Mark of the Beast

Consciousness returned like a sledgehammer to the skull.

My head wasn't just throbbing; it felt like my brain was being compressed by a vice, the pressure rhythmic and agonizing. I groaned, shielding my eyes before I even opened them, burying my face into the pillow that smelled faintly of... forest?

Nausea rolled through me, a violent wave that had me scrambling out of bed. My legs felt like jelly, but I stumbled into the adjoining bathroom, collapsing before the porcelain throne. I retched, my stomach cramping painfully, but nothing came up. Just dry, burning heaves that left my throat raw.

I slumped against the cold tile floor, gasping for air. What did I drink?

Slowly, the room stopped spinning. I dragged myself up to the sink, splashing freezing water onto my face. When I finally looked into the mirror, I expected to see a wreck; bloodshot eyes, pale skin, the usual aftermath of sickness.

Instead, the girl staring back at me looked... radiant.

My skin was flawless, glowing with a pearlescent sheen I’d never possessed. My lips were a deep, flushed rose, and my eyes, those strange blue-green eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire. There were no bags under them, no signs of exhaustion. It was unnatural. It was terrifying.

I looked down. I was still wearing yesterday's clothes; the white t-shirt, the leggings, the leather jacket. Why hadn't I changed?

Then I saw it.

A flash of gold caught the light. The emerald necklace lay against my collarbone, pulsing with a faint, rhythmic heat. But it wasn't the stone that made my blood run cold.

Just above the necklace, right where the curve of my neck met my shoulder, was a mark.

It wasn't a tattoo. It was a bruise, mottled purple and angry red, forming two distinct puncture wounds.

The bite.

The memories crashed into me with the force of a freight train. The forest. The lights. The confession. The wolf.

The wolf.

My breath hitched, turning into a strangled sob. I backed away from the mirror, my hands trembling violently. He bit me. He turned into a monster and he bit me.

"Luna..."

The voice came from the bedroom, low and rough.

Liam.

A primal spike of adrenaline shot through me. I lunged for the bathroom door, slamming it shut and twisting the lock just as the doorknob turned. I scrambled backward until my spine hit the tiled wall, curling into a ball.

"Luna, open the door."

His voice wasn't asking. It was a command, vibrating through the wood.

I clapped my hands over my mouth to stifle a scream, tears streaming down my face. Go away. Please, just go away.

"I can hear your heart beating, Luna," he said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "It’s racing. You’re scared."

"Go away!" I choked out.

"Open the door, or I will open it for you."

"No!"

CRACK.

The wood didn't just splinter; it exploded. The lock was ripped from the frame as the door flew open, bouncing off the wall with a deafening bang.

I shrieked, pressing myself harder into the corner.

Liam stood in the doorway. He looked like a storm cloud; dark, turbulent, and dangerous. But when his eyes landed on me, huddled on the floor, the anger drained out of him, replaced by a look of shattered devastation.

He took a step forward, hands raised in surrender. "Luna, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Stay back!" I screamed, kicking out blindly. "Don't touch me! You monster!"

He froze. The word seemed to slap him across the face. His jaw tightened, the muscles in his neck cording. For a second, I thought I saw a flash of gold in his eyes, the wolf peeking through.

But he didn't roar. He didn't attack. He just looked at me with an expression of profound hurt, then turned on his heel and walked away, leaving the broken door hanging on its hinges.

I stayed there, shaking, staring at the empty doorway, waiting for the monster to return.

Minutes later, softer footsteps approached. Mum appeared, her face pale, eyes rimmed with red.

"Oh, my baby," she whispered, rushing to me.

I collapsed into her arms, the familiar scent of her laundry detergent finally grounding me. "Mum... Mum, he..."

"I know. Shh, I know." She stroked my hair, rocking me back and forth. "I'm so sorry, Luna. We never wanted you to find out like this."

I pulled back, looking at her frantically. "You... you're human, right? Tell me you're not one of them."

"I am human, sweetheart," she promised, wiping my tears. "I'm just like you."

"But Dad..." The realization hit me. Dad, who was so strong. Dad, who disappeared with Liam on 'camping trips'. "Dad too?"

Mum nodded solemnly. "Yes. Your father is like Liam."

"Does he... does he turn into a wolf?"

"Yes."

I felt sick again. My entire life was built on a foundation of secrets. "He's a monster too."

"Don't," Mum said, her voice sharpening. "Don't ever call them that. Not Liam, and not your father. They protect us, Luna. They love us."

"He bit me, Mum! He bit me!" I pointed to the mark, my hand shaking.

Mum’s eyes went to the mark, and her expression hardened, not at me, but at something else.

"Get dressed," she said, helping me up. "I need to have a word with your brother."

She left, her footsteps heavy with purpose.

I changed into a loose grey t-shirt and shorts, moving like a robot. Downstairs, the sound of breaking glass shattered the silence, followed by Mum’s voice raised in a shout I had never heard before.

Curiosity, or maybe stupidity drew me to the top of the stairs.

"I couldn't stop it!" Liam’s voice hissed, sounding cornered.

"You. Have. No. Right," Mum yelled, punctuating every word. "She is my daughter! You hurt her!"

"He didn't mean to mark her, Sarah," Dad’s voice was calm, trying to mediate.

"I don't care about his instincts! Look at her, Felix! She is terrified of him! You didn't even explain it properly. You just threw her into the deep end and expected her to swim!"

SLAM.

A table hit the floor. The house shook.

"She's listening," Liam murmured. His voice was barely a whisper, yet I heard it clearly from the top of the stairs.

I froze.

"Luna," he called out, not shouting, but projecting his voice straight to me. "We need to talk."

I considered running back to my room, but the broken door offered no safety. Taking a deep breath, I walked down the stairs.

Liam emerged from the dining room. He looked wrecked. His hair was a disaster, dark circles bruised the skin under his eyes, and he held himself with a rigid tension, as if he were afraid he might shatter.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, keeping a respectful distance. "Can we... can we talk in your room? Please?"

I nodded stiffly and led the way back up. He followed, stepping over the debris of my door to close it as best he could.

He leaned against the broken wood, running a hand through his hair. He looked exhausted, human, and devastatingly handsome. It was unfair. How could he be a monster and look like that?

"Are Mum and Dad acting?" I asked, my voice small. "Do they only love me because I'm your... mate?"

"No," he said fiercely, pushing off the door. "God, no. They love you more than anything. You are their daughter, Luna. That has nothing to do with me or the wolf."

"Then what is a mate?" I asked, hugging my arms around myself. "Because to me, it sounds like you think you own me."

He flinched. "It’s not ownership. It’s... gravity." He rubbed the back of his neck, struggling for words. "Every wolf has a soulmate. A missing half. It’s decided by Fate, by the Moon Goddess, before we’re even born. It’s biological, spiritual... absolute."

He took a step toward me, his eyes burning.

"And you are mine, Caroline."

My heart did a traitorous flip at the use of my full name.

"Liam... I'm your sister," I whispered, desperate to hold onto the one reality I understood. "This is sick."

"You still don't get it," he said, his voice dropping to a low growl that vibrated in my chest. He moved closer, entering my personal space, his heat radiating off him. "Why do you think I threatened every boy who looked at you? Why do you think I broke Joseph's nose when he tried to kiss you in the tenth grade? Why do you think I moved away?"

He stared down at me, his gaze consuming.

"I didn't move away for business, Luna. I moved away because I was waiting for you to turn eighteen. Because being near you and not being able to claim you was driving me insane."