Chapter 10:The Marking Ritual
521 Words
Chapter 10 – The Marking Ritual
Rylan’s hands were iron around my wrists.
“You don’t believe me,” I said, my voice breaking.
His eyes were unreadable. “I want to. But if you’re mine, the mark will tell me the truth.”
“The… mark?”
He stepped closer, his scent wrapping around me like heat. “A bond between mates. Once it’s done, there’s no hiding. No lying. Your soul is bound to mine. Forever.”
I swallowed hard. “And if I refuse?”
He leaned in, his breath brushing my cheek. “Then I’ll think you have something to hide.”
The ritual took place under the moonlight, the pack watching in a silent circle. Rylan’s wolf form loomed before me, golden eyes locked on mine. He lowered his head, his teeth grazing the curve of my neck — not biting, not yet.
The contact sent fire through my veins, my body trembling. Then his teeth sank in, just enough to break skin. The world tilted, my senses exploding with the scent of him, the feel of him.
When it was over, my knees nearly buckled. Rylan caught me, his lips at my ear.
“You’re mine now, little wolf. No one touches what’s mine.”
But as the crowd dispersed, Elder Corvin’s frown told me something was wrong. The curse hadn’t stayed quiet — it had flared.
The pack’s eyes bore into me as I stood trembling beneath the cold moonlight, the weight of their silent judgment heavier than the winter air. I glanced at Rylan, whose golden gaze was fierce yet filled with something I couldn’t name — hope? Desperation?
His hands were steady but strong as they wrapped around my wrists, grounding me even as my heart threatened to shatter.
“You don’t believe me,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Rylan’s expression softened for a moment before hardening again. “I want to. But the mark doesn’t lie.”
A sudden chill swept over me as the pack’s elder, Corvin, stepped forward, chanting words in a language older than time. The circle tightened, and I felt the pulse of ancient magic weaving through the air.
Then Rylan shifted — the transformation brutal and beautiful. His wolf form towered over me, eyes blazing like twin suns. Yet when he lowered his head, exposing the curve of my neck, there was a gentleness that made my breath catch.
His teeth grazed my skin, sharp but careful. The sting bloomed into a fiery wave that coursed through my veins, searing the bond into my very soul.
My knees nearly gave out, and Rylan caught me before I could fall. His lips brushed my ear, warm and possessive.
“You’re mine now, little wolf. No one will touch what’s mine.”
Relief surged through me — until Elder Corvin’s frown shattered the moment.
He whispered urgently to Rylan, “The curse… it flares. This bond has awakened it.”
A cold dread seeped into my bones. If the curse was stirring, then so was the danger — and nothing would ever be the same again.
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