Chapter 8: Marked for War
1147 Words
The room was suffocatingly silent as the last echoes of Damian’s words settled in the air.
“And far more hunted.”
Selena swallowed hard, staring at the faint glow on her forearm where the silver had touched her skin. The burning had faded, but the eerie sensation lingered. Her blood had reacted—proof that she was something different, something rare.
She had barely processed that fact when Sophia spoke again.
“They’ll know soon.”
Damian’s head snapped toward her. “What?”
Sophia wiped the silver blade clean, her face unreadable. “The rival pack. If they have spies, and they do, word will spread that we’ve confirmed her identity.”
Selena’s stomach turned. “So you’re saying the moment you sliced me open, I became a walking target?”
Sophia smiled grimly. “You were always a target, dear. Now it’s just official.”
A sharp knock on the door made everyone freeze.
Damian was the first to react. His posture tensed, muscles coiling like a predator sensing danger. Without a word, he moved toward the door, motioning for Selena to stay put.
Xander pulled out a dagger from his belt, his casual demeanor evaporating into something cold and lethal.
Selena’s pulse pounded. The air was thick with tension as Damian swung the door open.
A young man stood there, panting heavily. His shirt was torn, his face smeared with dirt and blood. “They’re here,” he gasped.
Everything shifted in an instant.
Damian pulled him inside, slamming the door shut. “Who’s here?”
“The Vipers,” the man choked out. “They tracked one of our patrols. Three are dead. They’re moving fast—heading straight for us.”
Selena’s heart lurched.
The rival pack. They were already coming.
Sophia cursed under her breath. “They must have been watching us closer than we thought.”
Damian turned to Xander. “Get the others ready. We’re moving.”
Selena’s hands clenched into fists. “Moving where?”
Damian met her gaze. “Somewhere they can’t reach you.”
“No,” she shot back. “I just agreed to stay and fight. I’m not running now.”
His jaw tightened. “You don’t understand what’s at stake, Selena.”
“Then make me understand.”
His golden eyes burned into hers. “If they get their hands on you, they won’t kill you—not right away. They’ll use you. They’ll bleed you dry, force you to unlock whatever power is inside you, and then they’ll take it for themselves.”
A chill ran down her spine, but she stood her ground. “Then I fight. I made my choice.”
Damian exhaled sharply, as if warring with himself. Then, reluctantly, he nodded. “Fine. But you follow my lead. No heroics.”
Xander grinned. “Guess the little human isn’t so fragile after all.”
Sophia didn’t look as amused. “This isn’t bravery. It’s desperation.”
Before Selena could reply, another sharp bang echoed through the house. This time, it wasn’t a knock.
It was a warning.
“We need to go. Now.” Damian grabbed her hand, his grip firm but careful. “Stay close to me.”
Selena barely had time to nod before the front window shattered.
The attack had begun.
Into the Fire
Glass rained down as a massive black wolf lunged through the window, knocking over a table. Snarling, its red eyes locked onto Selena.
Xander moved first, a blur of motion as he slammed into the creature, sending them both crashing into the far wall.
“Move!” Damian barked, pulling Selena toward the back exit.
More howls erupted outside. The ground shook as heavy footsteps approached—too many of them.
Sophia muttered a curse. “They brought a damn army.”
They barely made it down the hallway when the back door exploded inward. Another wolf lunged, but this time, Damian was ready. He shifted in mid-air, his human form melting into something terrifying—a massive black wolf with glowing golden eyes.
The sight stole the breath from Selena’s lungs.
Damian met the rival wolf head-on, jaws snapping, claws raking through fur and flesh. The snarl that ripped through the air was like nothing she had ever heard.
“Selena, move!” Sophia grabbed her arm, dragging her toward a side door.
“But Damian—”
“He can handle himself. You can’t.”
Selena’s entire body was shaking, but she forced herself to move. They burst into the cool night air, where chaos had already taken over. Wolves clashed in the moonlight, teeth sinking into flesh, blood splattering against the pavement.
It was a warzone.
Selena’s heart hammered. She wasn’t a fighter, wasn’t built for this kind of violence. But as she took in the scene, something inside her shifted.
A wolf lunged toward her. Instinct screamed for her to run. But instead, she raised her hand—
And something exploded from her palm.
A shockwave of energy rippled through the air, slamming into the wolf and sending it flying across the clearing. It crashed into a tree with a sickening c***k.
Silence fell.
All eyes turned to Selena. Even the rival wolves hesitated.
Selena stared at her own hands, her breath coming in sharp gasps. “What… what was that?”
Sophia’s eyes widened with something like awe. “Your power.”
A low growl snapped Selena back to the present. The fight wasn’t over.
Damian, still in wolf form, bounded toward her, shifting back into his human form just before he reached her. “We need to end this. Now.”
Selena barely had time to react before he turned to face the rival wolves, his voice ringing through the night.
“This is your only warning,” he growled. “Leave, or die here.”
The Vipers hesitated. The display of Selena’s power had rattled them. But one, larger than the rest, stepped forward, his red eyes burning with fury.
“This isn’t over,” he snarled. “We will have her.”
Then, just as quickly as they had come, the Vipers retreated into the shadows.
Selena let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
Sophia crossed her arms. “Well. That was dramatic.”
Damian turned to Selena. His expression was unreadable, but his golden eyes burned with intensity.
“Now do you understand?” he said quietly.
Selena swallowed hard, nodding. “Yeah. I do.”
There was no turning back.
She wasn’t just involved in this war.
She was the reason for it.
And she had just declared herself a player in a game she didn’t even know the rules to.
But one thing was clear—if she wanted to survive, she needed to learn how to fight.
Because the enemy wasn’t done with her yet.
- Writer
