Page 126 of The Alpha's Bullied Rejected Mate

Epilogue - Marcus

A few months later

The Council building was back to its usual bustling, yet there was a new kind of energy within its walls—purposeful, cautious, and alert. A few months had passed since the battle on the rooftop, and the dust had finally begun to settle. However, the cleanup afterward had been intense.

The organization had undergone an intensive internal review and recheck—every position, from the highest-ranking officials down to the janitorial staff, was under evaluation.

And for good reason. They had learned the hard way that no one was immune to suspicion now. Not anymore.

The real witch, the one wielding dark magic, was still on the run, but now a new team had been deployed to track her.

Marcus stepped through the dimly lit hallway as he made his way toward the west wing. His steps were silent as he approached a familiar door at the end, barely needing to knock.

Inside, the room was illuminated by the soft blue light of various monitors. Adrian sat at the center, his ice blue eyes sharp behind his lenses, his fingers flying swiftly across a keyboard. He didn’t even look up as Marcus entered.

For a moment, Marcus thought he hadn’t been noticed until Adrian spoke dryly and calmly.

“Stop sneaking around like a thief, Marcus. You’re too tall to be subtle.”

“You look like a ghost,” Marcus said casually.

He hadn’t seen Adrian in weeks. And rumors flew that the man had locked himself into his workspace and had practically turned nocturnal. Marcus had to see for himself.

“Doubt it,” Adrian replied, his eyes not leaving the screens.

Marcus leaned against the edge of a table beside him, observing the open interface in front of Adrian. He hadn’t seen Adrian in weeks. Rumors were circulating that the man had become so engrossed in his work that he rarely logged off, even to sleep. Marcus had come to see for himself.

“Don’t you ever take a break?” Marcus asked, eyeing the lines of code.

“Breaks are for people who didn’t lose a chunk of encrypted records.”

Adrian had been compromised during the infiltration. One of his closest assistants was possessed and had tampered with his intel. So, Adrian had spent the last few months tightening server security and tracking losses. Unfortunately, a breach had cost them more than data—some of their encrypted records were unrecoverable.

Marcus’s eyes roamed toward a small screen that rested beside Adrian.

Curious, Marcus tilted his head. He barely got a glimpse of the image displayed on it—a feminine figure with red hair—before Adrian slammed the screen shut.

“Stop snooping.”

“Whose tail are you on now?” Marcus asked, his eyebrow raised.

Adrian didn’t respond, and Marcus smirked. “So much for transparency.”

“So much for boundaries,” Adrian countered.

Marcus snorted dramatically. “I just came to check on you. Clearly, I’m not welcome.”

Adrian glared at him. “Correct.”

Still smirking, Marcus pushed off the table. “Try not to marry your screens while I’m gone.”

“Get out!” Adrian roared, and Marcus grinned to himself as he strolled out of the room.

***

The drive back to his residence was brief, but Marcus still welcomed the silence of his car. When he pulled into his designated parking space, golden lights from inside the rooms spilled onto the pavement.

Home.