Accidentally Marked By the Ruthless Alpha

CHAPTER SIX

"Hurry Enya, you need to hide." Uncle Lucas's desperate voice cuts through the air, as he pushes me towards a secluded area in our cabin.

I had settled nicely in the woods, and I love it here. But these few years that I have been living here, my days were a repeated cycle of watching my uncle and the twins train and preparing meals.

I have begged them countless times to allow me to train with them, but they all refused, insisting I was their 'little princess' and it was their job to protect me.

I even tried throwing tantrums, but it was all to no avail. I was only allowed to join the occasional morning sprint, we usually run in wolf form. They'd taught me how to turn into my wolf form seamlessly within seconds. That was all I was allowed to learn.

Unknown to them, I usually train in secret. I had taught myself some of the fighting tactics I watch them do. But I knew it wasn't enough, and I wasn't ready to fight in a war yet.

I was just preparing dinner as usual, bored and planning what I would learn in my next secret training.

The sudden sound of loud growls and the thunderous pounding on the ground caught my attention. Someone was approaching, they sounded like they were running toward us. We hadn't had visitors since I arrived, and I instantly knew something was terribly wrong.

Uncle Lucas burst into the kitchen, his face etched with panic. "Go hide, now!" he commanded, pointing towards a secluded area in our cabin.

Trembling with fear, I quickly put out the fire and followed his orders.

"What's going on?" I asked as he pushed me to my hiding place, eager to go join the twins in the battle.

"We're under attack by rogues. Do not move out of here until I signal that everywhere is safe", he instructed sharply, before rushing out.

As I crouched in my hiding place, the sounds of the battle outside were terrifying—flesh tearing, the chilling howls of pain, and the heavy thuds of bodies hitting the ground. There was a thick smell of blood in the air, it was nauseating.

Strangely, I was thrilled by the battle and longed to go watch, but I wouldn't dare try, common sense held me back.

"I should be out there, watching, learning... No, staying hidden is smarter," I argued with myself.

"Had we lost?... Were the twins and Uncle Lucas okay?" I cower, fearing for Uncle Lucas and the twins, as the battle rages on.

Suddenly, the door to the cabin swung open. The heavy footsteps of an intruder echoed in the house. Peering through a small hole in my hideout, what I saw made me break out in a cold sweat.

Prowling through the kitchen was a huge brown wolf, scarred and menacing. His presence sent a chill down my spine.

My heart hammered against my ribs, "Can he sense me?" I froze, hoping my rapid heartbeat wasn’t as loud as it seemed. The wolf prowled closer, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air, coming dangerously close to my hiding spot.

"He’s just sniffing. He doesn’t know I’m here." I reassured myself silently, though my panic only grew.

I held my breath as he came close, scared that even the slightest sound would betray my presence.

Just when I thought he hadn't noticed me, the wolf's sharp eyes locked onto my hiding spot.

Without warning, he lunged at it, ripping it apart with a single, powerful swipe of his claws. I stood, frozen and terrified, face to face with the snarling beast, his eyes locked onto mine, blood dripping from his jaws.

Time seemed to stand still as we stared at each other—me paralyzed by fear, him assessing his prey. Then, with a guttural snarl, he lurched towards me, his sharp claws pointed out to shred me into pieces.

The sight was so scary, I thought I was going to die. I was defenseless and had no idea what to do. My uncle and the twins were nowhere near.

A scream tore from my throat as I turned and fled, aiming for the open grounds, hoping someone would stop him before he got to me.

But I was no match for him, I could feel his hot breath on my neck as he caught up with me in seconds.

"This is it. I’m going to die!" the thought screamed in my mind.

"Diana!!" I cried out with every fiber of my being... "He's going to kill us!" I had no idea what happened next, but I could feel Diana.

She took over in an instant, her fury replacing my fear as if she was waiting for me to call her.

With a ferocious growl, Diana collided with the rogue wolf, the impact sending him reeling. The battle was fierce; claws and teeth clashed.

"Aaauuuuuuoooooo," a sickening anguished howl reverberates through the air, at the slicing sound of claws tearing into flesh.

The rogue wolf was strong and tried to put up a fight, but Diana overpowered him.

With a final decisive move, she eventually clamped down on his neck and snapped it.

The rogue's body jerked and landed with a loud thud, morphing back into his lifeless human form.

There was an uproar, the remaining rogues, witnessing their leader's defeat, fled into the woods in a panic.

As Uncle Lucas and the twins, still in their wolf forms, rushed to my side, astonishment and relief mixed in their eyes.

"Whoa, how…how did you do that?" I recognized Rudolf's voice in my mind through our mind-link.

"I don't ..know" I stammered, my voice shaky and shocked by what just happened.

"Stop stressing her bro, we were almost overpowered" Adolf chastised him, "She just neutralized the rogue leader in seconds. She needs to rest."

"You can shift back now, kid. Good job, you saved us today," I heard Uncle Lucas's voice call out to me.

Exhausted but at ease, I allowed my human form to take over. As soon as I changed, my knees buckled, and I plodded down on the hard ground.

Feeling drained, I lost consciousness.

********************************************

"Ouch...did you have to hit that hard?” I winced, clutching my stomach where Rudolf’s punch had landed.

Ever since that incident with the rogue wolves happened, they all agreed my inner wolf, Diana, had probably acted out of pure instinct.

I had no difficulty believing them because it doesn't make sense how Diana crushed that wolf, but the good part of it was that I was finally allowed to train.

"Hey, you need to expect the unexpected," Rudolf quipped, flashing a grin apologetically.

The twins were fierce warriors in their former pack. They had fled their homes upon hearing rumors that the Alpha's son was secretly plotting to kill them out of jealousy.

Uncle Lucas had offered them asylum when they wandered in here in the woods, and ever since, they’d been trying relentlessly to repay him—or should I say, impress him out of sheer gratitude.

He had assigned them the task of training me and, judging by how hard they push me to my limits, sometimes I wonder if we were training for an apocalypse.

They took turns daily, training my ass out, sometimes Uncle Lucas joins us, but he chooses to observe most times.

Today, they decided I was ready to handle fighting two opponents at once. Initially, when we started these training sessions, it felt like a nightmare. My muscles constantly ached, and I was sore all over—there were moments I almost begged them to stop.

But now, I have adjusted and actually looked forward to training. I was determined to learn every tactic they taught me.

“Remember, Enya, a good warrior anticipates the strike before it happens.” Adolf barks sternly as he circles me from another angle. "If you weren't distracted, you would have seen that blow coming"

As he spoke, I saw the slight twitch in his muscles and knew he was about to lunge. I immediately shifted my weight and ducked just as his arm swept through the air where my head had been seconds before. His fist connected with Rudolf's cheek.

“Aaargh!” Rudolf clutched his face, stumbling back.

"Nice move," Adolf nodded appreciatively, he had a hint of mischief in his eyes. “But can you handle this?”

His next move came quick, he tried to grab me by my windpipe but I twisted away at the last second, and—

"Thwack!" I landed him a packed punch in the abdomen.

“Not bad, Enya,” Rudolf who had recovered, said in approval. "That was a good punch"

The twins exchanged a glance, “Alright, let’s see how you handle this!” Adolf charged, more aggressively aiming for my upper body while Rudolf aimed low simultaneously.

But I was prepared for them, it was now or never.

I feinted towards Rudolf, then rolled away from Adolf, causing a momentary confusion.

In their brief hesitation, I swept Rudolf’s legs, sending him tumbling headlong to the ground. Adolf moved in attempting to catch me off guard but I predicted it. I ducked and pushed him using his own weight to send him sprawling next to his brother.

"Well, looks like the princess can knock out her knights." Rudolf chuckled as he sat up, rubbing his back.

They both burst into laughter and I followed suit.

Adolf groaned dramatically, "Yeah, remind me never to underestimate her again."

"Phew...that was some slick moves" he smacked me playfully.

"Thanks, guys," I say, panting and laughing.

From the corner of my eyes, I caught Uncle Lucas watching us intently, something seemed off about him, I can't tell and the way he bit down on his lip—a habit he fell into when deep in thought or troubled— I knew it was bad news.

“You've gotten really good, kid” he calls out as he approaches us.

“What do you expect? I have excellent teachers," I shot back with a grin, hoping to draw a smile from him. But his solemn nod and the distracted look in his eyes didn't quite catch the humor.

"If you two could spare her, I need to discuss something... personal with Enya," he quietly demanded from the twins.

"Of course," Rudolf replied, while Adolf gave me a conspiratorial wink as if to say, "Good luck.” Who knows? I may need lots of luck.

I could feel my head running a marathon, I knew something was wrong but what could it be? I followed him as he led me inside.

"Enya, something’s come up back home. It’s... complicated," he began, avoiding my gaze as he paced a little.

"Huh...?" I raised my eyebrows in confusion, waiting for him to continue.

He suddenly stopped and faced me, his expression grave. "It’s about the Moonglade pack. They're in trouble...deep trouble. There’s been a coup."

"A coup?" I echoed, my mind racing. I don't know much about pack politics, but a coup was serious.

"Yes, Alpha Eric has been overthrown by a distant pack. He couldn't defend the pack, he ran and left everyone behind. There’s a new alpha now.”

I crossed my arms, trying to keep the annoyance from my voice. “So? What’s that got to do with me? I don't care what happens to Eric, he deserves the worst for all I care"

Uncle Lucas ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “It’s not just about Eric. The pack... it’s in disarray. And there’s more. The new alpha has called for a mandatory summit. Every member who’s been away needs to return, to reaffirm their loyalties.”

“Reaffirm loyalties?” I scoffed. “Sounds like a trap.”

“It could well be. But there’s a reason we need to go back, beyond loyalty. During the attack, the pack archives were destroyed—all the birth records, lineage documentation, everything. If we don’t go back and verify your lineage, you’ll be considered rogue. No rights, no protections under pack law.”

I paused and processed his words.

Being rogue wasn’t just about losing status—it meant no pack would ever accept us. We’d be on our own, completely.

"Why do I need to verify my lineage? My parents are still there. They should be able to put it on record that they have a child.”

"Emm...about your parents" he cleared his throat "I don't know how to say this" he muttered under his breath.

"Your parents are dead!" He finally broke the news, the words hitting me like a physical blow.

I froze. “That’s a lie,” I managed to say through clenched teeth. “Tell me you’re joking.”

"I wish I was. Listen kid…we need to return now."

“Please don’t make me go,” I pleaded desperately, grabbing his shirt.

Uncle Lucas’s face softened slightly, and he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper, “There’s something I left out... about the new Alpha.”

"He is the one who killed your parents!”