Chapter Seventy One

Lila POVThe celebration continued long after the moon reached its highest point.Music drifted through the compound, accompanied by laughter, conversation, and the occasional howl that echoed across Bloodmoon territory. The entire pack seemed determined to celebrate until dawn.For the first time in weeks, there was no looming battle.No emergency council meetings.No threats at the border.No impossible decision waiting for her.Just happiness.Pure, uncomplicated happiness.Lila stood near the edge of the gathering, watching pack members dance around one of the larger bonfires. Children chased one another through the clearing while warriors who normally looked intimidating laughed freely with friends and family.The sight warmed something deep inside her.These people were safe.For now, at least.And that mattered.A hand settled against the small of her back.She didn't need to look to know it was Kade.The bond gave him away immediately."You're doing it again."Lila smiled."Do

Chapter Seventy Two

Lila POVThe map on the council table had grown considerably over the past month.I stood beside it, studying the inked borders that marked Bloodmoon's territory. What had once been a modest stretch of forest surrounding our compound now extended across valleys, rivers, and hunting grounds that belonged to allied packs.It was strange.For so long, Bloodmoon had simply been a refuge.A place for rogues.A place for wolves who didn't fit anywhere else.Now it was becoming something bigger.Something powerful."You're staring at it like it might bite you."I glanced up to find Darius leaning against the doorway.A grin tugged at his mouth.I rolled my eyes."It's a map.""You've been glaring at it for ten minutes.""I've been thinking.""That's usually more dangerous."I laughed despite myself.Darius pushed away from the doorway and crossed the room. His arms wrapped around my waist from behind, and I relaxed into his warmth automatically.The pack bond hummed softly beneath my skin.S

Chapter Seventy Two

Lila POVThe messenger arrived just after sunrise.I was halfway through breakfast when Maya burst into the dining hall, her cheeks flushed from running."Council room. Now."I immediately sat up straighter.Maya wasn't someone who panicked easily."What happened?""Neutral territory messenger."That got everyone's attention.Kade set down his coffee.Darius stopped eating.Ronan's expression sharpened instantly.Neutral territory messengers rarely brought casual news.They usually carried warnings, challenges, or opportunities.Sometimes all three.We reached the council room minutes later.A woman stood waiting near the large table.She wore dark leather armor marked with the symbol of a silver tree against a black background.Ironwood.Even I recognized it.The Ironwood Pack controlled one of the largest neutral territories in the region. They were powerful enough that no neighboring pack dared challenge them and respected enough that they often acted as mediators during disputes.

Chapter Seventy Four

Lila POVThe first warning arrived three days after our return from Ironwood.The second came the following morning.By the end of the week, the council room felt less like a place of leadership and more like a war room.Every report that landed on our table painted the same picture.Shadowfang was growing.Fast.I stood beside the large map spread across the council table, staring at the red markers Ronan had placed across the eastern territories.There were too many.Far too many."Another one?" I asked quietly.Ronan nodded."A small rogue settlement near Blackwater Creek."My stomach sank."Joined willingly?"His expression told me the answer before he spoke."No."Silence settled over the room.The settlement wasn't the first.It probably wouldn't be the last.Finn Blackthorn had abandoned any pretense of diplomacy months ago.Every report described the same pattern.An ultimatum.Submission or destruction.Those who agreed were absorbed into Shadowfang.Those who refused disappe

All Chapters of MARKED BY THE THREE ALPHAS : Chapter 71 - Chapter 74

Chapter Seventy One

Chapter Seventy Two

Chapter Seventy Two

Chapter Seventy Four