Ch. The Lucan Marked me 34 The Lucan Marked me 34

Chapter 34 

Logan 

• )) 

The males of The Inner Circle had covered more ground, moving into a number of the packs 

we hadn’t raided yet and searching for Bruce. I’d called for an update a few minutes after 

they’d returned to the pack, hopeful for some good news. Kael stood beside the map spread 

out on the table, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the red markers scattered across the territory 

diagram. Livia was perched at the edge of the table, one leg swinging absently. 

Cassian leaned in the corner by the window, gaze following a-was that a hawk?-circling 

above the treetops. I sat with my fingers steepled beneath my chin, listening to their report. 

“The raids were clean,” Kael was saying. “We swept through some of the packs left, and found 

nothing. There was no sign of Bruce. No whispers of his being anywhere.” 

Livia let out a breath through her nose. “He’s gone off the radar. Which means someone had 

tipped him off about our search and possibly helped him disappear.” 

I met her gaze. “You think it’s another person we know?” 

“There’s no other explanation,” she replied. “No rogue disappears so cleanly. I mean, you guys 

already said it for yourself; you’ve stumbled on quite a number of rogues, only they weren’t 

persons of interest. I don’t think Bruce had enough resources to disappear on his own, not 

with how much structure we’ve enforced in the pack. But since all the warriors work together, 

it’s going to take a long while for us to narrow them down. What we know for now is that he’s 

got someone watching his back.” 

We mulled her words over in our heads. 

Someone watching his back…the possibilities were endless. Was it Luke? It could be Luke. 

Maybe we had underestimated the extent of his endurance. Maybe we needed to be applying 

more pressure instead of moving our attention to some other traitor. My mind drifted to the 

night of the attack, how precise it had been, how well-timed. Who could have been behind it? 

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Chapter 34 

Who could be turning my pack members against me? 

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Whoever he was, he wasn’t just any birdbrained enemy. He was a strategist. Someone who 

knew how we worked. My wolf stirred uneasily. Alliances were forming beneath in the 

shadows, and the question of who to trust was becoming more and more a significant one. 

Livia continued, her voice low but strong, “If he was indeed warned, it could be weeks, months 

even, before he resurfaces.” 

“Or he’s already dead,” Cassian added, tone clipped. “Dead men don’t talk.” 

A beat of silence followed. That might’ve been a comfort in another context. But not this one. 

Bruce wasn’t the one we were really after. We just needed him to find out who the actual 

villain was. I exhaled and stood, pacing toward the far end of the room, eyes narrowing on the 

wall of tactical charts and reports. “For now, we’re going to finish with the packs we have left. 

If we still haven’t found him, then we’re going to meet up again and restrategize.” 

Livia gave me a nod and pushed off the table, the rest of The Circle trailing behind her. 

Cassian lingered. I didn’t turn to look at him. I just asked quietly, “Any word on Sienna?” 

“No,” he said. “No sign of her either.” 

I’d asked him to keep a special eye during the raid in case he spotted her anywhere. The 

frustration from his response clawed at me. Was it so easy to fall off the radar these days? 

First Bruce, and now Sienna. I raked my hand through my hair. Where are you, woman? “How 

many packs left?” 

“Three,” he replied. “And we’ve already sent scouts ahead to one of them. The others are being 

briefed.” 

I turned then, facing him fully. “I’ll go on to the next one. Myself.” 

Cassian’s brow lifted. “You sure?” 

“If she’s out there…” I paused. “Maybe I’ll catch her scent, which is something you guys 

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Chapter 34 

wouldn’t pick up.” 

: 

• )) 

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He gave a short nod. “I’ll let the others know you’ll be coming on the next raids with us.” I 

gave him a nod, watching as he exited the courtroom. I tried to calm myself, but still my skin 

prickled with a restless energy. Heading out of the courtroom, I stepped outside of the palace, 

instantly feeling a lot calmer. My wolf definitely preferred the outdoors to being inside the 

palace. I shifted, making a dash for the woods. I ran as fast as I could, and with as much 

strength as I could muster. 

Branches whipped past. The wind tore through my coat. I didn’t know where I was going, only 

that I had to move. Because if I stopped, I’d think. And if I thought…I’d remember her. 

Remember the prophecy. Remember the past and things I wanted to forget. I let out a loud 

howl. I couldn’t understand it. For decades my pack members had been nothing but loyal. We’d 

fought battles standing on the same side, and we’d conquered our enemies each time. 

And now with things unfolding the way they were, I knew I wasn’t going to spare whoever had 

chosen to take the wrong side and betray their pack. It didn’t matter who they were. They’d 

had it coming the second they’d turned their back on the pack. I continued running until my 

legs ached and my lungs burned. Until I couldn’t tell if I was still within the pack territory or 

if I had ventured out. When I finally slowed, it was to realize I was deep in the woods. 

I stood still, letting my pulse settle, breathing in the natural scent of the woods. 

Three packs left. 

Three last chances. 

I was really running out of time. 

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The Lycan Marked Me and Walked Away