Chapter 5–Bound by the mark

The cave smelled of wet earth and fear.

Aria sat on the floor with her back against the cold wall, hugging her knees tightly to her chest in fear.

Slowly, the night transformed into a pale gray dawn, she had no rest.How could she, with the burning mark on her skin.

She felt his heartbeat right behind hers like an echo in the air.

Every time she closed her eyes, she felt him. It was as if he lived inside her.

It made her sick, scared and something else she didn’t have the right words to describe.

Elias  paced at the entrance, clearly having questions he needed answers to.

“You’re too quiet today, tell me  what happened back there,” He muttered.

She turned her gaze away from him.“I already told you.”

“I saw him hesitate to finish his target for the first time after he touched you and—”

“He did.” Aria cut him off before he could finish.

“And that is not normal for him.” He continued.

“No.”

His jaw tightened.“Aria…what did you feel when he touched you?”

Aria looked up at him—realizing the seriousness in his eyes.She lifted her hand and pointed to her wrist, where the Luna mark glowed faintly—like a flickering light struggling to revive itself.

“I felt a strange pull,” she whispered. “It was something ancient.Something that felt wrong.”

Elias knelt in front of her, clutching her hands.“Wrong how?”

“Like faith had stitched me to someone I was supposed to hate.”

Elias stood up, his expression hardening.

He looked away quickly enough to hide the pain in his eyes from her.

“That’s impossible, you already had a mate.”

Aria sighed.Kael’s name played in her head.

“I know, but my wolf reached for him…I don’t get it.”

Elias clenched his jaw.“Then we will break it.Whatever the goddess had planned, we will destroy.”

These words should have given the confused Aria a bit of comfort but instead, it made her feel uneasy.

As if breaking the bond would cost her much more pain.

She shook the thought off.

“Dax is bad, he is the enemy and he is dangerous.” She said to herself.

Outside, the forest was quiet.

Dax sat on the branch of a tree overlooking the valley, his breadth fogging the morning air.

He had tracked them the whole night with every step guided by the faint tug he felt in his chest.

He was enraged by it.

He hated how he could feel her presence within him like a second heartbeat.

He should have overlooked it.

He should have done his duty by reporting back to Maeron.

But every time he made up his mind to leave, he was yanked back.

It was as if an invisible force had hooked him to her.

“Damn fate,” he muttered 

He studied the valley below carefully, something had caught his attention.Rogues moved through the trees quietly.There were too many of them, he noticed, and they were too organized.One thing was clear to him, they were hunting too.But not for him.

They were after her.

Dax clenched his fist.

He thought to himself, Luna Aria was undoubtedly powerful but she was wounded and Elias…well, he was a good fighter but he wouldn’t stand a chance against this number of Rogues.

Dax laid his hand over his chest, sensing the faint echo of her fear.

She was awake and terrified.

He felt the strong pull again—quick and urgent.

“Damn,” Dax cursed under his breath.

“I will get her, but not for the council.”

He jumped from the branch of the tree—shifting midair into his fierce gray wolf and disappeared into the forest like smoke.

Back in the cave, Aria’s body froze

The mark on her wrist stung—painful, bright and desperate.

Elias noticed her discomfort  immediately.

“Aria, what is it?”

She pressed her hand to her chest.

“He…is…close.” She stuttered.

Elias grabbed his weapon—his worried face turning into anger.“We need to move now.”

Aria stood up with the help of Elais.

Her injured leg pulsated, but defiance pushed her forward.She limped behind Elias into the forest, the morning fog blocking their view.

But the farther they went, the worse the pain in her chest felt.

It wasn’t only Dax’s presence she could feel—it was something else.

Something dangerous.

Something hungry.

All of a sudden, branches cracked from the right, then to  the left and all around them.They were completely surrounded by something they didn’t yet know 

Elias froze.“Aria…stay close.”

A low growl came from the mist.Then another, and another.Red scary eyes popped out of the mist like daisies.

Rogues!

Many of them.

Aria stumbled back.Her hands trembled violently with the beginnings of moonfire, but the energy faltered.She was too weak.

“Run, ”Elias shouted. “Don’t look back for anything.”

Elias charged forward fiercely, slashing at the Rogues as they lunged from the shadows.

Aria sprinted in the direction of a fallen tree.Her heart pounding and her breath dropping.The Rogues followed closely—snarling and quicker than she was.

One lunged at her, claws outstretched—

Aria screamed.

Something silver exploded between them.

A massive gray wolf jammed the wolf midair, ripping off its head and slamming its remains into a trunk.

The gray wolf’s eyes met her gaze.

Aria’s breath caught.

“Dax…”

He shifted back into his human form. Panting, chest rising and falling, clothes torn, muscles tensed and sweating.

He rushed towards her without hesitation.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, looking worried.

Aria stepped away from him.

“Stay away from me, I don’t need your help.”

His jaw clenched but he didn’t give up.

“You’re surrounded, you will certainly die before the council reaches you if you don’t run.”

Elias limped toward them covered in blood and mud.

“Do not listen to him—!”

A rogue tackled him down even before he could finish talking, dragging him deeper into the forest.

He shouted in pain.

Aria rushed to his aid, but Dax grabbed her by the waist.

“You can’t save him if you die now.”

“Let me go!” She cried and struggled to pull away from his grip.

The touch burned both of them—the bond had flared like lightning.

Dax hissed in pain and released her instantly.

Aria stumbled to the ground, her knees giving out.

“What do they want from me—why do they come for me?”

Dax’s expression tightened.“It’s not you they are after.”

He lowered his eye to her stomach.

Her heart skipped a beat.

“What…are you…saying,” she stuttered.

“The second heart beat.” He whispered.“I felt it yesterday.It's faint but it’s there.”

These words sent chills down her spine.

“No that’s impossible…I would be aware if—”

She didn’t finish.

 A cold feeling swept through her body.Her wolf howled restlessly inside her.She felt a deep echoing ache.

“No,” she whispered.“It can’t be.”

The rogues drew closer, their red dreadful eyes fixed only on her belly.

Dax shielded her, drawing his blade from his belt.

“They are hunting what you are carrying.”

Aria’s eyes widened with realization.She swallowed.

“The prophecy…” she whispered.“The abomination.”

Dax didn’t answer.

The rogues drew closer to them.Three lunged at once.

Dax reacted fast—slashing one’s throat and spinning to kick the other into a tree.

The third wolf lunged at Aria but was caught off guard by the strong outburst of moonfire from her hands.

The blast sent the beast rolling backwards.

She collapsed, gasping.

She was completely weakened this time.

More shadows closed in.Twelve wolves.Maybe more.

Dax grabbed her hand.

“Now is the time.You have to shift now!”

“I can’t,” she gasped.“I’m wounded.”

With no time to spare, he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder in a swift motion.

“Dax—!”

“Hold on tight.” He shouted.

He shifted beneath her—bones cracking and muscles twisting into his massive wolf form.

Aria held on tight to his fur as he bolted forward, tearing through the rogues with great force.

Aria’s tears blurred her vision.

Not because of the wind—but the painful truth she just discovered.

Hers and Kael’s baby.The cursed prophecy the council was afraid of.

It wasn’t just real anymore.

It was alive and living inside her.

And the whole world wanted it dead.

Dax didn’t stop running until the sound of rogues howling behind him grew faint.

He shifted back and gently laid her onto soft moss.

He knelt in front of her, panting.Rain dripped from his hair.

His eyes met hers with a mix of anger, fear, and something strangely close to protectiveness.

“You will be coming with me,” he said.

Aria glared with tears still in her eyes.“To the council? So they can finally finish me off—”

“No,” he snapped.

Aria blinked in confusion.“Then where?”

He lowered his gaze in hesitation and then he said something she never expected to hear from him:

“Somewhere safe.”

Her heart skipped a beat.“Why would you help me?”

“Because we are bound by fate whether we like it or not and it would be better if we got used to that.”

He put his hand on his chest—where the faint mate mark flickered.

“And because, I won’t let them harm my mate or her child.”

Aria stared at him in complete disbelief.

She was broken, terrified and beneath it all, she felt a sense of safety.

“But Dax…”

He stood up offering his hand.His voice was low, unsteady and pure.

“Aria come with me, I give you my word.I will protect you.Now come with me before they come for us.”

She hesitated but nodded in agreement.

She placed her trembling hand in his.

And fate sealed itself around them.