Marked by the Alpha's Curse

Chapter 4

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The door rattled in its frame, as if something massive was testing its strength. My heart slammed against my ribs, my breath coming in short, panicked bursts.

Nimbus hissed again, his fur standing on end as he darted behind the counter.

Timothy stood in the middle of the room, his posture rigid and ready. His scars flared brighter, casting flickering shadows across the walls.

“Whatever happens, don’t run,” he said without looking back at me. His voice was steady, a stark contrast to the chaos clawing at the edge of my sanity.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” I lied. My hands trembled as I clutched the broken charm, its jagged edges biting into my palm.

The rattling stopped, replaced by an eerie silence that was somehow worse.

“They’re waiting for us to break,” Timothy said, his glowing eyes fixed on the door. “Don’t give them the satisfaction.”

I swallowed hard, trying to force down the fear bubbling in my throat. “You make it sound like this happens to you all the time.”

“More often than I’d like.”

The door didn’t so much open as it exploded inward, shards of wood flying across the room. I ducked instinctively, shielding my face as the air filled with the sound of growls and snapping jaws.

The wolves stepped through the threshold, their forms massive and otherworldly. Their fur was black as ink, their eyes glowing crimson in the dim light. They moved with a predatory grace, their muscles rippling beneath their shadowy coats.

There were three of them, each more terrifying than the last.

Timothy didn’t flinch. Instead, he took a step forward, his stance one of quiet authority. “This is your last warning,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Leave now, or face the consequences.”

The largest wolf bared its teeth, its growl rumbling through the room like thunder.

“Guess that’s a no,” I muttered, inching closer to the counter. Nimbus let out a low yowl, his ears pinned back as he crouched, ready to spring.

The lead wolf lunged.

Timothy met it head-on, his movements impossibly fast. One moment he was human; the next, his form blurred, shifting into something that wasn’t quite wolf and wasn’t quite man.

His glowing scars erupted into fiery streaks across his dark fur, and his claws gleamed like polished steel.

The impact of their collision shook the room. Timothy threw the wolf back with a snarl, but the other two were already circling, their eyes locked on him.

“Stay down!” Timothy barked, his voice a guttural growl.

As much as I hated to admit it, I wasn’t going to be much help in this fight. I crouched behind the counter, gripping the charm like a lifeline. Nimbus pressed against my side, his low growls surprisingly comforting.

The wolves attacked in unison, their speed and coordination terrifying. Timothy moved like a force of nature, his claws slicing through the air with deadly precision. But it was clear he was outnumbered.

My pulse thundered in my ears as I watched the chaos unfold. The lead wolf lunged for Timothy’s throat, but he twisted at the last second, using its momentum to slam it into the wall. The other two weren’t far behind, their snarls filling the air as they closed in.

And then I saw it. A shadow, darker than the others, creeping along the floor toward me.

My breath hitched. “Timothy!”

He turned just in time to see the shadow coalesce into a wolf, smaller than the others but no less deadly. It sprang toward me, its jaws snapping inches from my face.

Before I could scream, Nimbus leapt onto its back, claws sinking deep into its fur. The wolf howled, thrashing wildly as it tried to shake him off.

“Nimbus!” I reached out instinctively, but Timothy was faster.

He crossed the room in a single bound, his massive form colliding with the shadow wolf. Nimbus jumped clear just as Timothy’s claws tore through the creature’s side, scattering its form like smoke in the wind.

“Are you hurt?” Timothy demanded, his voice sharp as he turned to me.

I shook my head, too stunned to speak.

The remaining wolves hesitated, their crimson eyes flicking between Timothy and the broken charm still clutched in my hand.

“Leave,” Timothy growled, his voice layered with an authority that sent shivers down my spine. “Now.”

For a moment, it seemed like they might ignore him. But then the lead wolf let out a low, angry growl and backed toward the shattered doorway. The others followed, their forms dissolving into the fog as they retreated.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Timothy shifted back to human form, his scars still glowing faintly as he slumped against the counter, breathing heavily.

“Well,” I said shakily, “that was… something.”

He let out a dry laugh, wiping blood from his lip. “You handled it better than most.”

“Handled it? I hid behind a counter while you did all the work!”

“You kept the charm safe,” he said, nodding toward my hand. “That’s more important than you realize.”

I looked down at the cracked wooden charm, its surface warm against my palm. “What is this thing?”

“Your first clue,” he said, his amber eyes meeting mine. “To everything.”

Nimbus jumped onto my lap, purring loudly as if to say, Told you I was useful.

I let out a shaky laugh, stroking his fur as the adrenaline began to fade. “So… what now?”

“Now,” Timothy said, pushing himself to his feet, “we figure out what the hell that charm was protecting—and why they want it so badly.”

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To be continued...