The Cursed Bonds: Marked by the Moon

CHAPTER 5: Hunted

Aria’s POV

The moon is high above the trees, casting bright light on the forest floor. I walk along the edge of the woods, trying to clear my head.

My heart is heavy. The letter from my mother still burns in my pocket, and Theo's words keep ringing in my ears: "You have her eyes."

I hug my arms around myself. The night is cold, and the wind whistles between the trees. Everything feels too quiet. Too still.

Then I hear it A low growl.

I freeze. The sound comes again, louder, closer. My breath catches in my throat. I spin around, scanning the shadows.

A pair of glowing eyes. Then another. And another.

Wolves, four of them step out from the trees, their fur dark and their teeth bared. They’re not from my pack. Their smell is wrong. Sharp. Foreign.

I stumble back. "Please," I say, lifting my hands. "I don’t want to fight." They circle me.

One jumps, and I scream, jumping to the side. Pain cuts through my arm as claws catch my skin. I fall to the ground, blood dripping onto the dirt.

I try to crawl away, but another wolf blocks my path. Its eyes shine with hunger.

“No!” I cry.

My chest burns. My veins feel like they’re on fire. The pain from the cut spreads through my whole body. I curl up, holding my side. My heart pounds louder than the growls around me.

Then it happens.

A loud c***k shoots through me, like bones breaking. My fingers stretch into claws. My skin changes. My body turns and bends in ways that shouldn't be possible.

I scream again…but it turns into a howl.

My clothes rip. My view sharpens. My senses burst. The fear, the pain, the confusion…it all fades as something powerful takes over.

I’ve changed. For the first time in my life, I’ve turned into a wolf. It hurts. It’s wild. It’s terrifying. But I feel... alive.

The other wolves stop. They didn’t expect this. Neither did I.

One of them charges.

I leap. We crash together in the dirt. I bite down, tasting blood. The wolf yelps and scrambles back. Another rushes at me from the side, but I duck and slam into it with all my weight.

I fight.

I survive.

They retreat. Panting, covered in dirt and blood, I stand in the middle of the hole, my body still in wolf form. The silver light hits my fur…white with streaks of silver.

I’ve never seen a wolf like me before.

I slowly shift back. The pain is sharp, but I manage. I fall to my knees, shaking, naked, trembling, but alive.

And then I hear him Clapping. Slow. Cold. I lift my head. Damian steps out from the shadows, arms crossed, eyes wide.

“You shifted,” he says.

I try to cover myself, putting my arms around my chest, but my voice comes out broken. "What…what are you doing here?"

He doesn’t answer right away. His eyes are locked on mine, unreadable. "I followed them. I saw what they tried to do."

I swallow hard. “You were just watching?”

He flinches. “You didn’t need me.”

Tears prick my eyes. "You rejected me. You said I was weak."

He takes a step closer, voice low. “You’re not weak, Aria. Not anymore."

The wind howls through the trees, but all I can hear is the pounding in my chest. He looks at me like he wants to say more.

But then... he turns around and walks away. Again. Leaving me cold. Leaving me broken.

I wrap my arms tighter around myself, biting back a sob. The cold air stings my skin. The quiet is louder than any scream.

Why does he keep doing this?

Why save me... just to leave me again?

I crawl to the tree and sit with my back against it, shaking. My body aches. My heart aches more.

Minutes pass. Maybe hours. I don’t know. Footsteps. Soft. Careful. I look up. It’s not Damian.

It’s someone else. A tall guy in a dark coat. Their face is hidden. Their smell is strange. Not wolf.

They stop a few feet away and drop something on the ground…a piece of folded paper. Then they vanish into the trees without a word.

I stare at the paper, heart racing. My fingers shake as I reach for it. It’s another letter, But not from my mother.

My name is written in strong letters across the front. And inside... One sentence:

"They’re coming for you, Aria. Run."

I stare at the words for what feels like forever. My heart races. My breath comes in weak gasps. Who are they? And how does this person know?

My fingers close around the letter. My skin is still sticky with blood and sweat. I force myself to stand, using the tree for support.

Every muscle in my body aches, but I move anyway. I can’t stay here. I don’t know who’s watching me. And now I know something bigger is happening—something risky.

I take slow steps back toward the pack. The walk feels longer than ever. The shadows seem to stretch and whisper, like they know a secret I don’t.

Halfway home, I hear another noise. Twigs snapping. I turn around quickly. Nothing. Just the wind, But my senses scream that I’m not alone. I move faster.

When I finally reach the packhouse, I slip inside and head straight for my room. I shut the door behind me and lock it.

I slide down to the floor, holding the letter.

My mind spins.

Why me? Why now? Why does everyone suddenly want something from me—or want me dead?

I think about Damian. The way he looked at me. The way he said I wasn’t weak.

But his actions still hurt. He keeps walking away. Maybe I shouldn’t care. Maybe I should forget about him.

But I can’t. My wolf won’t let me. I press my face to my legs and close my eyes, I don’t sleep that night.

I wait. Listening. Wondering. Dreading.

When morning comes, I’m still on the floor. My body is stiff, but my thoughts are clearer now.

I can’t stay here. If the message is true, then I have to prepare.

I get dressed in silence, putting the letter into my bag. I wrap my injured arm and tie back my hair. I sneak down the hallway and out the back door.

But as I step into the early morning light, I freeze.

Theo is standing there. His eyes widen when he sees me. "Aria? Are you okay? You smell like blood."

I swallow hard. "I was attacked. I shifted." His face goes pale. "Already? But you…" "I need to talk to you," I say quickly. "But not here. Not now."

He looks around. "Okay. Meet me at the old tree near the cliff before sunset. Alone."

I nod and rush past him. As I disappear into the bush

es again, I clutch my bag tightly.

My journey isn’t over. It’s just started. And someone…maybe more than one…is already hunting me.