Chapter 6 – The Luna’s Mark
595 Words
The next morning, pale sunlight spilled through the barred window. Elara sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes heavy from lack of sleep. Every creak of the packhouse reminded her she wasn’t safe, that dozens of wolves wanted her gone.
She rubbed her arm absently — and froze.
A faint shimmer glowed beneath her skin, just below her collarbone. At first she thought it was a bruise from the chains, but as the light grew brighter, a sharp sting seared through her flesh. She gasped, clutching the mark as it burned like fire.
“No… what is happening to me?” Her voice shook.
The door opened. Draven stepped inside, his golden eyes narrowing at the sight of the glow.
“It’s happening,” he muttered, striding toward her.
Elara staggered back. “What’s happening? What is this?”
“The Luna’s mark,” he said. “The Moon Goddess has claimed you.”
Her stomach twisted. “You’re lying. I’m not one of you. I can’t be!”
Draven’s hand closed around her wrist. His touch sent the fire racing through her blood, and the mark flared brighter, pulsing like a heartbeat under her skin.
“Does that feel like a lie?” His voice was low, rough, almost desperate.
Elara yanked away, clutching the glowing mark. “Why me? Why a human?”
His jaw clenched, and for the first time, his mask cracked. “You think I asked for this? The bond doesn’t care what we want. It only cares what we need. Even if it kills us.”
Before she could answer, voices carried from outside the door. Harsh whispers, dripping with contempt.
“She’s cursed.”
“The Alpha has doomed us.”
“A human Luna? The pack will fall.”
Elara’s heart pounded harder with every word. The whispers grew louder until the door banged open and Selena strode in.
Her amber eyes gleamed as they fell on the glowing mark. “I knew it,” she hissed. “The bond marked her.”
Selena’s lips curled in a cruel smile. “Look at her, Alpha. Weak. Fragile. A human pretending to be Luna. She’ll destroy us.”
“Get out,” Draven growled, his aura pressing down like a storm.
But Selena only stepped closer, her gaze locked on Elara. “The pack will never accept her. She doesn’t deserve the mark, or you. And when she breaks, when the bond snaps—” Selena’s smile widened. “I’ll be the one left standing.”
Elara’s breath caught, shame and anger battling in her chest.
Draven moved so fast the air cracked around him. One moment Selena was smirking, the next his hand was clamped around her throat, pressing her against the wall.
His golden eyes burned with lethal promise. “Say one more word against her, and I will rip out your tongue.”
Selena’s smirk faltered, but her voice dripped with venom. “She’ll be the death of you.”
Draven shoved her away, and she stumbled before fleeing the room, her laughter trailing like poison.
Elara pressed herself against the bedpost, trembling. The glow of the mark dimmed, but the burn lingered under her skin like a brand.
Draven turned back, his voice softer but still fierce. “This mark means you are mine. No curse, no prophecy, no jealous wolf can change that.”
Elara shook her head, whispering, “But what if it destroys us?”
For a long moment, Draven said nothing. His silence was heavier than any answer.
- Writer
