Episode 3
1760 Words
THE MARK OF THE ROGUE
“Send you a message?”
My voice barely came out.
Alpha Hillary stood in front of me, his entire body tense.
“Yes.”
The guard lowered his head.
“Alpha, we should get to the infirmary.”
Hillary nodded.
Then he looked at me.
“You're staying here.”
“No.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“I need to see Tony.”
“Natalia—”
“He betrayed me. I know that. But if someone attacked him because of me, I deserve to know why.”
“You don't know that the attack had anything to do with you.”
“Then let me find out.”
For several seconds, we stared at each other.
Finally, Hillary sighed.
“Stay beside me.”
I nodded.
We left the guest house surrounded by guards.
The night air was cold.
Too cold.
I pulled my arms around myself as we walked toward the infirmary.
The entire compound seemed unusually quiet.
Wolves stood along the paths, whispering among themselves.
When they saw me beside Hillary, their whispers grew louder.
“That's Natalia Rose.”
“She was supposed to be Luna.”
“Isn't that Alpha Hillary?”
“What is she doing with him?”
I lowered my head.
Hillary noticed.
“Don't listen to them.”
“They're talking about me.”
“Let them.”
His voice hardened.
“By tomorrow, they'll be too afraid to speak.”
We reached the infirmary.
Two guards stood outside.
Hillary pushed the doors open.
The smell of blood hit me immediately.
My stomach turned.
Tony was lying on a bed.
His face was bruised.
There was a deep cut across his chest, and his shirt had been removed.
But he was alive.
I stopped at the doorway.
For a moment, I remembered another Tony.
The man who used to hold my hand.
The man who had promised me forever.
The man who had looked into my eyes and called me his mate.
Then I remembered Angelica.
The bond breaking.
His betrayal.
The memories hardened my heart.
Tony's eyes suddenly opened.
They found mine.
“Natalia…”
I didn't move.
Hillary stepped beside me.
“What happened?”
Tony tried to sit up.
“Father…”
“Don't move.”
Hillary's voice was commanding.
Tony ignored him.
“Natalia, I need to talk to you.”
“You've already said enough.”
His face twisted with pain.
“Please.”
I looked at the injuries covering his body.
“Who did this to you?”
Tony's expression changed.
“I don't know.”
“You don't remember?”
“I remember being attacked.”
“By who?”
His breathing became heavier.
“A wolf.”
“What did it look like?”
“Black.”
My heart raced.
“Red eyes?”
Tony stared at me.
“How do you know?”
“Because I saw it.”
Everyone went silent.
Tony looked frightened.
“You saw the wolf?”
“It was outside the guest house.”
Hillary's expression darkened.
Tony looked at his father.
“She was the target.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
Tony swallowed.
“The wolf wasn't interested in me.”
Hillary stepped closer.
“What are you saying?”
Tony's eyes moved to me.
“It said her name.”
The room went silent.
My blood ran cold.
“My name?”
Tony nodded slowly.
“It kept saying…”
He paused.
“Natalia.”
I felt a chill crawl down my spine.
Hillary turned toward the guards.
“Search the entire territory.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“Double the patrols.”
“Yes, Alpha.”
“And nobody leaves the compound.”
The guards hurried out.
I turned to Hillary.
“Why me?”
“I don't know yet.”
“Then find out.”
“I will.”
Tony suddenly grabbed my wrist.
I pulled away immediately.
“Don't touch me.”
His eyes filled with regret.
“Natalia, I made a terrible mistake.”
“You didn't make a mistake.”
I stared at him.
“You made a choice.”
He lowered his eyes.
“I was wrong.”
“You were.”
“I want you back.”
A bitter laugh escaped me.
“You don't get to want me back.”
“Natalia…”
“You chose my sister.”
His face tightened.
“I know.”
“You broke our bond.”
“I know.”
“You destroyed everything.”
Tears filled his eyes.
“I know.”
For the first time, I saw genuine regret on his face.
But it didn't matter.
Some wounds didn't close simply because the person who caused them apologized.
I turned away.
Then Tony whispered something that made me stop.
“Angelica knew.”
I turned.
“What?”
“She knew about the rogue wolves.”
My heart stopped.
“What are you talking about?”
Tony looked toward the door.
“Before the ceremony, she warned me that something would happen.”
Hillary's expression became dangerous.
“What exactly did she say?”
Tony swallowed.
“She said the Moon Goddess had chosen another path for Natalia.”
My skin prickled.
“Why would Angelica say that?”
“I don't know.”
“Where is she now?” Hillary demanded.
Tony looked confused.
“I thought she was at the mansion.”
A guard suddenly rushed inside.
“Alpha!”
Hillary turned.
“What?”
“Angelica Rose is missing.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“She left the mansion shortly after the attack.”
Hillary's eyes narrowed.
“Did anyone see her leave?”
“Yes.”
“Where did she go?”
The guard hesitated.
“The northern forest.”
Hillary's expression changed.
The northern forest.
The same place where the rogue wolves lived.
My heart began pounding.
“She's working with them,” I whispered.
“No,” Tony said.
I looked at him.
“You don't know that.”
“Neither do you.”
Hillary's voice cut between us.
“We need proof.”
He turned to the guard.
“Bring me everything you have.”
The guard nodded and left.
I looked at Hillary.
“I'm going with you.”
“No.”
“Angelica is my sister.”
“And that is exactly why you're staying here.”
“I need answers.”
“You're not walking into a rogue territory.”
“I don't care.”
Hillary stepped closer.
“I do.”
His words were quiet.
But they carried something that made my heart skip.
“You're not going.”
I stared at him.
“You can't order me around.”
“I can when your life is at risk.”
“You're not my Alpha.”
“No.”
His golden eyes held mine.
“But I am responsible for keeping you alive.”
The way he said it made my breath catch.
Before I could answer, a strange sensation suddenly spread through my chest.
I gasped.
Pain.
Not like the mate bond breaking.
Something else.
A burning sensation.
I grabbed my chest.
“Natalia?”
Hillary caught me before I fell.
My skin felt hot.
Then a sharp pain tore across my shoulder.
I screamed.
Hillary pulled the fabric of my dress aside.
His eyes widened.
“What is that?”
I looked down.
A mark was appearing on my skin.
A crescent moon surrounded by dark lines.
It glowed faintly beneath my skin.
“What is happening to me?”
Hillary stared at the mark.
“I don't know.”
Tony suddenly shouted from the bed.
“No!”
Everyone turned.
Tony's face had gone pale.
“I've seen that mark before.”
I looked at him.
“Where?”
His breathing became uneven.
“On the rogue wolves.”
Silence.
I touched the mark.
The moment my fingers touched it, a voice echoed inside my head.
Find the Alpha.
I froze.
“Did you hear that?”
Hillary looked at me.
“Hear what?”
The voice came again.
The blood moon is coming.
My heart pounded.
Then another voice whispered.
When it rises, the truth will be revealed.
I stumbled backward.
Hillary caught my shoulders.
“Natalia!”
I looked into his eyes.
“There was a voice.”
“What did it say?”
I hesitated.
“The blood moon is coming.”
Hillary's expression changed.
“What else?”
“It told me to find the Alpha.”
His face went completely still.
Tony whispered from the bed.
“Father…”
Hillary turned.
Tony's voice trembled.
“She doesn't have a normal wolf.”
Hillary looked back at me.
“What are you saying?” I demanded.
Tony swallowed.
“The mark.”
His eyes were fixed on my shoulder.
“That's the mark of the Moonborn.”
Hillary's face darkened.
“What is a Moonborn?”
Tony shook his head.
“Someone the Moon Goddess chooses for a purpose.”
I stared at both men.
“What purpose?”
Nobody answered.
Then the infirmary doors slammed open.
A guard stood there, breathing heavily.
“Alpha!”
Hillary turned.
“What happened?”
“We found Angelica.”
My heart stopped.
“Where?”
The guard looked terrified.
“In the northern forest.”
“Is she alive?”
“Yes.”
Relief rushed through me.
Then the guard continued.
“But she wasn't alone.”
Hillary's eyes narrowed.
“Who was with her?”
The guard swallowed.
“A group of rogue wolves.”
My stomach dropped.
“And they were waiting for someone.”
“Who?”
The guard looked directly at me.
“You.”
The room went silent.
Then, from somewhere beyond the compound walls, dozens of wolves began howling at once.
Hillary stepped in front of me.
His eyes turned completely gold.
“Lock down the territory.”
The guard nodded.
But before he could leave, another howl echoed through the night.
This one was different.
Deeper.
Stronger.
It sounded like an Alpha.
Hillary's face changed.
He knew that howl.
“Who is that?” I whispered.
He didn't answer.
“Alpha?”
His eyes remained fixed on the darkness outside.
Finally, he spoke.
“The last wolf I ever wanted to see.”
And somewhere beyond the trees, a voice carried through the night.
“Natalia Rose…”
My blood froze.
It was calling my name.
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