CHAPTER 4
1564 Words
The clearing was deathly silent, the only sound Rosalind could hear was her own ragged breathing. Her heart thundered in her chest as she stared at the figure stepping out from the shadows. It was tall and cloaked, its face obscured by darkness. But what unnerved her most was the way it moved so smoothly and fluid, almost as if it were gliding rather than walking.
Killian stepped in front of her, his body tense and his fists clenched at his sides. “Stay behind me,” he ordered, his voice sharp.
Rosalind didn’t argue. Something about the figure felt… wrong. Its very presence seemed to sap the warmth from the air, leaving the clearing colder than before.
“Alpha Killian,” the figure said, its voice smooth and cold, like a blade sliding across ice. “You’ve been busy.”
Killian didn’t respond. He stood his ground, his silver eyes locked on the intruder.
Rosalind’s fingers brushed against her wrist, the mark still warm beneath her skin. She could feel it pulsing faintly, as though reacting to the figure’s presence.
“What do you want, Malakar?” Killian growled, his voice low and threatening.
The figure chuckled, a sound that sent a shiver down Rosalind’s spine. “Come now, you know what I want,” it said, its gaze shifting to Rosalind. “The girl.”
Rosalind stiffened, her pulse racing.
“She’s under my protection,” Killian said firmly, stepping forward. “If you want her, you’ll have to go through me.”
Malakar tilted his head, his movements unnervingly graceful. “Is that so? Tell me, Alpha, does she even know what you’ve done to her? What you’ve taken from her?”
Rosalind’s eyes darted to Killian, confusion and unease twisting in her gut. “What is he talking about?” she demanded.
Killian didn’t answer.
Malakar took a step closer, his cloak billowing slightly in the wind. “He hasn’t told you, has he? Of course he hasn’t. You’re nothing but a pawn to him, a tool to be used and discarded.”
“Shut your mouth,” Killian snarled, his voice filled with barely restrained fury.
But Malakar ignored him, his focus entirely on Rosalind. “Tell me, child, have you ever wondered why he marked you? Why he’s so desperate to keep you close?”
Rosalind’s chest tightened. She had wondered. She had begged Killian for answers, only to be met with half-truths and deflections.
“What are you talking about?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Don’t listen to him,” Killian snapped, his gaze flicking to her.
But Malakar’s words came faster, sharper. “He bound you to him, not to protect you, but to claim what lies within you. The power you were born with, the power he’s been hiding from you.”
Rosalind’s knees nearly buckled. “Power?” she whispered, her throat dry.
Killian’s jaw tightened, his silence louder than any denial.
Malakar’s chuckle was soft and mocking. “Ah, so he hasn’t told you. How deliciously predictable.”
“Enough!” Killian roared, his voice echoing through the clearing. His fists clenched, his body trembling with barely contained rage.
Rosalind’s mind spun, pieces of the puzzle snapping together in a way that made her stomach churn. “Killian,” she said, her voice rising. “Is it true? Did you bind me to you for my power?”
Killian’s silver eyes met hers, and for the first time, she saw something she hadn’t expected: guilt.
“Rosalind, it’s not what you think,” he began.
“Then tell me!” she shouted, her frustration boiling over. “Tell me the truth for once!”
Killian hesitated, his gaze flicking to Malakar. The cloaked figure watched them with interest, as though savoring the moment.
“She deserves to know,” Malakar said, his tone almost playful.
Killian’s hands balled into fists. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. He turned to Rosalind, his expression hard. “Yes, I marked you because of your power. But it’s not as simple as he’s making it sound.”
Rosalind’s stomach turned. “You used me,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“No,” Killian said quickly, his tone urgent. “I marked you to protect you. Your power…it’s dangerous, Rosalind. If the wrong people get to you..”
“Like me,” Malakar interjected smoothly.
Killian shot him a glare before turning back to Rosalind. “If the wrong people get to you, they’ll tear this world apart.”
Rosalind staggered back, shaking her head. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. I don’t have power. I’m just…”
“You’re the last of the bloodline,” Malakar said, cutting her off. “The last descendant of the Lunaris, the most powerful line of shifters to ever exist.”
Shifters. The word hung heavy in the air, its weight almost suffocating.
Rosalind stared at Malakar, her mind reeling. “That’s not possible. I’m not a shifter. I’m not… I’m not anything.”
“Oh, but you are,” Malakar said, his tone dripping with satisfaction. “You just don’t know it yet. Your power has been dormant, locked away. But the mark on your wrist?” He gestured to her arm. “That’s the key to unlocking it.”
Rosalind’s hand flew to her wrist, her fingers brushing against the mark. She could feel its heat, its pulse, as though it were alive.
“No,” she said, her voice barely audible.
Killian stepped toward her, his expression softening. “Rosalind, listen to me. I didn’t bind you to me to hurt you. I did it to protect you—from him, from the shadows, from anyone who would use you for their own gain.”
“But you didn’t tell me the truth,” she said, her voice shaking. “You took away my choice.”
Killian opened his mouth to respond, but Malakar spoke first.
“He didn’t just take away your choice, child,” he said, his voice almost gentle. “He took away your memories.”
The world seemed to tilt beneath Rosalind’s feet. “What?” she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.
Malakar’s smile widened, his teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “He didn’t tell you that part, did he? The reason you don’t remember your heritage, your power, your true self, it’s because he erased it all.”
Rosalind turned to Killian, her heart pounding. “Is that true?”
Killian’s silence was answer enough.
Her chest tightened, anger and betrayal twisting inside her. “How could you?” she demanded, her voice breaking.
Killian’s gaze dropped, his shoulders sagging. “I did what I had to,” he said quietly. “You were too young to handle the truth. If I hadn’t…”
“You had no right!” Rosalind shouted, tears streaming down her face. “You had no right to take that from me!”
The ground beneath them seemed to tremble as Rosalind’s emotions surged. The mark on her wrist burned brighter, its light piercing the darkness.
Malakar’s eyes gleamed with triumph. “There it is,” he murmured. “The power waking up at last.”
Killian stepped toward Rosalind, his hand outstretched. “Rosalind, listen to me. You have to control it. If you let it consume you..”
“Don’t touch me,” she snapped, stepping back. Her voice trembled, but her gaze was fierce. “I don’t trust you anymore.”
Killian flinched as though she’d struck him.
Before either of them could say another word, Malakar raised his hand, a ripple of darkness spreading through the clearing.
“Enough of this,” he said, his voice sharp. “The girl belongs to me now.”
Killian’s eyes blazed with fury. “Over my dead body.”
Malakar smiled, his form dissolving into shadow. “If you insist.”
The shadows surged forward, engulfing the clearing in darkness. Rosalind’s heart raced as Killian lunged at her, grabbing her hand and pulling her close.
“Hold on,” he said, his voice low but urgent.
Before she could ask what he meant, the world shifted.
The clearing vanished, replaced by a dizzying swirl of light and shadow. When the world righted itself, Rosalind found herself in a dimly lit chamber, its stone walls lined with glowing runes.
“What just happened?” she demanded, her voice shaking.
Killian released her hand, his expression grim. “I took us to a safe house.”
Rosalind stared at him, her chest heaving. “You don’t get to decide what’s safe for me anymore.”
Killian opened his mouth to respond, but a sudden pounding at the door cut him off.
“Too late,” he muttered, his voice laced with dread.
The door splintered under the force of a blow, and Rosalind’s breath caught as Malakar stepped into the room, his cloak swirling around him.
“You can’t run from me, Alpha,” he said, his smile chilling. “And you can’t hide her forever.”
The chamber trembled, the runes on the walls flickering.
Rosalind clenched her fists, the mark on her wrist blazing like fire. She didn’t know what was happening to her, but one thing was clear.
She wasn’t going down without a fight.
- Writer
