Chapter 9: At a Loss for Words

Blake's POV

The carved oak carriage bearing the Silverpeak crest raced through the night, moonlight gleaming off its polished surface. Tyler handled the reins with practiced ease, occasionally glancing through the small window at me. I hadn't spoken since we left Moonlight Lodge, my mind racing with what had just happened.

"So," Tyler broke the silence, "are you gonna tell me what happened, or are we just riding in dead silence all the way back?"

"She told Jackson I touched her mark," I replied, my voice low.

Tyler nearly yanked the reins to a stop. "Wait, what? She actually told him?"

I nodded, remembering the scene on the terrace. "More than told him. She used me as a weapon against him."

"Ballsy. I like her style," Tyler said with a hint of admiration.

"It's dangerous," I countered without humor. "A male wolf can accept being abandoned, but not being replaced. Especially when the replacement is his future father-in-law."

Jackson's anger could put Ava in danger. And if Sophia heard anything about this... my daughter's happiness was just one more complication I didn't need.

"About that..." Tyler ventured, "her mark actually changed, didn't it?"

I tensed up. "How'd you know?"

"I saw it. Golden threads, same color as your Alpha mark. You know what that means."

I turned to look out the window, watching the trees rush by in the moonlight.

"It can't be," I muttered.

"The old books mention a few cases like this. A wolf whose mark starts responding to someone new. The elders call it a 'Mark Summoning.'"

My fingers tapped against the window frame as I remembered those dusty werewolf texts from my training days. The Moon Goddess had a twisted sense of humor sometimes.

I closed my eyes, and Elizabeth's face appeared in my mind—her last moments after Lucas was born. I'd been young and hopeful then, holding her hand while she struggled to breathe.

"Promise me..." she'd whispered, "you'll find happiness again..."

I'd promised to raise our kids and keep Silverpeak safe. Never thought I'd meet someone who made my heart race again.

"Can't go there," I whispered, mostly to myself.

A gray pigeon swooped through the window, landing on Tyler's shoulder with a tiny scroll tied to its leg. He read it and let out a huff.

"Wilson says Lucas chucked his training gear into the lake again. Third time this month."

I rubbed my face, the father in me pushing aside the Alpha for a moment. "Every teacher I find lasts about a week before quitting."

"Maybe it's not the teachers that's the problem," Tyler suggested. "Maybe it's what you're expecting from them."

"The kid partially shifted at seven," I said flatly. "That kind of power showing up so early is trouble waiting to happen. He needs someone to teach him control."

I felt proud of Lucas's gift but scared for him too. If he couldn't handle it, he might end up like others in Elizabeth's family.

"His wolf blood is waking up," I continued. "Without control, he'll fully change before he's ready for it."

Tyler went quiet for a second. "The last kid who changed that early was Elizabeth's great-grandfather. Didn't end well for him."

I clenched my fist. "Not happening to my son."

"You need someone special," Tyler said carefully. "Not just good at fighting, but someone who gets what it's like to be angry at the world."

An idea hit me like a lightning bolt.

"Tyler, need you to do something."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling about this?"

"Find Lucas a new teacher."

"That quick? You already have someone in mind?"

I nodded, my mind made up. "Ava Rivers."

Tyler whipped around so fast he almost dropped the reins. "Hold up. You just told her 'we're done' and now you want her teaching your kid?"

"Yep," I said simply.

Something in my gut—call it instinct—told me Ava was exactly what Lucas needed.

The next evening, I sat at my desk in Blackwood Manor, looking over documents about William Rivers' case. Moonlight spilled through the windows onto the thick carpet. My tea sat cold and forgotten. Elizabeth's portrait hung on the wall nearby, her smile seeming to watch over everything I did.

As I flipped through the border incident records, I frowned. "These witness statements don't line up..."

Hayes' location report had holes big enough to drive a truck through. It contradicted what the northern hunting party claimed they saw. As Alpha King, I was supposed to make sure justice happened, but sticking my nose in another pack's business was asking for trouble.

I heard that Ava had gone to the Warrior Academy earlier today to apply for the teaching position. Seeing the determination in her at Moonlight Lodge last night, I wasn't surprised she'd jumped at the opportunity so quickly.

The door creaked open, and Lucas stood there in his pajamas, holding Hunter close.

"Dad? Still working?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

I set down the papers and waved him over. "Come here, buddy."

Lucas padded over with Hunter right on his heels, the dog's eyes glowing in the darkness. I pulled my son onto my lap, feeling the wolf energy buzzing under his skin—too strong, too soon.

"Is that about the traitor?" Lucas asked, looking at the papers.

"How'd you know that?" I asked, surprised a seven-year-old would pick up on it.

He shrugged. "Heard the staff talking. They said his daughter came by today to try and be my teacher."

"What do you think about that?" I asked, curious what he'd say.

Lucas thought about it seriously. "If Hunter likes her, I'll like her. Hunter always knows the good people from the bad ones."

I laughed, ruffling his hair. "That's a pretty good system, actually."

After Lucas went back to bed, I stood by the window looking at the moon. My fingers still felt warm where I'd touched Ava's mark.

I made up my mind: I'd look into William's case and let Ava teach Lucas.

I went back to my desk and wrote up a contract in silver ink that would set clear boundaries for both of us.

Early the next morning, I walked through the stone hallways of Blackwood Manor on my way to the pack meeting. Tyler was waiting in the courtyard with the contract in hand. Morning sunlight filtered through the trees, making patterns on the ground.

I handed the scroll to Tyler. "Make sure she gets what she's signing up for. If she has second thoughts, that's it—offer's off the table."

Tyler took it, looking thoughtful. "She's definitely the best fighter I've seen apply."

I nodded. "Lucas needs more than someone who can throw a punch. He needs someone who knows what it's like to have the world kick you when you're down."

Tyler looked me straight in the eye. "So... is this because she's the best person for the job, or because you want to see her again?"

I stopped and turned to face him. We just looked at each other for a moment, neither of us saying anything.

I didn't have an answer. Not one I was ready to say out loud, anyway.