THE SHADOW MARKED LUNA

Ophelia POV

It has been a few weeks since they sent me out of the Moonlit Pack. A tough and rough week without shelter or food.

And all I could hear was the whispering of ancient secrets that I had been hearing since I started the journey of nowhere in particular.

The forest stretched endlessly before me and every step I took ruffled the bush as a lightening struck harder making me halt, leaning against the gnarled trunk of an ancient oak, its bark cool and rough under my fingers and a part of me wondered if this exile was planted to kill me. Since even he hated my gut.

I had heard tales of banished Wolves, forgotten in the wilderness and weak but I never knew I would be here in those shoes.

Perhaps I was meant to die anyway.

I surely couldn't go back to my packs, it would be a disgrace to the whole family and I would be tamed as a cursed being. But do I want that?

As I took another step, a strange sensation coursed through my chest, sharp. And electric, like the touch of lightning against my soul. I was pulled forward with a force I couldn't even ignore making my chest make a heavy sigh. I was scared.

I tried hastening my steps but if it wasn't enough soon, the forest had a way to a clearing. At its center stood a stone altar, something I couldn't quite describe, its edges marked with runes glowing faintly under the light of the rising moon.

My wolf stirred in discomfort as a voice echoed in my mind.

“Go to it.”

It wasn't mine, and no one was close by,It was soft and tiny yet it echoed in my head.

I reluctantly stepped forward, obeying my instinct and as I approached the altar, a faint light glowed lighter than I imagined. I reached out to it, my fingertips brushing against the stone, sending a shiver down my spine as I staggered backward, gasping for air.

“You are chosen.”

The words came from everywhere and nowhere, but the voice was firm and deep, more like the ancient words. The runes pulsed again, and the light circulated into a single mark that covered the air before me. It was a pattern of crescent moons and entwined wolves, glowing with beauty.

And before I could react, the mark surged forward, sinking into my chest and earning a loud cry from me. I fell to my knees as pain and the urge of power crossed in hard through me.

It was as if my soul was being rewritten, a shadow mark appearing on my hand, making my wolf whimper in pain.

When the pain subsided, I collapsed to the ground, panting.

*****

I didn't even have the time to contemplate my transformation. I stood up sharply, my sense telling me danger was on its way but before I could try making a run, my eyes met with a pair of golden eyes in the shadows.

Then followed by another and another and another till I couldn't count them anymore.

They made growls of anger and a newfound joy that made my heart beat rapidly in fear.

“Well, what do we have here?” a rough voice sneered across me. A man stepped forward, shifting back into his human form. And across his face was a scar that I couldn't identify. “A little lost lamb wandering where she shouldn’t.”

I swallowed in hard as I straightened my spine, my gaze meeting his. “I’m no lamb,” I said, but I only heard a laugh from the rogue, one that sent shivers down my spine.

“No? Then what are you? A Luna without a pack? A wolf no one wanted? Well, you seem like one.”

The words circled deep into me like an arrow, big I refused to show my weakness. Not anymore but then my wolf growled in response, the news awakened power hovering in my hand.

Perhaps it wasn't the best idea as the rogue's laughter faded while he narrowed his eyes at me. “There's something different about you.” He sniffed the air, his expression shifting from amusement to suspicion. “Shadowmark,” he hissed, his lips curling up into a cruel smile.

Before I could react, the rogues started to attack. They moved as a pack, their speed faster than mine and even when I tried to run, they caught up with me. I barely even had the time to shift into my world as one of the nearest wolves, sunk his teeth into my leg as I whimpered in pain.

But surprisingly I was healed instantly as I charged at the wolf, sinking my teeth into his shoulder and throwing him to the ground.

But they didn't stop and they howled over me as I finally surrendered. If I was destined to die then at least I fought and conquered.

I had thought I lost the fight but a black wolf from nowhere came attacking the rogues as his presence weakened them.

His presence was commanding, his amber eyes burning with fury as his eyes scanned the scene.

I watched in awe. He started to attack them one after the other and they all flew.

He then turned towards me. For a moment, we didn't move as I just continued to stare at him until he shifted, his human form falling and imposing, his dark hair falling in places.

“Are you going to sit there all night, or do you need more help?” he asked, his voice deep and rough, laced with amusement.

I shifted back, my legs shaky as I stood up. “I had it under control,” I said, brushing dirt off my arms.

The man raised an eyebrow at me, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. “Sure you did.” He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as they flicked to the glow of the Shadowmark on my chest and hand. “You’re Shadowmarked.”

I subconsciously covered the mark with my hard, my voice suddenly defensive. “What is it to you?”

He stared at me for a while and his expression softened, although he was still alert. “It's rare to see one of your kind. You don't know what you're carrying, do you?” He asked, earning a frown from me, my heart pounding harder.

“And you do?”

But he didn't answer immediately, his gaze distant from me for a moment. “Come with me. You'll die out here if you don't learn how to control it.” He warned and I scoffed, my arm crossed on my chest.

“Why should I trust you?”

“Because I just saved your life,” he simply said. He turned, walking toward the shadows where the forest had thickened again. He paused, glancing back. “The name’s Ryker. You can come or stay….it’s your choice.”

I hesitated for a while but staring at the dangerous sneer of wolves, I couldn't help but follow him.

“Wait!”