Scarlet Moon: The Marked Heir

TWELVE

That word triggered something within me. I wasn’t sure how to express it, but it happened. The sound of that name bothers me; it has left its mark on me. On my 18th birthday, at my old pack, while most of my friends transformed under the blood moon. Lyra also changed, but she has always been the daughter of an omega. A maid who worked for my father.

That's how our friendship began. Before the bond formed between Kael and me, I was bullied by the pack members, and in response, I made a dare.

What was that dare all about?

On my 18th birthday, I dared myself to find my wolf and my mate. I was really sure about it. On his 17th birthday, my brother had found his wolf, and I believed the same would happen for me. It felt like something that had been passed down through the generations in my family.

But I was unique. My friends got me drunk the day before my birthday and made me promise that I would be their pet in the pack house.

I went along with it, feeling a bit sorry for myself. I never quite grasped what was happening. I was on cloud eleven, not cloud nine.

“Alright, you know it’s not going to happen anyway.”

Everyone shared a laugh as they looked forward to the next day. Today is my birthday. The gifts I received, the songs and chants. It was a magical day, not just because I turned 18, but because they celebrated my shift and the discovery of my mate, just as I had dared.

They waited from morning until evening, but nothing occurred. I felt a rush of panic as the memories of last night came flooding back. The elders, who were my dad’s friends, have gone. My brother went to see Kael, just as he had been instructed, after he was crowned the alpha and Darius was appointed his beta.

I found myself all alone in that place. They laughed and made fun of him. They reviewed my bet, and I had not succeeded. I didn’t shift, I didn’t discover my wolf, and I didn’t meet my mate. They took me in as their pet and warned me not to tell my father.

They had me scrubbing floors in their homes, doing their laundry, and cooking for them, even worse than what they had done to the omegas. But I was my father’s daughter; I was meant to inspire fear. But it was an insult that the daughter of the greatest gamma warrior had become worse than the worthless omega, in the eyes of the old alpha.

The hardest part was that my father stayed silent. He made no effort to intervene. He briefly made me forget my pain by showering me with gifts, until I no longer desired them.

I told my brother, and he just patted my head, saying he would tell them to stop. But they didn’t stop; it only got worse. Until the day the moon goddess granted me her mercy. On a full moon, I followed my brother to the alpha’s mansion, the largest of the packhouses.

I followed him because I had asked him to. And because I used it to escape them, I could avoid doing things for them. Then I felt my heart racing, a strong scent in the air. It wasn't just the usual smell of a werewolf; this one was more intense, stirring a deep craving within me.

Kael.

He was seated at the far end of his reception room. As I sit and gaze at him. I found myself unable to look away from him, my heart beating quicker than normal. He blinked quickly, as if he felt something as well. He quickly turned to face me. He knew I was already there. His eyes shone in a strange way, unlike when he uses his alpha voice to issue commands.

Then, we began to connect, but they left me by myself. I was neither bullied nor treated like a pet. But all of that is gone now. I noticed his second version in them, but the difference was that they didn’t have to pretend to be anything other than themselves. They were not very nice people. The Veylar are quite unpleasant.

“Come on, brother,” Rowan teased, playfully tapping Lioran’s stick with his own before turning to me. What was he expecting? Should I ask away? No, not this time.

I refuse to let the past happen again. I won’t keep running, because I know they won’t allow it. If I stay out of sight, they might go to my room and even linger there, watching me while I sleep.

“Do you have a pet?” I let out a laugh, noticing Rowan's smile fading little by little. It's quite a relief to see someone's ego take a step back.

“Yes… new boy,” he said, stepping closer to me. I took a step back and stayed there until we were just a few inches apart. He shot me a fierce look as he yanked my hair with force. I winced, biting my lips and trying to swallow the pain inside. My eyes filled with tears, and everything around me became unclear. Instead of crying like a puppy, I just smirked at him.

“What’s so funny?” He gritted his teeth, gripping my hair and drawing his face nearer. I was feeling annoyed. I eased back a bit.

“Why are you so close?” I asked, a hint of annoyance in my voice. In that moment, my heart began to race even faster. He took a moment, looking puzzled.

Yes, that's correct, feel free to be confused.

I said playfully, “Do you want to kiss me or something?” "You might want to keep your distance, or I might start thinking you have a crush on me."

Everyone blinked in surprise. The quiet was overwhelming. It seemed as if Rowan had stopped breathing. His mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were wide.

I could see that his body was weakening. Lioran and Austin shared a glance before turning to me. Their expression was filled with many questions.

“No…” I need to know. I added, covering my mouth with my hand to hide the smile on my face. Then Rowan walked back, and what he did next took me by surprise. He hit me in the face, and I fell right to the ground. I grimaced, blood spilling from my mouth.

Alright, perhaps that wasn’t the best choice. He felt a surge of anger, his veins throbbing with intensity. His hands transformed into claws. His claws were incredibly long. I understand that if he strikes me on my face or neck, it could be life-threatening.

“Calm down, Rowan.” I laughed, and blood stained my teeth. But my body let me down; I trembled with fear. But what did it do? It never did anything good for me. I have to stand up for myself somehow.

“Be quiet!” he snarled, lifting his claws as if to hit me. I quickly rolled to the other side just in time to avoid his strike. And the worst part was that Austin and Lioran watched us, as if we were the ones practicing instead.

“Why is that?” I panted and got up from the ground, brushing the dust off with my hand. He turned to me and smirked, but this time it was different from the teasing ones he had worn before. This one was darker; it felt maniacal.

“Or did you see that I was right?” I asked. Austin shook his head, signaling for me to stop, while Lioran wore a smirk, clearly enjoying the sight of either his friend getting worked up or me on the verge of getting beaten up.

In an instant, Rowan pushed me down to the ground. His eyes were shadowy, and I felt his claws make a small cut on my hand. I suppose this is what it means to not be a girl. I’m sure they would take it easy on me if I were Aria, but that’s not the case. Going through this could make me stronger. Not just from anyone, but from Rowan himself, whom everyone trembles to even speak to.

“You talk too much for a dude, Arian,” he said, calling my name. Yes, I heard him loud and clear, but I wasn't feeling excited. Instead, I felt a wave of fear wash over me.

“Let go…” I said, looking him in the eye. He wiped it off in disgust and raised his claws to strike me. Austin caught him before he could move, pulling him away and holding him firmly in place.

“What made you so mad, Rowan?” I chuckled, pointing at him. “It’s not like you’re the king of the academy.” Just because your father is an alpha doesn’t mean you have the right to let anyone fear you.

I’m not sure what made me brave enough to say that. But there were times when he needed a little reality check.

“You’re not the only son of an alpha.” I walked closer to him, disregarding Austin's signal to stay quiet. Rowan clenched his fists, sizing me up with his gaze.

He looked over at Lioran and said, “He’s also the alpha’s son.”

“I’m sure there are many of them out there, Rowan.” This isn’t your realm or your land.

I rested my hand on his shoulder. “I may feel weak, but I’m done running away from you.”