Marked by the Alpha's Curse

Chapter 10

#MBTACChapter10

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The cursed lands loomed ahead, a desolate expanse where the fog hung thick and heavy, muffling the world in an eerie silence. The trees at the border were gnarled and blackened, their twisted branches clawing at the sky as though trying to escape the blight that had consumed them.

The air was cold, biting even through my jacket, and it carried a faint, acrid scent that set my nerves on edge.

Nimbus perched on my shoulder, his tail flicking as his golden eyes scanned the surroundings. I didn’t know why he’d insisted on coming—yes, my cat insisted, somehow—but I wasn’t going to leave him behind. Maybe he knew something I didn’t.

“This is it,” Lyra said, her voice barely above a whisper. She stood a few feet ahead, her green cloak blending into the sickly hues of the landscape. “The cursed lands. They’ve been abandoned for centuries, left to rot under the weight of magic gone wrong.”

“Charming,” I muttered, gripping the strap of my backpack tighter.

Timothy was a silent shadow beside me, his eyes glowing faintly as he scanned the area. He’d been tense since we left Evermoor, and now that we were here, his energy felt like a coiled spring ready to snap.

“We stay together,” he said, his voice firm. “No wandering off, no splitting up. These lands are unpredictable. The magic here has a will of its own, and it’s not friendly.”

“Got it,” I said, though my stomach churned at his words.

The ground beneath our feet was dry and cracked, as though the earth itself had been drained of life. Every step seemed to echo unnaturally, the sound swallowed by the oppressive fog.

“Where do we even start?” I asked, my voice cutting through the uneasy quiet.

Lyra pulled a small, glowing orb from her bag. It pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat, casting a soft light around us. “The epicenter of the curse is deeper in. The artifact’s remnants are likely there, along with the truth about your family’s connection to all of this. The orb will guide us.”

Timothy eyed the orb warily. “And what happens when it attracts something we don’t want to meet?”

Lyra didn’t answer, which wasn’t exactly comforting.

We walked for what felt like hours, the orb’s glow leading us through the labyrinthine forest. The deeper we went, the more the world seemed to shift.

Shadows moved in the fog, shapes that dissolved when I tried to focus on them. The air grew colder, heavier, as though it was pressing down on us.

“Do you feel that?” I whispered to Timothy.

He nodded, his jaw tight. “The magic's here. It’s alive.”

Alive. The word sent a shiver down my spine.

Suddenly, Nimbus hissed, his claws digging into my shoulder. I winced but didn’t move, my eyes darting around. “What is it?”

Timothy froze, his head snapping toward the left. “We’re not alone.”

Lyra’s hand tightened around the orb, her other hand slipping into her cloak. “Prepare yourselves. The shadows don’t like intruders.”

Before I could ask what she meant, the fog ahead of us thickened, swirling like smoke. Shapes began to form—tall, hunched figures with glowing red eyes.

My breath caught in my throat as the shadow wolves emerged, their bodies rippling with darkness, their growls low and menacing.

“There’s more than last time,” Timothy said, his voice a low rumble. His scars flared faintly, casting a pale light against the fog.

“Can you fight them?” I asked, panic creeping into my voice.

“I don’t have a choice,” he said, stepping forward. His body tensed, and I could feel the barely contained power radiating from him.

The wolves didn’t wait. They lunged as one, their movements unnaturally fast. Timothy met them head-on, his form shifting mid-stride. His transformation was seamless, terrifyingly beautiful—his human figure replaced by a massive wolf with glowing scars, his teeth bared in a snarl.

Lyra raised her free hand, murmuring an incantation. A barrier of green light sprang up around us, halting one of the wolves in its tracks.

It howled, clawing at the barrier, but Lyra’s magic held firm.

“Stay close to me!” she shouted.

Nimbus leapt from my shoulder, landing gracefully on the ground. To my shock, he hissed at an approaching wolf, and the creature faltered, its glowing eyes flickering.

“What the hell?” I muttered, but there wasn’t time to dwell on it.

One of the wolves broke through the barrier, charging straight at me. My instincts screamed at me to run, but my legs wouldn’t move. Just as it leapt, Timothy barreled into it, his massive form knocking it to the ground.

He snarled, his jaws snapping as they grappled.

“Iviel, focus!” Lyra’s voice cut through the chaos. “The charm—use it!”

I fumbled with the charm around my neck, my fingers shaking. “I don’t know how!”

“Trust your instincts!” Lyra shouted.

The charm warmed in my hand, a faint pulse matching the glow of the orb. I closed my eyes, focusing on the heat, the rhythm. A surge of energy coursed through me, unfamiliar but not unwelcome.

When I opened my eyes, the nearest wolf froze, its body disintegrating into shadowy wisps.

I stared at my hands, stunned. “What… what just happened?”

“No time for explanations!” Lyra yelled, her barrier faltering as more wolves surrounded us.

Timothy howled, a guttural sound that seemed to shake the ground. He was bleeding, his scars glowing brighter as he fought. I could feel the weight of his struggle, the curse pressing down on him.

“Run!” he snarled, his voice distorted but still recognizable.

“No!” I shouted back, gripping the charm tightly. “We’re in this together.”

The wolves closed in, and I prepared to fight, the charm’s heat intensifying. Whatever lay deeper in the cursed lands, it wouldn’t be easy—but I wasn’t backing down.

Not now. Not ever.

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To be continued...