Chapter Three – The Roar in the Forest
1131 Words
“ARIA’S POV”
“Aria!”
Ivy’s voice pierced through the fog of my unconsciousness. Her hands touched my shoulders, rolling me up gently onto my back, brushing off a hair from my face.
Her face hovered over mine, pale and wet with tears.
“No, no, no… stay with me,” she whispered, her voice cracking with fear. “You’re going to be okay.” Just… just breathe.
Her warmth tethering me to the world. I tried to speak, but my lips wouldn’t move, and my body responded the same way too.
Another voice drifted through the crowd, low, but firm. It didn’t sound like Ivy's.
“Step aside, girl.”
Ivy flinched, her breath hinching. “Who—who are you?”
“The only one who can help her.”
Before Ivy could argue, he placed his hands, pressed against my chest. A pulse of energy rolled through me seeping into my bones, my body twitched, my wolf stirred weakly but then dulled as the pain came.
Somehow, in the haze, I forced my eyes open just a little. A cloaked figure leaned over me, his face hidden by the hood. His eyes glowing faintly blue and his presence appeared sharp and unsettling.
Then, he moved his hands, his cool fingers brushed across my skin.
“She carries the mark,” the voice murmured, with a confident tone as his hand lingered, tracing where the rune had burned into me earlier.
And then darkness dragged me back again as he pressed his palm against my chest for the second time.
•••
Low and urgent whispers floated above me. Deep voices, heavy with authority.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes! She has the rune. I saw it myself.
“The rune burned through her flesh. She is not ordinary.
“The old bloodline runs in her veins.
“She must not be allowed to slip through our grasp.”
“What if she’s dangerous?”
“She already is.”
The voices faded, leaving only silence.
•••
I stirred again, feeling a hollow ache in my chest and each breath escaped with pain.
I could still feel my wolf whimpering inside me, crushed beneath the weight of Kael’s rejection.
I noticed the soft fur of the bedspread brush against my skin and my body felt heavy, wrapped in blankets that smelled faintly of herbs.
I tilted my head around. Inside it looked like a dim chamber lit with silver fire burning in sconces on the walls, filling the air with the smell of herbs and smoke.
Ivy sat in a chair beside me. Her head was tilted, resting on her arm, but her eyes snapped open as soon as I stirred.
I looked at her, her face was pale, and her eyes rimmed red from crying.
“Aria!” She grabbed my hand, squeezing it so tight I almost winced. “You’re awake.” Thanks to the moon.”
I blinked around the strange room. “Where… are we?” My voice came out weak and raspy.
“Somewhere under the academy,” Ivy said quickly, glancing toward the heavy door. “They brought us here after you… after you collapsed.”
They?
Before I could ask, a door creaked open.
A figure stepped in, cloaked in dark fabric that brushed the floor. His hood was down now, revealing sharp features and hair streaked with silver even though he didn’t look old. His eyes glowed faintly blue in the firelight.
My wolf tensed instantly in recognition—the cloaked stranger who had touched the rune on my skin.
His eyes locked on mine as he stepped forward, stopping at the foot of my bed, his eyes studying me gently.
“Aria Rivers,” he said slowly, his voice steady and deep.
“You fascinate me.” His voice filled with excitement.
“You are more than what you think you are.”
I stared back at him, my throat tight, my heart thumping hardly in my chest.
“What… what do you mean?” I whispered.
His lips curved into a devious smirk.
“The mark on your skin,” he said. “It changes everything.”
My mouth went dry. I glanced at Ivy, but she looked as lost as I felt, her wide eyes darting between us.
“I—I don’t understand,” I managed.
It was just… a light. It’s gone now.
His eyes sharpened, glowing brighter for a fleeting second.
“Oh dear! Marks like that don’t just appear. They’re not tricks of the moonlight. They’re old. Older than this academy. Older than your Alpha lines.
The tone of his voice made my skin crawl like he was pulling secrets from the dirt.
“Why me?” The words slipped out. “I’m no one.”
“You believe that,” he said softly, tilting his head. “But blood remembers what you try to forget.” Yours screams of it.”
A chill broke down my spine.
“My blood?”
“Your bloodline,” he corrected, his voice low, steady.
“The rune belongs to wolves who were not meant to bow. Wolves tied to the first moon.
I blinked, shaking my head. My stomach twisted.
That’s impossible. I’m… I’m barely even strong enough to shift. You saw me.”
His smirk faded sharply. “And yet, you survived it.” Most wolves marked by that power would have burned from the inside out. But you—” He leaned closer, his glowing gaze locking me in place. “You howled.”
Ivy finally found her voice. “Who are you?” she asked, her hand gripping mine tight, as if she could anchor me.
The man straightened, pulling his hood back up.
“Someone who knows what the Council will do once they find out.”
My chest squeezed. “The Council?”
“They’ve already been told.” His words dropped like stones in the room.
I sat up too fast, my vision spinning. “No.” No one can know. I didn’t ask for this!”
His gaze didn’t soften. “It doesn’t matter what you asked for.” They’ll decide if you’re a weapon… or a threat.”
The firelight flickered, throwing shadows across his face.
And then he added, almost like a warning whispered to the dark:
“You’re one special thing, I can’t wait to figure you out.”
With a devious chuckle, he turned, slowly striding toward the door. His cloak swayed with each step, the firelight chasing his shadow across the walls.
But before he could reach it, the door creaked open on its own. The sound cut through the silence like a blade.
Two figures stepped inside.
- Writer
