CHAPTER FOUR - THE MARKED ONE
1276 Words
LANDON'S POV
The first thing I feel is the morning sunlight on my face, nudging me awake.
I stretch awake, loving the clearness of my mind and the normal pace of my heartbeat.
For the first time since the full moon last night, I feel at peace.
Every time a full moon appears, I go into heat, unable to control my urges unless a woman is brought to my side. It is a curse that started when I turned into a full wolf.
At first, my guards used to lock me in my room, barring all the entrances to keep me from breaking out. But when that didn't work, we decided to move to the pack woods. Then to keep the pack safe, rumors were spread claiming that rogues could infiltrate the pack woods at any time and so pack members weren’t allowed in the woods.
But today is a good day, I survived the night.
I exhale slowly burying my face in my hands. “Everything went as planned,” I murmur all of a sudden, I hear a soft whimper by my side.
I freeze and turn.
There is someone in my bed—a girl.
Not just any girl.
An omega girl from my pack.
I step back from the bed immediately. Why is there a maiden in my bed?
Suddenly, events from last night slam into my mind.
I remember seeing her in the wood, chasing her and carrying her back into the cottage with me. I remember her scent, her taste, her pleas and her surrender.
“What have I done?” I ask myself, pushing my hair out of my face.
I stare at the sleeping maiden, feeling bile rise up my throat.
I had taken her.
Claimed her like some feral beast who couldn’t control himself.
She turns in her sleep, her dark brows drawn as though she is having a nightmare, her long brown hair spilled across the sheets.
My hands are shaking as I press them to my forehead. “I hurt her.”
All those years of self control, far away from civilization and for what?
To lose my grip when I was so close to getting my curse broken?
My engagement to the Beta’s daughter is supposed to be announced a week from now, and with a mate by my side, my nights of heat will be over.
Suddenly, another thought comes to mind, silencing my guilt.
All the guards that I set up outside the woods, the rumors about the rogues they spread. No one was supposed to be in the woods, especially not an omega maiden.
Unless…
Unless she knew that the Alpha would be in heat..
Unless she came here with an agenda.
An Omega girl, probably looking to advance her status in the pack.
“She planned this,” I whisper under my breath, feeling anger echo in my bones.
My eyes narrow as I watch her stretch in her sleep, her face is pale and unassuming, almost innocent looking.
She is exactly the kind of woman that I am wary of, the kind that looks harmless.
As if she can tell I am watching her, her eyes blinks open and land on mine. She jerks up immediately, like she can suddenly remember where she is.
What an actress.
“Alpha Landon,” she smiles softly. “You are awake…”
I scoff at her greeting. If this is her attempt at fooling me is failing miserably.
“Congratulations,” I say and her brows knit in confusion.
“What do you mean Alpha?” she asks as the sheets on her shoulder falls slightly.
I pause for a second, unable to believe what I am seeing.
No, it can’t be.
My mark, my damned mark is glowing faintly on her shoulder like a brand.
My wolf is growling in satisfaction while I feel sick.
How could I have marked her, of all people?
Something inside me seems to snap, I glare down at her as I begin to clap.
The maiden looks at me with widened eyes.
“You should be really proud of yourself,” I say still clapping.
“Alpha what are you—”
“Your plan has succeeded.”
“My plan… I don’t understand,” she echoes and I laugh coldly.
“There is no need to keep pretending, I know exactly the kind of maiden you are,” I tell her and she frowns.
“I…I don’t understand—”
“You knew, I would be in the woods, you knew I would be in heat and you decided to use it as your golden chance to get what you wanted!”
“What I wanted?” she exclaims in disbelief. Her acting is better than I expected.
“No wait Alpha, this is a coincidence, I was on my way to—”
“You wanted power, didn’t you?” I ask her, stepping closer. “Weak, desperate Omegas like you would do anything to rise the ranks. You wanted to get marked by an Alpha, didn’t you?”
Her eyes moisten like she is holding back tears but I am not done.
“Unfortunately for you, I will not be fulfilling any of those dreams. You will go back home and tell no one what happened here, do you understand?!” I ask firmly and she scoffs.
Her green eyes harden as they glare at me. “There is no need to ask me to keep this quiet, last night was even more shameful for me,” she says coldly. “I had always dreamed of meeting the Alpha of this pack, but I never knew he could turn out to be such a disappointment.”
Her words take me aback. I stare at her unsure whether to feel amused or enraged.
“You have no idea what I am capable of, maiden. Disappointment would be the least of your worries if you tell anyone what happened today or if anyone finds out about that mark.”
Her fingers unconsciously drift to her neck, like she is only just realizing what that mark means now.
“You will hide it, I don’t care if you have to wear a scarf the rest of your life, but no one must find out what happened here, do you understand?” I ask again, my voice is colder than I intended.
She nods immediately, biting her lower lip like she is willing herself not to cry. “You don’t have to worry Alpha,” she whispers in a broken voice. “I will make sure you never see me again.”
My wolf protests at her words and I feel an ache spread across my chest, but I force the feelings down and smile at her.
“I see that you are smarter than you look,” I say. “Since we are done here, you can leave now.”
She doesn’t look back at me as she grabs a shirt from the floor and puts on what is left of her dress.
I try not to stare at her slender body as she dresses up, I try not to watch her as she walks out of the cottage, slamming the door shut in my face.
I try to pretend that my chest doesn’t feel empty, like something important has been ripped out of me.
Even when I arrive back in the pack, surrounded by my men, smiling and pretending like last night never happened. I try to pretend like nothing is wrong.
Even though my wolf feels it… I just made a terrible mistake.
- Writer
