His Secret Mate

The Girl in the Prophecy

Chapter 4 — The Girl in the Prophecy

The light disappeared.

Maya opened her eyes.

For several seconds, she couldn't understand what she was seeing.

The tunnel was silent.

The strange black wolf was gone.

Adrian was standing several feet away, staring at her as though he had just witnessed something impossible.

Damon was still in front of her.

But he wasn't looking at Adrian.

He was looking at Maya's hand.

The mark on her palm was glowing.

Not brightly anymore.

Just enough to reveal a thin silver symbol beneath her skin.

Maya stared at it.

"What..."

Her voice trembled.

"What happened to me?"

Nobody answered.

"Damon?"

He slowly turned toward Adrian.

"What did you do?"

Adrian's expression hardened.

"I didn't do anything."

"Then explain it."

"I can't."

Damon's eyes flashed silver.

"Stop saying that."

Adrian looked at him.

"Because this time, I genuinely don't know."

Maya looked between them.

"Everybody keeps saying they don't know."

She held up her hand.

"Then why does everyone look terrified?"

Damon's expression softened.

"Because what just happened shouldn't be possible."

Maya swallowed.

"Why?"

Adrian stepped closer.

"Because that mark belongs to the first bloodline."

Damon immediately moved in front of Maya.

"Don't."

Adrian ignored him.

"For centuries, every supernatural clan has heard stories about a bloodline that disappeared."

Maya stared at him.

"What bloodline?"

"The Moonborn."

The word echoed through the tunnel.

Maya shook her head.

"That's not real."

Adrian gave her a strange smile.

"Neither are werewolves."

Maya looked at Damon.

He didn't deny it.

Her stomach dropped.

"Moonborn?"

Adrian nodded.

"They were said to be born under a rare lunar alignment. They weren't ordinary wolves. They could sense things other supernatural beings couldn't. They could influence ancient magic."

Maya looked at her glowing palm.

"And you think I'm one of them?"

"I don't think."

Adrian's gaze became serious.

"I know."

Damon stepped toward him.

"You said the Moonborn disappeared."

"They did."

"Then how can she be one?"

Adrian's eyes moved toward Maya.

"Because someone made sure the last one survived."

Maya's breathing stopped.

"My mother."

Adrian nodded.

"Your mother."

Damon turned sharply.

"Where is Elena?"

Maya's eyes widened.

They had left her behind.

"My mom."

She turned toward the tunnel entrance.

"We need to go back."

Damon grabbed her wrist.

"No."

"Let go."

"Maya, we don't know what's waiting for us."

"My mother is there."

"I know."

"Then I'm going."

Damon looked into her eyes.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then he released her.

"I'm coming with you."

Adrian laughed quietly.

"You two really don't understand what's happening."

Damon ignored him.

"Stay close."

Maya nodded.

They began running through the tunnel.

---

When they reached the mansion, the fighting had stopped.

The entrance hall was destroyed.

Furniture had been overturned.

The chandelier was hanging crookedly from the ceiling.

Glass covered the floor.

But there was no sign of Elena.

Or Richard.

Maya's heart began racing.

"Mom?"

No answer.

"Mom!"

She ran through the hall.

"Elena!"

Damon followed.

"Maya, wait."

She ignored him.

They searched the kitchen.

Nothing.

The study.

Empty.

The living room.

Empty.

Then Maya noticed something on the floor.

A silver necklace.

Her mother's necklace.

She picked it up.

"No."

Damon approached.

"What is it?"

"My mother never takes this off."

He examined it.

"There may be a tracker."

"What?"

Damon pressed a small button hidden beneath the pendant.

A faint light appeared.

His expression changed.

"She's alive."

Maya nearly collapsed with relief.

"How do you know?"

"This necklace has a family signal."

"You can track it?"

"Yes."

"Then do it."

Damon looked at the small screen on his phone.

His expression became darker.

"She's moving."

"Where?"

"North."

"How far?"

"About twenty minutes."

"Let's go."

Damon grabbed his jacket.

Adrian remained near the doorway.

Maya looked at him.

"Are you coming?"

He smiled.

"I think you finally understand that this is bigger than you thought."

"That wasn't an answer."

"No."

He looked toward Damon.

"I'm staying here."

Damon narrowed his eyes.

"I don't trust you."

"You shouldn't."

Then Adrian disappeared into the darkness.

Maya watched him go.

"Who is he?"

Damon didn't answer immediately.

"Someone my family used to know."

"That's not enough."

"It's all I can give you right now."

Maya sighed.

"Fine."

She followed him outside.

---

They reached the northern forest twenty minutes later.

Maya immediately felt something strange.

The moment she stepped beneath the trees, the mark on her palm began burning.

She stopped.

"Damon."

He turned.

"What?"

"My hand."

The silver symbol was glowing again.

Damon stared at it.

Then he looked into the forest.

"She's close."

"How do you know?"

"I can smell her."

Maya stared.

"That's still weird."

He almost smiled.

"You'll get used to it."

"I don't think I want to."

They continued walking.

The forest grew darker.

The moon was hidden behind thick clouds.

Then Maya heard something.

A whisper.

"Maya..."

She froze.

"Mom?"

Damon looked around.

"Did you hear that?"

"No."

The whisper came again.

"Maya..."

This time it sounded closer.

She followed it.

"Maya, don't."

She kept walking.

"Maya!"

Damon grabbed her arm.

She turned.

"What?"

"Something is wrong."

"That's my mother."

"No."

His eyes became silver.

"That's not your mother."

Maya froze.

The voice came again.

"Maya..."

But now it sounded different.

Distorted.

Like someone pretending to be human.

Damon pulled her behind him.

A shadow moved between the trees.

Then another.

Then three.

Maya's heart raced.

"We're surrounded."

Damon nodded.

"Stay behind me."

A figure stepped out.

It wasn't human.

Its eyes were completely black.

Its skin was pale.

And its movements were unnaturally slow.

Maya couldn't look away.

"What is that?"

Damon growled.

"Nightborn."

The creature smiled.

"Found you."

Two more stepped from the trees.

Damon moved forward.

"Run."

Maya shook her head.

"No."

"Maya."

"I'm not leaving you."

He looked at her.

"You don't understand."

"Then make me understand."

One of the Nightborn lunged.

Damon transformed.

Maya screamed.

Bones shifted.

Fur appeared.

In seconds, a huge black wolf stood where Damon had been.

His eyes were silver.

He attacked the creature.

The forest exploded into chaos.

Maya backed away.

She watched Damon fight.

He moved faster than anything she'd ever seen.

One Nightborn attacked from behind.

"Damon!"

The wolf turned.

Too late.

The creature struck him across the side.

Damon crashed into a tree.

Maya screamed.

Something inside her snapped.

The mark on her palm burned.

A wave of silver energy exploded from her body.

The Nightborn flew backward.

All three creatures screamed.

The forest went completely silent.

Maya stared at her hands.

"What did I do?"

Damon slowly rose.

He stared at her.

The wolf's eyes were wide.

Then, one by one, the Nightborn began retreating.

One looked at Maya with fear.

"She's awake."

Another whispered:

"The Moonborn has awakened."

Then they disappeared into the forest.

Damon shifted back.

He stood there breathing heavily.

Maya looked at him.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"You were attacked."

"I said I'm fine."

Maya stepped closer.

"You're bleeding."

Damon looked down.

There was a deep scratch across his side.

His expression softened.

"You saved me."

Maya shook her head.

"I didn't know what I was doing."

"That doesn't matter."

"It does."

"No."

He looked directly into her eyes.

"You protected me."

Maya didn't know what to say.

Then they heard footsteps.

Richard emerged from between the trees.

Maya's eyes widened.

"Dad?"

Richard looked at Damon.

Then Maya.

Then the glowing mark on her palm.

His face changed.

"No."

Maya frowned.

"What?"

Richard stepped backward.

"You awakened."

Maya's voice became quiet.

"What does that mean?"

Richard didn't answer.

"Dad."

He looked at her.

For the first time, Maya saw tears in his eyes.

"I prayed this day would never come."

"Why?"

Richard looked toward Damon.

"Because once the Moonborn awakens, every supernatural clan will know she exists."

Maya's stomach dropped.

"What happens then?"

Richard's voice was barely a whisper.

"They will come for you."

Maya looked at Damon.

He was already watching her.

Richard continued.

"And the worst part is..."

He hesitated.

Maya stepped closer.

"What?"

Richard looked at the mark.

"The prophecy says the Moonborn will either unite the supernatural world..."

He paused.

"...or destroy it."

Maya's blood ran cold.

"That's impossible."

Richard shook his head.

"I wish it were."

A branch snapped behind them.

Everyone turned.

A voice came from the darkness.

"She's not the one you should fear."

Adrian stepped into the moonlight.

His expression was completely different now.

Serious.

Almost frightened.

Damon moved in front of Maya.

"What do you want?"

Adrian looked at Maya.

"I came to warn you."

"About what?"

Adrian took a slow breath.

"The prophecy was never about whether Maya would destroy our world."

Maya stared at him.

"Then what was it about?"

Adrian's eyes moved toward Damon.

"It was about what would happen when the Moonborn found her mate."

Damon froze.

Maya's heart began pounding.

Adrian looked directly at them.

"The prophecy says their bond will awaken something that has been sleeping for a thousand years."

Silence.

Maya looked at Damon.

"What sleeping thing?"

Adrian's expression darkened.

"The first Alpha."

A cold wind swept through the forest.

And somewhere beneath the earth...

Something growled.

Something ancient.

Something that had just heard Maya's name.

TO BE CONTINUED...