Page 62 of Marked
She’s poring over a large, leather-bound journal—her father’s journal. The one Elena gave her. She’s tracing a faded symbol with her finger, a look of fierce concentration on her face.
I walk in quietly, leaning against the doorframe, just watching her. The peace in this moment is profound. The quiet scent of old paper and Maya’s familiar blend fills the air.
She looks up, sensing my presence. A soft smile touches her lips. “Hey. Everything okay?”
“Perfect,” I say, pushing off the frame and walking toward her. I sit on the edge of the large, worn desk. “Just thinking about how different everything is.”
She nods, running her hand over the journal’s cover. “It is. I never thought I’d be… here. In this room. Doing this.”
“Me neither,” I admit. “I always thought being Alpha would be about upholding the old ways. Protecting what’s ours. But you… you showed me it’s about growing. About building something new, something better.”
She closes the journal, her eyes meeting mine. “We built it. Together.”
“Always,” I affirm, reaching for her hand. Our fingers intertwine, a comfortable, familiar fit.
“I was just looking at this,” she says, tapping the journal. “There are so many references to other packs. Smaller ones. Struggling ones.Some with… unusual bloodlines.” She looks at me, a spark of an idea in her eyes. “What if we could help them?”
This is her. Always looking outward. Always seeking to understand, to bridge, to heal.
“What are you thinking?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
“We’ve learned so much,” she explains, her voice gaining momentum. “About balance, about acceptance, about integrating. This pack is strong now. Strong enough to reach out. To share what we’ve learned. To help other ‘hybrid’ wolves find their place. To create a network of packs that truly understand both sides of their heritage. Maybe even… to find a way to protect them from the kind of rogues who tried to hurt us.”
A new adventure. A new challenge. It’s a vast, ambitious idea, one that will demand every ounce of our strength, our leadership, our combined human and wolf instincts.
My wolf stirs within me, eager. This is what we were made for. Not just to survive, but to lead. To unite.
I look at her, my mate, my partner. Her eyes are bright with purpose, her face alight with the vision. The girl who used to try and hide in the shadows now blazes with a light that could guide nations. And she chose me. She chose us.
“I’m with you,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “Wherever you lead. Always.”
She leans into me, her head resting on my shoulder. “It won’t be easy, you know.”
“Nothing worth having ever is.” I pull her closer, breathing in her scent, feeling the steady beat of her heart against mine. The weight of the world, the responsibilities of Alpha, whenever that happens, the challenges ahead—they still exist. But with her, they transformed from burdens into sharedpurpose.
I run my hand through her soft curls, my gaze drifting to the map on the wall, then to the sky outside, where the first stars are beginning to twinkle. The world is vast, full of unknowns. But for the first time in my life, that doesn’t fill me with dread. It fills me with a quiet, certain hope.
She saved me. She saved the pack. And now, together, we’re ready to save others.
This is our ever after. Not a quiet, settled peace, but a vibrant, living, breathing adventure. An endless horizon of possibilities, forged in fire and sealed by a bond that transcends blood, tradition, and even species.
Because with Maya by my side, everything is possible. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
THE END