Marked by the Past
1015 Words
Mae – POV
The camp sat deep in the forest. Why did I even follow this mysterious guy who hides his identity behind a mask? I stopped when the cloaked man came to a halt.
“Are these your minions?” I asked.
“Don’t phrase it like that,” he said coldly.
I clenched my jaw as I looked around the camp—it felt like a refuge for abandoned wolves. Their subtle, tense eyes followed my every move.
“This place is a haven for the lost and exiled,” he said, pulling back his hood. His eyes—red mixed with black—were unlike anything I’d ever seen. The intensity of his aura made my wolf, Valkra, bristle in warning. His jawline was sharp, a small scar cut across his left eye, and though his lips curled slightly, the hint of a smile vanished almost instantly.
“Who are you?” My voice stayed calm, but inside, Valkra was telling me to run.
“I’m Reed Granger,” he said evenly. “An exiled wolf from the same pack as you.”
“I’ve never heard that name in the Orion Pack.”
He dropped the cloak, revealing a muscular frame wrapped in a tight black shirt that clung to him like a second skin. Military pants and boots completed the look—he could’ve passed for a soldier.
“If you’d paid more attention to your surroundings instead of obsessing over Alpha Oscar…” The jab hit harder than I’d admit. He wasn’t wrong. I’d been too focused on Oscar to notice anyone else.
“Why did you bring me here?” I asked.
He glanced at me, then at the camp members loitering around us.
“The threats outside the pack are getting worse. Rogues are dying every month,” he said. “Consider this a gesture of goodwill.”
“Come on in.” His tone softened, his gesture open—completely different from the usual alpha-dominant types.
“No,” I said flatly.
He stopped a few steps away, smirking. “Suit yourself, Luna Mae. Try to stay alive out there.”
I hated that smirk.
Part of me wanted to ask why he’d reached out, what he really wanted, and if he expected me to stay. But he didn’t stop me, so I left.
Better that way. I wasn’t about to stick around a camp full of unstable rogues who might kill me on a whim. Did he not realize how dangerous they were?
I trudged through the uneven forest terrain, moonlight flickering through the branches. My wolf eyes made it easier to see, but
Reed’s words echoed in my mind: “Threats are increasing… rogues are dying every month.”
Each step felt heavier. The night air was thick, eerie. My shoulders tensed, but nothing happened. Eventually, I made it back to the motel.
What now? I had no purpose left. Should I hunt down Hector Muller—the man who slaughtered children, ruined my life, and sold me to those people who called themselves my adoptive parents? They’re dead now, but their control still lingers like poison.
I shut my eyes.
“Please, I’ll never go near Alpha Oscar again!” a girl begged.
I slapped her hard enough that her head hit the wall. I yanked her hair, forcing her to meet my gaze.
“b***h, know your place. He’s mine.”
Her eyes drooped with fear. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“What were you talking to Oscar about?” I demanded.
“He… asked for my notes,” she muttered. I released her.
“Then make sure you never even look at him again. And don’t breathe a word of this—or you’ll regret it.” I smirked darkly.
I jolted awake, heart pounding, a dull headache throbbing behind my eyes. I rubbed the bridge of my nose.
“Stay alert,” Valkra warned sharply. The air around me shifted—colder, darker.
A daughter of Manipulator Dark Caster, a deep voice echoed from the shadows.
“Who are you?” My breath came faster, the chill seeping into my bones.
“In time, you’ll know who we are—and what we want from you. Find Hector Muller, if you value your life.”
“Why would I find a monster like him?” I hissed.
“Scared of the man who tortures little girls?” the voice mocked.
“I won’t do it,” I whispered, fighting to stay conscious as Valkra pushed back inside me.
Pain ripped through my body.
“I like when you scream,” the voice taunted.
The invisible grip around my throat tightened—I gasped for air.
“I thought you were smarter than this,” the voice sneered. “You used to bully girls for looking at your man. Didn’t you?”
His words cut deep, dragging up the screams of those I’d hurt—people my adoptive parents forced me to kill for debts, for money, for power.
“I won’t be anyone’s puppet again,” I whispered weakly.
“You have no choice if you want to live.”
“Then kill me,” I said, voice breaking. “I have no reason to live.”
“Are you sure, Mae?” the voice asked. “Because if you die, so does your mate. Alpha Oscar dies with you.”
The words struck like lightning. My chest tightened. I should have rejected Oscar long ago—maybe then I could’ve died in peace.
“…I’ll do it,” I breathed.
Air rushed back into my lungs as the power released me. My body hit the floor, trembling.
“Good decision, Manipulator of dark magic caster,” the voice whispered faintly. “If you want clues, go back to the forest.”
Then, silence. Only the cold remained. My body felt heavy, my heart even heavier.
Why did I agree to this? I should’ve walked away.
But I can’t die—not yet.
I have to find Hector Muller.
- Writer
