Marked by the Moon, Bound by Blood

Chapter 5

I turned to Anderson. He was standing there like a statue, his face dark as night. He’d known this since the beginning, but he hadn't told me it was this f*****g terminal.

"If the bond is broken, then this woman has to be eliminated for the Alpha’s safety!" the scarred elder shouted. "We can’t let our leader die over one goddamn anomaly!"

"Wait a minute! You can't just kill people because it's convenient!" I yelled in frustration.

"Shut your mouth!" the elder snapped back.

Anderson stepped between me and the elders. He released an aura so hot the air seemed to vibrate around us.

"I’m not letting anyone touch her until I find a way to fix or break this bond safely," Anderson stated firmly.

"Break it? You know the risks, Anderson! You could lose your Alpha status or your f*****g life!" Wilfredo countered.

"I’d rather take that risk than be a murderer for no reason!" Anderson shot back.

Suddenly, the pain in my chest hit its breaking point. It felt like something was being ripped out of my heart. I dropped to my knees, clutching my chest.

"Argh... it hurts so much..." I whimpered.

Anderson dropped beside me, coughing up a bit of blood onto the floor. The hall went dead silent. The elders stared, their suspicions confirmed.

"Look! Even without us touching you, the bond is already starting to kill you both!" the elder cried.

My vision started to blur. Cold sweat soaked my skin. I felt completely drained, like all my strength was being sucked into a goddamn black hole.

"Anderson..." I wheezed.

He tried to reach for my shoulder, but every time he touched me, sparks of purple light flickered from my skin, causing him even more pain. He pulled his hand back, gasping for air.

"Don't... don't touch me..." I sobbed.

"Fuck..." Anderson muttered, wiping blood from his lip.

He looked at the elders with whatever strength he had left. "Give me three days. I’ll take her to the border shack. If I can't stabilize the bond in three days, you can do whatever the hell you want with her."

The elders exchanged looks, whispering for several minutes that felt like an eternity.

"Fine. Three days," the middle elder said. "But for those three days, you don't set foot in the settlement. You’re exiled to the border cabin under heavy guard. If you don't come back stable in three days, we’re coming to collect her soul ourselves."

Anderson nodded weakly. He stood up and tried to pull me up too, though he winced hard just touching the fabric of my cloak.

"Come on, Misha. We have to go. Now."

We stumbled out of the hall. The crowd parted, but their eyes followed us with nothing but malice. Outside, the cold night air hit my pale face.

"Are we really going to die in three days?" I asked as we got clear of the crowd.

Anderson didn't answer immediately. He kept walking toward a different part of the forest.

"I’m not letting that happen. But you’re gonna have to cooperate with me," he said shortly.

"How the hell do we cooperate when touching each other makes us feel like we’re dying?" I snapped back.

Anderson stopped. He looked at me, looking absolutely exhausted but sharp.

"We have to figure out why your body is rejecting me, Misha. You're hiding something, whether you f*****g know it or not."

"I'm not hiding a damn thing!"

Suddenly, a growl came from behind a large tree. Two guards with silver-tipped spears stepped out, blocking our path.

"Alpha, the elders' orders are to escort you to the border cabin," one guard said.

Anderson let out a frustrated huff. "I know the way. Don't get too f*****g close."

We trekked along a narrow path. The pain in my chest was turning into an agonizing thirst. My throat felt like it was on fire.

"Anderson, I’m thirsty... I need some goddamn water," I coughed.

"Hold on a little longer. There’s a spring near the cabin," he said without looking back.

We finally hit a small shack made of stone and timber. It looked like it hadn't been lived in for decades; dust was thick over everything. The guards stopped about ten meters away.

"We’ll be watching. Don't try anything stupid," the guard said.

Anderson pushed the door open; it creaked like a dying animal. Inside was just a small bed, a table, and an old stove. He shoved me inside and slammed the door.

I collapsed onto the dusty wooden floor, gasping for air. The heat in my neck flared up again—way stronger this time. I felt like something was trying to explode out of my skin.

"What's happening to you?" Anderson asked, sounding worried as he saw me writhing on the floor.

"My neck... it's burning..." I ripped at the buttons of the cloak, feeling like I was being strangled.

Anderson knelt down. He looked at my neck and his eyes went wide.

"The mark... why the f**k is it changing color?" he muttered.

I looked down at my chest. The mark that was just red before was now glowing a deep, vivid purple. The light was spreading through the veins in my neck and shoulders.

"Anderson, help! It hurts so f*****g much!" I screamed.

He tried to grab my shoulders to calm me down, but a burst of energy slammed into him, throwing him back against the cabin wall.

Bugh!

"Ugh!" Anderson groaned in pain.

I looked at my own hands. My nails were growing unnaturally long, turning jet black. My teeth itched and my jaw felt like it was being forced open.

"Misha! Control yourself!" Anderson yelled from the corner.

"I... I can't! Something is pulling me!"

My vision suddenly turned blood red. I didn't see Anderson as a man anymore—I saw him as a pulsing mass of heat and energy that I desperately needed to drain. My thirst was overwhelming. I crawled toward him with movements that weren't human anymore.

"Misha, snap out of it! Don't let the monster take over!" Anderson shouted, trying to stand and baring his own fangs.

I stopped right in front of him. I stared at him with eyes that probably weren't human anymore.

"Blood... I need your f*****g blood..." I whispered in a voice that didn't sound like mine.

Anderson looked at me with a mix of horror and pity. He slowly pulled back his collar, exposing his powerful neck.

"If this is the only way to settle you down, then do it. But you better f*****g remember who you are, Misha," Anderson said, giving in.

I opened my mouth, ready to sink my fangs into his throat.