Marked Twice by the Alpha King

Third Person POV

Jackson stood frozen in the doorway like someone had just gut-punched him. His chest rose and fell in sharp bursts, eyes ping-ponging between Ava on the floor and Blake radiating enough Alpha power to make the windows rattle.

The man looked like he'd rather be anywhere else on the planet.

Áva pushed herself up from the cold marble, wiping blood from her nose with the back of her hand. Her head stil! pounded from Blake's Alpha pressure, but that golden mark on her neck pulsed warm-a steady reminder of where she belonged

now.

Seeing Jackson sent this weird cocktail of emotions through her. Shock, yeah. Anger, definitely. And something that might've been old hurt. But mostly? She just felt tired. Bone-deep, soul-crushing tired of being everyone's favorite punching bag.

Blake's power gradually pulled back, but his eyes stayed that dangerous gold. Watching his daughter and Ava duke it out had seriously pissed him off. Jackson showing up just made everything ten times more complicated.

"Jackson." Sophia's voice cracked as she wiped tears off her cheeks. She tried pulling herself together, but her hands wouldn't stop shaking.

Jackson forced himself to move, each step careful like he was walking through a minefield. His gaze kept darting to Ava, then away, like looking too long might actually burn.

'I came to see you," he said, voice rusty from shock. "Wanted to surprise you for lunch.

The explanation came out automatic, his political training kicking in even while he was obviously thrown. Guy genuinely hadn't expected to find Ava here- seeing her bloodied and shaken had knocked him completely sideways.

Sophia took this shuddering breath, fresh tears spilling down her face. "I don't wanna make a scene," she said, voice trembling but determined, "but Ava's been lying to everyone from the start!"

All eyes turned to her. Blake's expression went carefully blank, but through their bond, Ava felt his emotional storm-confusion, worry, and anger at getting blindsided like this.

'She told everyone she and Jackson had no relationship," Sophia continued, pointing an accusing finger Ava's way. "But that's complete bullshit! They're fated mates!"

Her voice broke on those last words, pain and betrayal bleeding through every syllable. "And destroy what Jackson and I have!"

been using that connection this whole time, trying to

The accusation hung in the air like smoke. Blake's jaw went tight as he looked between his daughter and Ava, clearly furious at being put in this position. The golden mark seemed to burn hotter, sending waves of Blake's complicated emotions straight through Ava.

Jackson finally stepped closer, but-and this was telling-he went straight to Sophia. Not to Ava, sitting there bleeding and shaken. His priorities couldn't have been clearer if he'd drawn a damn map.

"Sophia, baby..." He reached for her, voice soft and soothing. "I can

explain all of this."

He deliberately avoided looking at Ava, focusing entirely on the woman in his arms. Message received, loud and clear.

"I would never do anything to hurt you," Jackson said, tilting Sophia's chin up to meet her eyes. "I just didn't want you worrying about stuff from the past.

His thumb brushed away her tears with practiced gentleness. Talk about smooth operator.

'Never," Jackson cut her off when she started to speak. "What Ava and I had... it's over. Completely over."

He kept the explanation brief, public, smart enough not to air dirty laundry in front of Blake. But his eyes flicked to Ava for just a second, and she caught something cold and calculating there.

"You're the only one I love now," he continued, refocusing on Sophia. "The only one I wanna be with."

13

Chapter 167: Better Opportunities

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situation.

Sophie opened her mouth to argue, obviously wanting to keep the confrontation going, but Blake's Alpha a jeled enough to remind her exactly who was running this show.

Jackson, reading the room like a pro, tightened his arm around Sophia. Come on, baby. Let's go upstairs."

As they headed toward the stairs, Jackson's eyes met Ava's for one brief moment. The lonk he gave her was sold, riterions Like important game she didn't even know they were playing.

Then they were gone, leaving Blake and Ava alone in the aftermath.

About ten minutes after they disappeared upstairs, Jackson pulled Sophia into their guest room. She was still shaking slightly, making her movements jerky,

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, baby," he murmured into her hair, hands stroking her back in soothing circles,

Inside, his mind was racing. The confrontation had gone better than he could've hoped. Sophia's accusations had done exactly what he needed- doubt, sowed discord, put Ava on the defensive.

Perfect setup for phase two.

Sophia pressed closer to him, seeking comfort. I was just so scared of losing you,” she whispered against his chest. Scared that that take you away from

1. me.

Jackson tilted her face up to his, expression perfectly crafted to show love and devotion. That could never happen. You're everything to

But Sophia wasn't quite satisfied yet. "Why didn't you tell me before? About you and her being you know, Fated mates?

This was the crucial moment. Jackson had been preparing for this question, crafting his response like a master sculptor.

"Because she betrayed everything sacred about the fated mate bood," be said, letting pain calos his wice. She was always manipulative, soph Always wanting more than what we had

Sophia's eyes went wide. "What d'you mean?"

Third Person POV

"She never loved me for who I was, Jackson continued, lies flowing like honey. "She saw me as a stepping stone to something better. Always talking about power, about status, about what she deserved."

He paused, like the memory actually hurt him. "When she heard about Blake Morgan becoming Alpha King... God, the way her eyes lit up. She started asking all these questions about Silverpeak, about the royal family."

"No way," Sophia breathed, horrified.

'She even told me once that someone like Blake-an established Alpha King-was worth way more than some candidate like me," Jackson said, adding just the right amount of hurt to his tone.

Complete lie, of course. Ava had never said anything remotely like that. Had never shown interest in power or status. But Sophia didn't know that, and Jackson was betting she'd never think to question his version.

"She came here claiming it was about training Lucas," he continued, "but I could see what she was really after. She's been trying to seduce your father from day

one."

Sophia's face crumpled. "I knew something was wrong. The way she looked at him, the way he...

"The way he what?" Jackson prompted gently.

"The way he protects her. Defends her. I've never seen Dad act like that with anyone except Mom." Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. "I thought maybe... maybe he was finally happy again. But she's just using him."

Jackson pulled her close, hiding his satisfied smile. "I know it hurts, baby. That's why I didn't wanna tell you. But at least now you know the truth. You can protect your father from making a terrible mistake."

"She doesn't deserve him," Sophia said fiercely. "Dad deserves someone who'll love him for who he is, not what he can give them."

"Exactly," Jackson agreed, stroking her hair. "Someone like that Northern Lights priestess. Did you see how she looked at him? With real respect and admiration." Sophia nodded eagerly. "Lyra's perfect for him. She's beautiful, powerful, worthy of being an Alpha Queen."

"Unlike some people," Jackson added quietly, planting the seed deeper. Sophia leaned back to look at him, fresh determination sparking in her eyes. "I won't let her hurt our family anymore. Dad's gonna see the truth." Jackson cupped her face gently. "I love you so much. I'm sorry I let her cause problems between us."

"It's not your fault," Sophia said firmly. "You're the victim hère. She's the one who threw away something precious for power and status."

As she settled against his chest, Jackson allowed himself a moment of pure triumph. Sophia now believed completely that he was the wronged party, that Ava was the manipulative villain trying to destroy their happiness.noveldrama

His wolf stirred uneasily at all the lies, but Jackson pushed the discomfort aside.

Sometimes you had to play dirty to get what you

1. d.

Phase one: complete.