Chapter 52

Third Person

Arthur arrived back at the packhouse by sundown, his feet sore from running halfway across the filthy human city all day. But he felt little relief as he saw the peaked roof and sprawling gardens come into view, because it meant that his day as a servant was long from over.

And of course, there she was—the woman with long dark hair and large, nearly black eyes—standing on the front step and tapping her foot impatiently.

“You’re late,” she hissed, acting as if it was some big deal if he took five minutes longer than expected on his errand.

“Here.” Arthur handed the brown paper bag over to the woman, a little out of breath from hurrying back to the pack land in such a rush.

She snatched it from his hands and peered at the contents inside—soap, cigarettes, a couple cans of that hard cider stuff that humans liked so much. Everything that the Elders occasionally liked to indulge in. Things that couldn’t be found within the pack borders.

Arthur wouldn’t have gone to the human city if it weren’t for this small, silly errand, but he was glad he did. Because he had some information that could potentially get him out of his servitude here at the packhouse.

Satisfied, the woman nodded and went to turn on her heel. “Thank you. Elder Wendy will be pleased that you got her favorite candies.” She flung the large wooden doors, a brass knocker in the shape of a wolf’s head, open and stepped inside.

But before she could go, Arthur called out, “I saw something today. Something important.”

Her expression didn’t change, but he could tell he had just piqued her curiosity. She raised an eyebrow, silently demanding him to spit out whatever it was he had to say.

“The human girl—the one I told you about. She has a Moonglow mating mark,” he breathed out in a rush.

For a moment, she just stared at him from the doorway as if he had something on his face. She folded her arms across her chest, tilting her head slightly, clearly unimpressed by his information.

Then: “A human with a mating mark? That’s impossible, Arthur. Even you’re not dumb enough for that nonsense.”

“I know what I saw,” he replied, clenching his jaw. “It’s there. On her collarbone—a crescent-shaped mark. Moonglow’s signature shape. Nice and red, too, which means it’s fairly fresh.”

She kept watching him, her mouth a thin line as she considered his words. “You’re certain she’s human, then?”

“As certain as I am that I’ve been scrubbing floors for the past week,” he muttered bitterly, casting a sidelong glance at the massive stone and wood packhouse looming behind them. “She is human. Completely human.”

“And yet she has a mating mark.” She didn’t ask it like a question, more as if she were trying to make sense of it. Her tongue worked behind her lips, her eyes narrowing almost angrily.

Arthur, too, felt angry as he thought back on that fortunate little encounter. The audacity of that human girl, strutting around with a mark that belonged on one of their people. Not her.

As if it wasn’t bad enough that she and her damned human sister had been the cause of Arthur being demoted to indentured servant status, cleaning the floors and changing the bedsheets at the packhouse.

He was a distinguished werewolf who had worked hard to receive respect, not a fucking scullery maid. And he had only agreed to work with Sarah on that little dog treat debacle because he wanted Aria out of the office. It wasn’t his fault that it ended so poorly.

After a moment, she spoke. “And you think this… mark is real?”

“Yes,” he said flatly, a little irritated. “It’s a mating mark. I know what they look like.”

For a moment they just stood in silence, the implications of his words hanging heavy in the air.

Finally, she mused, “But who the hell could she be mated to?”

Arthur didn’t answer immediately, his mind racing as he considered. Each pack had their own distinctive mating mark shape, and Moonglow’s mark happened to be a crescent—which meant that it had to be someone in their pack. Someone…

Suddenly, his eyes widened slightly as he thought back to their current Alpha—Darren. The one who had cast him out so quickly and decisively. And the same Alpha who, on more than one occasion, had shown unusual leniency toward that very same human girl and her bitch of a sister.

His lips twisted into a smirk as the puzzle pieces began to slip together. “I can think of one person.”

She looked up, her eyes narrowing. “Who?”

“Alpha Darren,” he replied matter-of-factly. “He’s been giving her special treatment for weeks now. I’ve seen it myself. She’s more than just an employee to him. If anyone were responsible for that mark… it would be him.”

She didn’t respond, her expression unreadable as she processed his words. He couldn’t tell if she was hurt, angry, or full of some sort of sick glee. Maybe all three of those things and more.

Finally, she let out a slow breath, her gaze hardening. “You’ve done well to tell me this, Arthur.”

He inclined his head, his heart fluttering. He’d better get a reward for this little tidbit. “I thought it was worth bringing to your attention.”

“Yes,” she murmured, almost as if to herself. “Yes, it is.”

There was a brief pause, and then she straightened, her composure snapping back into place. “I’ll look into it myself. You…” she gestured toward the packhouse door, her tone as dismissive as ever. “Get back to work. The Elder Alpha expects the floors to be shining by sundown.”

Arthur dipped his head in acknowledgment, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “Of course. Whatever you say.”

She gave him a curt nod and a warning glare before turning on her heel, the bag of goods tucked under her arm as she strode away.

As soon as she was gone, Arthur let out a low snarl, his fists clenching as he made his way inside. The sight of the packhouse’s interior made his stomach twist with resentment. Scrub the floors, Arthur. Change the sheets, Arthur. Do the dishes, Arthur.

He didn’t deserve this. It was just one mistake. If his Alpha had half a brain, he would have understood that Arthur was just trying to help the pack and he would have let him off with a warning.

But now, he had something else to think about. Something that could change everything.

Because if what he suspected was true—if that human girl, that insignificant, bothersome little human, truly bore a mating mark from their Alpha…

The implications were as thrilling as they were dangerous. It would be scandalous, to say the least. The kind of scandal that could shift loyalties, make enemies out of allies. The kind that could bring Darren’s authority into question, weaken his position, maybe even—

Arthur’s lips curled into a sneer as he knelt down, reaching for the bucket and scrub brush waiting by the door.

Yes, this could be the very opportunity he’d been waiting for. Everyone would see that Darren, the human-lover, was never fit to be an Alpha. His mind had been addled from that rogue attack when he was a child, and people have to realize that. Arthur could go back to his old life and be a servant no longer.

Arthur dipped the brush into the soapy water, his smirk widening as he began to scrub the rough stone floor with renewed vigor.

If a human was truly mated to his Alpha… then this could be a huge scandal. Very huge.