42. The Mark of the Beast

The wolf’s roar fills the air—a guttural, primal sound that reverberates through every corner of the forest. Shadow dodges the creature’s first attack with a grace that borders on the supernatural, as if time itself slows around him. The wolf, massive and savage, leaps again, but Shadow anticipates the move, pivoting on his heel and slashing deep into its side with a swift flick of his claws. Black blood spills forth, a grotesque display that churns my stomach.

My legs tremble, but I can’t look away. Shadow fights like he belongs in this place, like this battle is one he’s fought a thousand times before. The wolf growls in pain, recoiling for a moment, only to spring forward again with renewed fury, desperate to tear apart the one who dares defy him.

“No!” I cry out, stepping forward—but Shadow shoots me a searing look that freezes me in place.

“Don’t come closer,” he commands, his voice low and authoritative. His eyes lock with mine for a heartbeat, as if they could reach into my soul and warn me of the danger. His gaze is fierce, unrelenting… and somehow, just a little desperate.

My body shakes—but not from fear. It’s rage now, burning hot in my chest. Every instinct tells me to act, to do something. Shadow is risking his life for me, for us, and I can’t stand here and watch. The threat is real, but the connection I feel to him is stronger than my fear. If he’s willing to fight for me, then I have to fight too.

I take a step forward. Then another.

“Eve, no,” Shadow growls, his voice laced with pain and something softer—concern.

But I don’t hear him. The wolf strikes again, and I watch as Shadow meets the attack, his claws slicing through the air with lethal precision. The wolf is larger than anything I’ve ever seen—but the fury in Shadow’s eyes is even more terrifying. The battle is a whirlwind of raw strength, blood, and fury.

When the wolf manages to land a blow, raking its claws across Shadow’s arm, the sound of tearing flesh echoes in my ears, and a cry escapes me—sharp and involuntary. I don’t know if it’s fear or desperation that drives me, but all I know is that I want this to end.

Before I can think, something inside me awakens. Something deep, ancient, and wild. It’s an impulse, an irrational need. My rage mingles with a sudden surge of energy I don’t understand and cannot control.

“Stop!”

My voice rises—shaking, firm, but unyielding.

My body moves before my mind can catch up. A flash of white light seems to pulse around me, and without knowing how, I’m suddenly lunging toward the wolf. I don’t plan it—my hand simply reaches out toward the beast. The intensity in the wolf’s gaze is overwhelming, but instead of striking me, something… halts it.

It’s as if the air itself thickens, as if time has paused. Shadow and the wolf freeze—caught in the eye of some invisible storm. The energy flowing through me is wild, uncontrollable—a pure force that fills me with a strange and powerful sense of knowing.

“Eve, step back! This isn’t something you can control!”

Shadow’s voice cuts through the moment, but it sounds distant—dreamlike.

I ignore him.

Instead, I take another step toward the wolf, who remains utterly still, watching me with golden, piercing eyes. There’s something else in its gaze now—doubt. As if it doesn’t understand what it sees. As if I’ve become something it cannot reckon with.

Shadow steps forward cautiously, but the wolf flinches, crouching low, ears pinned back. The fear in its eyes is unmistakable. It’s seen something in me—something it fears.

“What is happening?” Shadow murmurs, his voice now tinged with confusion and concern.

I don’t know what’s happening.

I feel… connected to the beast, as if some invisible thread ties us together. There is no violence. No hatred. Just a quiet, unnatural calm that pulses like an undercurrent between us.

At last, the wolf takes a step back. Then, in a sudden motion, it turns and vanishes into the darkness of the woods. The sound of its retreating steps fades, leaving behind a silence so heavy it seems to press against my skin.

“Eve, what…?”

Shadow approaches slowly, his eyes fixed on me, searching for answers I don’t have.

My breathing is shallow. I feel strangely drained, as if I’ve just expended a power I didn’t know was mine. My body shakes—not from fear, but from the adrenaline still coursing through me.

“I don’t know,” I answer, my voice faint, disbelieving.

“I don’t understand what just happened.”

Shadow watches me in silence for several long seconds, as if trying to solve a puzzle he’s only just begun to comprehend. Then his expression softens, and he steps closer, reaching out gently—carefully, as though I might shatter beneath his touch.

“You have to understand, Eve… this isn’t something you can control. It’s not just love that binds us. It’s something else. Something older. And dangerous.”

“What are you saying?” I ask, confused, a cold unease settling in my chest.

“It’s a bond, Eve,” he says, and his voice is so grave it makes me still.

“A bond neither of us fully understands. The reason the pack won’t allow us to be together—it’s not just because you’re human. It’s because you’re… special. And this—what you just did—it’s only the beginning.”

My eyes widen in disbelief. His words hit me like a blow. Special? What does that mean? My mind floods with questions, but before I can ask a single one, Shadow steps closer still, his gaze burning into mine.

“I’ll protect you, Eve. Even if I have to fight the entire world to do it. But you have to be ready. This has only just begun.”