Marked by Midnight

chapter 2

Two Years Later

Two years had passed since the night I followed Alaric Hayes into the woods.

Sometimes, I still wondered why I had gone with him.

Maybe it was because I had spent my whole life wanting answers.

Maybe it was because I was tired of asking Olivia questions and getting the same vague answers every time. Or maybe I was simply curious enough to follow a stranger who claimed he knew my parents.

Whatever the reason was, that decision changed my life.

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling above me.

For a few seconds, I didn't remember where I was. Then I heard voices coming from the hallway. I sat up slowly and looked around my room.

Moonridge Academy.

I had been here for almost two years, but there were still mornings when I woke up and expected to see the familiar room I had grown up in.

Instead, I had a large room in one of the academy's dormitories, a uniform hanging behind my door and a schedule I had already memorised.

I pushed the blanket away and walked towards the window. The academy was already awake.

Students were moving through the courtyard in groups. Some were heading towards their classes while others stood around talking. A few younger students were running down the stairs even though they were clearly supposed to be walking.

I smiled when I saw one of them nearly bump into a teacher. It was a normal morning. At least, it should have been. But everyone seemed more excited than usual.

I didn't have to wonder why. The Mate Ceremony was tonight. I had been hearing about it for weeks.

Some students couldn't stop talking about it. Others were already guessing who would be matched with whom. There were even rumours that some students had been having dreams about their future mates.

I didn't understand the excitement. Finding a mate sounded important, but I wasn't sure I wanted one.

I'd already had enough changes in my life.

The last thing I needed was another person suddenly becoming important to me because of some bond I didn't understand and moreover I'm a human.

A knock sounded on my door. “Elena!”

I immediately knew who it was. “Come in.”

The door opened and Seraphine walked inside without waiting another second. She was already dressed for class, her hair neatly done and her expression brighter than usual.

“You're still in bed?”

I looked at her. “Good morning to you too.”

She ignored that.

“Do you realise what today is?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“And?”

“And I need to get ready for class.”

She stared at me.

“It's the Mate Ceremony.”

“I know.”

“You don't sound excited.”

“Because I'm not.”

Seraphine placed both hands on her waist.

“You've been saying that for days.”

“Because nothing has changed.”

She walked over to my bed and sat down. “I'm telling you, tonight is going to be different.”

“You've said that every morning this week.”

“Because tonight is actually the night.”

I laughed.

She pointed at me. “Don't laugh. I'm serious.”

“I know you are.”

Seraphine had been talking about her mate for as long as I could remember. She had an entire idea of what the person would be like. Tall, strong, handsome and protective. Apparently, he also had to know exactly how to make her laugh. I had heard the list so many times that I could probably recite it for her.

“So,” she said, getting up, “what are you wearing tonight?”

“Something comfortable.”

She looked horrified. “No.”

I laughed again. “What?”

“You cannot go to the Mate Ceremony looking like you're going to class.”

“I wasn't planning to.”

“Good, because I'm choosing your clothes.”

Before I could stop her, she walked straight to my wardrobe and opened it.

“Seraphine.”

“Don't worry. I know what I'm doing.”

“You said that last time.”

“And you looked good.”

“I looked normal.”

“Exactly. We need to improve on normal.”

I shook my head and sat on the edge of the bed while she searched through my clothes.

Watching her made me forget about everything else for a while. That was one thing I liked about Seraphine.

She didn't treat me like I was strange.

When I first arrived at Moonridge, I barely understood anything. The supernatural world was completely different from the human world I had known.

There were werewolves, packs, Alphas, councils and rules I had never heard of before. And then there was Alaric.

He had been the person who brought me here.

He had promised me answers about my parents. He gave me some. But somehow, every answer came with another question. I knew my parents belonged to this world.

I knew they had been connected to something bigger than the life I had known. But there were still things Alaric refused to explain.

Whenever I asked too many questions, he would simply tell me that I wasn't ready. I hated that answer.

I wasn't a child anymore.

“Elena?”

I looked up.

Seraphine was holding up two dresses. “Which one?”

I pointed at the one on the left. “That one.”

She smiled. “Good choice.”

“You chose it.”

“And you agreed with me. That's what matters.”

I rolled my eyes.

She laughed and went back to the wardrobe.

Then I noticed something through the window.

A person was standing across the courtyard. I couldn't see his face clearly from where I was, but something about him caught my attention. He wasn't moving.

He was just standing there, watching.

I frowned.

“Who is that?”

Seraphine turned around.

“Who?” I pointed towards the window.

But by the time she looked, the person was gone.

“I don't see anyone,” She said

“He was standing there.”

“Maybe he left.”

“Maybe,” I replied

I kept looking outside for another few seconds.There was no one there. I turned away.

For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had seen him before.

“Elena.”

I looked at Seraphine.

“Hmm?”

“You're thinking again.”

“I'm always thinking.”

“That's the problem.”

I smiled.

She threw one of the dresses at me. “Go and get ready.”

I caught it. “Yes, ma'am.”

She laughed.

We left the room together a little later.

The hallway was crowded, and almost everyone seemed to be talking about the ceremony.

“Do you think the Moon Goddess will actually appear?” someone asked.

“She always does.”

“What if I don't find my mate?”

“You will.”

“What if he's from another pack?”

The conversations followed us all the way downstairs.

Seraphine looked like she wanted to stop and listen to every single one.

“You're enjoying this too much,” I told her.

“Of course I am.”

“You're acting like you're the only person here who wants to find a mate.”

“I'm not.” She lowered her voice. “I'm just more honest about it.”

I laughed.

We reached the courtyard and sat at one of the benches before class. For a moment, everything felt normal again.

Then I felt something strange. A sudden pressure in my chest. I looked around. Nothing had changed.

People were still talking. Students were still walking around. But I couldn't explain the feeling.

It was almost like someone was calling my name without actually saying it.

I closed my eyes for a second. And suddenly, I saw the woods. Not the woods from my childhood. The woods from that night.

Alaric walking ahead of me. His voice. His promise.

I know about your parents.

I opened my eyes quickly.

“Elena?”

I looked at Seraphine.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“You look pale.”

“I'm fine.”

She studied my face. “Are you sure?”

I nodded.

I didn't want to explain it.

I wasn't even sure how to explain it myself.

Two years ago, I walked into the woods looking for answers. Tonight, I was going to stand before the Moon Goddess and possibly discover something else about myself.

I didn't know what would happen. I only knew that something about tonight felt different.

And I was beginning to think Seraphine was right.

Tonight was going to change everything. I just didn't know how much.