Semua Bab Cursed By The Day, Saved By The Night: Bab 1 - Bab 10

Suddenly the stranger popped up and sent a jolt straight through me. My parents immediately stepped in front, shielding me. The stranger, cloaked in shadows, took a deliberate step forward, his presence exuding an unsettling aura.“Who are you?” my dad demanded with his firm, commanding voice.The intruder’s lips curled into a sinister smile. “Names are of little importance. What matters is the message I bring.”My mother narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”“It’s not about what I want," he responded, his voice full of sharp displeasure. “It’s about what’s coming. The prophecy I've always believed in is unfolding right in front of us, and you've just become the driving force at its centre.”A chill ran down my spine. “What prophecy?” I managed to ask, my voice trembling.The intruder’s gaze locked onto mine. “It speaks of a union destined to either unite or destroy the packs. And you, Elara, are the key.”Before I could process his words, he turned abruptly and vanished into the nig

I slipped away from the ball, my heart burdened with uncertainty and increasing isolation. As I walked into the woods looking for comfort amid the whispering trees, the music and laughing faded behind me.The chilly night air caressed my skin, and the aroma of pine and earth flooded my senses. The moonlight flowing through the branches above helped me to find a quiet area next to a little clearing. I sat down and held my knees to my chest, letting the tears run freely.Why had I not felt the link?Why was I still alone when everyone else had located their partner?What is the deal with this prophecy, mark and curse?Unanswered and unrelenting, the questions spun in my head. Sitting there, absorbed in my thoughts , I was hit by a strong, enticing aroma combining musk with something uniquely his.It was too much; it drew me from my grief and gave me an unshakeable desire to follow.With my heart racing, I got up and started to approach the smell's origin.Every stride seemed directe

The cold bit deep, penetrating my bones like an unending tide. Every movement sent a new flash of anguish through my body; my wrists and ankles burned where the silver cuffs stabbed into raw skin. As I moved on the moist stone floor, the shackles banged against it, their weight suffocating.I inhale slowly. The air was thick, stuffy, tinged with the smell of moist dirt and something metallic—blood, old and faint but unmistakable. My belly turned.From all sides darkness pressed in, interrupted only by the flickering flame of one lamp hung high on the wall. Across the uneven stone, shadows stretched and moved, warping forms and making the small area feel even smaller. Rough, jagged where time had worn them down, the walls were rough. Somewhere water dripped; in the stillness, the gentle plink-plink echoed.Pulling on the cuffs, I tested the chains once more. The metal groaned but remained steadfast. Where the metal touched my skin, pain flashed, intense and burning. I clenched my jaw

A cold finger brushed my chin.It was barely there, but it sent a quick, immediate thrill through me, as though my body was unsure whether to retreat or lean in.He raised my head slowly and purposefully.At first I fought; my muscles clenched with terror, but his hold was unbelievably strong, and his touch was commanding but delicate. I had no choice but to follow.Then our eyes connected.My breath caught in the back of my throat.His gaze was much more intense up close, the deep crimson whirling like coals, burning with something unreadable. His face was immaculate, precise angles and smooth planes as if chiselled from marble, but there was a deadly beauty to him, something almost too perfect.A chill went through me but not from the coldness.Since I wasn't cold anymore.Warmth blossomed under my skin, spreading like fire through my veins, gathering in my chest, my stomach. Every point of contact between us buzzed, an odd feeling deep inside me. My heart raced too quickly and loud

Skyla’s smile was wide, her excitement contagious as she spoke. “My mate is the beta of the Winter Pack,” she said, her eyes lighting up with pride and joy. My heart stumbled in my chest. The Winter Pack. The words hit me like a tidal wave, dragging me back to that night—the night that still haunted me in fragments.The rejection. The cruel words from the Alpha of the Winter Pack. The way his gaze had dismissed me, like I was nothing more than a passing inconvenience. I blinked rapidly, trying to ground myself in the present. Skyla’s happiness radiated from her, and I didn’t want to dampen that. But my mind couldn’t stop circling back to the memory of the Alpha, his coldness like a shard of ice in my chest.“Skyla, that’s incredible,” I managed, my voice soft, though the knot in my stomach tightened with every word. The joy on her face made it hard to hide the sudden unease. Skyla’s grin grew even wider as she nodded.“It’s everything I’ve ever wanted, Elara. He’s perfect for me. We