The Hunted Wolf – Chapter 74

ADIRA “Do you feel it?” Moon asked, jumping into my lap.

I opened my eyes, and my entire body tingled. The moment it happened, my magic radar went off. “He found another host,” I said quietly.

Xavier and I were tied together in a way I simply couldn’t understand, but I could feel his magic, even as I slept peacefully. I wasn’t sure what had happened to the dark cloud of magic when I had expelled it from Jori’s body, but deep down I knew Xavier wasn’t gone, at least not completely. A force as strong as him was not easily destroyed.

“He’ll come for us again,” Moon said with a sigh. She seemed forlorn and distant as he spoke as she spoke. “He needs us to fulfill the prophecy.”

I scoffed at the mention of the prophecy. “I’m tired of this prophecy. What does it matter? It’s just some legend someone predicted a long time ago. I’m sick of everyone trying to tell me how to live my life. Xavier is just a power-hungry monster. I don’t care if he is technically my soulmate or whatever. He doesn’t truly care about us. He only wants to control this world and destroy it in the process.”

“We will never be rid of him and his threat if we don’t do anything.” Moon pressed her head against my chest, and I knew she hated being tied to him as much as I did.

I knew Moon was right. I had to find a way to destroy him once and for all. It was the only way I could guarantee my family’s safety and my happily ever after. I stood up, still holding Moon in my arms, deciding I no longer wanted to sit back and let the threats come to me.

“I’m going to find him, and I’m going to kill him once and for all. No more running, no more hiding.” I stood tall and strong, and I knew what I needed to do to ensure my success in the matter.

–

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror with my shirt lifted, looking at the baby bump on my stomach. It still didn’t look like I was pregnant. With the right shirt, no one would notice the little bump, and anyone paying closer attention who didn’t already know I was pregnant might just think I was bloated or ate a big lunch.

I placed my hand on my stomach and closed my eyes. I could feel the baby’s energy flowing through me. It was strong and happy. I couldn’t believe I could sense the baby’s energy so early, but it made me love my future child more than I ever thought possible for someone I had never met.

I heard the bathroom door pull open, and I opened my eyes, only to see Mark entering the bathroom. His hair was sticking straight up, just like a bird. He was only in pajama bottoms, and he still had sleep in his eyes. When he saw me, he walked right over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

He nuzzled into the crook of my neck, while placing his hands directly on my stomach. “Someone is up early.”

I placed my hands on his and leaned my head back. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Morning sickness?” Mark asked. He looked up and made eye contact with me through the mirror.

“No, I’ve just had a lot on my mind.” I looked at my own face, and there were bags under my eyes, I had only gotten a few hours of sleep. “There’s something I’ve realized I need to do.”

Mark tensed up, keeping eye contact with me. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”

I let out a long sigh. “No. I need to go after Xavier. I felt him last night, and he has already found a new body. He’s still weakened, so now is the time to strike. If I don’t do anything, he’s just going to torture another soul like Jori, and he’ll come after me anyway.”

Mark was quiet. It was clear he didn’t like the idea, but he also understood where I was coming from, so he didn’t want to simply reject the idea. “I hate the idea of you being around him. He almost took you from me once. I wouldn’t be able to stand losing both of you.” This wasn’t a rejection of the idea, but it still hurt my heart. I knew how much almost losing me affected Mark.

I turned around so I was facing Mark, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I know. I can’t stand the thought of losing you, which is why I have to do this. Xavier will not give up until he has what he wants or he is dead. I plan to make sure it’s the latter. I’ve been thinking about this for hours now, and I want to take Cain’s magic. It’ll make me more powerful, which will give me an advantage. I want to be as prepared as possible. I’ll be stronger, and Xavier will be weaker. He won’t stand a chance.”

Mark looked like he was going to be sick. “Didn’t Ginger say there is a possibility that you won’t be able to handle Cain’s magic or the baby wouldn’t be able to handle it?”

I bit my l*p, unsure of what to say. I couldn’t make Mark feel better about this situation. There was a risk to us, no matter what path I decided to take, and I needed to take the path where I would have the most control.

“I’ve thought about that, too. Cain knew I was pregnant, and he is a skilled sorcerer. If he thought there was a risk to the baby, I think he would have warned me at the very least.”

Mark looked shocked and stepped away from me. “Adira, that man kidnapped you and removed your mate mark. He kept you locked up and was trying to control you. You can’t make your decision on whether he gave you a warning or not. I don’t care if he saved you in the end or tried to make amends. He’s a piece of garbage. I’m putting my foot down. You will not take his magic.”

My mouth fell open. Mark had never given me an order before. Even when he didn’t agree with my decisions, he tried to support me. This was a new side to him I wasn’t used to. I took a step back, anger building inside of me.

“You’re putting your foot down? Guess what? You don’t own me, and you don’t make decisions for me. I get that you don’t agree with it, but in the end, it’s my decision.”

Mark ran his fingers through his hair. “You can be so infuriating, you know that? Did you stop to think about how this would affect me? If I lost you or the baby, I’m not sure I would be able to survive that. I was barely holding it together when I didn’t know if you were dead or alive. If taking Cain’s magic is what breaks you… No. I can’t deal with it.”

Mark’s voice was tense with anger, but as he continued talking, I realized there was something other than anger driving his harsh words. He was terrified.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down before I said something I would regret. I was angry, but fighting fire with fire would only burn us both. Instead, I stepped forward and cupped Mark’s face.

“All I ever do is think about how this affects you and our future. If Xavier were to attack again and target you or try to use you against me, it would break me. I feel like I’m the reason one of us is in danger. First Theron, and now Xavier. It has been threat after threat, and I feel like I’m to blame. I’m tired of being the victim in all of this. I have to do something to protect you and our future family.”

Mark pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. “That’s the problem. I should be the one protecting you, but I can’t. All of this magic is so foreign to me, and I feel like I’m too weak to protect my family. Even against Theron, I was completely useless.”

“I didn’t realize you felt that way.” My voice was softer now. I had continuously been thinking about what I could do to stop all of this madness that I had forgotten that Mark would want to protect me, too.

Mark grabbed my h**s and pulled me closer to him. “I just don’t want to fail you as your mate.”

“Hey, look at me.” I waited for Mark to pull away so he could make eye contact before continuing. “You have never and will never fail me as a mate. You saved me from Xavier. You found where Cain had taken me, and you found me. You are an amazing, supportive, caring mate, and I’m sorry for not including you in the decision to go after Xavier and take Cain’s magic. That should have been more of a conversation, but I need you to understand where I’m coming from.”

Mark nodded, and I saw some of the tension leave his shoulders. “I do understand where you are coming from. I’m just terrified that I’m going to lose you and our baby. I shouldn’t have tried to order you around like that. If you really think taking Cain’s magic is the best shot that we have, then I’ll support you. I want Ginger to look at the magic again, and you should get another check up with Zayla before doing anything. They should both be present when you take it, too, just to be safe.”

I smiled and gave Mark a k**s. “Those are terms I can agree to.”