… took the guy out and saved myself.

I’m not proud of what I did, but I would do it again under the same circumstances. ”

“I’m sorry you were in that position.” Noah puts a hand on his shoulder. “I wish you would have told me what you were facing.”

Marcus’ face twists. “I didn’t want you know about my past. I really wanted to leave all that behind.”

He rises slowly, grimacing. “When I saw you and Sera in that clearing—saw Bode coming for you, and the way she stood in front of you like she’d die first—I knew what side I was on. Knew what side I’d been on all along.”

You're still pack , Noah sends.

Marcus’ eyes widen. A slow tear leaks out of the corner of one eye.

And you’re not dead yet. That means you get to make it right…for Natalie.

A moment of silence fills the space, as if honoring Marcus’ fated mate.

Then he nods.

“I will.”

And with that, he shuffles over to check on the Bensons, who are now being cared for by Tori.

Noah and I sit in silence for what seems like days, but it’s only minutes.

I turn to him. "You okay?"

He shakes his head. A jolt of pain runs through his leg as his wolf heals the last of his injuries. As he relaxes into the night, he stands and holds out his hand to me. I rise and share the final secret I’ve been postponing all evening.

"There were seven adults and a child at the camp," I say, voice low. "But only six bodies." I nod in the direction of where the bodies had been piled.

In the distance, a wolf howls.

I close my eyes—and I see it. A wrangler van. Dust rising in its wake. A young woman and a five-year-old boy inside.

A bittersweet ending to the Bitterroot Mountain wildfires.