Chapter 9: The Prophecy

☆☆LILA☆☆

“Lila,” he began, his voice low. “There’s something you need to know. Something about you… about us.”

“Okay. I’m listening,” I said, though my heart was shaking.

“We can’t talk about it here. Let me take you back to your place so we can talk there.”

I was about to argue when I noticed everyone was looking at us.

---

The moment we stepped inside, I turned to Theo. “Enough secrets. Tell me the truth, Theo.”

His eyes darkened, but instead of brushing me off, he nodded and pulled me to the sofa. “Fine. You need to know.”

I sat down, my pulse racing.

“The night you were supposed to turn, like all normal werewolves ” he began slowly, “the burn scar on your hand appeared instead. Your father panicked; he couldn't bear to see you in pain. He brought you to the Sage to find answers that night. But the moment she touched your arm she saw something.”

I looked down at the scar still etched into my arm. When I asked my father about it he told me my arm got burnt when I was a kid. Another lie.

“What did she see?”

Theo’s jaw tightened before he spoke. “A prophecy. She saw a prophecy about a cursed Alpha, born under the Blood Moon, carrying the infinity mark on his chest. His fate is bound to a forbidden child born of a human and a wolf. She said the child will both save him… and destroy him.”

I'm the forbidden child. I don't need anyone to tell me that much.

The room tilted. “And what does that have to do with us?”

Theo leaned closer, looking straight into my eyes “Because I am the cursed Alpha.” He pulled his shirt slightly aside, just enough for me to see the darkened infinity-shaped mark on the left side of his chest.

My breath hitched.

He took my hands, gripping it gently. “That’s why they want us together, Lila. The Elders believe if we’re married, if you’re with me, the prophecy can be controlled. You’ll save me… but you’ll never get the chance to destroy me.”

I shook my head, pulling my hand back. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am,” he said firmly.

Before I could respond, his phone buzzed loudly. He looked at the screen, his face tightening. “I need to take this.”

He left the room. I sat frozen, staring at my scar, the words playing in my head like a broken record, I will save him and destroy him? I would have to get married to him to prevent any problem.

I stood up and moved to the door when he entered his expression unreadable

“I know this is sudden, i’ll give you time to digest this. And to think about it.”

“Where are you going?” I asked, my voice low.

“Back to the pack house.” He gave a faint smile. “Something came up.”

And then he left.

I wandered outside, the night was cool and damp. I needed air, I needed to get away from the suffocating weight of his words.

I don't want any of this

I walked without direction, but I made sure that I wasn't too far from home. I hugged myself wrapping my jacket around my body tightly as I walked down the alley.

I was getting lost in my thoughts when I heard a sound, something was rustling behind me.

I looked back to see something moving near the hedges, then stepped out to the walkway, its teeth flashing in the moonlight. My chest seized. A wolf.

“No…” My voice shook as I stumbled backward.

My heel caught on the path. I tripped, falling—

Before a strong , steady hands pulled me back upright before I could crash to the ground. The force made my body collide with a warm and solid chest.

I froze before looking up to see the person's face

A hood covered his face and it was too dark to see more than the gleam of his eyes.

The dog barked, startling me. Just a dog. Not a wolf.

The moment I jerked back, my phone slipped from my hand. It clattered against the stones.

I bent quickly to snatch it up. “I—thank—”

But when I straightened, he was already gone. The hooded stranger was halfway down the alley, his shoulders disappearing into shadow as if he’d never been here at all.

That's strange.

"I didn’t even get to say thank you.”. I mumbled under my breath, as I walked back home.