Page 80 of Marked By Alphas 2: Claimed

Imo held me with surprising strength, her eyes studying me intently. “Silver-white fur,” she murmured. “Just like in the old stories.”

“What old stories?” Derek asked sharply.

Imo ignored him, carrying me to the living room where she sat with me in her lap. Her fingers moved through my fur with purpose, stopping at certain points along my spine and head. Each touch sent a strange tingling sensation through me, not unpleasant but definitely not normal.

“Two bloods,” she said finally, looking up at the assembled group. “Not just wolf.”

“We know he’s quarter-wolf,” Caleb said, confusion evident in his voice.

Imo shook her head. “No. Two supernatural bloodlines. Wolf and… something else. Something old.”

The room fell silent. Even the dogs, who had been excitedly greeting Luke, went still.

“What do you mean, ‘something else’?” Marcus asked carefully.

“His mother never told you?” Imo looked surprised. “About her family?”

I would have given anything for a voice in that moment. My mother had barely told me anything about her family, let alone some secret supernatural heritage.

“Kai’s mother was very private about her past,” Derek said diplomatically. “We knew she was running from something, but she never specified what.”

Imo sighed, her hand still stroking my fur. “In Korea, there are old families. Very old. Some with blood that is… special.” She looked down at me, her expression softening. “I suspected when I first met him. The way energy moves around him. Not just wolf.”

“Are you saying Kai has another supernatural bloodline? From his mother’s side?” Marcus looked like someone had just rewritten his entire understanding of the universe.

“Yes,” Imo said simply. “And now his body is confused. Two bloods fighting for dominance.”

Luke, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke. “Is that why he can’t shift back? Because his… whatever-it-is blood is interfering?”

“Possibly.” Imo’s fingers found a spot behind my ear that sent a wave of warmth through my entire body. “Or possibly his body is preparing for something else.”

“Something else like what?” Caleb demanded.

Imo just shook her head. “We must wait and see. These things cannot be rushed.”

Great. More cryptic supernatural nonsense. Just once, I’d like a straightforward answer like “Take two aspirin and call me in the morning” instead of “Ancient blood mysteries that defy explanation.”

“So what do we do?” Marcus asked, his voice carefully controlled. “How do we help him?”

“We wait,” Imo said simply. “And we prepare. His body will find its way when it is ready.”

“And if it doesn’t?” Derek’s question hung in the air.

Imo met his gaze steadily. “Then we find another way. But first, we wait.”

Luke moved to sit beside me, his hand joining Imo’s in stroking my fur. “Don’t worry,” he told me quietly. “If you’re stuck as a wolf forever, I’ll build you the world’s fanciest doghouse. With Wi-Fi and everything.”

I growled half-heartedly, but the familiar teasing was comforting.

“What about your job?” Marcus asked Luke, his tone somewhere between concerned and suspicious. “Won’t they mind you taking off so suddenly?”

Luke shrugged. “Family emergency. Besides, my boss thinks Comic Sans is an acceptable font for client presentations. I’m doing the world a favor by not being there to witness that crime against design.”

“You can’t just abandon your career,” Derek frowned.

“Watch me,” Luke replied, his tone light but his eyes serious. “Kai’s more important than some marketing job I hate anyway.”

The simple declaration made my chest tight with emotion. Even stuck as a wolf, I had people who would drop everything to help me. It was both heartwarming and terrifying—but what if I never shifted back? Would they all put their lives on hold indefinitely?

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